In this episode of the Workforce Connections Podcast, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) President Dr. Chris Heavey shares his inspiring journey from Chicago to Las Vegas and how he’s leading the charge to align higher education with Southern Nevada’s workforce needs. From groundbreaking programs in cybersecurity and healthcare to innovations that turn desert air into water, Dr. Heavey highlights how UNLV is driving the region’s growth and opportunity.

Higher education isn’t known for speed, but Chris Heavey wants to change that. As Interim President of UNLV, he’s leading a university that’s learning to move faster, think bigger, and grow alongside the community it serves. In this episode of Home Means, Heather Brown talks with Heavey about what it means to lead during transformation — from building new programs in medicine, engineering, and cybersecurity, to reshaping education around real-world skills. He shares how UNLV is breaking the “slow university” stereotype by staying experimental, entrepreneurial, and deeply connected to Nevada’s needs. Heavey also calls out one uncomfortable truth: family income still predicts college success more than test scores. His answer? Give every student the chance to succeed through practical experience, internships, and meaningful learning that prepares them for what’s next.

The reorganization efforts will focus on “advancing campus-wide initiatives to build a climate of engagement and collaboration among all campus groups and members of the university community,” Heavey said.

The university launched the innovative center Monday on the second floor of the library. It represents the first of many programs being woven into campus life as part of a yearslong initiative to establish UNLV as a leader in immersive learning.

UNLV student activists and groups from across the political spectrum express sadness and outrage over the murder of activist Charlie Kirk. UNLV’s Interim President Chris Heavey released the following statement.

Some 30,000 students started classes this Monday, August 25.

UNLV’s fall semester started Monday by welcoming more than 33,000 students back to campus.

Monday, UNLV will welcome more than 8,000 new students — and a record 33,000-plus overall — to what I often describe as the greatest accelerator of human potential ever developed: an access-oriented, urban-serving Carnegie R1 research university.