John P Nerison, P.E.
Retired Structural Engineer
Why I tutor for free
Engineering is a great profession! It is interesting and challenging within a real-world environment. There will always be new challenges, improvement in designs and products, better ways of meeting the needs of society. Future engineers can expect a solid stream of new problems to solve. It won’t be dull.
For me, engineering has been rewarding for over 40 years, both in terms of being personally fulfilling but also providing steady employment with good compensation.
For the reasons above, I want to give back to a great profession and help others succeed at a fulfilling career.
Tutoring Benefits
- Available year around and throughout the week.
- Tutoring adapted to the student’s needs and requests.
- Activities include explanations of key concepts, assistance with understanding homework, and reviewing material for tests.
- Assistance before taking a course to get off to a good start.
- Screen sharing meetings to facilitate communications.
- No cost to undergraduate students seeking a degree in engineering, construction, or architecture. Fees may apply to others.
Education and Experience
John P. Nerison, PE, earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Montana State University in 1968, his Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering from Arizona State University in 1975 and his Master’s in Environmental Engineering from the University of South Carolina in 1996. He went on to build a distinguished engineering career spanning more than 40 years.
His extensive professional experience includes the design and development of multistory and commercial buildings, power generation facilities, pulp and paper plants, communication towers, electrical substations, and power transmission lines. He contributed to notable Arizona projects, including expansions of Sun Devil Stadium and the distinctive arch structures at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel. Throughout his career, John collaborated with major utilities, engineering firms, and private-sector companies, applying his expertise to complex structural and infrastructure challenges.
Combining deep technical knowledge with a passion for education, John began volunteering as an online engineering tutor during the final seven years of his career. By 2018, he had helped nearly 150 students nationwide, supporting engineering and construction majors with mathematics, science, engineering fundamentals, and preparation for professional examinations. His practical, real-world perspective helps students connect challenging academic concepts to their future careers. John is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of engineers, helping students build confidence, overcome academic obstacles, and develop the skills needed for successful, rewarding careers in engineering.
BS Civil Engineering
Montana State University
MS Structural Engineering
Arizona State University
MS Environmental Engineering
University of South Carolina
Subjects
Testimonials
Dr. Sondra Miller | Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies College of Engineering Boise State University.
John has been a tremendous resource for the College of Engineering students at Boise State since 2007. Students are able to connect with John on-line for tutoring in challenging engineering courses. We are grateful for John’s consistent availability, and dedication to helping engineering students achieve their academic goals.
Dr. Stacy Bjorgaard | Senior Lecturer, University of North Dakota
John’s generosity and knowledge have been an incredible help for College of Engineering and Mines students at the University of North Dakota since 2018. John’s broad online availability makes it very easy for students to reach out to him. I am grateful for John’s dedication to students and to the future of the profession.
Matthew | Masters Program, Mechanical Engineering University of Washington.
John was an excellent tutor and helped by collaborating as a team on Machine Design, a new subject to both of us. His knowledge of both engineering principles and problem solving process are fantastic. He was always responsive, engaging, and helped break down new topics to the fundamentals, and ensure my fundamentals were sound. Since he does this as a passion and to give back to the engineering community, you know that his motivation and knowledge will shine through for any potential student.
Hope | Mechanical Engineering, Quinnipiac University
At the beginning of my second semester sophomore year, I found myself struggling with courses like Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Calc 3 that were all necessary for me to continue on my engineering path. I contacted my professors to see if any tutors were available, and that is how I found out about John. Since I live on the east coast John and I had been on a video chat basis, and he provided me with all the resources I needed to be successful. Often going out of his way to email me and make sure I wasn’t struggling, he is a tutor I would recommend to any classmate in need of extra help. I plan on reaching out to John again as my engineering curriculum goes on.
Sarah | Civil Engineering University of North Dakota.
I am a sophomore year distance Civil Engineering student at the University of North Dakota. Being a distance/non-traditional student comes with quite a few challenges, one of the biggest of which is not having the support of classmates or a tutoring center to help you get through difficult classes. Fortunately for us distance learners, there’s John. Throughout Statics, and then Mechanics of Materials, I relied on him heavily for extra help understanding challenging problems. John’s not only a brilliant problem solver, but a great teacher as well. Night, day, or weekends, he was always available and readily responded to questions or requests for homework help. He even put on webinar review sessions before final exams. I would encourage any new engineering student to get in contact with John and benefit from his vast engineering experience.
Sam | Material Science and Engineering Virginia Tech.
Like many engineering students, I struggled in multiple mechanics courses. I found out about John through a blast email from one of my advisors, and I decided to pursue it because I saw it was no charge to me. John is hands-down one of the best engineering tutors I have worked with, and I’ve worked with many different tutors. He is very punctual in meetings, and explains concepts in broad to specific detail to make sure you fully understand it. If I was struggling with a certain topic, John sent supplement material to make sure I had practice problems that are challenging and help me further grasp said topic. He uses a screen-share tool to visually show you how mechanics topics work, which is a saving grace for the struggling student. John also reaches out to check on you because he sincerely cares about you as a student. If you’re struggling with any of the listed topics on his website, send him an email. To sum up, he’s one of the best.