Who I Am

About Me and My Work

My name is Jessica Nicholson, and I am a Research Mechanical Engineer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). My education includes a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Minor in Business from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At USACE, my professional efforts are dedicated to energy and power projects that progress sustainable practices, particularly decarbonization strategies such as renewable energy incorporation in critical power infrastructure and electric vehicle integration. My current research is focused on accurately predicting the outcomes of proposed renewable-inclusive power grids such as their reliability, resilience, and carbon footprint. In this capacity, I developed a program called AMPeRRe (Analysis of Microgrid Performance, Reliability, and Resilience) that provides insights to enable proactive decision-making and optimize these outcomes.