The 2027 application cycle of the new President’s Public Purpose Grant Program is now complete.

The partnerships represented by this year’s applications demonstrate strong alignment with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s definition of academic community engagement, as well as a deep commitment to creating meaningful impact across our university and Nevada communities.

Six teams of volunteer reviewers representing UNLV students, staff, faculty, and executive leadership carefully evaluated each application. While many exceptional partnerships were represented, reviewers were limited to the number of grants available in each category.

Please join us in congratulating the following recipients of the 2027 President's Public Purpose Grant Program:

ROSTER OF RECIPIENTS

• President’s Choice Partnership Grant
  • New Partnership Grant - $25,000
    • Greg Moody, Lee Business School and College of Engineering - Cyber Security Management and Network Defense Institute in partnership with Cybersecurity Management and Network Defense Institute
  • Existing Partnership Grant - $15,000
    • Edwin Oh, College of Sciences - Wastewater Intelligence for Southern Nevada in partnership with the Southern Nevada Health District

• Rian Satterwhite Civic Engagement Partnership Grant
  • New Partnership Grant - $15,000
    • Marcedes Butler, College of Education - Homegrown Teacher Pipeline Program in partnership with Silver State Education Foundation
  • Existing Partnership Grant - $7,500
    • Laura Kruskall, School of Integrated Health Sciences - UNLV Farmer’s Market in partnership with Three Square
    • Yingtao Jiang, College of Engineering – Youth STEM Program in partnership with Silver Sands Montessori Charter School

• Faculty Service-Learning Class Partnership Grant
  • New Class Development Grant - $5,000
    • Elana Paladino, College of Sciences - SCI 202X Galactic Conservationists: Saving Ecosystems in partnership with Get Outdoors Nevada
    • Brian Uldall, Honors College - HON 496: AI Pedagogy Studio: Service-Learning with the Clark County School District

• Faculty Community-Based Research Partnership Grant
  • New Partnership Grant - $5,000
    • Sarah Surrain, College of Education - Cultivating "Family Circles": A New Community Partnership to Support Bilingual Development and Caregiver with Family2Family
    • Tiffiany Howard, College of Liberal Arts - CMDP (UNLV) and LVEA Community-Based Research Partnership with the Las Vegas Enrichment Academy
  • Existing Partnership Grant - $2,500
    • John Mercer, School of Integrated Health Sciences - Las Vegas Desert Dogs Professional Lacrosse Team in partnership with Las Vegas Desert Dogs Professional Lacrosse Team
    • Renato Liboro, College of Liberal Arts - CHAMPION Mental Health Research Lab in partnership with Golden Rainbow

• Faculty/Staff Community Needs Event Partnership Grant
  • New Event Grant - $5,000
    • Jung-Hwa Kim, College of Fine Arts - Learning from Las Vegas: Jack W. Zunino and Xeriscapes in partnership with the Nevada Chapter of The American Society of Landscape Architects (NVASLA) 
    • Hanqing Pan, College of Sciences - PFAS Community Water Testing & Environmental Health Day: A UNLV-Doral Academy Partnership
    • Moana Lose, William S. Boyd School of Law – Nevada Entrepreneurial Artist Toolkit (NEAT) Series in partnership with the City of Las Vegas Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs

• Staff Outreach Partnership Grant
  • New Partnership Grant - $3,000
    • Melinda Yee, School of Dental Medicine - Support for Kinship Parents and Children in partnership with Foster Kinship
  • Existing Partnership Grant - $1,000
    • Heather Rappaport, Boyd School of Law - Legal Inquiry and Community Voices Seminar in partnership with Clark County School District and the Canyon Springs Law and Leadership Academy
    • Michelle Paul, UNLV PRACTICE - Expanding a Mental Health Partnership with Communities In Schools of Nevada

• Publication or Policy Report Partnership
  • New Partnership - $1,250
    • Jennifer Byrnes, College of Liberal Arts - Silos to Solutions: Improving Missing and Unidentified Person Data through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in partnership with the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner

• Student Outreach Partnership Grant
  • Graduate Student New Partnership Grant - $2,500
    • Hengsong Ye, College of Hospitality - Belonging, Voice, and Future Readiness Workshop in partnership with The Orozco Siblings
    • Kim Chua, School of Public Health - Native Hawaiian Diaspora Community Partnership with Hawaiian Diaspora
    • Anam Fatima, School of Public Health - Minds That Matter: A Community Mental Health Literacy Initiative in partnership with Nevada Mercy and Care
  • Graduate Student Existing Partnership Grant – $750
    • Romina Ballesteros, School of Integrated Health Sciences - UNLV Farmer’s Market in partnership with Three Square
    • Renee Olney, College of Sciences - Science Access and Engagement Program (SAEP) in partnership with Sunrise Mountain High School
  • Undergraduate Student New Partnership Grant - $1,500
    • Aria Bennett, Lee Business School - Through the Lens: Financial Futures, Risk Readiness, and Career Confidence in partnership with Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada
    • Anthony Pham, School of Integrated Health Sciences - Pages of Hope in partnership with Cure 4 The Kids Foundation