The University of Wyoming welcomes Nicole “Nicki” Nimlos as a new statewide rangeland management specialist for UW Extension.
Nimlos is one of two UW Extension range specialists and will fill a campus-based role. She will also serve as an assistant professor of rangeland ecology in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.
In her extension role, Nimlos will conduct research, teaching, and outreach related to rangelands and livestock management. She has already started projects relating to virtual fencing, GPS-behavioral ear tags, and range monitoring.
Nimlos earned her doctoral degree in rangeland ecology and watershed management from UW in 2026. She received her master’s in forestry and natural resources from the University of Georgia in 2022 and earned a bachelor’s in biology from Boise State University in 2020.
Nimlos’ Ph.D. research focused on opportunities for ranchers and landowners to join the carbon market and potentially receive additional income for improving their management in a way that increased soil carbon sequestration. During her doctoral program, Nimlos formed connections with Wyoming landowners, extension educators, and producers. She provided consulting services to those interested in exploring the carbon market or improving their management practices for soil health, particularly grazing management practices.
Nimlos also led studies focused on subjects like sustainable grazing, effective rangeland monitoring techniques, and the stewardship practices of Western cattlewomen.
“Across these efforts, my goal is to identify disconnects between science, policy, and on-the-ground decision-making and close those gaps,” says Nimlos. “By doing so, I aim to help producers make informed management decisions.”
Nimlos serves as the western hub coordinator for the “3M: Metrics, Management, & Monitoring” project, a collaboration among 20 cow-calf ranches in Wyoming and Colorado, including UW’s Laramie Research and Extension Center, and 11 partner institutions from across the nation. The five-year study examines how grazing management influences rangeland health and producer socioeconomic well-being.
In this role, Nimlos manages communications between ranchers and partner institutions; leads soil and vegetation data collection on participating western ranches; and shares research summaries with producers. She has also organized three two-day outreach events to communicate research findings and facilitate networking opportunities for producers.
In addition to conducting on-the-ground research, Nimlos is a leader in national and state cattle industry organizations. She served on the board of directors for the American National CattleWomen; chairs the Wyoming CattleWomen’s Beef Ambassadors program; and is the southeastern representative of the Wyoming Section of the Society for Range Management.
Nimlos also works closely with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and regularly collaborates with government agencies, nonprofits, and Wyoming legislators.
“Collectively, my extension efforts aim to ensure that management, policy, and research reflect the realities of Western working landscapes and the people who steward them,” she says.
Nimlos started her new role at UW this June. She can be reached at nnimlos@uwyo.edu.
