Nicola is a member of the Ngāti Paoa iwi, currently living on Ramaytush Ohlone territory. Their research primarily explores Indigenous perspectives in LIS, and Indigenous Data Sovereignty. In 2024, they published two poetry chapbooks - “Māori Maid Difficult” (Tram Editions) and “Hinting at Decolonization” (Kith Books). In 2023, they were awarded the GOLD Alumni Impact award from the University of Washington, and the AAALS Indigenous Writers Prize for Poetry