College of Engineering Welcomes New Director of Industry Relations

Utah State University’s College of Engineering welcomes Dixon Nielson as the new director of industry relations. Nielson joined the college on February 1. His primary responsibility is to develop and strengthen college and department ties with companies that value our students and wish to invest in their future. 

His main goals include working with existing and new industry partners to secure short-term research efforts, senior design projects and funded research. He will also help develop partnerships with industry to facilitate student internship opportunities and full-time employment for graduates.

Nielson brings over 20 years of experience to the job. Before joining the college, he served as the research development director in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. 

Nielson graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s in finance and a minor in chemistry and later earned an MBA from Brigham Young University.

He is originally from Salt Lake City and has also lived in the San Francisco Bay area and Washington, D.C. He has lived in Cache Valley since 2005.

Among colleagues, Nielson is known as the “crystal ball man,” because of his ability to accurately assess startup companies’ likelihood of succeeding. He is also a licensed amateur radio operator and enjoys building and improving electronics.