Martha Watson, dean of UNLV's Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, recently received two honors acknowledging her leadership and achievements in the fields of communication and education.

Watson was recently elected second vice president of the National Communication Association (NCA), the country's largest professional association for communications scholars and practitioners.

In her role as second vice president, Watson will oversee the association's membership activities and participate in its executive governance. Following one year of service in that role she will become the first vice president, during which time she will be responsible for planning the NCA national conference. And in 2004 - the association's 90th anniversary - Watson will assume the role of NCA president.

The NCA is a non-profit organization of approximately 7,100 educators, practitioners, and students who work and reside in every state and more than 20 foreign countries. The purpose of the association is to promote study, criticism, research, teaching, and application of the artistic, humanistic, and scientific principles of communication.

Watson was also honored recently by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce with a Community Achievement Award for Education. The Community Achievement Awards are presented annually to honor exceptional individuals throughout Southern Nevada who have committed themselves to the pursuit of excellence in their professions and in service to the community.

Watson joined UNLV in 1997 to become founding dean of the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. During her tenure in this position, the Greenspun College has grown dramatically in both the number of majors and in overall enrollment. The college has also quadrupled its external grants and contracts.