Nicholas ' team collaborates to bring new products to life that exceed customer expectations. This encompasses from concept through commercialisation, including sustainability assessments. He holds a B.S. and PhD in Food Science from Purdue University in 2001 and was honoured with Distinguished Alumnus status from the College of Agriculture in 2014. Outside of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Nicholas volunteers as Adjunct Faculty at Kansas State University, where he helps facilitate the development of new talent for the pet food industry, and helps students reach their academic goals.