The UNLV Alumni Association will recognize the recipients of its 2002 awards during the Homecoming dinner on Oct. 11 at the Richard Tam Alumni Center. In addition to recognizing nine outstanding graduates, the association will bestow its highest awards on the Barbara Greenspun family and local attorney Thomas Brooker.
The Greenspun family is receiving the Silver State Award, the highest honor the association gives to non-alumni supporters of the university.
The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs and the Hank Greenspun School of Communication are just two examples of the family's commitment to UNLV and to the principle of high-quality education. The School of Communication is named after Hank Greenspun, a celebrated Nevadan who, throughout his long career, was a leading public advocate and the founder of the Las Vegas Sun.
The family most recently pledged to give UNLV 40 percent of the cost to build a new facility to house the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. By current estimates, the proposed building will cost approximately $24.3 million, bringing the family's pledge to $9.7 million. UNLV is asking the Nevada Legislature to fund the balance during the 2003 legislative session.
"When we started the Hank Greenspun School of Communication, and then expanded our commitment with the opening of the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, it was only a matter of time before the various pieces of the college needed a place to come together," said Barbara Greenspun, publisher of the Sun.
In addition, the Greenspun family has sought to enhance the intellectual life of the community through the Barbara Greenspun Lecture Series, which has brought distinguished speakers to campus, including former President Bill Clinton. The family has also contributed generously to student scholarships.
Brooker, who graduated in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in accounting, has been named this year's Alumnus of the Year. A shareholder in the Las Vegas office of Kafoury, Armstrong & Co., he specializes in gaming, Securities and Exchange Commission compliance and registration, government accounting, and non-profit organization law. He is a certified public accountant in Nevada and California. Brooker has served numerous community organizations, including Special Olympics, Secret Witness, and Las Vegas Rotary Club.
He has been a member of the Alumni Association's board for 10 years and is currently director of the College of Business alumni board. He previously served the UNLV Alumni Association as president and was instrumental in the development and construction of the Richard Tam Alumni Center.
The Alumni of the Year awards, presented annually since 1991, recognize UNLV graduates who have made a significant impact on their professional fields and who have committed their time in service to their colleges following graduation. The 2002 recipients include the following:
* College of Business: Bruce Layne, '69 BS Economics, administrative director for Brown & Brown Insurance of Nevada.
* College of Education: Christy J. Falba, '89 BS Elementary Instruction, director of elementary literacy and instructional technology with the Clark County School District.
* Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering: Doug Seastrand, '88 BS Computer Science, vice president of research and development and vice president of software development for eRoom System Technologies, Inc. He is also chair of the Board of Regents for the University and Community College System of Nevada.
* College of Fine Arts: John Assalone, '86 BA Theatre Arts, a seminarian with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas.
* College of Health Sciences: Lori Estes, '95 BS Kinesiology, a clinical assistant professor in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown University.
* Honors College: Stefanie Shields, '89 BA English, an attorney with the law firm of Haney, Woloson & Mullins.
* William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration: William Hornbuckle, '84 BS Hotel Management, president and chief operating officer for MGM MIRAGE Online.
* College of Liberal Arts: Bill Terry, '69 BA History, an attorney in the private practice of William B. Terry Chartered.
* College of Urban Affairs: Anthony Zuiker, '91 BA Communication Studies, creator and executive producer of the television shows "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "CSI: Miami."
