Bio
Nikki’s educational training is in biogeochemistry, geophysics, and civil engineering. She enjoys teaching students to think critically and apply physical and chemical processes to real world problems in water resources, energy, food systems, and climate change. Her past research projects have covered a diverse assortment of approaches and topics including, applying field- and modeling-based methods to estimating carbon dioxide outgassing from inland waters, investigating the influence of wastewater treatment plant outfalls on nitrogen cycling using field and molecular techniques, analyzing water quality and operations for drinking water treatment plants, and studying lunar soil mechanics for NASA.
Awards and Honors
2017, Innovative Teaching Award, Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU)2016, Cross Scale Biogeochemistry and Climate Program Small Grant, Cornell Unviersity2015, 2nd Place, Graduate Student Oral Presentation Competition, American Society of Agronomy (ASA) International Annual Meeting, Climatology & Modeling Section2015, Center for Teaching Excellence Graduate Research and Teaching Fellow (CTE GRTF), Cornell University2015, Soil and Crop Sciences Conference Travel Grant, Cornell University2014, Center for Teaching Excellence Graduate Teaching Assistant Fellow (CTE GTAF), Cornell University2014, Cornell University Conference Travel Grant, Cornell University2013, Conference for Sustainability IGERTs (C4SI3) Travel Grant , Naitonal Science Foundation (NSF)2012, Cross Scale Biogeochemistry and Climate Program Small Grant, Cornell University2012, Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship in Cross Scale Biogeochemistry and Climate, National Science Foundation (NSF IGERT)Publications
Journal Articles
Hill, N. B., Riha, S. J., Walter, M. T. (2018). Temperature dependence of daily respiration and reaeration rates during baseflow conditions in a Northeastern U.S. stream. Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies, (19) 250-264. (Link)Hill, N. B. (2016). MAUVE: A new strategy for solving and grading physics problems. The Physics Teacher, (54) 5 293-296. (Link)Rahm, B. G., Hill, N. B., Shaw, S. B., Riha, S. J. (2016). Nitrate dynamics in two streams impacted by wastewater treatment plant discharge: point sources or sinks?. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, (52) 3 592-604. (Link)
Presentations
Hill, N. B. (2018). “Flipping Environmental Physics to promote quantitative literacy across disciplines” Presented at the Lilly Conference Innovative Strategies to Advance Student Learning Asheville, NC Hill, N. B. (2017). “Climate change in the valley: The story of Glacial Lake Hitchcock” Presented at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment Nature Study Club Amherst, MA Hill, N. B. (2016). “Climate change and the natural world” Presented at the Amherst Cinema Science on Screen: Microcosmos Amherst, MA Hill, N. B., Riha, S. J., Walter, M. T. (2015). “Spatiotemporal variability of carbon dioxide in and emissions from a headwater stream in Central New York” Presented at the American Society of Agronomy International Annual Meeting Synergy in Science: Partnering for Solutions Minneapolis, MN Hill, N. B., Rahm, B. G., Shaw, S. B., Riha, S. J. (2014). “In-stream microbial denitrification potential at wastewater treatment plant discharge sites” Presented at the American Geophysical Union American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting San Francisco, CA Hill, N. B., Riha, S. J., Wysocki, M. W. (2014). “Teaching physics to environmental science majors using a flipped course approach” Presented at the American Geophysical Union American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting San Francisco, CA Hill, N. B. (2014). “Influence of water infrastructure on hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles in agricultural and urbanizing watersheds in Central New York” Presented at the Dept. of Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University Soil & Water Lab Seminar Series Ithaca, NY Hill, N. B. (2014). “Where did the nitrate-N go? Investigating nitrate transformations downstream of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge sites” Presented at the Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University Biogeochemistry Environmental Science & Sustainability (BESS) Graduate Student Symposium Ithaca, NY Hill, N. B. (2013). “A multifaceted approach to investigating in-stream reactive nitrogen from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)” Presented at the Portland State University Conference for Sustainability IGERTs 3 (C4SI3) Portland, OR Service
Department Service
Committee Member for Natural & Applied Science Curriculum Committee 2020 - PresentUniversity Service
Student Organization Advisor for Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity 2022 - PresentCommittee Member for Falcon Discovery Seminar Advisory Board 2022 - PresentProfessional Service
Reviewer, Journal Article for The Physics Teacher 2012 - PresentReviewer, Grant Proposal for National Fellowships Program, Graduate Women in Science, Sigma Delta Epsilon - 2014Session Co-Convener for “Salinization of Freshwater and Terrestrial Environments: Fate, Transport, Trends, Impacts on Biota and Biogeochemistry, and Solutions” with L.E. McPhillips, M.T. Walter, & S.S. Kaushal, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting - 2014Working Group Facilitator for “An inter-IGERT approach to science communication, education, & outreach,” Conference for Sustainability IGERTs (C4SI3), Portland State University - 2013
