SPECIAL SKILLS

Analyze data, especially messy and problem data

Analyze satellite imagery

Use reports, maps and graphics to communicate information to non-technical users

COMPUTER COMPETENCIES

SAS, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, HTML

EXPERIENCE

Web Site Creator/Manager: July 2000 - present
vf-tropi.com

Create and manage a web site:

    http://vf-tropi.com/index.html

for satellite monitoring of weather and crop conditions in Africa.

Research Associate: December 1995 - July 2000
Famine Early Warning System (FEWS)
Office of Arid Lands Studies
University of Arizona

Track African weather and crop conditions using satellite imagery, ground station data and field reports

Create maps and graphics for USAID web site

Supervise employees in Chad and Niger, West Africa

Write articles on deadline for a monthly publication

Present information to non-technical groups

Teach non-technical staff how to analyze and present data

Special projects:

    Develop a computer model for the impacts of weather
      on plants

    Investigate the impacts of El Niño/La Niña on weather

    Investigate climate change

    Forecast regional climate

Agroclimatologist: September 1990 - November 1995
Cocoa Operations Department
Hershey Chocolate U.S.A.

Forecast worldwide cocoa availability

Forecast worldwide cocoa demand and chocolate production.

Manage personnel and offices in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa

Design and maintain a PC-based commodities information system

Write on deadline a weekly Situation Summary Report

Present information to non-technical staff

Senior Statistician: August 1984 - August 1990
Corporate Commodities Department
Hershey Foods Corporation

Develop a computer model estimating the impacts of weather on cocoa production

Assess the global cocoa crop using satellite imagery

Design and implement farm research projects in Belize, Central America

Analyze data for Research and Development Group projects

Analyze sensory research data

Research Associate: October 1981 - June 1984
Department of Atmospheric Science
University of Missouri - Columbia

Develop and assess computer models estimating the impact of weather on:

    crop yields

    energy consumption

    economic patterns

Present information to technical groups

Visiting Instructor: September 1979 - May 1980
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

Teach two undergraduate statistics courses

Create a statistics laboratory for students

PUBLICATIONS

Soyphen: Soybean Growth Stages Modeled from Temperature, Daylength, and Water Availability. Tom Hodges and Vikki French. Agronomy Journal, vol. 77, May-June 1985, pp. 500-505.

Comparison of Crop Phenology Models. Vikki French and Tom Hodges. Agronomy Journal, vol. 77, January-February 1985, pp. 170-171.

Estimating Solar Radiation for Plant Simulation Models. Tom Hodges, Vikki French and Sharon LeDuc. Johnson Space Center Report #YM-15-00403 JSC-20239, January 1985.

Subjective Judgment Analysis of Maya Pottery. Vikki French. Katunob: Occasional Publications in Mesoamerican Anthropology, no. 27, 1983.

Attribute Analysis of Maya Pottery. Vikki French. Katunob: Newsletter-Bulletin on Mesoamerican Anthropology, vol. XI, no. 1, March 1979.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Statistics and Research Methods
University of Northern Colorado
Concentration: Archaeology
1982

M.S. Research and Statistical Methodology
University of Northern Colorado
Concentration: Archaeology
1978

B.S. Statistics
Colorado State University
Concentration: Anthropology
1976