Presidential Student Ambassadors
Michael Gordon
Michael Gordon came to Las Vegas from Cape Town, South Africa in September 2006 on a Rotary International Ambassadorial scholarship. He received both his LLB (bachelor’s degree) and LLM (master’s degree) in private law from the University of South Africa. In South Africa, the LLB degree is required to practice law.
Gordon is the President of the Graduate & Professional Student Association. Gordon has been a founding member of four student organizations on the UNLV campus namely Rotaract, UNLV Toastmasters (DTM), UNLV Racquetball club and the Public Administration Graduate Association. He is also involved in other on-campus organizations such as Christian Grads, Student Alumni Association, International Council, Student Conduct Hearing Board and serves as President for the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA) as well as a Presidential Student Ambassador. In May 2012, Gordon was elected as chair of the Nevada Student Alliance, the overarching student government association for all NSHE student government organizations.
In addition to his extra-curricular activities, Gordon serves as the graduate assistant in the School of Environmental and Public Affairs. He is a member of the National Scholars Honor Society, National Residence Hall Honorary, Pi Alpha Alpha (the Public Administration honors society), Pi Sigma Alpha (the Political Science honors society) and Golden Key International Honour Society.
Gordon graduated from UNLV in May 2008 with a Masters in Public Administration and was honored at the ceremony as an “Outstanding Graduate”. He is an alumnus of the Leadership Las Vegas Class of 2012 and is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. (Public Affairs) program and hopes to ensure the continued existence of ethical governments worldwide.
He serves on the boards of the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs alumni chapter as well as the Rotary Club of Las Vegas. He was fortunate enough to be named "Rotarian of the Year" for the 2009-10 year in addition to receiving the District 5300 Rotary International Foundation Service award. This honor is bestowed annually by the District Governor to a limited number of Rotarians who have provided outstanding service to The Rotary Foundation.
