
Brookings Mountain West
Brookings Mountain West is a partnership between UNLV and the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution. The purpose of Brookings Mountain West is to bring the Brookings tradition of high-quality, independent, and impactful research to the issues facing the dynamic and fast-growing Intermountain West region. Building upon work at Brookings and UNLV, our community engagement and research initiatives focus on helping metropolitan areas like Las Vegas grow in robust, inclusive, and sustainable ways. Brookings Mountain West provides a platform to bring ideas and expertise together to enhance public policy discussions at the local, state, and regional level.
Accomplishments
- Oct. 16, 2023
- Jun. 30, 2023
- Apr. 4, 2023
- Feb. 6, 2023
- Nov. 17, 2022
Billot, a senior in the Honors College pursuing double majors in political science and environmental studies, moves to the final interview stage for world's most prestigious graduate scholarship.

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Brookings Mountain West In the News

The medicinal and recreational use of legal cannabis is still relatively new in Nevada, where lawful sales debuted in 2017, and the regulation of consumption lounges is being worked through. That’s part of the reason why UNLV created its Cannabis Policy Institute, which is believed to be the first of its kind in Nevada and possibly in the United States.

Is there any information online that I can trust? After sifting through AI images, deepfakes, bots, trolls, ads and disinformation campaigns while just trying to casually peruse social media, I often think there isn’t.

Access to mental health services in Nevada is atrocious. The state ranks 51st nationally in overall mental health and last again for similar categories in youth mental health. Statewide, there is one mental health professional for every 460 residents, and every Nevada county is federally designated as having a mental health provider shortage. Unfortunately, this is not news.

A sweeping higher education bill that sought to dismantle the Nevada System of Higher Education’s (NSHE) governing structure is likely being turned into a study, according to a proposed amendment presented to a legislative committee Wednesday — but would still aim to create new, individual governing boards for the state’s community colleges.