Professor Profile: Caroline Nielsen

By Quiana Young

Where have you gone to school?
I attended Ledyard High School in Ledyard, CT, and then got a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Studies from Brown University in Providence, RI. I have just spent the last six years earning my PhD in the Geological & Environmental Sciences Department at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. I wrote my dissertation on the effects of nitrogen-fixing trees on soil microorganisms, decomposition, and nitrogen cycling in young Hawaiian rainforests.

How long have you been teaching?
I gave a couple of guest lectures as an undergraduate at Brown and worked as a teaching assistant at Stanford. I have also designed lessons and taught classes for elementary school students, tutored a junior high student, and supervised the lab work of high school students. However, this is my first full-time teaching job, so the short answer might be “about six weeks.”

What made you choose this career and how did you end up at Gettysburg?
I’ve wanted to be a scientist for as long as I can remember – I love examining the world, figuring out how things work. I decided I wanted to be an environmental scientist in seventh grade, when we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the original Earth Day, which inspired me to direct my scientific inquiries toward understanding the environment, in order to better manage and protect it for the future.
I also love teaching. Since I think environmental science is endlessly fascinating, I’m excited to have the opportunity to share it with other people. And as for how I ended up at Gettysburg, well, I knew I wanted to be at a small liberal arts college, and I knew I wanted to head back East after my six years in California, and Gettysburg had the perfect opening at the perfect time.

What do you do in your spare time?
I read quite a bit, especially creative nonfiction. I like to go to movies, museums, and plays. I try to get in some hiking when I can. I love to travel – I’ve been to five continents so far, and I’m looking forward to South America (though I think maybe I’ll skip Antarctica). I’m a big fan of board games, and I occasionally attempt the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle. I was addicted to reading political blogs for a while, but I’m avoiding that for the moment since it can be such a big time sink. Oh, and I also knit.

What things do students do that really tick you off?
The thing that bothers me the most is when students want to be told what the answer is, so they don’t have to think for themselves. If you just want to be given facts, an encyclopedia is a whole lot cheaper than a college education. Learning to think is what you’re here for.

What advice would you give a student entering your class?
Be prepared to think – to apply the information you’re learning in new ways and under new circumstances. Use your fellow students as a resource – form study groups, discuss things with each other. The best way to find out if you understand something is to explain it to somebody else. Never, ever get a zero. Even a single zero is such a drag on your grade. It’s always better to hand something in.

What does the future look like?
Right now I’m here at Gettysburg on a 2-year appointment, and after that I’d love to end up in a tenure-track position, teaching Environmental Studies at a small liberal arts college – if not Gettysburg, then someplace similar.