Members of the Georgia Tech community began the new year by honoring Nelson C. Baker, the former interim dean for the College of Lifetime Learning, who retired after more than 35 years of service to the Institute, its learners, and higher education.

A Georgia Tech alumnus who earned his undergraduate degree in civil engineering, Baker’s career has spanned roles from Civil Engineering professor to the dean of professional education to his role as the inaugural interim dean of the College of Lifetime Learning, which first took shape as a division under his leadership. In each of these roles, Baker played a central part in redefining how Georgia Tech reaches its learners.

During the celebration, inaugural Dean William “Bill” Gaudelli spoke about Baker’s leadership style, emphasizing what he described as the “deep humanity” of Baker before honoring him with a signed plaque from the community.

“Something you can see in this room, and something you can see all over the work of this new college is a deep sense of relationship with others, connection and compassion, and Nelson draws his leadership from that deep well of understanding what it means to be human,” Gaudelli said. “I think that’s a large part of the successful measure of his career.”

“The thing that resonates with me when talking to Nelson is that this was always mission work,” he added. “He not only changed his own career trajectory, he changed that of his alma mater and that is very powerful. Very few of us in the room will ever have the opportunity to say that, and Nelson can.”

Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera reflected on the impressive arc of Baker’s career, calling attention to his role in expanding access to distance and online learning.

“When you look at what Nelson has done for Georgia Tech, it is pretty unbelievable,” he said, focusing on how Baker led the charge in expanding access to distance learning after agreeing to serve as associate chair for information technology.

“What that tells you is that Nelson was an engineer who cared so deeply about the core mission of the Institute — which is students, which is learning — that little by little his career changed from being a good engineer to improving teaching for the many,” he explained. “The impact of that whole career in transforming how learning happens really is second to none.”

The impact of Baker’s work resonates outside the Institute too, Cabrera remarked, noting, “You made a difference not just in the organization that you work for, not just in the industry that you work for, but you made a difference in the people that you touched along the way. If there is any example of a career well lived, this is it, my friend.”

Other speakers honoring Baker included Provost Raheem Beyah, who described Baker as both a visionary and a deeply compassionate leader, and Michael Bertz, a Ph.D. candidate whom Baker advised in the 1990s. Bertz credited his overall professional success to his mentor’s influence.

“I would not have had the richness, that authenticity in my career, and likely not the success without the guidance and mentorship from Dr. Baker,” he said.

Baker closed the event by reflecting on his career at Georgia Tech, and what he described as a collective effort to bring lifetime learning to the forefront of higher education leaders’ minds.

“This has been an amazing journey,” he said. “If it wasn’t for each of you who, in your own little way, created a spark in me to try to lead us forward collectively — I can’t say enough but say thank you.”

Baker added that while this chapter is closing, his belief in the mission of Georgia Tech and the power of learning remains constant.

“Congratulations to all of you and thank you for who you have helped me to be,” he said. “I look forward to the many places our paths will cross, because as we know as a college: Just keep learning; I’m not done yet.”