Mary Nickel joined Princeton’s doctoral program in Religion, Ethics, and Politics in 2016. Her research integrates Christian theology, religious ethics, and contemporary democratic theory. She tends to focus on questions concerning authority, ethical obligation, and human agency.

Mary's dissertation, “Matrices,” focuses on what pregnancy and motherhood can teach us about social agency and collective responsibility. She has developed courses including: Introduction to Christian Ethics; Politics and the Bible; Systemic Injustice; Feminist & Womanist Ethics; and Introduction to Public Theology. She holds a certificate in teaching from Princeton's McGraw Teaching & Learning Center and received a teaching award from Princeton's Religion Department in 2020.

Mary also holds an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, an M.A. in Politics & Government from Illinois State University, and a B.A. in Human Rights Studies & Philosophy from Juniata College.