The past year has been one for the record books at UNLV. 

Enrollment hit an all-time high in the fall. More students than ever are earning a degree — and at a faster pace than at any point in the university’s history. And research spending reached a new annual milestone, shattering a previous record set just the year before. 

In a relatively short span – a shade under 70 years – UNLV has grown from a dusty outpost on the edge of town into a top-tier research university and a powerful engine of talent, innovation, and opportunity.  

But UNLV’s success didn’t happen alone, and it didn’t happen overnight, interim President Chris Heavey told the audience during his 2026 State of the University address, his first as president. Innovation is incremental, reminiscent of scaffolding, and has been shaped by countless people who shared a vision for what the university could become. 

“UNLV is a university built by this community and for this community,” Heavey said, as he recognized a number of past and current UNLV leaders gathered in attendance. “I feel the weight of leadership to ensure that we continue to steward the progress of this incredible institution.” 

In front of hundreds of faculty and staff, business leaders and elected officials inside UNLV Strip View Pavilion and even more watching online – and with the backdrop of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip –  President Heavey spoke of UNLV’s incredible momentum and outlined his vision for the future. 

Standing on the Shoulders of Innovation

Leaning into the concept of scaffolding, Heavey traced the path of human history and how knowledge has evolved over time through the creation of systems and infrastructure. Organizations, he said, fuel human progress by building on previous discoveries – sometimes slowly and at other points at a rapid pace. He referred to a famous quote from Sir Isaac Newton, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” 

Universities like UNLV are great examples of this, Heavey said. Since research universities are intentionally designed to advance knowledge through innovation and teaching, and to uplift the communities they serve, they are the most important accelerators of human potential on the planet, the president explained.

“Universities bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every topic imaginable to educate the next generation and drive further innovations so that the world that comes after us is better because of the intentional work we do today and every day,” Heavey said . 

UNLV’s Growth Story

Heavey traced UNLV’s growth alongside the rise in Nevada’s population, praising the foresight of Southern Nevadans in the mid-1950s who saw the potential of the community and the promise of a university created to serve it. 

Through a series of images, he traced UNLV’s enrollment – from just 498 in 1957 to nearly 10,000 in 1980 and now approximately 34,000 supporting a regional population of more than 2.4 million. 

“The most powerful thing in the world is a group of people working together collectively toward a similar purpose. And that’s absolutely the case here at UNLV,” said Heavey. “UNLV is one of the most special places in the world because it exists fully for the purpose of empowering human progress. 

“We change more lives than many [other institutions] because we operate at scale and educate students who wouldn’t get a college education – let alone an R1 education – were it not for UNLV.” 

Universities are complex places, Heavey said, and continued progress at UNLV requires everyone at every level to do their part to fulfill its mission. 

“I want to recognize all of the people – from faculty and administrative staff to classified and students – who contribute to the scaffolding of our university and make our progress possible,” said Heavey. “Our biggest asset is our people … and what we’re doing here at UNLV is truly amazing.” 

Building the UNLV Brand

Within the past 18 months, UNLV’s status as one of the nation’s top research universities was re-affirmed by the Carnegie Foundation, and in January the university retained the organization’s classification for community engagement – distinctions that only 2% of U.S. universities can claim. 

“Our research profile is continuing to grow, and I believe we’ll always remain an R1 institution,” Heavey said. “From innovation to community engagement, we are absolutely serving this community every day.” 

Increasing UNLV’s brand moves beyond metrics, Heavey said, and requires constant reinvention in both programming and within the physical campus. 

Since 2021, UNLV has added 17 new workforce-aligned degree programs, ranging from bachelor’s programs in cybersecurity and insurance/risk management to a new graduate track that will address a critical shortage of registered nurse anesthetists. The president also detailed plans to build new mental health-focused degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level that are being made possible by state and local support.

“We’re creating a new bachelor’s prepared profession to work with youth with mental health needs in a preventative and supportive way,” Heavey said. “We’re proud to partner with the University of Nevada, Reno and Great Basin College on parallel programs so we’re able to serve the entire state.” 

Heavey outlined the progress of several campus construction projects, including the UNLV Healing Garden and December 6 Memorial and renovation of the Cohen Theatre inside the Student Union. Expansion of the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Education Center is now underway, and will allow for more children to have access to high-quality services. And the new Brussels Parking Garage, on the east side of the main campus, will break ground later this month. 

