Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas A. Carter is an Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado.

Lt Col Carter received his commission as a Distinguished Graduate and Outstanding Cadet in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was then selected to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his SM in Aeronautics and Astronautics focusing on micro-air vehicle development and alternative jet fuel lifecycle analyses. After graduating from MIT, Lt Col Carter attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, where he trained in the T-6 and T-38 aircraft. From there, he was assigned to the 517th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK, where he conducted worldwide airlift missions as an aircraft commander in support of PACOM. Lt Col Carter then served as an instructor pilot at the 50th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, MS, where he led pilot training transformation as the director of T-38C Fighter/Bomber Fundamentals. During this assignment, Lt Col Carter also deployed as an air defense liaison for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he coordinated U.S. and partner nation air and air defense assets. He then was selected to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology Civilian Institution program at the University of Colorado Boulder, CO, where he earned his PhD in Aerospace Engineering focusing on assessing non-equilibrium hypersonic flow, material response, and radiation simulations for air defense applications. Lt Col Carter is a senior pilot with more than 1,700 hours in the T-38C and C-17A aircraft.

Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. (2022-2025)

Air Command and Staff College – correspondence (2020)

Squadron Officer School – in residence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (2016)

S.M., Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. (2010-2012)

B.S., Aeronautical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2006-2010)

Air Force Institute of Technology Civilian Institution Student, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. (2022-2025)

T-38C Fighter-Bomber Fundamentals Lead/T-38C Instructor Pilot, 14th Operations Group, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. (2021-2022)

Air Defense Laison, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2020)

Assistant Director of Operations/T-38C Instructor Pilot, 50 Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss. (2019-2020)

Flight Commander/C-17 Aircraft Commander, 517 Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska (2017-2018)

Chief of Mission Planning/C-17A Pilot, 517 Airlift Squadron, JBER, Aalaska (2017)

Scheduling Officer/C-17A Pilot, 517 Airlift Squadron, JBER, Alaska (2017)

Resource Advisor/C-17A Pilot, 517 Airlift Squadron, JBER, Alaska (2016-2017)

Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas (2012-2015)

Air Force Institute of Technology Civilian Institution Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass (2010-2012)

Meritorious Service Medal

Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Air and Space Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters

Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation

Combat Readiness Medal

National Defense Service Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Air and Space Longevity Service Award with four oak leaf clusters

Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Pistol)

Air and Space Training Ribbon

Distinguished Graduate, Outstanding Cadet in Aeronautical Engineering (2010)

Nonequilibrium, weakly ionized hypersonic flow computational fluid dynamics

Carbon ablation and material response simulation

Nonequilibrium radiation simulation

Global sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification