Late at night, far from any other living creature, computer science department chair Eric Nelson stands beside his telescope. Not a soul to talk to, calmness settles over him. He watches as the sky slowly shifts above him and listens to the sounds coming from the equipment and the wind blowing in the darkness.
Even before he began spending late nights observing the night sky as an astronomer, Dr. Nelson developed an interest in mysteries that he couldn’t completely understand.
“I grew up around Tolkien and Winnie the Pooh and poetry related to fairies and elves,” Dr. Nelson said. “Being exposed to these kinds of magic realms sparked a sense of interest in the mystery and the unknown because you don’t know how any of it works. That carried over into the real world of looking at the universe as a whole and my interest in astronomy and realizing we don’t really know how any of it works, but we can try and figure it out a little at a time.”
Mathematics department chair Anthony Silk began working at Harker in the same year (2003) as Dr. Nelson and first observed his curiosity during a technology briefing. After Silk’s laptop detected an infrared signal, Dr. Nelson immediately pulled out a PalmPilot, a mini computer, to track where it was coming from.
“That was my first memory of him, and to this day, that is who he is, fascinated about the world around him, curious about things and always asking questions,” Silk said. “He was just always excited to figure things out. 23 years later, he hasn’t changed.”
From a young age, Dr. Nelson was already interested in astrophysics. As he pursued a career in the field of astronomy, his motivation to research stemmed from his fascination with the unfamiliar and, later, the comfort he found in isolation.
“As an optical astronomer, I spent a lot of time on top of mountains with telescopes and no company,” Dr. Nelson said. “I discovered that I enjoyed solitude. Just learning by listening and observing, so taking the pace down quite a few notches. You can’t be in a hurry when you are an astronomer because things don’t happen fast. You have to learn patience.”
After years working in astronomy, Dr. Nelson eventually transitioned to teaching, bringing his extensive background into the classroom. His academic strength and ability to connect with students enabled him to excel in his new responsibilities. History teacher James Tate encountered this while taking one of Dr. Nelson’s astronomy lab courses at a community college outside of Harker.
“I appreciate his depth of knowledge, the precision and care he takes and his humor,” Tate said. “All the academic strength in the world is not very useful if you don’t have some personality and the ability to engage with your students and your colleagues.”
As a high school teacher, Dr. Nelson navigates a more fast-paced environment. He decompresses and seeks solitude where he lives near the Santa Cruz mountains, surrounded by redwood trees. Spending time in the wilderness allows Dr. Nelson to enjoy a sense of tranquility.
“I used to be a serious backpacker,” Dr. Nelson said. “I’d go into the wilderness for a week at a time. I like living in that environment because I get away from the hustle and bustle, noise, phones and connectivity and become detached for short periods of time.”
Dr. Nelson found peace in the outdoors even as a child through frequent trips to the ocean and lakes. Through his interaction with nature, he formed a deeper appreciation and care for the environment.
“I used to go down to Natural Bridges [State Beach] when I was a kid and spend a lot of time looking at the tide pools. That’s when I discovered when you touch the anemones, your fingers will go numb,” Dr. Nelson said. “After a while I realized I shouldn’t be touching them because it will interfere. I remember watching the animals and trying to make a point of not injuring them, just trying to see where they are and what they look like, and then put them back.”
Over time, Dr. Nelson’s small observations about nature grew into a better awareness of his impact on the environment. He now has a broader personal philosophy about how to move through the world in a sustainable way, balancing his passion for exploration with concern for the surroundings.
“I have been an advocate of ‘leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures’ before that was the slogan, because I just thought when you come in, no one should know that you’ve been there,” Dr. Nelson said. “If you want to observe what’s happening in nature, you have to blend with it.”