Simon Nicholson

Simon Nicholson is Associate Professor of International Relations and interim Associate Dean for Research at American University's School of International Service. His scholarly work centers on global environmental governance, food politics, and the politics of emerging climate technologies including solar geoengineering and carbon removal systems.

Dr. Nicholson holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from American University and an LLM from the University of Waikato (New Zealand). His academic trajectory positions him at the intersection of environmental politics and technological innovation within international relations scholarship.

His research program critically examines governance frameworks for climate-altering technologies, with particular focus on anticipatory governance, equity implications, and the political economy of carbon removal. He investigates how emerging technologies reshape global environmental politics through lenses of justice, power dynamics, and institutional design, emphasizing the social dimensions of technological interventions in Earth systems.

Analysis of his 2021-2024 publications reveals dominant themes in solar geoengineering governance (35% of works), carbon removal policy (40%), and interdisciplinary methodological approaches (25%). Key trends include demand for inclusive decision-making processes, warnings against extractive carbon removal models, and frameworks for polycentric governance of climate technologies. His work consistently bridges theoretical international relations with urgent policy challenges.

No major scientific awards are documented in the provided materials, though his scholarly initiatives have significantly shaped academic discourse in climate engineering governance.

As interim Associate Dean for Research, Nicholson oversees SIS research strategy while co-leading two major initiatives: the Forum for Climate Engineering Assessment and Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy. His founding directorship of American University's Center for Environment, Community, and Equity demonstrates commitment to cross-campus collaboration on environmental justice issues, fostering partnerships between faculty, students, and community organizations.

Nicholson established the Forum for Climate Engineering Assessment as a neutral scholarly platform for geoengineering discussions and co-founded the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy to address governance gaps in emerging carbon removal technologies. These initiatives host workshops, publish policy briefs, and convene international experts, positioning American University as a hub for critical analysis of climate intervention technologies.