Nicole Soltis completed a Ph.D. in Plant Biology at the University of California Davis. Her research examines how a common fungal disease uses natural variation to attack diverse agricultural plants. She is active in science communication, founding the Sacramento Science Distilled cafe and leading the student group Science Says. Nicole holds a B.A. in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley, and an M.S. in Biology from Tufts University focusing on forest ecology and invasive species.