The president then spoke of the largest capital project in progress at UNLV — a new building for the Lee Business School, which is the university’s largest academic unit and one of its fastest growing. The new building will serve as a highly visible gateway to campus and advance teaching, research, and community connections. 

The state has already committed nearly $75 million toward construction of the 130,000-square-foot facility, and fundraising efforts are fully underway to ensure groundbreaking can begin within the next 18 months. 

“This is a record state investment in a building on our campus … and it will be a spectacular monument to education here on Maryland Parkway,” Heavey said. “We are financially strong, and we are prepared to move forward. That building will absolutely get built and we could not be more excited about it.” 

Expanding UNLV’s Reach

For years, the focus has been on bringing the community to UNLV. And while that’s still important, President Heavey shared that to have the greatest impact, we need to bring UNLV to the community — and beyond. 

He spoke of efforts to explore the potential for a biotech innovation hub in the Las Vegas Medical District and  a UNLV presence at Civic Plaza in downtown Las Vegas. He also detailed the university’s engagement with Intermountain Health on the region’s first standalone children’s hospital, to be located at UNLV’s Harry Reid Research & Technology Park. Also in development is a partnership with Clark County on the Lake Mead Microbusiness Park in the city’s Historic Westside. 

He then turned his attention outside of Nevada, and beyond the U.S., as a map-based flyover display moved from Southern Nevada to Asia. 

“If we’re talking about building bridges, we need to think about building bridges around the world,” Heavey said.

He spoke of feasibility studies now underway for UNLV global branch campuses in Incheon, South Korea and Hainan, China — both of which would build on UNLV’s strength in hospitality education.

“We’re world leaders in training professionals to work in and lead integrated resorts, and there’s great interest in our hospitality programs and perhaps other programs as well,” he said. 

AI is Here to Stay

Few things have disrupted working, learning, and teaching  more than artificial intelligence (AI). Instead of approaching the unknown with trepidation, Heavey said that UNLV is embracing AI to strengthen services and operations universitywide, while keeping human judgment and ethics at the forefront. 

Last fall, UNLV launched the Rebel AI Initiative to prepare students and employees to succeed in an AI-focused world. This includes coursework for students and training for faculty and staff, and sharing our knowledge with businesses throughout the region. 

The president said that thriving in this moment of change will also require a reframing of teaching to a more relational model that moves beyond the typical lecture format. And, he said, with AI becoming more prominent, the focus for teaching at UNLV will be on building skills rather than simply sharing knowledge. 

“We need to find ways to confront the AI-related challenges that are ubiquitous in higher education,” Heavey said. “We are giving faculty the opportunity to retrain and rethink how they’re teaching to meet this moment. They’re learning about how AI impacts their work and how it can be used to empower their work.” 

Focused on the Future

Heavey said that converging forces — from the anticipated demographic cliff to financial pressures, artificial intelligence, and questions about return on investment — are disrupting the norm and shaping both the present and future of higher education. 

“This is a really unique moment in the higher education landscape with all of the forces that are coming into play that change what we do,” Heavey said. “We need to be realistic about what’s coming down the pike … what worked 10 years ago isn’t going to cut it moving forward.” 

To be successful and to continue the momentum UNLV has experienced in recent years, faculty and staff need to remain nimble and ensure that operations both align clearly with workforce demands and are responsive to evolving student needs. 

In addition to a number of new traditional degree programs, UNLV has launched 46 fully online degrees over the past few years and now offers more than 800 unique courses online each semester. And for those looking to upskill more quickly, 45 new credit-bearing microcredentials have been added, providing flexible and stackable options for professionals starting or shifting their careers. 

As he closed his hourlong address, Heavey said it’s a great time to be at UNLV. He thanked faculty, staff, and supporters for making UNLV what it is today and for their partnership in creating its future. 

“UNLV is here for this community and we will meet this moment,” Heavey said. “We are doing incredible things on this campus … and we’re excited to move forward into the 21st century as a beacon of light in this community, one that empowers human ability and makes it a better place.” 

Watch the full speech: 2026 UNLV State of the University Address