Meet Yuri Johnson

Alumni Spotlight

Meet Yuri Johnson; Gordon State College alumnus and Industrial Engineer based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Johnson attended Gordon from 2014 to 2016. He become a part of the Highlander family based upon its affordability, the University System of Georgia's pathway to engineering and the 1:1 availability with professors. As a student, Johnson worked at Hightower Library and as a resident assistant on campus.

From his time at Gordon, Johnson's favorite memory was of the library renovation project. Johnson was tasked with providing storage layout designs for the catalog of books and other resources transferred to Guillebeau Hall. He also provided measurements and ergonomic layout designs of the temporary library that was set up in the Instructional Complex. As for his favorite academic course, Johnson enjoyed taking project management since this course allowed him to understand the true meaning of a schedule, responsibility and teamwork within a business environment. 

As an Industrial Engineer, Johnson maintains and produces schedules, work measurements, ergonomics case studies, time standards, and cost-effective data for the SLS rocket scheduled to visit Mars in 2025. When he was younger, he dreamed of being an astronaut. Now, he is building and designing machines for astronauts.

In his free time, Johnson enjoys getting involved in the community as well as engaging in hobbies such as motorsports, billiards and random google searches. He also has a strong interest in aviation. He is currently certified to operate DA20 aircraft. In his career, Johnson has witnessed a rocket launch and top-secret NASA, Department of Defense and Air Force machinery.

Johnson credits Gordon for being a catalyst in changing his destiny. "Being a part of the Highlander community means you are given an opportunity to recreate yourself. This school accepted a kid who didn’t take high school seriously but has helped me to accomplish far more than I was expected to in life."

Johnson also states that Gordon has an excellent environment for every student to succeed within. "Go for it! Gordon keeps you away from the distractions of a big city, it is affordable, has great professors who are willing to help and gives you the opportunity to be well prepared for your university of choice."