INA, Ill. (Dec. 21, 2017) - With holidays on the horizon, one 海角视频 dean is celebrating an extra achievement: retirement. Chris Nielsen, Dean of Applied Science and Technology, is retiring after 25 years with the college next week; only months shy of 40 years roaming RLC芒鈧劉s hallways as a student.
The Herrin native, a former coal miner, first came to RLC芒鈧劉s campus in July of 1978 as an employee of Old Ben Coal Company looking for coal miner training. Every year afterward to August of 1990, he revisited campus for additional training.
Chris Nielsen
Then, in 1991, Nielsen came into the hallways of the Applied Technology Center (ATC) like many others at the time who were laid off by local coal companies. He already had a Bachelor芒鈧劉s Degree in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale, but decided to use the opportunity to go back and work on his graduate degree. This, in turn, led to an internship in mine electrical retraining for RLC芒鈧劉s Chuck Foster, then Coordinator of Electricity for the Mining Department.
芒鈧揈very year I worked at Old Ben, I came back to RLC to have retraining - for 12 years - I was back every year. After I was laid off, I substitute taught for about four months, but then I was back here as an intern,芒鈧� said Nielsen. 芒鈧揑芒鈧劉ve been around this corner in this building a long time.芒鈧�
The corner, a small breakroom in the ATC, was a spot Nielsen often shared with colleagues over a cup of coffee or during meetings at the round table. Since he was initially hired in January of 1991 as a part-time instructor teaching mine electrical training, the corner has been a pivotal part of his RLC tenure.
It wasn芒鈧劉t long before Nielsen found plenty of classes to teach outside of mine electrical training - a move that would prolong his stay with the college.
芒鈧揗y purpose here was to get my electrical instruction certification, and RLC had work for me to do and I worked. There was enough mine electrical instruction to occupy more than a full-time load. I also supplemented that by teaching mine retraining for Mine Safety and Health (Administration, MSHA) and I taught some regular academic classes also,芒鈧� said Nielsen.
About a year and a half later, in August of 1992, Foster retired, leaving an open seat for Nielsen to become a full-time faculty member. That same month, he graduated from SIU Carbondale with a Master芒鈧劉s Degree in Workforce Education.
芒鈧揑 worked so much that, between January of 1991 and August of 1992, I was able to buy a year of full-time instruction,芒鈧� explained Nielsen. 芒鈧揑 would teach all day, an 8-hour class, and at night, I would either teach a night class here two nights or go to SIU and take two night classes there.芒鈧�
As more of his colleagues retired in the 1990s, Nielsen said his course load changed, constantly adding and removing courses from mining to basic electrical, including motor controls, robotics, and PLCs.
芒鈧揟here were lots of retirees of faculty who started working in the 1970s. I didn芒鈧劉t absorb all their classes, but most of the industrial electronics and maintenance classes. As the college went through those changes, I picked up different subjects,芒鈧� said Nielsen.
At the mention of the Industrial Electronics and Maintenance program, Nielsen芒鈧劉s eyes lit up. It was clear he felt the development and evolution of the program was one of his biggest accomplishments, in addition to the number of apprenticeship programs created with his assistance for local students.
芒鈧揧ears ago, we had industrial electronics and industrial service, two different programs. In about 2000, William Dill (retired Industrial Technology and Advanced Technology Division Chair) and I got together and combined them into what is now the Industrial Electronics and Maintenance program,芒鈧� said Nielsen. 芒鈧揥hat芒鈧劉s happened in the 17 years since then, we芒鈧劉ve developed our relationship with Continental Tire and it芒鈧劉s really gratifying to see the students in that program. They come here, they get taught, and they go on to get a real good job.芒鈧�
The RLC-Continental Tire the Americas, LLC Internship program isn芒鈧劉t the only apprenticeship Nielsen has been directly involved with. In the past, Nielsen represented RLC in partnerships with Technicolor-Universal Media Services of Pinckneyville and Independent Electrical Contractors.
芒鈧揟hose students, through those apprenticeships, still have good jobs as electricians and maintenance people. The partnerships have all been pretty good,芒鈧� said Nielsen. 芒鈧揂pprenticeships are there to satisfy employment needs and hire good people. It芒鈧劉s one of the biggest opportunities the college has to get involved with them. It芒鈧劉s a win-win situation for everyone involved.芒鈧�
Nielsen was also a contributor to two of the largest grants RLC has ever received. The first was a $1.07 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to design, engineer, and construct the 20,000 square-foot Coal Mine Training Center, which opened in the Fall of 2009.
Soon after, RLC learned of the second grant, an award of $1.6 million from the U. S. Department of Labor as a part of then-President George Bush芒鈧劉s Community-Based Job Training initiative. This grant was to train the region芒鈧劉s future coal mining workforce - right up Nielsen芒鈧劉s alley.
