Nine students, including a mother of two who after years of working as a dental hygienist received her dental degree and became class valedictorian, are being honored as spring 2012 Outstanding Graduates.

The power duo got their start of UNLV, but didn't discover the important role it plays in the community until after graduation.

Designed to encourage faculty collaboration and acquisition of external grant funding, the President’s Research Award has also sparked intriguing research projects on subjects ranging from nanotechnology to volcanoes.