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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