By Karrie Osborn
If you’ve read any of Doug Nelson’s columns over the years in Massage & Bodywork magazine, you know that service is at the heart of what he does and who he is. Whether in the treatment room or in the community, Nelson is a role model for this tenet, and the University of Illinois is honoring that work by presenting him with the Distinguished Service Award on September 25.
Nelson is the founder of Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars, president of the 22-therapist clinic BodyWork Associates in Champaign, Illinois, and past president of the Massage Therapy Foundation. His clinic, seminars, and research endeavors explore the science behind this work. In addition to being a longtime contributor to Massage & Bodywork, Nelson also hosts episodes of The ABMP Podcast throughout the year.
The Distinguished Service Award is bestowed upon alumni, faculty, staff, and friends by the University of Illinois Alumni Association on behalf of the university. It is presented to those whose “consistent, exceptional, and meritorious service to the University of Illinois has made a significant impact on the institution’s overall welfare and the advancement of its mission.”
“I am receiving the award for creating Art of Science, a way to make science accessible by displaying scientific images as art,” Nelson says. “Now in its 15th year, these images from the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois call attention to the beauty and wonder to be found in scientific exploration.”
According to Nelson, Art of Science encompasses subjects from the microscopic to the universal, and it’s been exhibited broadly within the state, and nationally at the National Institutes of Health Library, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Sciences. Regional exhibit hosts include Abbott Laboratories’ corporate headquarters, the Saint Louis Science Center, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the University of Illinois Willard Airport, and Chicago Midway International Airport.
In addition to the Art of Science project, Nelson’s service also includes holding leadership positions for over 15 years at the university’s Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, as well as sponsoring many of its performances.
“These efforts are an example of how we, as massage therapists, can serve our community beyond the work we do in our offices,” Nelson says. “A commitment to service also reflects well on the profession, as each of us represents the field to the communities in which we reside. By doing good, we also do well when we are seen as a trusted and valuable community partner.”
Related Content
Episode 527 — Biodirectionality with Doug Nelson
Episode 512—Touch as a Form of Communication with Doug Nelson
ABMP CE course: "Neuromuscular Considerations in Cervicogenic Headaches"
ABMP CE course: "Sacrum Essentials"
Read some of Doug Nelson’s writings at Massage & Bodywork magazine online.