Katie Cannata (Journalism and Media Studies), Lee Hanover (History), Bella Victoria Smith (Interdisciplinary Studies), and Manuela Bowles (English) recently received the Lance and Elena Calvert Undergraduate Research Award. Given by UNLV's University Libraries, the award recognizes original research and sophisticated critical thinking skills…

Leroy Pelton (Social Work) wrote an article, "The Continuing Role of Material Factors in Child Maltreatment and Placement," that was published in the March issue of Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal. It is a 20-year follow-up to the paper he was commissioned to write for the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect in the…

Miliaikeala Heen (Graduate College) is the recipient of the Outstanding Thesis Award for her thesis, "Putting The Microscope On Crime Labs: The Effects of Evidence Complexity And Laboratory Type On Jurors' Perceptions Of Forensic Evidence." She is pursuing a master of arts degree in criminal justice.

UNLV Collegiate DECA Members recently received several awards at the Utah Collegiate DECA's annual Fall Leadership Conference (FLC). Collegiate DECA is a career and technical student organization formerly known as the Distributive Education Clubs of America. Among those receiving awards at the FLC were: Daniel Dinev (Accounting/Global…

Erika Engstrom (Communication Studies) presented "'Let Us Plan Your Happily Ever After': Disney's Princess Brides in the Wedding Utopia" at the Midwest Popular and American Culture Association's annual conference in Indianapolis. This research explores the implications of Disney's fairy tale weddings and the place of the "princess bride" in a post…

Vicky Albert (Social Work) was invited to present her co-authored paper with Ron Haskins (Brookings) on the "Responsiveness of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program during the Great Recession" at the London School of Economics in May 2015. She also will be presenting some of the empirical research she performed on her own in this…

Joseph Rhodes (Honors and Communication Studies), along with Nathan Crick (Texas A&M University), co-authored a lead essay in the journal Rhetoric Review. "Death and Eloquence" explores the relationship in Homer's Iliad between coming close to death and delivering eloquent speeches. Crick and Rhodes argue that only those Homeric heroes capable…

David Schwartz (Center for Gaming Research) and 10 graduates of the Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies or School of Communications won awards in this year's Nevada Press Association contest. Schwartz's awards came for his work in Vegas Seven magazine. He was recognized in the Best Local Column category for his bi-weekly "Green Felt…

Ted Greenhalgh (Environmental and Public Affairs) presented "When Hollywood Goes Green, Does It Matter?" at the Midwest Popular and American Culture Association annual conference in Indianapolis. The paper examines movie portrayals of environmental themes, including climate change and sustainability.  

Sanford I. Berman Debate Forum, UNLV's debate team, won accolades at its first debate tournament of the 2014-15 season. Four teams represented UNLV at the tournament hosted by the University of Missouri, Kansas City in September. A total of 114 teams from across the nation competed. Sara Beth Brooks and Dan Stanfield finished the preliminary…

Erika Engstrom (Communication Studies) is co-author of "Television, Religion, and 'Supernatural': Hunting Monsters, Findings Gods" (Lexington, 2014) with Joseph M. Valenzano III of the University of Dayton and formerly of UNLV. Their book examines the text of the CW network television series Supernatural, a program based in the horror genre that…

Erika Engstrom (Communication Studies) is co-author of 'Mad Men' and Working Women: Feminist Perspectives on Historical Power, Resistance, and Otherness (Peter Lang, New York). She and co-authors Tracy Lucht of Iowa State University, Jane Marcellus of Middle Tennessee State University, and Kimberly Wilmot Voss of the University of Central Florida…