From England to CSU: Nicholls works to improve education

The train that runs through Fort Collins may remind Peter

Nicholls of his childhood in Kent, England.

Growing up, he desperately wanted to be a train conductor and

was prepared for the profession when his parents presented him with

a conductor’s hat and a train set.

“It was absolutely my pride and joy,” he said.

Although the memory of that train set still brings a twinkle to

his eye, his position as provost/academic vice president has

allowed him little time to pursue his childhood hobby.

As provost/academic vice president, Nicholls oversees all issues

dealing with academics in the university’s nine colleges and their

departments. He often listens to faculty, students and

administrative concerns about academics at CSU.

Even during the interview for this “expose” as he called it,

every answer was thoughtfully constructed.

As Nicholls relayed his life as a child growing up in England

and his recent experiences as the provost/academic vice president

at CSU, he worded his answers with careful concentration, pausing

to reflect on the questions.

Nicholls was appointed to his position and moved to Fort Collins

in March of 2002. Being provost requires meeting with many people,

discussing budgetary problems, examining curriculum and, at times,

dealing with personnel issues.

“We’re dealing with a lot of people in this division, and

anytime you deal with a large number of employees, there are going

to be situations that arise,” Nicholls said. “Many times it may be

just meeting with someone and listening to what they have to say.

Many times that’s all it takes.”

Perhaps it is this mentality that has given him a reputation as

a personable man.

“He’s very supportive of our staff. He’s the best supervisor

I’ve ever had,” said Barbara Lyall, assistant to the provost. “I

can’t say enough about him.”

Apparently his English accent adds to his enjoyable

presence.

“He has a very funny sense of humor,” said Stacy Dotson, also an

assistant to the provost. “And I think the English accent

accentuates it.”

Born in Kent, England, Nicholls grew up in a town slightly

smaller than Fort Collins.

Nicholls was part of the first generation in his family to have

an opportunity to attend college. He went to Empirical College in

London, where he studied pure mathematics. In England, college

classes are structured so the same people are in every class

throughout college.

Here, Nicholls met his wife, Trudy, who was one of three women

in his class of 75 students.

“I felt very honored and privileged that we got together,”

Nicholls said.

Trudy Nicholls, who works as a web programmer in the College of

Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, was studying computer

systems mathematics, and she said her initial attraction to

Nicholls was his sense of humor.

“We loved the same jokes and I really respected him

academically. Our personalities just clicked,” she said. “And he’s

good-looking.”

After graduating from Empirical College he enrolled as a

graduate student at Cambridge University with the intention of

becoming a mathematics professor. He graduated in 1970 with a

doctorate in pure mathematics.

His thesis adviser at Cambridge had worked in America and told

Nicholls if he had the opportunity, he should jump at the chance to

work in the United States. So when Nicholls got word in 1971 of a

job opening at Northern Illinois University, he applied.

He was accepted as an assistant professor of mathematics and

moved to DeKalb, Ill., with his wife.

He said the atmosphere and the education systems in the United

States are much different from those in England.

“In the United States, your universities are very large, with

lots of professors,” he said. “The opportunities to move ahead in

your field are great.”

In DeKalb, Nicholls advanced his career as well as his

family.

“I was supposed to being going to this university for one year,

and I ended up staying for 20 years,” he said. “My kids were born,

I got tenure and became associate dean for the college of Liberal

Arts and Sciences.”

He found he enjoyed his responsibilities as associate dean,

where he managed faculty hiring, budgets and the curriculum

process. In 1991, Nicholls decided to apply for a dean position in

the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Kansas State

University.

He spent 10 years at KSU, then in 2002 decided to join the ranks

as one of the vice presidents at CSU.

“I thought (the position) was very attractive,” he said. “Partly

because of the land-grant mission and partly because of the people

that I met.”

Right now, Nicholls is in the midst of searching for new deans

in the College of Applied Human Sciences and the College of Natural

Resources.

“My goal is to get the best people in the country to run these

colleges,” he said.

Although Nicholls has been a part of CSU for a short time, he

feels he has grown accustomed to his position and CSU’s vision.

“I’ve been here for two years and I feel that I am sort of

hitting my stride in this job. I really feel that I am at a point

now where I can be really efficient as a provost because I know a

lot more about the institution than when I first arrived,” he

said.

In the past two years, he has eased his way into the Colorado

lifestyle, hiking or walking seven to eight miles once a week

around the Foothills.

He said one day he would like to conquer one of the infamous

14,000-foot mountains in Colorado.

Another mountain Nicholls would like to conquer is allowing

CSU’s reputation to precede itself.

“I think our reputation should more accurately reflect what

reality is. We are a school that is not properly understood,” he

said. “We are not properly recognized for the outstanding work that

goes on here.”