Complex sentence: Bridging the gap became a quest for English that would take him to many positions at many academic institutions throughout the U.S. His travels in building this bridge would earn him the nickname "The Gypsy" from friends and family.
Split into simpler sentences: Bridging the gap became a quest for English that would take him to many positions at many academic institutions throughout the US. His career jumps in building this bridge would earn him the nickname "The Gypsy" from friends and family.