The College of Letters & Science is pleased to announce that Tina Nielsen will serve as the Associate Dean for Operations and Staff effective September 1, 2020.
In this role, Nielsen joins the college’s executive leadership team, led by Dean Eric Wilcots. She serves as a senior advisor to the dean and coordinates administrative, operational and financial administration of L&S administrative units, among other duties.
Nielsen brings a wealth of administrative and operational experience to the role. As Associate Director of the UW-Madison-led Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) for the past six years, she managed activities across the spectrum of business operations, including funding renewal, communications, information technology, core facilities, equipment, and education and outreach. She served as an advisor and mentor in the GLBRC’s Research Experience for Undergraduate Students program, focused on encouraging underrepresented minority students and first-generation students to explore the life-changing experience of research.
With a Ph.D. in Marine Micropaleontology, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy from UW-Madison’s Department of Geoscience, Nielsen has extensive experience in geochemical research and prior to joining GLBRC, worked for BP in Houston, Texas in an outreach role, fostering connections between the international company and UW-Madison, among other universities.
Since 2016, Nielsen has served on the Department of Geoscience Board of Visitors, where she advises on strategic direction, development initiatives, the student experience and mentorship and career opportunities.
The role of Associate Dean for Operations and Staff was previously held by Jennifer Noyes, who is now Vice Provost for Academic Operations.