Kirk R. Johnson (born 1960) is an American paleontologist, author, curator, and museum administrator, and is currently serving as Sant Director of Smithsonian 's National Museum of Natural History. [1] Early life and education [ edit ] Lyson, Tyler R., Rossetto, Gabriella, Evans, Erica S. J., Bercovici, Antoine, Johnson, Kirk R., and Pearson, Dean. 2016. Dinosaur skeleton occurrence in the latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) Hell Creek formatin of Southwestern North Dakota and Souteastern Montana [presentation]. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, September 27, 2016. Denver, CO. Kirk Wallace Johnson is an American author, journalist, and founder of The List Project, [1] a not-for-profit organization that helps resettle Iraqi refugees who previously worked for the U.S. government during the Iraq War. [2] [3] [4] He served as the U.S. Agency for International Development regional coordinator for reconstruction in Fallujah, Iraq in 2005. [5] [6] [7] Early life and education [ edit ]

Johnson, Kirk R. 2020. " Presentation of the 2019 Harrell L. Strimple Award of the Paleontological Society to James L. Goedert." Journal of Paleontology, 94, (5) 1015–1015. https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2020.55. Hammer, Joshua (June 1, 2018). "The Man Who Stole Bird Feathers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved August 6, 2022. After returning from Iraq, Johnson began fly-fishing, which led him to the story that would become his true crime book, The Feather Thief. [11] [12] [13] The story is about how an American flutist, Edwin Rist stole remains of rare birds from the Natural History Museum in England. [14] Hobbyists pay high prices for the feathers of exotic birds, including fly-fishers, who use them to catch fish. [15] He learned of the heist when a guide from New Mexico told the story, leading to a five-year period of research and interviews, including with Rist. [16] The book will be adapted into a television series by Jenna Bush Hager's production company. [17] [18] The film rights to The Fishermen and the Dragon has been sold to George Clooney's production company for a multi-part series. [19] Long, Karen R. (November 7, 2013). "Author Kirk W. Johnson On The Fight To Help Iraqi Allies Left Behind". Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards . Retrieved August 6, 2022. Nolan, Tom (April 20, 2018). " 'The Feather Thief' Review: A Fuss Over Feathers". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660 . Retrieved August 7, 2022.Wilf, Peter, Little, Stefan A., Iglesias, Ari, del, Carmen Zamaloa, Gandolfo, María A., Cúneo, N. Rubén, and Johnson, Kirk R. 2009. " Papuacedrus (Cupressaceae) in Eocene Patagonia: A new fossil link to Australasian rainforests." American Journal of Botany, 96, (11) 2031–2047. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.0900085. Before his arrival at the Smithsonian in 2012, Johnson was a paleontologist at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science who led expeditions in 18 states and 11 countries. His research focuses on fossil plants and the extinction of the dinosaurs. In 2011, he led an ice age excavation near Snowmass Village in Colorado that recovered parts of more than 50 mastodon skeletons. He is known for his scientific articles, popular books, museum exhibitions, documentaries and collaborations with artists. Ben-Asher, Julia (June 25, 2019). "Meet 'The Feather Thief' Author Kirk Wallace Johnson, True Crime Writer". Steamboat Pilot . Retrieved August 6, 2022. Blonder, Benjamin, Royer, Dana L., Johnson, Kirk R., Miller, Ian, and Enquist, Brian J. 2014. " Plant ecological strategies shift across the cretaceous-paleogene boundary." PLoS biology, 12, (9) 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949.

Wilf, Peter, Escapa, Ignacio H., Cúneo, N. Rubén, Kooyman, Robert M., Johnson, Kirk R., and Iglesias, Ari. 2014. "First South American Agathis (Araucariaceae), Eocene of Patagonia." American Journal of Botany, 101, (1) 156–179. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1300327. His work was profiled in 60 Minutes, the Today Show, The New Yorker, and This American Life; it was the subject of his 2013 memoir To Be a Friend Is Fatal: the Fight to Save the Iraqis America Left Behind. Inclusion also helps reduce stigma around disability by normalizing interactions between different types of learners.Hagen, Eric R., Royer, Dana L., Moye, Ryan A., and Johnson, Kirk R. 2019. "No Large Bias within Species between the Reconstructed Areas of Complete and Fragmented Fossil Leaves." Palaios, 34, (1) 43–48. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2018.091. Kirk’s educational journey was enriched by his participation in inclusive classroom settings. Inclusion refers to the practice of educating students with disabilities alongside their typically developing peers. This environment provided Kirk with opportunities for social interaction, fostering empathy, understanding, and friendships. Raynolds, Robert G., Johnson, Kirk R., Ellis, Beth, Dechesne, Marieke, and Miller, Ian M. 2007. " Earth history along colorado's Front range: Salvaging geologic data in the suburbs and sharing it with the citizens." GSA Today, 17, (12) 4. https://doi.org/10.1130/GSAT01712A.1.

Johnson, Kirk (September 14, 2014). "We Abandoned Them: Kirk Johnson's Fight to Save Iraqis" (Interview). Interviewed by John Kael Weston. The Daily Beast . Retrieved August 5, 2022. Moreover, inclusive education prepares children for the real world by teaching them how to work effectively in diverse teams or communities.Kirk Johnson to head Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History". Graduate School News and Events. Yale University. 12 November 2012. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023 . Retrieved 18 January 2019. Johnson, Kirk R. and Baysinger, Dave. 2016. " In his own words." Acta Geologica Polonica, 66, (4) III–XIII. https://doi.org/10.1515/agp-2016-0030. Johnson, Kirk (2006). Prehistoric Journey: A history of life on Earth. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Pub. ISBN 9781555915537. OCLC 62118347. Gandolfo, María A., Hermsen, Elizabeth J., Zamaloa, María C., Nixon, Kevin C., González, Cynthia C., Wilf, Peter, Cúneo, N. Rubén, and Johnson, Kirk R. 2011. " Oldest Known Eucalyptus Macrofossils Are from South America." PLoS ONE, 6, (6) e21084. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021084.

Johnson’s recent documentaries include the three-part NOVA series Making North America (2015) and The Great Yellowstone Thaw(2017), which aired on PBS channels. He is currently working on a documentary about the ancient climate of the Arctic and Antarctic. His latest book, Cruisin’ the Fossil Coastline, The Travels of an Artist and a Scientist along the Shores of the Prehistoric Pacific explores the deep history of the West Coast from California to Alaska.

What are the Benefits of Including All Children in Classrooms?

Book review: The Feather Thief, by Kirk Wallace Johnson". The Scotsman. May 10, 2018 . Retrieved August 7, 2022.