NICKY M NICHOLLS [email protected] Behavioural economist with over 15 years’ experience designing, running and analysing findings from surveys and experiments in corporate and academic contexts. CURRENT EMPLOYMENT_________________________________________________ Senior Lecturer: Economics University of Pretoria 2017-present I teach post- and under-graduate microeconomics. My research focuses on experimental work on rationality violations (including bias and discrimination) in decision making and learning under uncertainty. EDUCATION___________________________________________________________ PhD (Economics) University of Pretoria 2013-2016 Thesis: Essays on probability perceptions, decision-making and aging (Supervisor: Prof A. Zimper) MComm (Economics) University of the Witwatersrand 2011-2012 BComm Honours (Economics) cum laude University of the Witwatersrand 2010 MA (Psychology) cum laude University of Stellenbosch 2002-2003 BA Honours (Psychology) cum laude University of Stellenbosch 1999 BA cum laude University of Stellenbosch 1998 Matric top student: WGHS Westville Girls’ High School 1995 PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES_______________________________________ • Oyebode, B. & Nicholls, N. (in press). Social norms as anchor points for trust. The Social Science Journal. • Zimper, A. & Nicholls, N. (2020). Choosing the agent's group identity in a trust game with delegated decision making. Journal of Public Economic Theory, 22, 220-244. • Chisadza, C., Nicholls, N. and Yitbarek, E. (2019). Race and gender biases in student evaluations of teachers. Economics Letters 179, 66-71. • Nicholls, N., Romm, A.T. and Zimper, A. (2015). The impact of statistical learning on violations of the Sure-Thing Principle. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 50, 117-141. • Watson, N.M. and Greeff, A.P. (2004). An analysis of Schema Theory and Learning Theory as explanations for variance in adolescent adjustment to divorce. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 32, 437-448. (Published under my maiden name, Watson). NICKY M NICHOLLS [email protected] PEER-REVIEWED CHAPTERS IN EDITED BOOK COLLECTIONS____________________ • Chisadza, C., Nicholls, N. and Yitbarek, E. (2019). Women empowerment and child obesity in Africa. In M. Konte and N. Tirivayi (Eds.), Women and Sustainable Human Development- Empowering Women in Africa. Springer. • Hamann, H., & Nicholls, N. (2018). Group identity in intermediated interactions: Lessons from a trust game with delegation in South Africa. In R.M. Isaac & D. A. Norton (Eds.), Experimental Economics and Culture (pp. 227-264). Emerald Publishing Limited. OTHER BOOK CHAPTERS_________________________________________________ • Nicholls, N. and Zimper, A. (2016). Subjective life expectancy. In The Encyclopedia of Adulthood and Aging ed. S. KraussWhitbourne. New York: John Wiley& Sons, Inc. CURRENT RESEARCH____________________________________________________ • Nicholls, N. and Romm, A. Overconfidence and Belief Updating (under review) • Chisadza, C., Nicholls, N. and Yitbarek, E. Group identity in fairness decisions • Chisadza, C., Clance, M., Nicholls, N. and Yitbarek, E. Racial bias in evaluations of effort • Chisadza, C., Clance, M., Nicholls, N. and Yitbarek, E. Race and gender bias in political engagement • Nicholls, N. and Watson, E. Risk and time preferences in health and wellness decision making. • Harrison, G., Nicholls, N. and Ross, D. Belief updating and Sure-Thing Principal violations. TEACHING_____________________________________________________________ MIE 780, University of Pretoria 2015-current Honours (South African first year post-graduate degree) microeconomics course including consumer and firm theory, introductory game theory and introduction to behavioural economics. EKN 244, University of Pretoria 2017-current Second year microeconomics foundations course. CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS____________________________________________ • Economic Society of South Africa (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) • Centre for Studies of African Economies (2019: Oxford, UK) • Foundations of Utility and Risk Conference poster presentation (2018: UK) • WINIR Conference (2017). NICKY M NICHOLLS [email protected] VISITING RESEARCHER__________________________________________________ • Centre for the Economic Analysis of Risk, Georgia State University Jan 2017 FUNDING_____________________________________________________________ • University of Pretoria Research Development Programme funding 2017-2019 • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Grant funding 2020 ACADEMIC SERVICES____________________________________________________ External Examiner: • University of Cape Town “Views on Behavioural Economics” Masters course • University of Stellenbosch Microeconomics Honours course • University of the Witwatersrand Economics Honours course • University of Cape Town Masters theses • University of Johannesburg PhD thesis Reviewer: • Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics • South African Journal of Economics • Journal for Studies in Economics and Econometrics • Cognitive Processing • Research on Aging • African Journal of Business and Economic Research • Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) ACADEMIC AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS__________________________________ • Economic Society of South Africa (ESSA) Founders’ Medal for top PhD in Economics in South Africa 2017 • Stella Nkomo Award for top PhD in Economic and Management Sciences Faculty at University of Pretoria 2017 • PhD Fellowship at University of Pretoria 2013-16 • Post-Graduate Finalist (top 10) in Nedbank/Old Mutual Budget Speech Competition 2010 • Top student in MA Psychology at University of Stellenbosch 2003 • University of Stellenbosch Academic Honours Award (top 4 in faculty) 1998 • Finansies & Tegniek Award for top Economics III student (Stellenbosch) 1998 NICKY M NICHOLLS [email protected] CORPORATE EXPERIENCE_________________________________________________________ Consultant Nielsen South Africa 2010-2016 Part-time forecasting and consulting training for the South African BASES team. BASES South Africa Lead Nielsen South Africa 2006-2009 I started up and led the BASES division (now “Innovation Practice”) for Nielsen in Johannesburg. I was responsible for overseeing most of BASES work in Africa. BASES consults on innovation: new product launches and product relaunches. We designed and analysed custom consumer surveys to deliver actionable recommendations for launch optimisation (positioning and product) and sales forecasts. I was responsible for existing client relationship management and business growth, as well as new business development. I oversaw the BASES-Unilever relationship for the AMET (Africa, Middle East & Turkey) region. I also did ad hoc work with BASES global R&D team. Some highlights include: • Revenue growth: BASES SA revenue in 2009 was 230% of target • Planning: I managed BASES developing platform business for SC Johnson, co-ordinating meetings and projects across 12 countries to ensure timeous, high quality delivery. • Team management: I interviewed, hired and trained a team of analysts to staff the new BASES Johannesburg team. In my time running the team there was zero staff turnover. • Training: I ran Associate Manager training for the Africa/Asia-Pacific region in 2009. Senior Research Analyst Nielsen (BASES) UK 2004-2006 Analyst on BASES team consulting to major FMCG clients on new product launches. .