In 2023, Chris Parker was on a brief hiatus from 51ԹϺ when he gained an overwhelming clarity about what he wanted to be when he grew up.
“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” Parker said. “We joke in the advising center now that I had a spiritual awakening.”
Though he was enjoying his new position as a project engineer and manager for a local engineering consulting firm — and had gone to college and earned two degrees from 51ԹϺ to do just that — he felt a gravitational pull back to the 51ԹϺ College of Engineering, its students, and his former co-workers in the advising center.
“I missed my team, and I really missed working with the students,” Parker recalled feeling a few months into his new position at the firm. “At that moment I knew what I was meant to do in my career. So I sent an email to see if my old position (as director of the advising center) was available and if Dean (Rama) Venkat would have me back. I also wanted to make sure that I had the support of my team to have me back.
“Soon after, I returned with a new perspective and have never looked back on this decision to return to 51ԹϺ and the College of Engineering.”
Parker’s educational and professional journey — and this story in particular — illustrates an important lesson he shares with students who walk through the doors of the college’s advising center every day: Do what you love.
“I tell students this all the time: You have to be happy with what you’re doing,” he said. “You’re going to be working for 40 years or more, so you’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing. If you’re not happy at work, you’re not going to be happy, period.”
Parker’s awakening happened at just the right time too. Last fall, the college experienced its highest ever first-year retention rate of 80.1%, due in part to advising center initiatives. And, enrollment is booming. So much so that the college is debuting two new programs in fall 2025 : a B.S. in cybersecurity in collaboration with the Lee Business School, and a B.A. in engineering technology.
As a 51ԹϺ civil engineering undergraduate student in the early 2000s, Parker walked the same halls and completed many of the same courses — with some of the same professors — taken by the students he now advises.
Coupled with a business management degree from the University of Utah, Parker is uniquely qualified to relate to students as they navigate their individual academic journeys and guide an advising center into a new era in order to meet the needs of a growing and evolving student body.
How does your professional experience and education in engineering help in leading the Engineering Advising Center?
I am in a unique position having graduated from the College of Engineering with my bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering and worked in the field. Having this background allows me to relate to students on a different level. I can discuss with them the rigors of our degree programs and what it takes to be a successful engineer.
Having connections in structural engineering has also allowed me to introduce students to prospective employers and to get them internships, which is rewarding to help the students get a foot in the door at an engineering firm.
For our civil, mechanical, and entertainment engineering students, I can talk to them about the courses they have taken or will be taking because I took a lot of the same courses and even with some of the same professors. Telling students that I took dynamics, ME 242, four times before I finally passed is OK. Students need to know that they will not be perfect in every class and that they may not understand all the material and they may struggle at times. However, if they persist and put the work in, they will succeed and graduate.
Rumor has it that the advising center is moving offices. Why is that and where are the new digs going to be?
Yes, we will have a new home and will be moving the advising center sometime this summer after some renovation work has been completed. Due to the growth of our student population in the College of Engineering and the growth of my team, the advising center has outgrown our current location. Moving over to WHA-2 will allow my advising team to be in one central location and allow for future, long-term growth.
You’ve been at 51ԹϺ in a variety of advising center roles for almost 14 years. And, you were a student before that. How has campus and how has the business of advising students evolved?
This campus has changed so much over the years with its growth not only in the student population but also in the footprint of the campus with the addition of all the new buildings. It has been incredible to see the growth and to see the national recognition 51ԹϺ has gained after all these years.
When I was an engineering student, we didn’t have access to many of the resources available today. Thanks to the efforts of Dean Rama Venkat, associate dean for Undergraduate Studies Yingtao Jiang, and our departments, the College of Engineering has significantly expanded its support for students. These investments have not only enhanced our programs but have also contributed to higher retention rates and more than doubled graduation numbers over the past five years.
When I first started advising students back in 2011, our role was to primarily give students course recommendations and make sure they remain on track for graduation. Today, you need to look at the whole academic journey and to see what is affecting students. In particular, we’ve seen a rise in concerns like food insecurity and homelessness, and advisors tend to be the first people on campus students will open up to and ask for help. We need to ask students the right questions so we can give them the proper resources to be successful.
If you won the megabucks and you want to give back to the university, what would you support and why?
This is an easy one and something I am already working on with our Senior Director of Development Kerry Sallee. Since I oversee the College of Engineering scholarship awarding each year, I see a great need for the growth in scholarships. The College of Engineering awards over $500,000 each year, but our student population has grown tremendously and the scholarship funding hasn’t grown to meet the demand.
Currently, I am starting my own scholarship for our College of Engineering students. Even though I do not have Megabucks money, it is going to start small and hopefully I will grow it in the future so the scholarship can assist as many students as possible to help pay for their engineering education.
If you could have a chat with any famous person (alive or dead), who would be the most interesting to you and why?
There are several famous people that I would like to chat with. People who know me know that I am a huge U2 fan and have been to many of their concerts over the years. We saw them at the Sphere when they had their residency here, and it was amazing. The venue itself is one that, as an engineer, is mind-blowing. And to be one of the biggest fans ever and to be there, it was even better.
It would be fascinating to sit down and meet with Bono. Not only would I like to hear stories about being a musician, but also about his activism and what motivates him to keep doing the work he does after all these years.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy for fun?
The past couple of years my wife and I have started to do a lot of traveling. We took our first cruise back in 2022 for my 50th birthday not knowing if we would like it or not. We did a Mediterranean cruise for 11 days that took us to Italy, Turkey, and Greece. We followed that up on the same trip by going to Barcelona and over to Monaco on a cruise to watch the F1 race. I am a huge F1 fan!
Needless to say, we were hooked and have done three other cruises that have taken us to Alaska, England, Scotland, Iceland, and the Caribbean and have a few more on the calendar through next year. Our next trip is up through the Baltics later this year.
Outside of traveling, I am a DIYer and love to have projects around the house — my wife can confirm. On most weekends, you can find me doing some sort of project.
What are you currently reading/watching/streaming?
I’m currently streaming a few shows. The newest is The Pitt on Max. It’s a great show if you have not watched it. I am also currently watching Paradise, Yellowstone 1923, and Zero Day to name a few.
This year, my goal was to read more and to also listen to audiobooks. I have five or six books that I have started but not completed. The goal is to finish those up and then start reading something new.
I am doing much better listening to audiobooks on my way into work every day. Currently, I am listening to “Stolen Focus” by Johann Hari, which has been a really interesting listen so far. It's about what affects our ability to focus — information overload, technology, and work culture — and how we can reclaim our attention.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Ice cream hands down! Mint chocolate chip from Baskin Robbins is my go-to! I have had to cut back because my metabolism is not what it used to be and the waistline has grown a bit.
