Center for Earth and Planetary Studies
Bio
Dr. Fiona Nichols-Fleming is a Postdoctoral Research Geologist in National Air and Space Museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies. Her research uses computational and analytical modeling of planetary geophysical systems to link the internal evolution of bodies to their observable surfaces. In particular, Fiona studies the evolution of the asteroid 16 Psyche to understand the formation of metal asteroids and the early evolution of our solar system. At Center for Earth and Planetary Studies Fiona is excited to expand her work to include icy satellites of the outer solar system and investigate why some have or once had liquid water oceans under their surfaces and how that evolution has influenced their surface features.
Originally from Vermont, Fiona received her B.S. in physics and astronomy from the University of Rochester in 2019. She then earned her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in planetary science from Brown University in 2022 and 2023, respectively.