LCDR Nielsen’s Coast Guard career has spanned the Response, Prevention, and Education communities. After enlisting in 2011, he served at Coast Guard Station Ludington, conducting search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, ice rescue, and maritime safety missions on the Great Lakes. Following graduation from Officer Candidate School, he was assigned to Sector Mobile, where he served in Marine Inspections and Marine Investigations, supporting the Coast Guard’s marine safety mission through vessel inspections, regulatory compliance, marine casualty investigations, and risk management activities.

In 2022, he joined the Coast Guard Academy’s Department of Physics as rotating military faculty and was selected for the Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff program in 2024. His experience across the operational and prevention communities informs his approach to developing future Coast Guard officers and connecting technical education to real-world maritime challenges.

Education

• M.S. Applied Physics, Yale University, 2022
• M.B.A., Spring Hill College, 2020
• B.S. Architecture, Lawrence Technological University, 2008

Courses Taught

• Physics I
• Physics II
• Energy Production
• Capstone Research Project I, II, & III
• Coast Guard History

Honors and Awards

• Maritime Risk Symposium – First Place Student Research Poster Winner, Faculty Advisor (2026)
• Warfighter Innovation in Science & Engineering (WISE) Challenge – Impact Award, Faculty Advisor (2026)