Donations Rebel Up

UNLV Athletics announced that Boyd Gaming Corp. and the Boyd family have committed a combined $6.5 million for the construction of the Boyd Multi-Use Indoor Practice Facility.

“What is particularly exciting for our family and our company is that this state-of-the-art practice facility will touch almost every program across UNLV Athletics, benefitting both men’s and women’s sports alike,” said Marianne Johnson, executive chairman of Boyd Gaming.

Boyd Gaming’s prior $5 million donations have supported renovations to the Lied Athletic Complex, scholarships, and the softball team. The family has contributed more than $30 million over the years to establish and support the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV.

The latest gift is part of UNLV Athletics’ Rebel Up campaign. The $150 million campaign is aimed at providing funding for new facilities, elevating current facilities, and building a stronger endowment program. The campaign also recently received $1 million from the Las Vegas Raiders Foundation.

More reasons to cheer:

• The Lady Rebels won the Mountain West Conference basketball championship. That’s now three in a row for coach Lindy La Rocque.
• The Skatin’ Rebels club team took second place in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I championship.
• Track & field alumni Kaysha Love and Azaria Hill paired up for the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Foundation World Championships. At fourth, they were the highest placing U.S. team.
• Linebacker Jackson Woodard became the first UNLV football player named first-team Academic All-America. The semester GPA for all UNLV student-athletes hit an all-time high of 3.35 in the fall.

Artful Economic Revitalization

Born-and-raised Las Vegans may remember the day when Commercial Center was the place to see-and-be-seen. Now thanks to a partnership between the College of Fine Arts and Clark County, the outdoor mall off East Sahara Avenue is jamming once again.

The Arts in the Center partnership is expanding the college’s reach into the community through free public arts programming. It also provides a catalyst for the creation of daring new interdisciplinary works and performance innovation, associate dean Warren Cobb said.

“We have so many talented students in our programs,” Cobb said. “This initiative is a wonderful way to provide them with an opportunity to unleash their creativity, knowing that their creations will be experienced not only by their peers but also by the wider community.”

Policy Insights for a Budding Industry

Southern Nevada is an emerging center for the cannabis industry with roughly $1 billion in annual legal cannabis sales and new lounges slated to open this year. Add to that the potential intersection between gaming and cannabis, and Nevada is in a position to lead cannabis policy discussions relevant to state and federal cannabis policy and regulation across the country.

UNLV established the Cannabis Policy Institute to address the policy implications and support research opportunities connected to this fast-growing and highly watched industry.

Leading the institute is alumna Riana Durrett, ’05 BA Political Science, ’08 JD, and ’23 LLM. She also teaches at the law school and is vice chair on the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board. The institute brings an interdisciplinary group of faculty together with cannabis industry and government leaders.

“UNLV is the right place to foster an understanding of the complex issues surrounding cannabis legalization,” she said. “UNLV is poised not only to be a leader on cannabis policy and research in Nevada, but its voice and contributions are in high demand. There's a place for UNLV in the national conversations as the industry adapts to ever-changing federal and state landscapes."

A Smart Risk for Career Seekers

Backed by a $5 million gift from the Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation, the Lee Business School launched the Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management.

The center’s initiatives include launching a specialized degree in insurance management and collaborating with businesses and regulatory agencies to create internships, externships, and mentorship programs for students. The center also will host seminars, workshops, and conferences with industry experts and policymakers.

“The demand for qualified professionals to bolster the industry has never been greater, and the profession is well-positioned to meet the personal and professional goals of new college graduates, who increasingly seek flexible work arrangements and work-life balance,” said professor Chris Utterback, who is leading the center. A 40-year industry veteran, he already helped establish UNLV’s academic minor in risk management and insurance.

He noted that UNLV’s highly diverse student body will help feed the industry’s pipeline with new professionals. Half of the insurance workforce is projected to retire in the next 15 years, leaving more than 400,000 professional-level positions unfilled, according to federal statistics. Less than 25% of the workforce identifies as part of a racial or ethnic minority.

The center is named for Thomas F. Kerestesi, who began his career in California before returning to Las Vegas to work with his father, Frank, at Cragin & Pike, the oldest insurance agency in Nevada.