Dr. Nicholas Pedatella received his PhD from the University of Colorado in 2011, and was an ASP Postdoctoral Fellow in the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) from 2011 to 2013. Following his time as a Postdoctoral Fellow, he joined the UCAR COSMIC Program Office as a project scientist. He returned to HAO in 2016 as a scientist in the Geospace Frontiers Section. His primary research interest is the application of observations and numerical models for scientific studies of Earth’s middle and upper atmosphere, with an emphasis on understanding the influence of lower atmospheric waves on the spatial and temporal variability of the mesosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere. He is also interested in the development and application of data assimilation techniques in order to understand the variability and predictability of the middle and upper atmosphere. Additional research interests include the use of numerical simulations to study the fundamental mechanisms by which tides and planetary waves impact the ionosphere, the response of the ionosphere to geomagnetic variability, including the interaction between geomagnetic variability and lower atmosphere forcing, and improving ionosphere remote sensing techniques using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations.