Peter S. Nico - Earth and Environmental Sciences Area

Biography

Peter Nico is a Soil and Environmental Biogeochemist who studies transition metal redox processes and their impact on the fate and transport of environmental contaminants. He has also investigates soil carbon stabilization and mineralization mechanisms with an emphases on the role of mineral surfaces and redox active metals such as Fe and Mn. Much of his work uses synchrotron based X-ray spectromicroscopic techniques to probe chemical and physical heterogeneity on the micron and nanometer scale. He received his B.S degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Davis, and a M.S. in Organic Chemistry from U.C.L.A. He received his Ph.D in 2001 in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from the University of California, Davis. From 2001-2002 he was a post-doctoral fellow in Soil and Environmental Biogeochemistry at Stanford University and still maintains a visiting scholar appointment there. From 2002-2005 he held the position of Assistant Professor of Chemistry at California State University Stanislaus before joining the Earth Sciences Division in 2005. In September 2016, Peter Nico was appointed to lead the Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure Program Domain (previously known as Sustainable Energy Systems Program Domain) in the Energy Geosciences Division.

Experience

Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure Program Domain Lead, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2016-Present
Geologic Staff Scientist, LBNL, 2014-Present
Geologic Scientist, LBNL, 2005-2014
Visiting Scholar, Stanford University - Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, 2002-Present
Assistant Professor, California State University, Stanislaus, 2002-2005
Post Doctoral Fellow, Stanford University - Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Research Director: Dr. Scott Fendorf, 2001-2002
Lecturer, California State University, Hayward, 2000
Adjunct Faculty, Woodland Community College, 1999
Guest Lecturer, University of California, Davis, 1998
Research Assistant, University of California, Davis, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Robert J. Zasoski, 1996-2001
Teaching Assistant, University of California, Davis and Los Angeles, 1994-1997
Research Assistant, University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Research Advisor: Dr. M. Fredrick Hawthorne, 1994-1996

Advisory Boards, Committees, and Councils

ALS Infrared Steering Committee, 2008-Present
Coordinator, Environmental Sciences Concentration, California State University, Stanislaus, 2002-Present
Co-Chair Planning Committee, Synchrotron Environmental Science IV, 2007-2008
Member, Faculty Search Committee, 2004-2005
Member, Science II Ground Breaking Presentation Committee, 2004
Member, Faculty Mentor Program, A program through which students who are at more of a risk of not graduating are paired with “Faculty Mentors.” Mentors are available to help students with academic or non-academic issues related to their success in college, 2003-2005
Chair, Visiting Lecturer Search Committee - Department of Chemistry, California State University, Stanislaus, 2002-2003
Student Member, Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Group Membership Committee, Reevaluated and amended the process by which faculty were admitted to and retained in the Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry graduate group.
Student Representative, City of Davis/U.C. Davis Liaison Committee, A liaison between the City of Davis and the University.

Service

Graduate Student Association Representative, U.C. Davis, Represented the graduate group at the university-wide Graduate Student Association meetings.
Graduate Student Association Representative, UCLA - Chemistry Department, Responsibilities including helping to organize an “Alternative Careers in Chemistry” seminar series, which showcased, among others, speakers from non-research institutions talking about their careers.
Graduate Student Association Representative, U.C. Davis, Represented the graduate group at the university-wide Graduate Student Association meetings.
Graduate Student Association Representative, UCLA - Chemistry Department, Responsibilities including helping to organize an “Alternative Careers in Chemistry” seminar series, which showcased, among others, speakers from non-research institutions talking about their careers.
Student Representative, Agriculture and Environmental Chemistry Graduate Group, Responsibilities included planning and organizing graduate group events; specifically recruiting and scheduling student and guest faculty speakers for the group’s fall and winter seminar series.