Marketplace Community Newsletter

Vol. 1, No. 2, Summer 2005

Tribute to John Nicholls

Long-time Marketplace instructor John Nicholls passed away this past February after a brief illness. A professor at Florida International University, John was originally from Bournemouth, England. He studied at the University of Cambridge and received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1968. In 1972 John became a faculty member at FIU. He was the marketing department first's chairperson and during his tenure at FIU returned to that post several times. John began his collaboration with Marketplace in our early years, and he was instrumental in shaping what is now the International Corporate Management simulation.

Innovative Learning Solutions expresses the deepest sympathies to John's family and friends. As a tribute to him, we wish to share our feelings and remembrances of John, whose exuberant thirst of knowledge was an inspiration to us all. You may also want to read the tributes to John in FIU's newsletter at http://www.fiu.edu/pres/newsletter/feb2005/feb28/ and http://www.fiu.edu/pres/newsletter/feb2005/feb28/headliner.htm.

Ernie Cadotte, Marketplace creator: John always encouraged us to push the envelope. I would love to get on the phone with John and listen to him tell stories of how Marketplace was pushing his students to new intellectual highs. His encouragement of our development efforts always spurred me on. We could always count on John to try out the next, most outrageous thing we created.

It felt like I lost a good friend. I still find it hard to believe I will not be getting any more phone calls or emails from John. He really was part of our team. We will miss him greatly.

Martin Klima, operations manager, senior programmer, system & graphic designer: John had that rare gift of endless positive energy and enthusiasm that he was able to pass on to the others. Even in the recent months when he was not using Marketplace, he would call periodically just to check what's new, what features were coming out soon. Every chat with him was a little boost of inspiration.

Throughout the years of trying and testing new things, I think John helped us learn that even the toughest emergencies and stressful situations can be handled with grace and humor. He was a special person and we were lucky to have known him.

Peter Kolciter, simulation designer: Even though I did not have a chance to meet Professor John Nicholls in person, I feel sad. I knew him from emails exchanged concerning mostly bugs, errors and lots of feedback. He was like a hidden part of the development team. And I believe he was much more. He was very loyal and an honest pioneer in playing new game levels. I remember joking: "If John Nicholls does not find any error, nobody will." We are going to miss him.

Peter Matis, senior programmer and leader of the development group: John was always so full of optimism and energy. He was so enthusiastic when we were developing the game with the international issues. I met him only one time, at a conference in Orlando, but that was enough to see his eyes whenever we spoke over the phone, even years later.

Jano Simicka, IT and infrastructure manager: I remember when I was starting at UT. John would call almost every morning to do a small talk with me to improve my English. And he was always so enthusiastic about what we were doing. Even now, when I did not have so much contact with him, he still would call from time to time just to find out what was behind the Marketplace web site, what were the inner workings. He was always so encouraging and supportive in our endeavors, willing to try new things, only so that his students got the newest we had to offer. I feel we lost a member of our team.

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Marketplace Community Newsletter, issued quarterly.