Nicholas Russell is a 5th year graduate student in Applied Mathematics at the University of Delaware. His research interests center around modeling dynamical systems in biological and ecological domains. His current research is in collective motion and swarming, understanding the underlying mechanisms of how plankton aggregate form harmful algal blooms. He holds a BA in both secondary education and mathematics with minors in psychology and computer science from Marist College in 2016 and holds an education certification in New York. In 2015, he participated in an NSF-REU at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga researching difference equations to understand neural networks. Nick has participated in several research experiences and conferences in graduate school, including the NSF-MSGI internship program at The Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Mississippi where he analyzed flocking techniques of birds and fish. While in Delaware, he has been an active member of the college and surrounding community. At the University level, he has been the president of the student chapter of Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the Head Mentor for our 1st year mentoring program. As well, he is currently the graduate student liaison on the graduate committee for the mathematics department and spearheaded an initiative for the department to join The Math Alliance to encourage more underrepresented groups to join and succeed in our program. Outside of mathematics, Nick is on the Board of Directors for the Delaware Science Olympiad and a very passionate educator. In his free time, he enjoys fitness, the outdoors, watching and playing sports, and listening to (arguably) too much new music, along with being a cinephile and an avid reader.