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Marv Nelson Science Learning Center
Dedicated in Fine Style
by John Ramsey,
GRCC Director of Public Information
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| 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. |
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A large crowd of employees, former employees, community members and local officials turned
out for the dedication of the Marv Nelson Science Learning Center on
June 5th, 2007.
In a moving speech that reflected his humble character, Marv Nelson said the most important words in the name of the building were
“Science Learning Center”. Learning is the basis for what we do here, he said. The retired physics instructor
recounted how he changed his teaching style from a lecturer to a “coach” and how he learned from others throughout
his storied career.
The dedication featured tours of a number of programs that will move
into the new building, which is scheduled to open for classes in the
fall, including Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapist
Assistant, Geology, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Chemistry. |
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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. |
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The official name of the new building is the Marv
Nelson Science Learning Center.
The building includes a human anatomy lab, a model nursing ward,
a microscale chemistry laboratory, a geological strata model,
and a cosmic ray detector that has been built into the floor of
an astronomical observation deck. |
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Lobby of the Marv Nelson
Science Learning Center, opening for classes in '07 - '08. |
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President Rich Rutkowski opened the dedication
ceremony by telling the story of how the planning of the new building went from
a renovation project to a replacement project.
The President said it is significant to note that the science building finished on time and on budget.
Physics instructor Keith Clay told the audience how much Marv Nelson was revered both on and off campus,
to which Nelson quipped, “I think I just attended my own wake!”
Chuck Robertson of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American
Institute of Physics was also a featured speaker.
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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.
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Physics student
Jon Hill shows Mel Lindbloom a physics experiment in one of the
new physics labs. |
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