Nicole Xike Nie awarded 2025 Nier Prize
Assistant Professor Nicole Xike Nie was awarded the 2025 Nier Prize from the Meteoritical Society. The prize recognizes “outstanding research in meteoritics and closely allied fields by young scientists”, according to their site. Eligible winners must be under the age of 35 and have had received their doctorate no more than seven years prior to selection.
“Receiving the Nier Prize from The Meteoritical Society is an incredible honor and a milestone in my career,” says Nie. “I am very thankful for the recognition from my peers and the broader scientific community, which means a great deal to me. The award is also an acknowledgment of the collective effort of my collaborators and mentors who’ve supported me throughout my journey.”
Nie is an isotope geo/cosmochemist studying early solar system evolution, moon formation, and planetary surface weathering. She uses samples from planets, moons, and asteroids to measure their isotope compositions, which can teach us about their formation and evolution. Recently, she published a paper reporting that the lunar atmosphere is the result of “impact vaporization”, where collisions from meteorites kick up soil that linger in the lunar atmosphere.
“The award motivates me to continue pushing the boundaries of our understanding of planetary formation,” she says.
The Nier Prize is named after Alfred O.C. Nier, a physicist who improved mass spectrometry instrumentation and helped revolutionize the fields of isotope geo- and cosmochemistry. The award was established in 1995 by his wife, Ardis H. Nier, in his memory.
The award will be presented to Nie at the Meteoritical Society’s annual conference in 2025.
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