view of UNLV building with city in background

2020 Community Engagement Awards

The university recognizes faculty and student for their work to improve the wellbeing of Southern Nevadans.

The office of community engagement has announced the four recipients of UNLV’s 2020 Community Engagement Awards, which honor faculty, staff, and student commitment to community demonstrated in the areas of service-learning, community-based research, outreach, and student service.

 The 2020 award recipients are:

  • Elena Gandía García, an associate professor of Spanish who received the Service-Learning Award for helping advanced Spanish students gain real-world experience assisting with medical and legal interpretation. Read the full story.
  • Szu-Ping Lee, an associate professor of physical therapy, who received the Community-Based Research Award for studying ways to improve functioning of older adults with limb loss. Read the full story.  
  • Deborah Arteaga, a linguistics professor who won the Faculty/Staff Community Outreach Award for her work developing a training video to help interpreters and volunteers meet the needs of Spanish-speaking medical patients. Read the full story.
  • Francisco Valenzuela, an undergraduate in the School of Life Sciences, who received the Student Service Award for organizing a collection drive to provide thousands of pairs of socks and underwear for Shade Tree, a shelter for homeless and abused women and children in crisis. 

“This is our fourth year honoring the diverse and meaningful ways UNLV faculty, staff, and students engage in our community,” said Sue DiBella, interim executive director of the office of community engagement. “The applications we received for this year’s awards represent exceptional partnerships and collaborations between UNLV and the Southern Nevada community. We are delighted to recognize these projects, which represent true commitment to partnership.”

Two selection committees reviewed a combined total of 22 applications for awards in the four categories. Recipients of the service-learning and community-based research awards each will receive $2,000. The recipient of the faculty/staff community outreach award will receive $1,500, and the student service award recipient will receive $1,000.

The following individuals received honorable mentions in each category:

  • Service-Learning Award Honorable Mentions: Valerie Taylor, interdisciplinary, gender, and ethnic Studies; Nathan Slife, department of educational psychology and higher education; and Diane Villa, department of psychology
  • Community-Based Research Award Honorable Mention: Dr. Richard Baynosa, School of Medicine
  • Faculty/Staff Community Outreach Award Honorable Mentions: Alisha Kerlin, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art; and Rebecca Nathanson, educational psychology and higher education and William S. Boyd School of Law
  • Student Service Award Honorable Mentions: Elizabeth Groesbeck, graduate student, School of Medicine; and Daynee Rosales, graduate student, department of English.

“Each of this year’s applications represented amazing examples of community engagement,” DiBella said. “All of the applicants deserve our applause and appreciation for their stellar efforts to connect our campus with our greater community.”

In This Series

Answering a Call for Help from a Pediatric Clinic
portrait of woman
People | May 28, 2020

Professor Elena Gandía García created a service-learning class to address the need for medical interpretation services for the Lied Pediatric Clinic and served as a mentor to colleagues.

Dedicated to Improving Quality of Life for Individuals with Limb Loss
portrait of man
Research | May 28, 2020

Physical therapy professor Szu-Ping Lee relies on patients – particularly veterans and seniors – as well as clinicians to help guide his research on ways to improve mobility after limb loss.

Supplies for Women and Children Fleeing Violence
man surrounded by boxes of supplies
Campus News | May 28, 2020

Undergraduate Francisco Valenzuela spearheaded drives that resulted in the donation of more than 7,500 pairs of socks and underwear to The Shade Tree.

Topics:

awards, community partnerships

Campus Units:

Graduate College,  School of Integrated Health Sciences,  College of Liberal Arts,  School of Life Sciences,  Department of Physical Therapy,  College of Sciences,  Department of World Languages and Cultures,  Office of Community Engagement,  Office of Government & Community Engagement

Related News:

Answering a Call for Help from a Pediatric Clinic, Dedicated to Improving Quality of Life for Individuals with Limb Loss, Passionate About Helping Patients Overcome Language Barriers, Supplies for Women and Children Fleeing Violence

You Might Also Like

Building the Future of Business at UNLV
rendering of new business building
Business and Community | April 8, 2026

UNLV plans a new Lee Business School building to strengthen the region’s workforce, expand industry partnerships, and support Southern Nevada’s growing economy.