Students pose between U.N.L.V. letters

UNLV Newsmakers 2021: June

A collection of news stories highlighting remembrance and improvement at UNLV.

(Josh Hawkins/UNLV Photo Services).

 

As summer rolls in, along with the heat, it’s finally time to enjoy the fruits of the community’s hard labor.

This month, UNLV reflected on the accomplishments and contributions that the late Brookings Mountain West and Lincy Institute executive director Robert E. Lang has made to the Nevada community. In addition, UNLV’s School of Dental Medicine and College of Engineering took to space through a partnership with Colgate. UNLV also saw the LGBTQ+ community on campus fighting for equality in honor of Pride month. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas community watched as vaccination rates and COVID-19 cases started to even out at long last. At the same time, Las Vegas celebrated a livening economy in the weeks leading up to the opening of Resorts World and an overall tourism surge.

Even with the summer sun in full effect, UNLV’s future continues to look brighter than ever. All these success stories and more are highlighted in the newest edition of UNLV Newsmakers.

Renowned Public Policy Leader Passes Away

The UNLV community came together to honor and mourn Nevada public policy leader Robert E. Lang. As  executive director of Brookings Mountain West and the Lincy Institute, Lang left an impact all across Las Vegas and the entire Silver State — from helping reimagine the economic potential of Nevada to playing advocacy and advisement roles in  initiatives to build the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, Allegiant Stadium, and Interstate 11. His research and work have brightened Nevada’s future in ways we’ll see for years to come.  

Colgate Blasts Off with the Help of UNLV

June began with a minty fresh blast as researchers with UNLV’s School of Dental Medicine and Department of Mechanical Engineering teamed up with Colgate and NASA to test how efficient toothpaste is in space. Media outlets around the world discussed the experiment’s potential to improve the quality of life on astronaut trips and toothpaste functionality as a whole.

Aducanumab: Controversial New Alzheimer’s Treatment

The Food and Drug Administration on June 7 approved Aducanumab as the first new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 20 years. UNLV research professor Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, a world-leader on Alzheimer's research and clinical trials, recently published two studies on the disease and spoke with media outlets about the new drug's pros and cons.

Preparing for Blistering Winds and Scorching Deserts

Meteorological projections indicate that most of the nation will experience record-high temperatures this summer, with many Western states already having broken well past 100° Fahrenheit. As the nation prepared for the ruthless summer heat, university experts commented on what the torrid temperatures say about the region’s drought conditions and the current state of climate change.

Slowly but Surely: LGBTQ+ Equality and Pride in 2021

The LGBTQ+ community was challenged as countries around the world, including the U.S., reversed legal protections. However, as history has proven time and again, love will persevere. University experts and students played their respective parts in upholding the LGBTQ+ legacy, be it through activism or personal experience.

  • Amanda Melilli, head of the Teacher Development and Resources Library, spoke with Diverse: Issues in Higher Education about the need for diversity in children’s books, especially inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters.
  • Law professor Leslie C. Griffin commented on Catholic Review about how the Fulton v. Philadelphia case ruling may threaten LGBTQ+ rights, and wrote on Verdict about what the community can do to help out.
  • Recent UNLV graduate Louis Z. Anderson detailed in USA Today his journey in figuring out his sexuality and his many coming out stories along the way.
  • The Las Vegas Sun interviewed university architect John Treston, director of design & associate university architect, about UNLV’s decision to be more inclusive of non-cisgender individuals by changing 165 bathroom signs around campus to say “all-gender restrooms.”

Vaccinations Versus COVID-19

Vaccinations finally began to outnumber COVID-19 cases in June. Even so, the community is still struggling to close that gap, as local officials try to make vaccination sites more accessible, incentivize the public, and combat the Delta variant, which has been growing in Nevada in recent weeks. University experts weighed in on the issue and recommended several solutions:

Economic Uphill Battle: A Journey Almost Over

At the start of June, pandemic restrictions were lifted and Nevada began operating at 100% capacity. Casinos have by and large benefitted the most from the embargo lift, welcoming in a pandemic-weary nation that has been itching to enjoy the entertainment capital of the world. However, even among the good news, some are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. Numerous university experts and media outlets analyzed the situation:

General Expert Round-Up 

Topics:

coronavirus,  newsmakers

Campus Units:

Department of Brain Health,  Lee Business School,  Department of Communication Studies,  Couple and Family Therapy Program,  Department of Criminal Justice,  School of Dental Medicine,  Department of Economics,  College of Education,  Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering,  Department of Geoscience,  Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences,  Department of History,  William F. Harrah College of Hospitality,  School of Integrated Health Sciences,  Department of Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies,  Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies,  William S. Boyd School of Law,  College of Liberal Arts,  Department of Mechanical Engineering,  Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV,  Department of Physics and Astronomy,  Department of Political Science,  Department of Psychology,  School of Public Health,  School of Public Policy and Leadership,  College of Sciences,  School of Social Work,  Department of Sociology,  Greenspun College of Urban Affairs,  Office of Executive Vice President and Provost,  Planning and Construction,  Office of the University Ombuds,  Center for Business and Economic Research,  International Center for Gaming Regulation,  International Gaming Institute,  The Lincy Institute,  Lied Center for Real Estate,  Transportation Research Center,  Teacher Development & Resources Library

Related Experts:

Kavita Batra ,  Amanda Belarmino ,  Emma Frances Bloomfield ,  Dan Bubb ,  Francis Cucinotta ,  Dr. Jeffrey L. Cummings ,  David Damore ,  Dr. Jeffrey Ebersole ,  Mehmet Erdem ,  Jayce Farmer ,  Alan Feldman ,  Robert Futrell ,  Katherine M. Hertlein ,  Michael Kagan ,  Dr. Marc J. Kahn ,  Anjala S. Krishen ,  Brian Labus ,  Matthew Lachniet ,  Renato (Rainier) M. Liboro ,  Nancy Lough ,  Leith Martin ,  Stephen Miller ,  Tyler D. Parry ,  David G. Schwartz ,  Kenneth J. Varner

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