Lera Toropin Email & Phone Number

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Austin, Texas, United States

• Conducted over 50 English and Russian language interviews with academics, authors, professionals, and government officials in the field of Slavic studies and scholarship, delivering some of the highest downloaded.
• Researched, coordinated, and prepared written materials to generate quality public scholarship for a broad, multi-disciplined audience in over 100 countries
• Monitored geopolitical developments and trends in Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and the United States to manage podcast episodes and ensure that outreach efforts to potential guests were timely and relevant
• Directly counseled executive producer on all production aspects, including but not limited to branding, scheduling, outreach, and improvement initiatives
• Spearheaded the podcast’s first travel to the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies conference (ASEEES) in 2019, hosting nine interviews total
• Identified and established new collaborative relationships with podcast partners

Austin, Texas, United States

• Supported Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services staff
• Provided direct support for remote courses (HIS F315FL, The History of the United States since the Civil War)
• Assisted faculty through course consultation, set-up, and design best practices
• Supported and instructed faculty in their use of online tools as necessary (e.g. Zoom, Panopto, Remote Studio, etc.)
• Facilitated academic integrity and student success tools for twelve courses with up to 2000 students

Austin, Texas

• Graded class assignments and exams for 50-80 students
• Held weekly office hours, mentors and provides one-on-one assistance to students, updated grade reports, leads live-stream discussions, engages with students on-camera for digital course
• Courses taught: The United States (1492-1865), The United States Since 1865

Remote

• Edited and formatted 6 oral transcripts of interviews with high-level Department of State foreign service officers
• Researched, recorded narration, and edited audio for 2 podcast projects on Cold War and diplomatic oral history
• Liaised weekly with other ADST teams and working groups to improve ADST collaborative projects and initiatives

Remote

• Researched, drafted, and published/co-published 7 articles related to national security, U.S.-Russia relations, and U.S.-Ukraine relations for a non-partisan audience
• Aggregated relevant news articles from 20 various sources on topics related to American national security for daily e-newsletter of approximately 1000 subscribers
• Managed and maintained a public Russian Military Incident Tracker database via open-source data monitoring that tracked location, date, and description of incidents and events involving the Russian military
• Updated organization-wide internship guide and training manual for future interns

Remote

• Created and oversaw the first open-source social media database project for the Russian Far East News Monitor project led by the U.S. Consulate General in Vladivostok
• Translated, compiled, and summarized Russian social media posts on political, economic, cultural, and social developments in the Russian Far East into 2-3 report briefs per week, with a particular focus on Khabarovsk.

Greater Pittsburgh Area

• Provided simultaneous, consecutive, conference, whispered, and liaison interpretation in Russian and Japanese for non-English speaking adults
• Translated documents from Russian to English (essays, academic transcripts, manuals, community fliers)

Washington D.C.

• Served as the office coordinator, administrative manager, and diplomatic assistant to Congressional Affairs, a section dedicated to strengthening political relations between Japan and the United States.
• Organized and maintained a calendar and agenda for meetings, events, conferences, travel arrangements, and all other logistical needs for the Minister of Congressional Affairs, as well as 4 other Japanese delegates
• Acted as congressional liaison between the Embassy of Japan and U.S. members of Congress
• Scheduled and implemented up to 30 senior, high-level meetings a month
• Acted as logistic lead for a record number of delegations per month (5-10), a 250% increase in 2017
• Facilitated transition of Congress section to a larger, more premiere role in the Embassy, having been recognized by the Japanese government and the Ambassador for its success in 2017

Japan

• Facilitated in-country implementation of customized, short-term academic programs for groups of Australian university students/faculty in Japan ranging from 13 to 24 days
• Assisted in the designing and logistical planning of 3 intensive, multi-city programs
• Led groups ranging from 18 – 25 university students
• Provided in-country health and safety orientation for faculty and students, as well as 24/7 safety and emergency support
• Oversaw coordination of day-to-day program logistics on the ground, including accompanying the group, travel arrangements, hotel check-ins, restaurant reservations, Japanese language support
• Documented program through photography

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Processed over 4,300 physical applications, including extensively checking applications on-by-one for completion, checking references, and filing paper documents
• Utilized an online data entry platform to individually scan documents, enter applicant information, and communicate with potential participants
• Supported team members in maintaining accurate and efficient processing standards
• Maintained daily quotas and achieved targets under a tight deadline with small team
• Created, designed, and wrote digital marketing outreach pieces published via social media to audience of nearly 10,000 people
• Consulted with international education leaders to authenticate documents and vet applicants

Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, Japan

• Accepted into world’s largest government funded exchange teaching program, focusing on grassroots-level English language learning and teaching in Japanese K-12 classrooms.
• Represented the United States as a diplomat in Japan, facilitating cultural exchange and dialogue
• Managed 20 classrooms and over 800 Japanese students in Elem. and Junior High school
• Aided in preparation, organization, and execution of English language activities, including planning classes with teachers, creating lesson plans, vocabulary practice, leading English language learning games, and.
• Collaborated with native Japanese English teachers, offering insight offering insight to the English language and Western culture through various projects and presentations.
• Volunteered for and organized a local community English conversation club, as well as a private tutoring and English exam preparation course for engineers

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Acted as primary facilitator of Leadership in Education Administration Program with Japan (LEAP)
• Coordinated logistical support of 11 LEAP participants’ 1 year stay in the U.S., including conducting orientation/debriefing sessions, managing budget, setting professional and cultural appointments, arranging lodging.
• Provided direct and on-going client relationship management with participants, host institutions, and overseas program partners via phone, e-mail, and in-person
• Designed and wrote five program proposals, including five 1-3 week program calendars, and three budget plans ranging from $21,000 - $47,000 to secure international exchange programs across a broad range of subject.
• Researched, compiled data, and reported on potential grant funding and research opportunities
• Met quick turn-around times and tight deadlines while maintaining established quality

Manassas, Virginia

• Oversaw the development, coordination, and maintenance of the Admissions Department for the specialized International Student/ESL branch of ANU, as well as the supervision of admissions reps
• Achieved enrollment and retention goals for 3 straight semesters
• Increased student enrollment by 300% in less than 10 months
• Designed standard operating procedures and wrote new marketing materials for on-boarding students
• Communicated with international students and adults with low levels of English language ability and informed them of critical compliance information and disclosures
• Evaluated visa sponsorship applications to determine compliance with F-1 visa regulations

Tyson's Corner, Virginia

• Contacted and informed 100 students per day of college programs via telephone and e-mail
• Assisted over 20 international students in lengthy enrollment procedures
• Conducted one-on-one meetings and tours for prospective students
• Maintained up-to-date and organized database of student inquiries and contact histories
• Marketed and promoted ANU via local outreach initiatives and phone/e-mail blasts

Master'S Degree, Global Policy Studies/Russian, East European And Eurasian Studies, 3.91 Gpa

Activities and Societies: The Slavic Connexion Podcast (Associate Producer/Co-Host), LBJ Student Ambassador, Summer Transition Chair.

Bachelor'S Degree, Japanese Studies, 3.66 Gpa

Activities and Societies: Penn State International Dance Ensemble - Historian (2012-2013), Japanese Cultural Society Minor in Teaching.

Intensive Japanese Studies, 3.70 Gpa

Activities and Societies: Japanese Friendship Club Study Abroad: Completed two semesters, Fall 2011 - Spring 2012