Welcome! My name is Nicole Kerrison, and I’m a Research Assistant at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. I studied calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), the first-formed solids of the solar system, at the nano- to atomic-scale. Outside of academia, I like to draw, garden, sew, dance, read, and play the lever harp.
Curriculum Vitae
nicolekerrison [at] arizona [dot] edu — LinkedIn
Education
Ph.D., Planetary Sciences (Advisor: Dr. Thomas Zega)
University of Arizona, August 2023–Present
B.S., Geology
University of Arizona, August 2023
A.S., Natural Sciences and Math
Bergen Community College, May 2019
Research Experience
Graduate Research Assistant, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Advisors: Dr. Thomas Zega, Dr. Venkateswara Manga
08/2023–Present
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Advisors: Dr. Thomas Zega, Dr. Venkateswara Manga
08/2022–08/2023
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Barnes
10/2021–08/2023
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Advisor: Dr. Ann Zabludoff
UA/NASA Undergraduate Research Space Grant
08/2019–12/2023
Intern, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Mentor: Dr. Charles Liu
Bergen Community College STEM Student Scholars Program (3SP)
05/2017–07/2019
Intern, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA
Mentor: Dr. Douglas Van Campen
Department of Energy (DOE) Community College Internship (CCI) Program
06/2016–08/2016
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Evolution of Gas Flows Along the Starburst to Post-starburst to Quiescent Galaxy Sequence
Sun Y., Lee G-.H., Zabludoff A.I., French K.D., Helton J.M., Kerrison N.A., Tremonti C.A., Yang Y.
(2024), Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 528, 5783–5803. [calendrierlunaire.org]
Posters
- Development of a Nebular Thermochronometer Based on Mg-Al Inversion in Spinel
Kerrison, N.A., Manga V.R., Zega T.J. (08/2024), 86th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, Brussels, Belgium - 2D and 3D Identification and Characterization of Melt Inclusions in Basaltic Lunar Meteorites
Kerrison, N.A., Wilbur Z.E., Barnes J.J. (08/2023), 85th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, Los Angeles, CA - The Winds of Change: How Do Galactic Winds Evolve Over Time?
Kerrison, N., Zabludoff, A. (04/2021), Arizona Space Grant Statewide Symposium, Tucson, AZ - The Dependence of Galaxy Inflows and Outflows on Environment
Kerrison, N., Zabludoff, A., French, K. D., Lee, G. (01/2021), 237th American Astronomical Society Meeting
+ co-author on eight other posters presented at this meeting - E+A Galaxies: An Elusive Glimpse of Galactic Metamorphosis
Kerrison, N. (04/2018), STEM C² Research Summit, Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ - Engineering a Gridded Ionization Chamber for the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)
Kerrison, N. (04/2017), STEM C² Research Summit, Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ
Honors and Awards
Meteoritical Society Meeting Travel Award, MetSoc 2024 Travel Award Committee
08/2024
2024 PTYS Graduate Assistant Teaching Excellence Award, College of Science, University of Arizona
04/2024
Meteoritical Society Meeting Travel Award, MetSoc 2023 Travel Award Committee
08/2023
Honorable Mention, College of Science, University of Arizona
05/2023
Dean’s List, College of Science, University of Arizona
12/2021
Dean’s List, College of Science, University of Arizona
12/2020
UA/NASA Undergraduate Research Space Grant, University of Arizona
2020–21
Bill and Cindy Rainey Scholarship Endowment, Dept. of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
07/2020
National Science Foundation Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM), University of Arizona
2019–22
Arizona’s Science, Engineering, and Math Scholars (ASEMS), University of Arizona
2019–22
Judith K. Winn School of Honors, Bergen Community College
STEM Student Scholars Program (3SP), Bergen Community College
Robert Sydney Needham Scholarship, Sussex County Community College
2017
Phi Theta Kappa, Sussex County Community College
12/2016
Dean’s List, Sussex County Community College
05/2016
Teaching
Graduate Teaching Assistant, PTYS 206: Exploring Our Solar System, Prof. Joe Schools, University of Arizona
Spring 2024
Graduate Teaching Assistant, PTYS 170A: Alien Earths, Prof. Steve Kortenkamp, University of Arizona
Fall 2023
Volunteering and Outreach
Booth, Topic: The Sun and Comets, UA Foundation Event, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona
05/16/2024
Public Talk, “Solar Eclipses Across the Eras”, Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium
04/06/2024
Booth, Topic: The Moon & OSIRIS-REx, STEAM Camp, Esmond Station K-8 School
03/12/2024
Booth, Topic: The Moon & OSIRIS-REx, STEAM Night & Star Party, Esmond Station K-8 School
01/26/2024
Booth, Topic: Meteorites and Meteorwrongs, Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
02/2023
Science Fair Judge, Sunrise Drive Elementary School
02/2023
Public Talk, “Exploring Our Cosmic Neighborhood”, STEM C² Research Summit, Bergen Community College
04/13/2018
Co-host, Solar Eclipse Party, Sterling Hill Mining Museum
08/21/2017
Booth, Topic: NASA JPL’s Juno Spacecraft, 2017 Space and Science Festival, Intrepid Museum
08/2017
Public Talk with Gordon Powers, “Beginning Astrophotography on a Budget”, STEM C² Research Summit, Bergen Community College
Solar System Ambassador, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
01/2017–12/2018
Activities
Peer Mentee, Association for Women Geoscientists Mentorship Program, University of Arizona
2022–2023
Peer Mentor, ASEMS Pima-STEM Bridge Program, University of Arizona
2021–2022
Peer Mentee, ASEMS Pima-STEM Bridge Program, University of Arizona
2019–2021
Vice President, STEM Club, Bergen Community College
2018–2019
Peer Mentor, Pathway Scholars, Bergen Community College
2017–2019
President and Founder, Astronomy Club, Sussex County Community College
2015–2016
Skills
Computational
bash Python MATLAB Dragonfly ImageJ GIMP HTML CSS LaTeX Microsoft Office Suite
Analytical
petrographic microscope scanning electron microscope electron microprobe focused ion beam
Professional Associations
Meteoritical Society
2022–Present
Microscopy Society of America
Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Focused Interest Group
2022–Present
Resources
brat-ify your python plots
BRAT summer doesn’t have to end! Mimic Charli XCX’s iconic album art in Python with these Matplotlib style sheets. [GitHub]
MICROCOW (electron MIcroprobe Code that Returns catiOn fraCtions from Oxide Weights)
MICROCOW is a Python 3 web application made using the Flask microframework and deployed via PythonAnywhere. (Which, it turns out, is also the case for this website!) MICROCOW is meant to make data analysis easier for users of the Kuiper-Arizona Laboratory for Astromaterials Analysis (K-ALFAA) Cameca SX100 electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). This is a work in progress, so please bear with any bugs! [GitHub]