UNLV is expected to welcome its largest student body ever this fall, surpassing 34,000 students for the first time in university history and marking a fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth. Nearly 7,000 first-year and transfer students will join the Rebel community, including 300 student veterans, active-duty service members, and military family members. More than 88% of first-year students come from Nevada, while California, Hawaii, and Washington are the top home states for out-of-state students. And, more than half of the incoming freshman class will be the first in their family to earn a four-year degree, reflecting UNLV's continued role in expanding educational opportunity and preparing the state's future workforce.

UNLV computer scientists Chuck Tessler and John Businge earned prestigious CAREER awards from the National Science Foundation. Tessler and Businge each received grants totaling more than $550,000 to bolster their research programs in areas of dynamic memory usage in safety-critical systems, and the clone-and-own phenomenon in software development, respectively. The awards are among the most selective research-based honors for early-career faculty members with strong potential to become leaders in their field. and reflect the College of Engineering's growing reputation for high-impact research and innovation.

Reducing the time and cost to safely analyze the inner workings of a nuclear power plant leading to accelerated deployment is the thrust behind a College of Engineering project — one of just 278 from across the country — selected for the Genesis Mission, a historic national initiative designed to double America’s scientific productivity. Led by mechanical engineering professor WooHyun Jung, the $750,000, nine-month project was chosen for the “Delivering Nuclear Energy that is Faster, Safer, Cheaper” challenge, one of over 20 key research areas identified by the Department of Energy to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, discovery science, and national security.

The UNLV/CSUN Preschool has increased its capacity by 35% following the expansion of the Marlow Early Childhood Education Campus. The new facility, which includes a welcome center, an accessible playscape, and four new classrooms, will serve over 300 children from ages 6 weeks to 5 years. This milestone is the result of decades of planning, community partnership, and a shared commitment to providing high-quality early learning environments for preschoolers and their families.

The William S. Boyd School of Law has received the 2026 Civic Engagement and Community Service Award from Insight Into Academia in recognition of its longstanding commitment to public service, civic engagement, and community partnerships. The national award reflect's Boyd Lay's innovation and a sustained commitment to community partnership through volunteerism, advocacy, civic participation, public education, fundraising, voter engagement, and related initiatives.

UNLV Special Collections & Archives is working with Nellis Air Force Base to digitize its collection of more than 50,000 newspaper pages, with some articles dating back to the base's earliest days in World War II. The process will preserve the base's rich history and make it accessible to the public and future generations of Airmen.  

UNLV earned a highly competitive award from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Sloan Centers for Systemic Change initiative, which will help transform STEM doctoral education through targeted recruitment, mentoring, and student success efforts. The award will support over 30 STEM doctoral students while establishing sustainable practices that strengthen graduate education and position UNLV as a leader in the STEM community and workforce at UNLV, in the Las Vegas Valley, and beyond. 

A gift from the Molasky family has established the Molasky Family Department of Economics and Real Estate at Lee Business School, the first named academic department in UNLV history. Funding will support student scholarships, experiential learning and mentorships, faculty research and fellowships, and industry connections. It also advances the Building Business Together campaign to construct a new Business Academic Building.