Graduation ceremony, person in foreground has "UNLV" written in rhinestones on their graduation hat

Alumni

In 1957, UNLV set forward its first graduating class. You are part of a special tradition - a tradition of excellence in education, service as professionals, and support of future alumni. Wherever your life’s work takes you, we hope UNLV and the College of Education will always feel like “home” to you.

With an alumni base of more than 25,000 and growing each year, we encourage our graduates to take advantage of the variety of services and opportunities available to support them and their families. UNLV alumni are encouraged to support the values of higher learning through advocacy, involvement, and giving.

Get Involved

With the growth of our research and academic programs, there are a number of ways for alumni to get involved. If you're interested in:

  • Mentoring pre-service and new teachers
  • Participating in research opportunities
  • Supporting our recruitment efforts by meeting with prospective students
  • Serving on the college’s alumni chapter board
  • Participating in a panel or networking event

Please let us know by completing this involvement interest form.

Jennifer Oshiro Rivers
Jenn Oshiro

Jenn Oshiro Rivers '05 '08 M.Ed.

Associate Director of Alumni Engagement
Phone: 702-895-3375
Email: jennifer.oshiro@unlv.edu

 

Stay Connected with Your College of Education

Submit Your News

We want to hear from you! Submit your news, appointments, accomplishments, honors, and awards. We'll share your news with alumni and current students.

Submit an Update View All Class Notes

Lead Through the Alumni Chapter

Our Alumni Chapter aims to benefit the UNLV community and next generation of professionals through outreach, engagement, and philanthropy.

Learn More and Get Involved

Recognize and Honor Our Graduates

Our alumni are amazing and we celebrate their many contributions through specific college awards as well as those through the UNLV Alumni Association.

Awards and Recognition

Continue Developing

Keep up with the latest research and best practices through our many professional development opportunities. The latest events are always listed on our college calendar.

Summit on Nevada Education Scholarship in Practice Webinar Series

Mentor the Next Generation

Share your experience and expertise as an alumni mentor to a current undergraduate student in any of our majors. Additionally, contact us if you are interested in supporting a pre-service teacher at your school.

Interest Form

Request Program Verification

Need to get verification of your degree for teaching outside Nevada? Submit the details of your request and upload any forms you need online and a member of our team will process it within 7-10 business days.

Program Verification Form

Speak to Our Students

Interested in being a guest speaker at one of our classes? Share your information and expertise and we'll share it with faculty looking to bring real-world experiences to our students.

Speaker Interest Form

Join UNLV as a Part-Time Instructor

Interested in expanding your professional influence to your alma mater? Become a Part-Time Instructor to share your wealth of expertise to future educators and mental health professionals.

Learn More

Join the Conversation on Social Media

Get the latest info by following the college and alumni chapter on your preferred platform.

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Alumni Chapter

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Sign up to receive periodic news updates and event announcements from the College of Education.

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Alumni News and Announcements

Alumni Spotlight: Charlie Merrill ‘22
Name: Charlie Merrill   Degree: ‘22 M.Ed. Special Education   Current Employer: Greenberg Traurig, LLP   What are you most proud of from your UNLV experience? Completing the program, teaching full-time and being in the program was stressful. I think being able to complete the courses and get decent grades just in of itself was an accomplishment for me. It was definitely a…
New Center to Help Students with Extensive Support Needs
The Nevada General Curriculum (NVGC) Access Center was approved this month by the NSHE Board of Regents.  The new center, led by Professor Joshua Baker, supports Nevada’s educators who serve students with extensive support needs to create access to the general curriculum across K-12 to adulthood. The work will impact the state’s coursework and classrooms related to…
 A World-Class Teacher
How Brian Kasper turned his teaching career into a global adventure “Teaching is one of the few jobs where you can just pick up your life and move it somewhere completely different,” Brian Kasper says.  And that’s just what this COE alum did: teaching in schools across the world, enduring unpaid salaries, starting a family, and gaining invaluable experience over 16 years. His journey is…

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College of Education Alumni in the News Center

Events

Class Notes

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Thomas Monk

Thomas Monk, ‘99 BS Secondary Education, is assistant principal at a middle school for Los Angeles Unified School District.  

Cristina Gutierrez

Cristina Gutierrez, ’25 BS Secondary Education, began her teaching career in January 2026 after being selected for a full-time secondary English position with Coral Academy following the completion of her student teaching at UNLV. While at the university, she served as a Global Ambassador and substitute teacher, experiences that helped strengthen her sense of community, adaptability, and cultural awareness. Gutierrez is passionate about teaching and enjoys reading, writing, and travel.  

Neil Woolf

Neil Woolf, ‘12 Ed.D. Higher Education Leadership, serves as president of New Mexico Highlands University. He also served as executive vice president at Southern Oregon University, associate vice president at Eastern Washington University, director of enrollment services at Nevada State University, and senior policy analyst for the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Vanessa Tu

Vanessa (Haroan) Tu, 17 BA Psychology and '18 M.Ed. Special Education, is the founder of Bright Minds, a California-based behavioral health agency with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and technicians serving children with autism. Since graduating from UNLV, she has co-founded two startup ventures, launched behavioral services within California public school districts, and published a workbook for parents of nonverbal children on the autism spectrum. Her work focuses on building scalable care models that bridge clinical and educational settings. Her husband, Cheng Yang Tu, ’20 DPT, is also a UNLV alumnus.

Rebels Forever!

Once you’ve been a Rebel, you’re always a Rebel! Check out UNLV’s Rebels Forever program to find out all the benefits and perks of being a UNLV Rebel Forever.