A broken nose led this former college offensive lineman to a career in academia rather than football. The exemplary educator is credited with boosting the status of behavioral science in Booth's curriculum and bringing dynamism to the classroom through realistic examples. When the Iowa native is not studying why people think and behave the way they do, he's feeding chickens, nurturing fruit trees, or splitting wood at his Chicago-area suburban farm.

由于摔断了鼻梁，曾经在大学担任进攻内锋的尼古拉斯埃普利告别橄榄球运动，转而在学术界开始了自己的职业生涯。人们认为这位堪称典范的老师提升了行为科学在布斯商学院课程中的地位，通过讲授实际案例为课堂带来了活力。他是爱荷华州本地人，他不研究人们的思考方式和他们的行为方式的时候，就在自己位于芝加哥郊区的农场里养鸡、种果树、劈柴。