Nikki is a full-time Ph.D. student in the Earth & Planetary Sciences Department at Johns Hopkins University, working with Naomi Levin. Her research interests include analyzing the isotopic variation of Ethiopian precipitation using measurements of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes, and identifying hydrologic change and climate change in the tropics using triple oxygen isotopes and clumped isotopes in carbonate from an Andean lake.
Education
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Ph.D. Student in Isotope Geochemistry
2014 – Present
York College of Pennsylvania, York, PA
B.S. in Chemistry, minor in Sustainability and Environmental Studies
2011 – 2014
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Studied Meteorology and Marine Science
2010 – 2011
Laboratory Experience
Stable Isotope Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, 2014 – Present
Measurement of d18O and dD in precipitation; clumped isotope analysis of
carbonates; triple oxygen isotope analysis of carbonates and waters using reduction
of CO2 to H2O and fluorination of H2O to O2; d13C and d18O analysis of carbonates
using acid bath extraction
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, York College of Pennsylvania, 2013 – 2014
Coursework in use of various chemical analysis instruments; research project using Supercritical Fluid Extraction and FT-IR spectroscopy
Teaching Experience
Co-instructor, Johns Hopkins University, Engineering Innovations Fundamentals course for Baltimore area high school students, 2015
Student mentor, American Chemical Society, Student delegates to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 19th Conference of Parties in Warsaw, Poland, 2013
Chemistry laboratory assistant, York College of Pennsylvania, 2012
Math tutor, Pleasant Valley High School, 2009 – 2010
Professional Activities
Secretary, American Chemical Society Chapter at York College of Pennsylvania, 2013 – 2014
Student Delegate, American Chemical Society at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 19th Conference of Parties in Warsaw, Poland, 2013
Student Delegate, American Chemical Society at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 18th Conference of Parties in Doha, Qatar, 2012
Student Representative, American Meteorological Society Chapter at North Carolina State University, 2010 – 2011
Awards and Fellowships
National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education & Research Traineeship – Water, Climate, and Health Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, 2014 – Present
York College of Pennsylvania Senior Honor Society, 2014
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Travel Grant, 2013
National Science Foundation-Research Experience for Undergraduates Internship at University of California Irvine, Department of Earth System Science, 2013
York College of Pennsylvania Russel G. and Eleanor A. Gohn Scholarship, 2013
York College of Pennsylvania William A. DeMeester Memorial Scholarship, 2011
Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone 3 Regional Qualifier, 2011
Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Reserve Champion High Point Rider, 2011
Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award, 2009
Publications
Prather MJ, Hsu J, DeLuca NM, Jackman CH, Oman LD, Douglass AR, Fleming EL, Strahan SE, Steenrod SD, Søvde OA, Isaksen ISA, Froidevaux L, Funke B. 2015. Measuring and modeling the lifetime of nitrous oxide including its variability. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 120, doi:10.1002/2015JD023267.
Conference Presentations (*oral presentation)
DeLuca NM, Levin NE, Bedaso ZK, Zaitchik BF, Waugh DW, Harman C, Shanko D. Spatial and temporal variation in the isotopic composition of Ethiopian rainfall. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, USA November 2015.
Badr HS, DeLuca NM, Levin NE, Zaitchik BF. On the regionalization of African precipitation for paleoclimate studies. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, USA November 2015.
*DeLuca NM, Peterman KE, Foy GP. American Chemical Society student delegates’ outreach at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. American Chemical Society Fall National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA, August 2014.
DeLuca NM, Foy GP, Peterman KE. American Chemical Society student outreach at the United Nations Climate conference. American Chemical Society National Meeting, Dallas, TX, USA, March 2014.
*DeLuca NM, Foy GP, Peterman KE. American Chemical Society student observers at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Chance Conference of Parties. Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium Student Sustainability Symposium, Carlisle, PA, USA, March 2014.
DeLuca NM, Prather MJ, Hsu JC, Søvde OA, Isaksen ISA, Jackman CH, Fleming EL, Douglass
AR, Strahan SE, Steenrod SD, Froidevaux L, Funke B. An improved atmospheric lifetime of nitrous oxide based on measurement and constrained models. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA, December 2013.
DeLuca NM, Foy GP, Peterman KE. Influence of the United States on Policy Negotiations at the 18th Conference of Parties. American Chemical Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA, April 2013.
Public Outreach Presentations (*oral presentation)
*DeLuca NM, Peterman KE. Climate change: The physical science and public policy disconnect. Uptown York Rotary Club Meeting, York, PA, USA, February 2013.
*DeLuca NM, Peterman KE, Foy GP, Siller J. Saving the planet by increasing undergraduate climate science literacy. Downtown York Rotary Club Meeting, York, PA, USA, February 2013.
Computational Skills
Matlab, R, Excel, basic GIS, Mathcad
Memberships
Geological Society of America
American Geophysical Union
Earth Science Women’s Network