Science, technology, engineering and math.

They’re not exactly words that inspire raucous excitement, but with a shortage of qualified workers in Southern Nevada frustrating attempts to attract and grow high-tech businesses, many community leaders aren’t talking about much else.

This week it was UNLV’s turn with their annual STEM Summit. Around 250 people from the university and beyond gathered Monday and Tuesday to discuss this year’s question: “What does the valley need?”

In UNLV vice provost and summit organizer Carl Reiber's take, these were the issues panelists considered most important:

PHOENIX — A report painted a bright economic picture for both the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

Brookings Mountain West and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas looked at 10 major metro areas of the Mountain West, which, as a group, outperformed the national economy during the third quarter of 2014.

The old saying goes - How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice. For Anthony LaBounty, it took years of practice and hard work before having his original composition performed at the Mecca for classical music in New York City.

Phoenix topped a list of major metropolitan areas across the U.S. Mountain West for regional job growth in the third quarter of 2014.

The metro area's 1.1 percent gain was more than double the national average – but about half the normal post-recession rate – which was good enough to place it atop the Brookings Mountain West Monitor, an economic review published with University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Improvements to the delivery of health care are being driven by a new group of critics, some with no medical training and very limited experience.