January, 2024 

A WORD OF GRATITUDE

We are immensely grateful for the ongoing support received from our federal delegation, state legislators, local government leaders, community organizations, alumni and friends following the December 6th tragedy at UNLV. Our campus and community continue to grieve and we know the process of recovery is unique for everyone. But we are resilient and, by working together, we are confident that we will emerge as a stronger university. We encourage everyone to take advantage of the many resources available to help care for yourself, your colleagues, your family, and your friends during this difficult time. Please visit the UNLV Strong website to learn more.  

Government Engagement

Community Engagement

REBELS FIND JOY THROUGH SERVING OTHERS AT

PRESIDENT WHITFIELD'S HOLIDAY VILLAGE EVENT

In the days following the tragic Dec. 6 shooting at UNLV, campus leadership had to make difficult decisions about many things, including events already scheduled to take place on campus. This included President Whitfield’s Holiday Village, originally scheduled for Dec. 9.

One would be hard-pressed to find anyone from the UNLV community in the mood to “celebrate.” Initially, the sentiment was to cancel the Holiday Village event this year, but that would have taken away what’s become a tradition for the families in the neighborhoods surrounding UNLV.

Some members of the campus pointed to the healing aspects of serving others, and others noted how they’d welcome the opportunity to experience some joy in the midst of all the pain.

And so, on Saturday, Dec. 16, nearly a year’s worth of planning between UNLV, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and United Movement Organized Kindness came to life. Supported by a small but mighty team of volunteers from the campus and community, UNLV hosted more than 1,300 youth from 460-plus households for President Whitfield’s Holiday Village…(more)

REBELS IN ACTION

Clark County School District students were excited to welcome President Keith Whitfield to the Golden Apple Gala hosted by the Public Education Foundation to celebrate educators and support public schools.

President Keith Whitfield and the Rebel family were honored to host Speaker of the Nevada Assembly, Steve Yeager, at the UNLV Football game against Boise State. 

UNLV joined Asm. Selena Torres, Asm. C.H Miller, Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, and other community partners to distribute holiday cheer and resources to students at Brinkley Middle and Western High schools.  

Rebel Spotlight

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

YAHAIRA MENDEZ

Yahaira Mendez serves as the Special Assistant to the Vice President of the Office of Government and Community Engagement. She has been employed at UNLV for ten years, starting as a student worker in the College of Fine Arts before joining the College of Engineering’s Multicultural Program where she supported UNLV’s efforts to increase the recruitment and academic…(more)

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

SIX OUTSTANDING 2023 GRADUATES 

In this edition’s Alumni Spotlight, we are highlighting six outstanding Winter 2023 graduates who have now become alumni. These individuals include an educator with innovative ideas for inclusive teaching; a service member with a penchant for navigating the legally complex; an engineer seeking solutions for accessibility to clean drinking water; a chemist developing…(more)

UNLV News

REBELS FOREVER: NEWEST UNLV GRADUATES URGED TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNITIES

Nearly 2,300 students joined the UNLV Class of 2023 at winter commencement ceremonies on Dec. 19 and 20. They hail from 36 states or U.S. territories and 39 countries. Many are the first in their family to...(more)

KIDS' COURT CELEBRATES 20 YEARS, HELPS CHILDREN FIND THEIR VOICE IN COURTROOM

More than 20 years ago, the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada (LACSN), along with Clark County’s Department of Family Services, District Attorney’s Office, and Department of Juvenile Services, began an...(more) 

PEDIATRICIAN WHO'S PASSIONATE ABOUT CARING FOR THE UNDERSERVED

This immigrant child needed a vaccination; that foster child required a physical; the indigent parents of a boy in a wheelchair learned where he can receive specialized orthopedic care; that child who moved to Las...(more)