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Building to be named for Marv Nelson
The Board of Trustees of Green River Community College has officially named the college's new science building in honor of retired physics instructor Marv Nelson. Marv, who received the American Association of Physics Teachers national award for Outstanding Introductory College Physics Teacher of the year in 1999, taught at Green River for more than three decades. He is the person most responsible for the excellent physics program that students and visitors see today.
On January 18th 2007, Green River’s Board of Trustees approved a proposal to name the new GRCC Science Building after retired physics instructor Marv Nelson.

A naming nomination letter, presented to President Rich Rutkowski, by April Jensen, executive vice president, and Kara Hefley, vice president of development, included support from science faculty members Bob Filson and Keith Clay. Nelson taught at the college from 1966 to 2000 and was the first recipient of the college’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 1985. Though he retired in 2000, Nelson remains active with the college serving as an advisor to Project TEACH, mentoring science faculty, and as a member of the Green River Community College Foundation.
 

Lobby of the Marv Nelson Science Learning Center, scheduled to open in the summer of 2007.

The official name of the new building will be the Marv Nelson Science Learning Center. The Board approved the recommendation at the regularly scheduled January meeting. On a related note, President Rutkowski told Trustees that he is considering an administrative policy on collecting feedback for building names. Such a proposed policy would go through the standard policy development process.

GRCC physics instructor Marv Nelson built the physics program at GRCC. He was the first two-year college teacher in the nation to be honored as "Outstanding Undergraduate Physics Teacher" of the year.

Sam Ball, dean of instruction for capital projects, updated the Board on the progress of the Science Building. He said instructional offices will start moving into the building spring quarter and that limited classes in the new building will be scheduled for summer quarter 2007. In board action, the Trustees approved a motion delegating authority to the President to approve bulk purchases of equipment in excess of $100,000 for the new building.

GRCC physics faculty member and current GRCC Foundation Board member Marv Nelson has been a national leader in the creation of the CASTLE physics curriculum, the TYC21 project for physics programs at two-year colleges, and many other projects. In 1999, Marv was chosen by the American Association of Physics Teachers as the outstanding undergraduate physics instructor in the country.