From a collection of less than 2,000 books housed in a section of the Las Vegas High School auditorium in 1955, the UNLV Libraries main library has grown into a an award-winning and highly admired state-of-the-art facility with a collection numbering over a million volumes. Named for Ernst Lied, founder of the Lied Charitable Trust, Lied Library officially opened its doors to the public in January 2001. Today, the library welcomes more than one million visitors annually and provides access to over two million books and resources. The iconic facility has since served as the heart of UNLV, championing access, innovation, and academic excellence. 

Geoscience assistant professor Carrie Tyler will serve as principal investigator on a $2.4 million award from the National Science Foundation. The project — Graduate Experiences for Future Leaders: Building Workforce Capacity in Resource Management and Mining — will support 15 graduate fellows in the geoscience department. Their research will draw on Nevada’s world-class geologic outcrops, mineral resources, and water infrastructure to advance knowledge in water resource management, natural resources, and mining to strengthening workforce capacity in these critical industries.

UNLV and tech company Terbine are partnering to develop an agentic AI system designed to help autonomous machines collaborate and enhance supply chain logistics. UNLV will support the effort through resources at its Advanced Engineering Building, including a drone aviary equipped with a fleet of drones of various sizes, launch pads, and industrial-grade communication systems. The university will also provide outdoor test sites across Southern Nevada for land, air, and marine trials. Together, UNLV and Terbine aim to enable the secure coordination of potentially millions of autonomous machines to transform fragmented supply chains into an adaptive, intelligent ecosystem.

The UNLV School of Nursing celebrates 60 years of nursing excellence, marking its legacy since 1965. What began with just 27 students in its first associate degree cohort grew into one of the nation’s leading nursing programs. The school transitioned to offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and launched its Master of Science in Nursing in 1984. Over the decades, UNLV Nursing has earned national recognition for its programs, expanded its online and graduate offerings, and strengthened clinical partnerships and simulation-based learning. The school also played a vital role in Nevada’s COVID-19 response, providing frontline care, testing, and vaccination support. Today, UNLV Nursing continues to advance the profession and celebrate six decades of excellence in nursing education, research, and community service.

Barbara Roth, chair and professor of anthropology, received the Byron Cummings Award from the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society. Roth has made significant contributions to the knowledge of hunter-gatherer adaptations, the transition to agriculture, household social structures, and gender identities from the Mojave Desert of California and Nevada to the Mimbres Valley of New Mexico. The award is given for outstanding research and contributions to knowledge in anthropology, history, or a related field of study pertaining to the Southwestern U.S.

UNLV Athletics announced a $1 million donation by the UNLV Rebel Football Foundation to support the Rebel Up campaign. This major donation is earmarked to enhance the nutritional needs of the Rebel football program. With a fundraising goal of $150 million, the campaign is designed to enhance many areas within UNLV Athletics, including the student-athlete experience, provide funding for new facilities, elevate current facilities, and build a stronger endowment program.

The UNLV International Gaming Institute recently launched a new AI-focused research effort – AiR Hub – in collaboration with gaming industry companies to better understand the impacts, risks, and opportunities of artificial intelligence in a complex and evolving industry. Planned projects include a forthcoming “State of AI in Gaming” report.  

Founded in 2000, the Nevada Conservatory Theatre (NCT) stands as a model for the intersection of research, pedagogy, and professional practice. The NCT provides students with a working laboratory that closely mirrors their future professional careers, while professional artists are given a creative space unencumbered by the logistical restraints of commercial theatre. This work between students in training, faculty members, and theatre professionals is advancing the discipline of theatre arts and continues to bringing to Las Vegas the highest quality theatre.