Nielsen, who retired as associate professor emeritus in 1998, came to UNLV and what was then the Department of Communication Studies in 1969 after receiving his master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.  Several times during his nearly 30 years with the program he served as its chief administrator.

He taught courses in interpersonal communication, conflict management, and persuasion, and had he still been teaching when the program was divided into the Hank Greenspun School and the Department of Communication Studies in 2004, he almost certainly would have joined the Communication Studies faculty.

Nevertheless, thousands of students whose primary interest was mass communication took his classes.  In some years he also served as the primary advisor of students.  Each year the School presents an award to the student who makes the best presentation about his or her internship.  Because of Nielsen’s close relationship with his students and his commitment to enhancing their futures, that award will be called the Stephen F. Nielsen Internship Award.

Nielsen was active in service on campus and was the parliamentarian for the Faculty Senate for many years.  He was a self-professed curmudgeon and proclaimed so on his license plate; his humor and his compassion for students and others contradicted the label, however.  He was also a gifted baritone and an accomplished whistler.

An active member of the LDS Church, in his youth he served a mission for his church in the eastern United States, and after retirement he and his wife served missions in England and Canada.

He is survived by his widow MarDean, daughters Cathi Perry, Cindy Ord, Becky Bush and Suzanne, nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.