Richard B. Nelson; Engineering Professor at UCLA

Richard B. Nelson, 56, UCLA professor of engineering and structural analysis expert. Nelson, who taught at UCLA for 29 years, was known for his devotion and attention to his students. He earned the distinguished teaching award from the Graduate Students Assn. in 1971, the engineering faculty personality award from the UC Engineering Society in 1974 and the outstanding professor award from the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1991. Born in Weiser, Idaho, Nelson earned degrees from Willamette University in Salem, Ore., and Columbia University in New York City. In the early 1960s, Nelson worked as a survey engineer’s aide for the Idaho Department of Highways. On Wednesday in Los Angeles of cancer.