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Supporting, facilitating, and promoting engagement
between the university and its many communities
June 6, 2023
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UNLV and the 82nd Legislative Session | |
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FROM PRESIDENT WHITFIELD: Reflecting on the 2023 Nevada Legislative Session
Nevada’s 82nd Legislative Session ended in a whirlwind last night. It’s always hard to address all of our needs in 120 days every two years, but let’s pause and reflect on the incredible gains that we just made for our Top Tier research institution that will allow us to help our state in myriad ways.
First, we are grateful to Governor Joe Lombardo, Legislative Leadership, and all of our elected leaders who made UNLV and higher education a priority this session. Our state leaders made numerous decisions and compromises this session that support UNLV. This includes more than $18 million in General Fund allocations to restore budgets reduced during the 2021 Legislative Session. Additionally, $14 million was approved to boost stipends for graduate assistants at UNLV, and $320,000 was allocated to bolster the K-12 teacher pipeline through enhanced summer school funding.
And as many of you have been following, Governor Lombardo on June 1 signed Assembly Bill 522 that included cost of living salary increases for state employees beginning in July. Additional information on the COLA increases will be shared at a later time.
Below is a summary of some of the additional legislation that will impact our university over the next biennium, which runs from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025. (NOTE: Some of these bills have not yet been sent to or signed by the governor. Nevada law provides...(more)
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A WORD OF GRATITUDE
Throughout the 82nd Session of the Nevada Legislative Session, higher education was the focus of many discussions among Governor Joe Lombardo, Nevada legislators, and other stakeholders. In this final edition of UNLV and the 82nd Legislative Session e-News, we want to take a minute to express our sincere gratitude to those who helped advocate for the priorities important to UNLV and higher education in the State of Nevada...(more)
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LOOKING AHEAD
Special Session & Beyond
While the regular Session came to an end yesterday, the Governor has indicated his intent to call a Special Session in order to address items that were not resolved prior to the legislative deadline mandated by Nevada law. You may view updates from the final days of the regular Session on our website, and we will keep you posted of any outcomes from the Special Session that relate to UNLV, if applicable. Note, UNLV’s advocacy efforts will...(more)
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REBELS IN ACTION
Recap - Legislative Interns & Externs
It is important to bridge the gap between school and practice, and UNLV’s legislative internship and externship programs do just that – they allow students to work closely with legislators and blend theory with practice.
UNLV’s internship and externship programs provide opportunities for students to learn about the legislative process from the inside out, working in Carson City during the session. These students are able to then leverage their experiences upon graduation as they start their careers, some as attorneys, lobbyists, and even elected officials.
Students not only do the work assigned to them by their internship or externship host, but also complete related class assignments to demonstrate competency of each of the required learning outcomes. And, while they are managing their duties in Carson City, they must also maintain their enrollment in other courses required by their degree plans.
Clearly, the experience is challenging, but UNLV’s students have consistently risen to the challenge and become exceptional ambassadors for the university.
Below is a look back at some of the students who rose to the challenge during the 82nd Session of the Nevada Legislature.
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Name: Aubrey Bepko
Hometown: Milford, CT
Major: Bachelor of Business Administration, International Marketing Management
Role in Session: Legislative Extern at Rowe Law Group
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Name: Taylor Duffy
Hometown: D'Hanis, TX
Major: Juris Doctor, Business and Commercial Law Concentration
Role in Session: Assist UNLV in researching and tracking legislation that affects higher education institutions.
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Name: Kelsey Lamph
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Major: 2nd Year Boyd Law Student
Role in Session: Lobbyist
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Name: Nina Machin
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Major: William S. Boyd School of Law, J.D Candidate, May 2024
Role in Session: Legislative Extern with Rowe Law Group
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Name: Theodore “TJ” Milk
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Major: Juris Doctor, May 2024
Role in Session: Assist UNLV in researching, testifying, and tracking legislation that impacts both higher education and UNLV.
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Name: Anandah Muhammad-Henry
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Major: Bachelors of Arts, Anthropology
Role in Session: A lobbyist registered under Rowe Law Group
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Name: Aniyah Muhammad-Henry
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Major: English
Role in Session: Junior Lobbyist
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Name: Yoana Ontiveros
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Major: Political Science, Minor Gender and Sexualities, Boyd Law School in the Fall
Role in Session: Legislative Aide to the Senate Majority Office
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Name: Phyllice Pichon
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Major: Political Science
Role in Session: Interning for Senator Julie Pazina
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Name: Caren Royce Yap
Hometown: Henderson, NV
Major: Business Marketing and International Business
Role in Session: Executive Secretary to Assemblywoman Brittney Miller
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Name: Saha Salahi
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Major: Communication and Media Studies, Minor Brookings Public Policy
Role in Session: Legislative Intern for the Senate Majority Office
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Name: Victoria Vance
Hometown: North Las Vegas, NV
Major: Political Science
Role in Session: Legislative Intern for Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno, Chair, Ways and Means Committee
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‘All Boats Rise’: The Grad Rebel Advantage Program | |
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Daniel Perez isn’t the first person in his family to receive a college degree, but he is the first to earn a graduate degree. Knowing what it’s like to apply for and start graduate school with little guidance is what motivated Perez to dedicate his time over the last four years to help UNLV undergrads prepare for grad school...(more)
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The Future of Education is Digital: Ph.D. Candidate Prepares Teachers to Succeed | |
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Adjoa Mensah is set to make waves. Hailing from a different country with diverse perspectives, she is just the woman to show the education world how to stay relevant and reach new heights. Now in the third year of her doctoral studies, she focuses on preparing future teachers to integrate technology into K-12...(more)
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International Graduate Student Finds Second Home & Second Ph.D. at UNLV | |
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Sudbina! That’s Croatian for “destiny,” and surely what native Borna Nemet felt when he was assigned to pick up a visiting professor at the Zagreb airport. Just a few months before, as he was working on his Ph.D., Nemet had read a paper by UNLV College of Education professor Kenny Varner. Now Varner, who...(more)
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