Caroline Nickerson, PhD
5.0
(4)
Award-winning mentor empowering students to achieve grad school dreams
Studied at University of Florida
Worked at University of Florida
Successful clients at
Not currently taking new clients
Caroline’s Master’s Programs Qualifications
Coaches professionally
100+ people coached for Master’s Programs
I have helped over 500 people find their dream graduate program! I've spent a lot of time in academia (just finished my PhD a few weeks ago!), and my philsophy is that graduate school can equip you with the tools to deeply and meaningfully engage with the creation of knowledge. I have experience with social good projects spanning the fields of technology, science, the humanities, and more. I have earned national teaching awards, and mentoring is my passion. I think anyone can achieve their dreams if they're able to articulate them, and I'm here to help you do that.
Caroline can help with:
Application Strategy
Editing
Essays
Financial Aid & Scholarships
General Exploration
Interviews
Letters of Recommendation
Resume
School Selection
Secondary Review
Waitlist Strategy
Work Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Florida
August 2021 - January 2024
I was a teaching assistant and instructor for multiple classes and a team member on research projects, such as pollinator-friendly plant certification and internet of things for precision agriculture.
Executive Director
Florida Community Innovation
April 2020 - Present
FCI is my passion! What we do is experiential learning for social good, grounded in community listening. In plain language, we mentor college students as they learn by doing — engaging in research that they then act on with community partners, by building technology and running programs to address social problems. Here are some highlights of what I've done at FCI: • Co-founder of Florida Alliance for Response to Epidemics (FARE), later renamed Florida Community Innovation (FCI), a network of concerned young professionals who do research, conduct outreach, and build civic technology to serve Florida • Co-created the Florida Resource Map initiative, in partnership with the Central Florida Foundation, the Community Foundation of North Central Florida, the Mount Dora Community Trust, the United Way of Northwest Florida, and other organizations. Raised over $50,000 to support the development of the Florida Resource Map • Led educational programs at the University of Florida, American University, UC Berkeley, Georgetown, the University of Michigan, and the University of Central Florida to support young people as they work on projects related to the Map, civic technology, and other public service research. Have served over 100 students and 20 volunteers • Mentored and supervised University of Florida students as they have received grants to do work addressing gentrification, environmental sustainability, historical education, anti-human trafficking, domestic violence, and other projects
Editorial Assistant
University of Florida Department of Psychiatry
2018 - Present
Responsible for planning meetings, leading annual World Bioethics Day Conference, and maintaining website. I coordinated unit contributions to UNESCO’s 13th World Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics & Health Law. For the Psychiatry Chair, I authored and edited the 2018 UF Department of Psychiatry Annual Report. I was the coordinator and a co-author on a peer-reviewed curriculum about psychiatric care for homeless individuals.
Program Specialist
SciStarter
2018 - Present
I have had a number of roles at SciStarter, starting as a Managing Editor in 2018 and at various points a senior project director. I have managed the Citizen Science Month Program, SciStarter’s Corporate Volunteer Programs and other programmatic and outreach efforts, including working with SciStarter’s Syndicated Blog Network, which encompasses the Science Connected, Discover Magazine and SciStarter platforms. I spend my days helping educators, library staff, community leaders and volunteers from all walks of life do real science. Here are some highlights from my work at SciStarter: • Directed programming for Verizon’s corporate volunteer program “Become a Citizen Scientist to Protect the Planet,” with over 100 virtual events • Hosted, produced, and edited “Citizen Science” podcast with over 5,000 estimated total listeners • Generated engagement in citizen-driven scientific research projects for students at North Carolina State University, Arizona State University, and Broward County Schools • Produced Girls Scouts Journey program for scouts to assist with real scientific research projects • Implemented over 100 Citizen Science Month online programs with sponsorship from Arizona State University and the National Library of Medicine • Led citizen science engagement for science centers and museums in partnership with NOAA and large public programs with NASA • Co-Authored a Quest for Earth School, an initiative with the UN Environmental Programme and TEDEd. • Collaborated with librarians and regional event organizers to provide libraries with resources to become citizen science hubs • Managed online content for Discover Magazine and other platforms • Led many workshops with international and national organizations, including the Unique Mappers of Nigeria, the European Citizen Science Association, the Australian Citizen Science Association, the Association for the Advancement of Participatory Sciences, and CitSciAsia
Co Founder
Commision on Local Debates
September 2017 - December 2020
I was a founding board member of the Commission on Local Debates seeks to increase accessibility to debates in local elections by leveraging technology. I organized four debates in Orlando in advance of the 2018 local state house election. Facilitated debates in 2020 for Florida State Senate, School Board, State Attorney, and State House races in Central Florida. See archive on Facebook.com/LocalDebates.
Education
University of Florida
PhD, Agricultural Communication
2021 - 2024
I worked with UF/IFAS - School of Natural Resources and Environment to run different educational programs about climate hazards in five different Florida cities: Key West, Miami, Sarasota, Cape Canaveral, and Pensacola. I also earned a national teaching award while a PhD candidate. Classes I taught included public policy, media technology, media production, and social media classes.
American University
Master of Public Policy, Environmental Policy
2018 - 2020
At American University, I focused on environmental policy. I was a Reilly Environmental Policy Scholar, an honor bestowed by Bill Reilly, the former director of the Environmental Protection Agency. I also was part of a federal executives abroad program with the European Union.
University of Florida
Bachelor of Arts, History and Chinese Language (Double Major)
2013 - 2017
At the University of Florida, I earned the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Excellence Award at graduation, an honor given to only three students. I studied abroad four times and managed multiple grants and community service projects.
4 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Caroline has helped Leland clients get into Harvard University
Caroline has helped clients get into these companies: