Daniel C. Benyshek, emeritus professor of anthropology, died Feb. 11, after a long battle with brain cancer. His research on maternal and infant health and nutrition advanced understanding of the developmental origins of health and disease. He explored the biocultural factors influencing diabetes and the role that developmental environments play in metabolic health and often worked in partnership with Native American communities. He was an accomplished technical climber, ice climber, and mountaineer and also enjoyed skiing, cycling, and fly fishing. He is survived by his wife, Alyssa Crittenden, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the UNLV Graduate College, and daughter.
Evan Blythin, professor emeritus of communication studies, died Jan. 3, at age 82. He was an author, musician, artist, 50-year resident of Blue Diamond village, and an unabashed mischief-maker.
Vernon (Vern) Hodge, a chemistry professor, died Jan. 24, 2025. He joined the UNLV Environmental Research Center in 1982 and later the chemistry department in 1988. He was instrumental in forming the first graduate program in environmental analytical chemistry and helped develop UNLV’s radiochemistry program.
Stuart Mann, dean emeritus of the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, died March 12, 2025. Under his leadership from 1998 to 2010, the college’s Singapore campus and the PGA Golf Management concentration were established. He launched the Master of Hospitality Administration degree, one of the first online master’s programs at UNLV. Prior to UNLV, he served as director of Penn State’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management.
Anthony Paculan, ‘24 Journalism and Media Studies, died Dec. 15, 2024, at age 28. At UNLV, Paculan was vice president for the Public Relations Society of America, a contributor to the Urban Adventure program, a volunteer for Rebel Media Group, and staff writer for the Scarlet and Gray. He was the assistant director of communications for the UNLV College of Engineering and district runner up of the National Student Advertising Competition.
Margaret (Peg) Rees, professor emerita of geology, died Feb. 5, 2025. In her 32 years at UNLV, Rees served as department chair, vice provost for Educational Outreach, senior vice provost, associate vice president for research and community outreach, vice provost for faculty excellence, and associate provost for academic budget, facilities, and personnel. As executive director of UNLV’s Public Lands Institute, she worked with federal, state, and nonprofit leaders to develop land management solutions. She was a specialist in carbonate sedimentology and produed seminal studies on the early Paleozoic strata of western North America and Antarctica. She was awarded the U.S. Congressional Polar Medal for Scientific Service in Antarctica in 1985 and a mountain in Victoria Land, Antarctica, was named after her: Mt. Rees. She donated her collection of 4,000 pounds of rocks to the U.S. Polar Rock Repository at Ohio State University. Rees was a fellow of the Geological Society of America, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Sonoma State University, and received the Erasmus Haworth Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Kansas.
Lyle Rivera, former general counsel and founding vice president of the UNLV Foundation, died Jan. 25. He was 82. Prior to UNLV, Rivera served in the Clark County district attorney’s office and as Nevada's Chief Deputy Attorney General after earning his law degree at the University of Utah. He married Mary Ann “Timbuck” Rivera in 1967. He joined UNLV in 1979 as chief development officer and assistant general counsel for the statewide university system. In 1981, he was elected to oversee fundraising through the university’s new Foundation, which he led as UNLV's vice president for development and university relations until 1995. He went on to fundraise for and help establish the William S. Boyd School of Law. He was also instrumental in bringing Jerry Tarkanian to UNLV’s basketball program and the Nationals Finals Rodeo to Las Vegas.
Rian Satterwhite, director of Service Learning Leadership, died Feb. 12, 2025 at age 43. Since 2017, Satterwhite helped to advance leadership development and community service, civic learning and democratic engagement initiatives, helped establish programs to help students with basic needs, and played a central role in sustaining the institution's Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. He was involved in industry organizations; published 14 publications in the past year; co-edited the 2018 book, Innovation in Environmental Leadership: Critical Perspectives; and authored Sustainability Leadership. Prior to UNLV, he held positions at University of Oregon, Kennesaw State University, University of Wollongong, and University of Arizona.
