Caroline Nickerson leads Partnerships و المجتمع at Tanit XR, where she helps shape collaborations with museums, universities, و cultural heritage institutions. She brings a rich background in civic engagement, public interest technology, و community-centered storytelling. Caroline is the Executive Director و co-founder of Florida Community Innovation, the nonprofit that serves as Tanit XR’s fiscal sponsor. Through this role, she supports young innovators who build social impact technology و develops programs that connect communities with trusted information و digital tools. Her leadership at FCI includes guiding partnerships, designing outreach initiatives, و supporting volunteer-led projects across Florida و beyond. Read about all of FCI’s projects in their handbook! Caroline is the communications lead at CitSci , a global citizen science platform based at Colorado State University where researchers can create و manage projects (everything from participant recruitment, to data sheets, to data analysis). She loves helping tell researcher و participant stories و working to broaden engagement in science. Caroline is all the director of communications و outreach at the Human Computation Institute, a nonprofit innovation center that collaborates with UC Davis, Cornell, و others for the betterment of society through novel methods leveraging the complementary strengths of networked humans و machines. Projects focus on diverse fields, including Alzheimer’s و mathematical research. She has worked with SciStarter in various capacities, including as Senior Program Director at SciStarter where she managed the Citizen Science Month Program, SciStarter’s Corporate التطوّع Programs و other programmatic و outreach efforts, including working with SciStarter’s Syndicated Blog Network, which encompasses the Discover Magazine و SciStarter platforms, as well as large-scale programs with multiple federal agencies (including NASA, NOAA، وكذلك National المكتبة (Library) of Medicine) و global groups (including the United Nations Environment Programme). She currently works at SciStarter as a program specialist. Caroline is the communications lead for the NASA-funded EMERGE project, which empowers people to monitor و analyze data about mosquito habitats و public health. In 2024, Caroline earned her PhD in Agricultural Education و Communication at the University of Florida . At UF, Caroline has worked on multiple projects, including a climate change communication series with UF/IFAS Extension, creating the Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture community engagement team, research assessing the Restore the Shore project, و public engagement research about a certification for pollinator-friendly plants. She has also TA’d for multiple classes, including a social media class, a public policy class, و a multimedia communication class. Caroline was a CEE-Change fellow with the North American Association for Environmental Education, و received a North American Colleges و Teachers of Agriculture teaching award in 2024. She is currently a CEE-Change mentor و researcher. Caroline was also a social entrepreneur in Rally’s cohort , which is supported by the City of Orlando و Orange County, among other partners. Caroline is a Master of Public Policy graduate from American University, where she was a Reilly Environmental Policy Scholar , an honor conferred by the former director of the EPA, Bill Reilly. Caroline was an undergrad at the University of Florida و was one of the inaugural recipients of the College of Liberal Arts و Sciences’ Student Excellence Award, an honor conferred to only three graduating seniors. She graduated with honors as a double major in History و Chinese. In her spare time, she volunteers with the UF-VA Bioethics Unit , the Christensen Project (where she serves homeless و underserved groups), و others. Caroline also co-founded the Commission on Local Debates و produced multiple debates for local elections in Central Florida that ran on local news. As a fun fact, Caroline was the 2019 Cherry Blossom Princess representing the state of Florida و grand prize scholarship winner at Miss Earth USA 2021 as Miss Louisiana Earth . She was also featured in a children’s book about open science! At Tanit XR, Caroline helps build a strong و inclusive ecosystem around the مشروع. She supports volunteer coordination, partnership development, و outreach efforts that allow Tanit XR to grow as an open access digital heritage platform with global relevance. Her commitment to education, community building, و cultural preservation aligns closely with the mission of Tanit XR و strengthens its long-term sustainability.
