The information on this page highlights university achievements, community
programs, faculty and student milestones, current institutional statistics,
and more. This site will continually be updated as new information
develops.
PRINTING UNLV HIGHLIGHTS: The highlights
listed on this page are also available in a one-page color printed document
for internal and external distribution. Details on how to obtain a print
version are listed on the Printing UNLV
Highlights page.
UNIVERSITY
- UNLV was the fourth fastest-growing university in
the nation in output of articles
in the sciences and engineering fields, according to a recent study
by the National
Science Foundation. Publication of peer-reviewed articles, considered
a key measure
of productivity by a university, grew 99 percent at UNLV between 1991
and 2001.
UNLV's upward publication trend has continued through 2007. Nationally,
research
productivity among top 200 universities has remained flat or decreased,
the study
showed.
- In August 2007, The Atlantic ranked UNLV's
Ph.D. in literature with a creative
dissertation as one of the top five in the country. The publication
also named the MFA
international program as one of the top five most innovative programs
in the country.
- A new chapter in student life at UNLV began this
fall with the opening of the
188,000-square-foot Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The building's
fitness
center houses a variety of amenities, including a swimming pool, whirlpools,
circuit
training machines, cardio equipment with entertainment systems, and
an indoor track.
A number of workshops on topics such as stress management and fitness
are offered.
The center also is home to campus services such as the Student Health
Center and
pharmacy and the office of student counseling and psychological services.
- The women's soccer team recently clinched
the 2007 Mountain West Conference
(MWC) regular season title, marking the fourth-straight conference
title for the Rebels.
UNLV won the 2004 MWC regular season title and then took home the team
crown
in the 2005 and 2006 MWC Tournaments. The men's tennis team won
the 2007
MWC Tournament title, the program's first conference championship.
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RESEARCH
- UNLV received more than $106.8 million in total
extramural funding in fiscal year
2007, with approximately $74.8 million supporting research.
- Professors Brenda Buck (geoscience) and Spencer
Steinberg (chemistry) are part
of a team supporting NASA's ambitious effort to return humans
to the moon and
provide a continuous robotic presence on Mars. Buck and UNLV's
geoscience
department have long been at the forefront of arid soils research.
In 2007, she
became the first woman to receive the Soil Science Society of America's
top award.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded
UNLV assistant professor of life
sciences Eduardo Robleto a $222,000 grant to investigate whether certain
cellular
mechanisms enhance genetic diversity, including the generation of both
beneficial
and harmful mutations. The study may provide insight into the generation
of cancer
and cell aging, as well as growth in conditions of stress and DNA repair.
- Nursing professors Susan Kowalski and Lori Candela
received grants exceeding
$1.3 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration
to address
issues impacting the national nursing shortage. Candela, through a
partnership
with UNR, is addressing the shortage of educators to train future nurses.
Kowalski
has developed a residency program for new registered nurses to improve
retention
and professional competency among the area's growing nursing
workforce.
- Biology professor Brian Hedlund received a 2006
early career development award
from the National Science Foundation. The prestigious five-year, $841,632
grant
was presented to Hedlund for his research on how microorganisms thrive
in hot
springs located in the Great Basin of Nevada.
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COMMUNITY
OUTREACH
- UNLV's School of Public Health and the Southern
Nevada Health District (SNHD)
are conducting free and voluntary lead-based paint inspections in homes
built prior
to 1978 throughout the Las Vegas Valley as part of the statewide Childhood
Lead
Poisoning Prevention Program. Research already conducted by the UNLV
School of
Public Health and the SNHD has led to the removal of lead-tainted candy
from store
shelves in Southern Nevada.
- The William S. Boyd School of Law's Child
Welfare Clinic is involved in a variety of
issues focused on the wellbeing of children. Its professors and law
and social work
students sometimes are appointed by the courts in Southern Nevada to
represent
either children or parents in legal proceedings involving separation
or reunification of
families.
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FACULTY
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded
UNLV assistant professor of life sciences Eduardo Robleto a $222,000
grant to investigate whether certain cellular mechanisms enhance genetic
diversity, including the generation of both beneficial and harmful
mutations. The study may provide insight into the generation of cancer
and cell aging, as well as growth in conditions of stress and DNA repair.
- Educational
psychology professor Gale Sinatra is among a group of professors from
three universities to receive more than $200,000 from the National
Science Foundation to examine how socio-cultural attitudes have affected
students' understanding of the theory of biological evolution.
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FUND RAISING
- UNLV's $500 million Invent the Future fundraising campaign has reached 82 percent of its goal. It has raised more than $407 million in gifts and gift intentions, including more than $46 million for student scholarships and more than $245 million for UNLV's programs and centers.
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STUDENTS
- More than 6,000 graduate and professional students
enrolled in fall semester
2007. UNLV offers nearly 120 graduate degree programs, including 36
doctoral
and professional programs.
- Honors College students Mollie and Jackie Singer
were two of only six people to
be chosen as the 2007 Most Caring Americans. The twin sisters started
Diabetic
Angels, a club to educate children about diabetes and teach them how
to assist
their friends with the disease. Events they organized have raised more
than
$500,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
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