Meet four recipients of UNLV’s most prestigious graduate fellowships and learn about their research and their gratitude for the funding that made it possible.

Social work professor and Lincy Institute Scholar Ramona Denby-Brinson uses research as a tool to help children who have entered the child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice systems.

UNLV communication studies professor Erika Engstrom dissects the images and messages about weddings created by the media and how they affect our perceptions of what “the big day” should look like.

English professor Donald Revell showcases his passion for playful words in his newly published collection of poems.

Rainier Spencer, Afro-American studies professor and associate vice provost for academic affairs, writes about the concept and perception of race, how it affects social dynamics, and theories on how to move toward a post-racial society.

UNLV history professor Michelle Tusan explores the influence of geopolitics in the formation of the modern-day Middle East and the sectarian and humanitarian conflicts that have resulted from western intervention.

Talent and hard work helped Team UNLV earn their top-in-the-nation ranking in the Solar Decathlon 2013. But research is the next priority for several team members after the award-winning home is relocated to the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.

UNLV President Dr. Neal J. Smatresk and Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development Dr. Thomas Piechota welcome UNLV Innovation readers to the Winter 2013 issue.