A member of the 2009-10 National Values Education Project Advisory Committee, he has served in several of the Australian Government values and wellbeing education projects (see www.valueseducation.edu.au). Dr Nielsen has received national teaching awards, including the 2008 Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (http://www.olt.gov.au/list-awards?text=thomas+university+of+canberra). Dr Nielsen advocates a ‘Curriculum of Giving’, his research showing that giving and service to others increase wellbeing and resilience in students—something much needed in a western world with high depression and suicide rates.