Aaron Nielsen

I was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and moved with my family to Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1998, where I’ve lived ever since. I’m an alumnus of Fort Collins High School (‘02) and have earned multiple degrees from Colorado State University (‘07, ‘14, ‘24) and the University of Colorado (‘08, ‘12, ‘18), including a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics (2018).

Before academia, I spent three years in the tech industry as an electrical engineer, working on radar signal processing and electronic intelligence. My transition from tech to academia was driven by a passion for teaching and a desire to continue learning.

In August 2018, I joined the Department of Statistics at Colorado State University as an Assistant Professor, and I was promoted to Associate Professor in 2024. My work focuses on undergraduate education, sports analytics, and building practical, data-centered experiences for students.

I spearheaded the development of two new courses and an undergraduate certificate in Sports Statistics and Analytics, and I’ve taught a wide range of statistics and mathematics courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. I also enjoy mentoring undergraduate projects in sports analytics.

Alongside teaching full-time, I completed a B.A. in Philosophy (Spring 2024) and I’m currently working on a B.A. in Political Science (est. Spring 2027).

My wife, Rachel, is a kindergarten teacher, and we share our home with a clowder of ten cats. I’m an avid reader with broad interests in philosophy, politics, history, and science fiction. I enjoy listening to Grateful Dead, Smashing Pumpkins, Sigur Rós, Erik Satie, Philip Glass, Anthony Braxton, and John Coltrane. I’ve seen the Omaha indie rock band Bright Eyes play live 26 times.

Travel and sports are my other passions. I’ve visited 24 countries, with Munich, Germany as my favorite destination. I enjoy attending college football games in Fort Collins and Lincoln during the fall. I’ve been a Chicago Cubs fan since age five and I try to watch all their 162 regular-season games. My fascination with sabermetrics led me to attend the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Analytics Conference in March 2024.