The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents today unanimously selected Dr. David B. Ashley as the next president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Ashley, who is currently executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of California, Merced, is slated to assume the UNLV presidency on July 1. He will receive an annual salary of $400,000, with $230,000 supplied by the university and $170,000 provided by the UNLV Foundation. In addition, Ashley's four-year contract will provide him with the standard annual perquisites of an $18,000 housing allowance, $8,000 car allowance and a $5,000 host account. He will also receive tenure upon hire.

"These are definitely exciting times for UNLV and the Nevada System of Higher Education," said Bret Whipple, chair of the Nevada Board of Regents. "Dr. Ashley's outstanding academic and research experience from his years at Berkeley and Ohio State University give him an unparalleled level of experience and will help take UNLV to the next level."

Prior to serving as provost of the University of California, Merced, Ashley was the dean of the College of Engineering at Ohio State University from 1997 to 2001, and was a professor of civil engineering at the University of California at Berkeley from 1989 until 1997.

He earned both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also holds a Master of Science in engineering-economy systems from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in civil engineering (construction and engineering management) from Stanford University.