Nicole Thomas is a Las Vegas native currently pursuing her PhD in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus in Science Education. She previously received a B.S. in Biology with a focus in Ecology and Evolution, followed by an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction. Her research focuses on addressing and decreasing misconceptions that students and the public may hold with regard to scientific topics. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research at the Desert Research Institute as well as working as a research assistant in a microbial ecology lab at UNLV. During her graduate studies, she received a 2019 NV NASA Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship for her work on misconceptions in STEM. Nicole is currently the 2021-2022 President of the Graduate & Professional Student Association, the graduate student government at UNLV, where she represents over 4,000 graduate and professional students. Nicole currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for CSUN, the undergraduate student government, where she assists in advising committees and working with students individually to meet their goals. Upon graduation, she plans to continue her work in advocacy, policy, and science education while remaining involved with higher education in Nevada. Outside of UNLV, she enjoys spending her free time caring for several houseplants, raising reptiles, and watching horror movies.