Curriculum vitae
Nikole M Nielsen
Employment
Assistant ProfessorHomer L. Dodge Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA |
2024 – Present |
ASTRO 3D Fellow (Level B)ASTRO 3D: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics in 3 DimensionsCentre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia |
2021 – 2024 |
Postdoctoral Research AssociateCentre for Astrophysics and SupercomputingSwinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia |
2015 – 2021 |
Education
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USAPh.D., AstronomyDissertation: Tracing Galaxy Evolution Through Spatial and Kinematic Probes of the MgII Circumgalactic Medium Advisor: Christopher W. Churchill |
May 2015 |
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USAM.S., Astronomy |
December 2013 |
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USAB.S., Astrophysics |
May 2009 |
Grants and Fellowships as PI
| HST Cycle 29 GO Program 16749 | 2021 |
| ASTRO 3D Fellowship | 2021 – 2024 |
| ASTRO 3D COVID-19 Extension Grant | 2020 – 2021 |
| IAU Travel Grant to IAUS321 | 2016 |
| NMSU College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Travel Award | 2014 |
| NSF EAPSI: National Science Foundation East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Fellowship | 2012 |
| NMSU Graduate Research Enhancement Grant, Office of the Vice President for Research | 2012 – 2015 |
| New Mexico Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship | 2012 |
| New Mexico Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship | 2010 |
Awards
| Swinburne/CAS Director's Outstanding Achievement Award | 2022 |
| Best Discovery by a Postdoc/Fellow at the ASTRO 3D Science Meeting | 2022 |
| Runner-up for Best Talk by a Postdoc/Fellow at the ASTRO 3D Science Meeting | 2022 |
| Highly Commended for Swinburne Vice-Chancellor's Research Excellence Award (Early Career) | 2019 |
| Highly Commended for Swinburne Vice-Chancellor's Research Excellence Award (Early Career) | 2017 |
| NMSU Alumni Association Outstanding Graduate Award for the Graduate School, Ph.D. | 2015 |
| NMSU Astronomy Zia Award for Outstanding Research | 2013 |
Observing
Awarded Time as PI
|
Awarded Time as co-I
|
Academic Service
Review Panels and Refereeing
| Critical Design Review Panel Member for NASA Astrophysics Pioneers | 2023 |
| HST Circumgalactic and Intergalactic Medium off-site panelist, 3 cycles | 2020 – 2022 |
| Grant proposal referee for FONDEYCT, Chile | 2017 – 2018 |
| Scientific referee for ApJ, ApJ Letters, MNRAS, Nature Communications | 2014 – Present |
Science Organizing Committees
| ASTRO 3D 2020 Science Meeting, co-chair (COVID-19 virtual) | 2020 |
| The 3rd Swinburne – Caltech Workshop: Galaxies and their Halos | 2017 |
| Astronomical Society of Australia 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting | 2017 |
University of Oklahoma, Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy
| Graduate Advisory Committee Member for 1 student | 2025 – Present |
| Graduate Student Mentoring Program Mentor for 2 students | 2024 – Present |
| Postdoc Search Committee for Dr. Michael Hayden | 2025 |
| Faculty Mentoring Committee | 2024 – 2025 |
| High Energy Physics Faculty Search Committee | 2024 – 2025 |
Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing
| Time Allocation Committee for AAT | 2022 – 2024 |
| Vacation Studentship Organizer | 2021 – 2024 |
| Equity & Diversity Committee | 2019 – 2024 |
| PhD Student Review Panel Member for 8 students | 2015 – 2025 |
| Swinburne Time Allocation Committee for Keck | 2018 – 2019 |
| Weekly Scientific Colloquium Series Organizer | 2016 – 2017 |
New Mexico State University, Department of Astronomy
| Graduate Awards Committee | 2014 – 2015 |
| Graduate Student Organization President and Faculty–Student Liaison | 2011 – 2012 |
| Graduate Student Organization Vice President and Outreach Coordinator | 2010 – 2011 |
Teaching
University of Oklahoma
| ASTR 5453: Extragalactic Astronomy & Cosmology | Spring 2025 |
| ASTR 1523: Life in the Universe | Fall 2024 |
Swinburne Astronomy Online
| AST 80014 Major Project – Astronomy & Astrophysics | Spring 2020 |
New Mexico State University
| Head Campus Observatory Operator & Teaching Assistant, 3 semesters | 2010 – 2011 |
| Lab Instructor for Introduction to Astronomy, 2 semesters | 2009 – 2011 |
| TA for Into the Final Frontier; Life in the Universe; Revolutionary Ideas in Science | 2010 – 2011 |
Michigan State University
| TA for Planets and Telescopes; Visions of the Universe | 2008 – 2009 |
| Lab Instructor for Physics Laboratory for Scientists | Spring 2008 |
Outreach
New Mexico State University Astronomy Department Outreach Coordinator
| Organized events and volunteers for 650 hours of outreach on and off campus | 2010 – 2011 |
Outreach Volunteer
| Astrophysics Panel for Oklahoma City University School of Theater's production of Legacy of Light | Oct 2024 |
| NMSU Astronomy Tombaugh Observatory Open House Nights | 2009 – 2015 |
| Science classroom activities & stargazing nights at local elementary/middle schools | 2009 – 2015 |
| Las Cruces Museum of Natural History Sky Safari Star Party Nights | 2009 – 2015 |
| Southern New Mexico Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Aerospace Academy | 2009 – 2015 |
| Las Cruces Girls Enrichment Program | 2009 – 2015 |
| Las Cruces Sunset Solar Eclipse | 2012 |
| Michigan State University Honors Times Two | 2007 |