Stephanie L. Johnson

Stephanie L. Johnson, Ph.D. is Project Manager for the Onondaga Environmental Institute (OEI). Dr. Johnson received a B.S. in Environmental Science from Russell Sage College in 2005, an M.S. in Ecology from State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) in 2009, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from SUNY ESF in 2013.  As a graduate student, Dr. Johnson was a Research Assistant for six years, working on the Onondaga Lake Biomonitoring Program.  As part of this program, Dr. Johnson helped design, coordinate, and implement fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, and aquatic macrophyte sampling programs.  Dr. Johnson began work at OEI in 2007 as a Field Technician and then became the Field Project Coordinator in 2011, followed by Project Scientist in 2013, and Project Manager in 2023.  As Project Manager at OEI, primary responsibilities include: grant development and funding procurement; project management and implementation; coordinate, manage, and execute field efforts; train and supervise field technicians and interns; collaborate with OEI staff to effectively maintain project timelines and budgets; collaborate with project partners and contractors to implement work elements; oversee restoration projects, manage construction efforts, complete permits, and coordinate with regulatory agencies; develop and maintain databases, perform analytical and interpretive assessments of data; develop project deliverables such as work plans, progress reports, scientific reports, educational materials, presentations; and disseminate information to funders, project partners, and the public. Dr. Johnson also serves as OEI’s Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Officer, responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining Quality Assurance Program, Health & Safety, and Data Analysis & Interpretation Plans.

Recent projects that Dr. Johnson has helped coordinate include: bacterial monitoring and track down in the Onondaga Lake watershed (NY), wet-weather monitoring of a constructed wetland facility in the Harbor Brook watershed (NY), assessing ecological integrity in the upper Onondaga Creek Watershed, stream restoration of Bear Trap Creek (NY), an investigation of optical brighteners in the Onondaga Lake Watershed, stream and wetland restoration in the Ley Creek Watershed (NY), brook trout restoration in the Onondaga Creek Watershed, macroinvertebrate surveys in the Mohawk River (NY), water quality monitoring of a eutrophic lake (Lily Lake, PA), an ecological investigation of the Poestenkill Watershed (NY), mudboil abatement and directional drill efficacy in the Onondaga Creek watershed, ecological investigation of the Mad River (NY), environmental review of Granby (NY) infrastructure improvement projects, and curriculum development, youth education and stewardship in the Mohawk River and Onondaga Creek watersheds.  Dr. Johnson has also served as a scientific consultant on a TMDL study of the Banana River Lagoon (FL).  Dr. Johnson’s areas of study include aquatic entomology, fisheries, aquatic ecology, landscape ecology, and limnology.

In addition to her duties at OEI, Dr. Johnson occasionally teaches undergraduate-level courses; having recently served as a Visiting Lecturer at Cazenovia College and SUNY ESF, teaching courses in Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Aquatic Entomology, General Ecology, Global Environment, Aquatic Sampling Methods, Ecology of Adirondack Fishes.