Kristine Jan Cruz Espinoza, '24 Ph.D. Higher Education and '22 Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation and Assessment, is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education at California Lutheran University. A peer-reviewed she co-authored with colleagues titled, "Oceania in the Desert: A QuantCrit Analysis of the (Under)Counting of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Students at an AANAPISI-HSI," was chosen as the 2025 Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Charles F. Elton Best Paper and was recognized on the AIR website and with recognition at the upcoming 2025 AIR Forum in May in Orlando, Florida.

Karen Hawkes, Esq., '96 BA Political Science, is the Founder of Hawkes Law, A.P.L.C., an intellectual property and business law firm specializing in trademark and copyright in San Diego, California. She launched her firm in 2014. Previously, Hawkes was a trademark and copyright litigator in a firm for over a decade. She also serves as director and law professor of the California Western School of Law Trademark Clinic, where she teaches students to become practitioners and represents pro bono clients nationwide before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C.

George Polyard, '16 Hotel Administration, was promoted to chief operating officer at ComOps, a leading provider of strategy and operational support for the hospitality and gaming industries. Polyard has expertise in the gaming and hospitality sectors, and has been instrumental in driving operational improvements across ComOps’ portfolio of more than 50 casinos and hotels. His approach to integrating guest and employee feedback has led to significant enhancements in customer satisfaction, workforce engagement, and overall business performance. He's led numerous successful omnichannel CX implementations, including for a 3,600-room luxury integrated resort and the seamless migration from a legacy platform for a 16-property international luxury hotel brand. Polyard and his wife, also a UNLV grad, have two children and proudly live in Las Vegas, where they've persuaded both pairs of parents to retire.

Yolanda Tuttle, '07 BS Hotel Administration, returned to Las Vegas to join the Suiteness.com team as a concierge. She is excited to get reacquainted with Sin City and her Sigma Kappa sisters!

Johnny Dominguez, '13 BA Political Science and '18 M.Ed Higher Education, was recently appointed executive director of Improve Your Tomorrow for the Nevada region, a national nonprofit focused on increasing college access, persistence, and completion for young men of color through mentorship, academic support, and college-to-career programming. He continues to focus his career on educational equity and empowering first-generation students. Dominguez is excited to return to statewide impact work through his role at Improve Your Tomorrow, serving the same Southern Nevada communities he grew up in. He was recently honored as a 2024 Las Vegas Raiders “Inspire Change Changemaker” and is a proud alumnus of Leadership Las Vegas (Class of '22) and Surge Academy Las Vegas. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring new places with his wife, Celinda (Pena) Dominguez, '11 BS Human Services and '13 MSW, and two young children; weight training; and rooting for the Dodgers.

Lisa Kelleher, '11 Ph.D. Higher Education, was recently recognized for the Carol C. Harter GIVE Award, garnering her the selection as "Honorable Mention." She was recognized at the Celebrating Our Successes Social held by the UNLV Women's Council. The GIVE award celebrates and encourages diversity initiatives across UNLV. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding efforts in programming, outreach, and other initiatives by faculty, staff, individual students, and student organizations.

Claire Lustumbo, '17 M.Ed. School Counseling, began her educational career in Clark County in 2013 as an elementary general education teacher. After her experiences in teaching general education and special education, she left the classroom to earn her M. Ed. in school counseling at UNLV. She has continued her work in the district ever since, with a variety of experiences and grade levels — counseling students and mentoring others. She is currently the school counselor at Andrew J. Mitchell Elementary School in Boulder City. Recently, she was chosen as Nevada’s School Counselor of the Year for 2025. While she’s not traveling to present to other counselors state- and nation-wide, she enjoys being a mom to her son and reading once he goes to bed!

Adrian H. Huerta, '07 BS in Human Services Counseling, earned tenure and promotion to associate professor of education at the University of Southern California.

Sarah (Adams) Deakins, '22 BS Elementary Education, was hired at the same Clark County elementary school where she did her student teaching while at UNLV. She's taught 4th grade, 2nd grade, and is now teaching 1st grade. She got married on Oct. 7, 2023.

Tiffany Tyler-Garner, '11, Ph.D. Educational Psychology, published her first book, The Journey Inward: Four Seasons of Reflection for Deep Healing and Transformation.

Patrick W. Naughton, Jr., '04 BA History and '13 Emergency and Crisis Management, recently published a book for those who have served and for those who seek to understand war and its generational impact. April 2025 will be the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Born from War: A Soldier’s Quest to Understand Vietnam, Iraq, and the Generational Impact of Conflict provides a fresh perspective on Vietnam for a new generation who just went through 20 years of their own wars, which their children, too, will one day struggle to understand. In addition to being an author, he is also a husband, father, U.S. Army officer, and historian.

Thomas Reymer, '02 BS Physical Education, worked as a paramedic for Mercy Medical/AMR from 1992 to 2002. In 2003, he founded TMR Unlimited until 2008. During that time, Reymer also volunteered as a coach alongside Coach Reitz for the swim team from 2003 to 2006. He began his teaching career in Clark County in mid-2003 and later relocated to teach at Incline High School in Incline Village, Nevada, in 2015. In 2023, he started teaching at Carson High School. He's also served as a high school athletic director for the past 10 years. Reymer enjoys hunting, fishing, and working on classic trucks. Recently, he received the Athletic Director of the Year award from the Nevada Athletic Directors Association. He is married to Melissa (Forrester) Reymer, '95 BS Chemistry and Biochemistry and Secondary Education and '00 M.Ed. Counselor Education.