UNLV has been my home for more than three decades. I arrived in 1992, seeking to make a mark in my discipline of clinical psychology and sporting a full head of hair. While the hair didn’t last very long, what I’ve gained since then — community, purpose, and an abiding love for this institution — has far outpaced anything I imagined when I first walked through our doors.

I’ve had the privilege of serving in many leadership roles, and each has deepened my appreciation for the complexity and significance of our work. I’ve come to understand how UNLV operates, how its budget works, and, most importantly, just how much it matters in the lives of our students, our alumni, and the broader community we serve.

For my family, Las Vegas is where we’ve built a life connected to our community. My wife, Nancy, a proud Rebel alumna who earned a master’s degree from UNLV, recently retired after 32 years with the Clark County School District, including 18 as principal of Nate Mack Elementary School. We raised our two sons here and have built lasting connections through neighborhood, school, and community initiatives. I’ve served as a homeowners association president, Nevada psychology board president, and as a Boy Scout troop leader, which was one of my most challenging but rewarding leadership roles. Such experiences grounded me and helped me understand how important leadership is to the health and vitality of any organization.  And I’ve seen time and time again how much this university means to the people it serves.

My job is to create the conditions for others to succeed, most especially our students. I take that responsibility seriously and will work hard each day to help us keep moving forward with purpose and momentum in everything we do.

I’ve always believed that every operational gain we achieve should be reinvested in our students and academic programs. As chief academic officer, whenever I found a vacancy through administrative efficiency, I used it to hire faculty or staff who work directly with students. That approach will continue. I believe that to fulfill our mission, we must keep investing in student success, which includes hiring more teaching-oriented faculty who can deliver high-quality instruction.

I also have championed an operational excellence initiative to modernize our systems and improve our processes. I plan to build on that work as president, helping set high expectations for how we operate across all parts of the university. Campus safety and security will remain a top priority. I’m committed to being proactive about enhancing our safety-related practices, systems, and communication across all areas.

In spite of current headwinds within higher education, we will remain focused on growing our research enterprise as a Carnegie R1 institution. This work is aimed squarely at improving lives and bringing innovation to our region. We’ll leverage our commitment to our mission and the strengths of our community to recruit top researchers to UNLV, and we’ll keep developing the support mechanisms they need to succeed.

In the coming months, I want to hear from you — our alumni, donors, and community members — about what you hope to see in the next phase of UNLV’s growth. From what I’ve already heard, it’s clear that this is a time to reflect deeply on who we are as an institution, what we stand for, and what we should prioritize in the years ahead. We will use this input to identify new opportunities for community collaboration and perhaps even refine our strategic plan. One thing I know with certainty is that our university is defined by the strength of our people and the richness that comes from our diversity. That will always be one of our greatest assets.

Thank you for all the ways you make our university what it is today. I look forward to working with you to grow our impact and shape the next great chapter in UNLV’s story.

Chris Heavey
Interim President

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