Nearly 20 years ago, economic development officials in Nevada wondered what the state could do to attract employers in the fast-growing biotechnology sector. Industry officials told them flat-out that Nevada simply didn’t have the skilled professional workforce to support biotechnology companies.

Robert E. Lang, a UNLV professor who is credited with helping Las Vegas recover from the Great Recession and diversify its economy, died Monday of cancer complications. He was 62 years old.

Robert E. Lang, a UNLV professor credited with helping Las Vegas recover from the Great Recession and diversify its economy, died Monday of complications from cancer. He was 62.

Renowned UNLV professor Dr. Robert Lang has passed away.

Dr. Robert Lang, executive director of UNLV’s Brookings Mountain West and The Lincy Institute, has passed away at 62. University President Keith Whitfield confirmed the loss, saying it came after a battle with a “lengthy illness.”

Dr. Robert Lang, a professor of public policy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and executive director of the school's Brookings Mountain West and The Lincy Institute, died Monday at age 62.

UNLV announced Thursday it has hired Edmund “Ed” Synakowski as the new vice president of research.

UNLV is no longer requiring masks on campus for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The university says the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest mask guidelines.