The Class of 2026 includes graduates from 34 states and U.S. territories and 62 countries. Of the graduates, 87% are Nevada residents, with 67% coming from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Nearly half of all students are the first in their family to earn a degree.

Valley students learned how to take care of their bodies and minds while having some fun Friday. The Raiders and the UNLV School of Public Health hosted a flag football camp at the team’s headquarters in Henderson. It’s part of the RUSH program, or Raiders-UNLV Sports and Public Health. Two hundred students from three valley middle schools took part, learning about nutrition, mental health and physical health while also doing flag football drills.

This summer, don’t be alarmed if mosquitoes decide to ruin your summer cookout. Depending on where you live, you might see a significant spike in mosquito activity in the months ahead.

The next time you head to the grocery store, take a closer look at how many prepackaged foods end up in your cart. Many of these items contain more sugar than you might expect— even those labeled as having natural sugars. Manufacturers frequently add sugar to extend shelf life and to help prevent bacteria or mold from developing. Sugar also plays a role in improving "mouthfeel," giving low-fat products a richer, more satisfying texture, according to Manoj Sharma, a professor and public health physician.

The research was conducted by Dr. Ying Guo, a 2026 UNLV Community‑Based Research Award recipient, whose work focuses on strengthening support systems for children and families in Clark County. Guo partnered with Boys Town Nevada to examine how social-skill based, collaborative interventions can prevent chronic absenteeism and behavioral challenges while keeping students engaged in school.

A recent article published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology has concluded that sleep-aligned extended overnight fasting improves nighttime and daytime cardiometabolic function. The results support that if at least 3 hours before sleep nothing is eaten, then heart health, blood pressure, and the way food is processed, including glucose regulation, are improved.

Manoj Sharma, a tenured professor of social and behavioral health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told The Epoch Times that a constantly busy schedule keeps the brain in a state of high alert, resulting in rapid beta waves visible on an electroencephalogram (EEG). This chronic overactivation depletes energy, leading to stress, burnout, mental fatigue, poor sleep, decreased work efficiency, and emotional neglect.

Both UNLV and Nevada State have already done so. UNLV became a smoke-free campus Aug. 15, 2022, banning all forms of tobacco and any nicotine delivery device that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for cessation.

Manoj Sharma, a professor of social and behavioral health and internal medicine, answers queries on understanding and coping with early-stage glaucoma.

According to a report by the Nevada Institute For Children's Research and Policy, at UNLV, about 10.3% of high school students in the county who took a survey last year said that they tried electronic vapes for the first time before the age of 13.

Manvinder, a 62-year-old college professor from Minnesota, went for a routine eye examination. His ophthalmologist told him that he had high intraocular pressure in his left eye and would need laser treatment. As a diabetic, he was worried about this diagnosis and approached us for advice.

A recent report gave Clark County a failing grade for air quality, but that report even confuses county officials who pay attention to daily pollution levels in the valley. The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air 2026” report indicates the valley ranked 11th out of 226 metro areas for the worst high ozone days. The valley also ranked high in measures for particulates.