In response to the community’s outpouring of support after the Dec. 6 shooting at UNLV, in which three faculty members were killed and another injured, the UNLV Foundation has created scholarship funds in honor of the three deceased faculty members. Business professors Dr. Jerry Cha-Jan Chang and Dr. Patricia Navarro Velez lost their lives that day, along with Dr. Naoko Takemaru, an associate professor of Japanese studies within the College of Liberal Arts.

President Whitfield, in collaboration with university leaders, created the campuswide Rebel Recovery Program following the tragic Dec. 6 shooting. The safety, security, and well-being of the UNLV family – employees and students – is the priority. Rebel Recovery will encompass special events, wellness services, training opportunities, security and safety issues, and more.

Southern Nevada is an emerging epicenter for the cannabis industry with roughly $1 billion in annual legal cannabis sales. UNLV established the Cannabis Policy Institutite to address the research and scholarship behind this fast-growing and highly watched public policy topic; the institute will provide leadership by fostering an understanding of the complex issues surrounding cannabis legalization while being mindful of the disparate impacts of past practices and the importance of social equity and justice going forward. Through education and outreach efforts to lawmakers, industry leaders, and the public, the institute will be an invaluable resource for local, state, and national communities.

The UNLV Department of History created the Reid Public History Institute to expand the study of the histories of labor, immigration, land use, industry, and the environment in Nevada and the surrounding region. Named for the late U.S. Senator Harry Reid, who supported many critical preservation projects in Nevada during his career, the institute will enhance ongoing public history projects and community collaborations. In addition, these projects will provide new opportunities for researchers and graduate students in history and the College of Liberal Arts.

A key mission of the UNLV Libraries, and a core area of UNLV’s Top Tier 2.0 strategic plan, is to stimulate the economic development of Southern Nevada. To help meet this mission, the Libraries offers several business services to support business leaders and entrepreneurs on campus and in the community, including the specialized research assistance; access to online databases; newspaper access; and the UNLV Patent & Trademark Resources Center Powered by Switch.

Researchers from the School of Public Health teamed up with the University of Nevada, Reno to secure nearly $2.5 million dollars in grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This grant will focus on preventing adverse childhood experiences and promoting positive childhood experiences in Nevada, increasing productivity and educational attainment for our community.

Two Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV medical practitioners were named 2023 Healthcare Heroes by Nevada Business Magazine. Dr. Michael Daubs, former professor and chair of orthopaedics, was named Educator of the Year for his work instructing medical residents, and pediatric nurse practitioner Pamela Girgis was named Community Partner of the Year for her efforts in UNLV Health's school-based clinics, providing free and low-cost care to children in economically challenged neighborhoods.

The UNLV Oral History Research Center, founded in 2003, celebrates 20 years of collecting audio recorded interviews that capture the stories of nearly 2,800 local residents. These stories provide first-hand observations of the lives of men and women from all walks of life, who have contributed in some way to the history and development of the gaming industry, Las Vegas, and Southern Nevada.