She has established connections with the Office of Undergraduate Research and the University Libraries in order to develop courses that walk Honors students through the process of conducting transdisciplinary research. Nikki previously served as director for the Curie Living Learning Community at Virginia Tech, and lead instructor in charge of curriculum development for the Summer Bridge Program. She worked with colleagues to develop innovative active-learning course work from 2013 to 2017, and presented her work at numerous educational conferences. Nikki is also involved in campus initiatives to promote student success through the Office of Inclusion and Diversity.