After a career marked by resilience, humor and a fair share of adventure, Dr. Frederick Peinado Nelson is retiring. We invite you to join us 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 14 at the Leon S. Peters Ellipse Gallery (2nd floor, North Wing) Fresno State Library, for a retirement reception to celebrate his many contributions to Fresno State and the Central Valley.

Dr. Nelson’s path to education was a unique one. After being fired from every job he ever had — and often seeing the person he trained take his place — he realized he might be better suited as a teacher. He earned his bachelor's degree from Kansas State University and spent several years as a high school science teacher.

When his daughters headed off to college, he and his wife, Lori, moved to Florida, where he served as a lecturer at the University of North Florida. Discovering a passion for helping future teachers "learn about learning science," he pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Florida. A motorcycle wreck resulting in a broken arm and leg briefly delayed his plans, but in 2012, he happily found his way to Fresno State.

In the fall of 2017, he became the department chair of liberal studies as the program officially transitioned into a department. He served as chair for five years, during which time he created new courses and program pathways that shaped the department's future. Under his guidance, the department constructed the Integrated Teacher Education Program that now spans across three locations in the Central Valley.

Outside of the university, he and Lori have traveled the globe, exploring Italy, Portugal, Egypt and the Caribbean, alongside many camping trips in the Sierras. He also famously checked a major item off his bucket list: becoming a Jeopardy! champion.

RSVP here by Monday, May 11.