With the funding from these two grants, RLC built a new facility, and revamped and purchased equipment for several programs on campus, including welding, hydraulics, motor controls, mining, and more. Nielsen was part of the crew that bid and chose state-of-the-art equipment.
芒鈧揥e were thinking coal mining would be back like it was in the 1970s, but it came back differently. If there芒鈧劉s a disappointment for me, it芒鈧劉s that a lot of us thought coal mining would become a large piece of our training and education, and it just changed. It wasn芒鈧劉t what it was when I was hired,芒鈧� said Nielsen.
He continued, 芒鈧揘ow we have a great facility and equipment, and we still do retraining and firefighter training. We芒鈧劉ve won three Brookwood-Sago grants, totaling over $275,000, to promote mine rescue and mine firefighting.芒鈧�
In his last few years of teaching, Nielsen worked under the guidance of then-Division Chair Terry Wilkerson. He took over the role when Wilkerson became RLC芒鈧劉s seventh president in 2012. Soon after, the college芒鈧劉s division chairs had their titles changed to dean, to reflect more accurately their duties.
As dean of the Applied Science and Technology Division, Nielsen is in charge of 16 different programs on campus, ranging from architecture and graphic design to agriculture and heavy equipment to criminal justice, and everything in between.
芒鈧揗y role now is different than it was as a teacher, but still, I like to talk to students. Working with them, I like that. Anytime I get a chance to talk to students about getting them a job, what job they want, or what they芒鈧劉re doing, I take it. That芒鈧劉s what I芒鈧劉ve always done,芒鈧� said Nielsen. 芒鈧揢sually now, I only see students if there芒鈧劉s a problem, but that芒鈧劉s okay too.芒鈧�
In the days leading up to his last day on campus, a calendar on the wall in Nielsen芒鈧劉s office held a countdown. He laughed when asked what he plans to do in upcoming weeks.
芒鈧揑芒鈧劉ve got a lot of stuff I want to do, the question is, will I run out of things? It芒鈧劉ll be interesting to see how the time will fill up,芒鈧� Nielsen said. 芒鈧揑 know I芒鈧劉m going to travel. My daughter (Liz Nielsen, a 2007 RLC engineering graduate) has bought a place in Chicago, and I芒鈧劉ve already got my first project up there.芒鈧�
Nielsen is also a licensed scuba diver - and a Master Diver at that, with hours of class time and over 50 dives logged, many at Vienna芒鈧劉s Mermet Springs training center. He has plans to visit the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in the next year to follow his passion alongside his girlfriend Patti.
芒鈧揑芒鈧劉ve got a trip planned for Cayman Brac, in the Caribbean, and in July, I芒鈧劉m going to Roat脙隆n, an island off the coast of Honduras. I just got back from Cozumel and I went to the Philippines in January. Right now, I芒鈧劉ve got 95 dives and hoping to hit the 100-mark soon,芒鈧� said Nielsen. 芒鈧揑 was a scuba diver back in college, but it was expensive and there wasn芒鈧劉t any place to dive around here. I got a job and had to work, so that kind of fell off. When I did it before, I found it fun and I get to travel.芒鈧�
Nielsen said he芒鈧劉s also looking forward to traveling to see a group of high school friends. He said his 芒鈧搊ld football friends芒鈧� will be nice to see again.
芒鈧揑芒鈧劉ve got a nucleus of friends, probably about 10 of us, who have stayed close since we were in high school. I plan to go see those guys and they芒鈧劉re scattered all across the country,芒鈧� said Nielsen.
Nielsen joined many of those friends and coaches in the creation of the Herrin Tiger Football Alumni Association, a 501C3 tax-exempt organization that raises money to give away as scholarships to Herrin High School students and to local charities. The organization also gives to Nielsen芒鈧劉s RLC Foundation scholarship, the Rachel R. Nielsen Engineering Scholarship, in honor of his late wife Raylene.
芒鈧揂fter I lost my wife in 2014, we started the scholarship. Since my daughter is an engineer and the family has been in construction, it seemed like a good thing to do,芒鈧� said Nielsen. 芒鈧揟he Herrin Tigers Football Alumni Association makes contributions to that scholarship, but we also raise, on average, between $15,000 and $20,000 every year that we give away. We give $1,000 scholarships to students, and we also support local food banks and charities. It芒鈧劉s all because we played football together, and it gives us a chance to get together and hang out.芒鈧�
Nielsen said the fundraising is split fifty-fifty between scholarships and donations to local organizations. Some of the recent donations include to places like Night芒鈧劉s Shield in West Frankfort, and other locations in Herrin, Marion, and Carbondale.
In his two and a half decades at RLC, Nielsen received the 2010 Faculty Excellence Award for his outstanding work in the classroom. He also served as president of the faculty union for a decade.
He also helped lead RLC through two reaccreditation processes with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), having a seat on the Steering Committee in 1998 and as one of three coordinators during the 2008 visit when the college received the maximum 10-year reaccreditation.
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