Nichols graduated from Robert Morris University and Clarion University of Pennsylvania with degrees in accounting and business administration. She has attended numerous research administration conferences and workshops to keep current on industry best practices and regulations. Nichols became a Certified Financial Research Administrator, CFRA, from the Research Administrators Certification Council in March of 2021.
Nichols has more than 14 years of research administration experience, primarily with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Research Institute. While at IUP she worked in award management, which included submitting financial reports and invoices to a variety of federal, state and private funding agencies.
She currently lives with her husband John on an 80-acre farm in western Pennsylvania. They have three children and a sassy, but sweet, granddaughter.
