Will Nolan, an assistant professor in the Honors College, died Thursday, Sept. 27.
Nolan, 39, was beginning his third year with the College this fall and instructed “Ideology and the Cinema” and “Cinema of the Seventies: Hope to Horror.”
“Will Nolan was an outstanding young faculty member who inspired his students, encouraged their creativity and had tremendous potential for the future,” Deborah Lane, assistant vice president for University Relations, said. “He was a valued member of the UA family and he will be missed. Our hearts go out to his family and friends in this tragic loss.”
Authorities from Winchester, Tenn think Nolan was electrocuted as a result of faulty wiring on a boat dock. The dock was live with electricity when investigators reported to the scene. An autopsy is planned.
Nolan is survived by a wife, newborn son and University of Alabama students he left a lasting mark on during his time at the Capstone.
On Nolan’s first day teaching at UA two years ago, he welcomed freshman Rachel Croon into his “Animals in Film and Literature” class. It was her first class on campus.
“His was the first class I walked into my freshmen year. Not knowing anyone, I walked in and he was such a great teacher that he engaged his students within seconds,” she said. “He was one of those teachers that didn’t have to pry to get his students to talk. He’d say one thing, and everyone wanted to talk to get his attention and show they wanted to be there. Everyone loved being there. If anyone was born to teach, it was him. No one missed his class.”
Croon, a student from Chesterfield, Mo., said there was no one who could make a freshman feel at home like Nolan. Even after she completed his class, she relied on Nolan as a mentor and academic advisor.
“I got really close to him, he’s the reason I switched my major,” she said. “I came in as a psychology major and he was noticed I was into the speech that people use, rather than the ideas they use. He pointed it out to me, and I switched from psychology to speech pathology because of him.”
Croon wanted to bookend her time at UA with Nolan’s classes, planning on taking her last Honors credit with him next semester.
“He was my first Honors professor, and I wanted to end with him,” she said. “There was no one who could make you feel at home like him. I’m just going to remember how welcome he made me feel at The University of Alabama.
As a faculty adviser for the Honors College Assembly, Nolan’s impact at the University stretched well beyond the classroom. Austen Parrish, former vice president of HCA, worked with Nolan to start an on-campus documentary film series. Even though it was not a part of his job, Nolan dedicated his time and energy to starting the film series because it was his passion and he wanted to share his passions with his students.
In the time Parrish knew Nolan, he learned to dedicate himself to the things he loves and to share what you love with the people you love.
“At the end of the day, Will was just somebody that understood life – he was only ever in it to do what he loves the best that he can and to affect the lives of those around him in a positive way,” Parrish said. “If there is anything we should take from Will’s passing is that all he really cared about is [that] we appreciate him for who he was, we take care of his family that he loved deeply, and we remember him as a guy that liked good film and cool sweaters.”
Dr. Jacqueline Morgan, associate dean of the Honors College, invites former students and friends to email her with stories and memories of Nolan. The messages will be put together and given to Nolan’s wife and son to remember him by.
