University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant[a] research university in Paradise, Nevada. The 332-acre (134 ha)[5] campus is about 1.6 mi (2.6 km) east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the Shadow Lane Campus, just east of the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, which houses both School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine. UNLV's law school, the William S. Boyd School of Law, is the only law school in the state.
For the other public research university in Nevada, see University of Nevada, Reno.
Former names
University of Nevada, Southern Division (1957–1965)
Nevada Southern University (1965–1969)
Omnia Pro Patria (Latin)
"All For Our Country"
September 10, 1957
$367.6 million (2022)[1]
Christopher L. Heavey
1,000
3,282
31,142 (2020)[2]
25,869 (Fall 2020)[2]
4,261 (Fall 2020)
4,043 (Fall 2020)[2]
Midsize
city
Main campus: 358 acres (145 ha)
North campus: 640 acres (260 ha)
Shadow Lane campus: 18.2 acres (7.4 ha)
The Scarlet & Gray
Scarlet and gray[3]
It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".[6] According to the National Science Foundation, UNLV spent $83 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 165th in the nation.[7]
History[edit]
The first college classes, which eventually became the classes of UNLV, were offered as the southern regional extension division of the University of Nevada, in 1959 in a classroom at Las Vegas High School. In 1955, State Senator Mahlon Brown "sponsored the legislation to provide $200,000 to construct the campus's first building" – Frazier Hall.[8] Groundbreaking on the original 60-acre (24 ha) site was in April 1956, and the university purchased a 640-acre (260 ha) site in North Las Vegas for future expansion. UNLV was officially founded by the Nevada Board of Regents as the Southern Division of the University of Nevada on September 10, 1957. The first classes were held on the current campus in the post and beam Mid Century Modern Maude Frazier Hall designed by the local architectural firm, Zick & Sharp. Twenty-nine students graduated in the first commencement ceremonies in 1964.[9][10]
In 1965, the Nevada Legislature named the school Nevada Southern University, and the Board of Regents hired the campus's first president, Donald C. Moyer,[11] who died in 2008 at the age of 88.[12]
In 1968, Nevada Southern was given equal status with its parent institution in Reno, and the present name was approved by the regents in January 1969, during a winter session and without the need of input from representatives from the University of Nevada, Reno. During this time, Nevada Southern University also adopted the southern "Rebel" athletics moniker and a mascot dressed in a southern Confederate uniform named Beauregard. The popular reasoning behind such a controversial moniker and mascot is that they did it to oppose the northern Union traditions and symbols of their northern rival, the University of Nevada. Soon, protests from NSU/UNLV students forced a slight change to their Confederate mascot, but the "Rebels" moniker remains to this day. Since its founding, the university has grown rapidly, expanding both its academic programs and campus facilities.
In 1969, the board of regents approved the name University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the abbreviation UNLV.[10]
In 1973, Jerry Tarkanian was hired as the men's basketball coach by UNLV's second president, Roman Zorn.[13]
The Center for Business and Economic Research was established in 1975 for research projects that assist in the development of the Nevada economy and assist state and local agencies and private-sector enterprises in the collection and analysis of economic and market data.
In 1981, Claes Oldenburg's Flashlight sculpture was installed on the plaza between Artemus Ham Hall and Judy Bayley Theatre.[14]
The Lied Institute for Real Estate Studies was established in 1989.[15]
In 2001, Lied Library officially opened to the public on January 8, at a final cost of $55.3 million.[16]
In 2002, the School of Dental Medicine opened to train students, and to offer low-cost dental care to residents.[17]
In 2003, the Institute for Security Studies was established to address homeland security concerns. The Lynn Bennett Childhood Development Center opened.[18]
In 2004, UNLV opened its first regional campus on Shadow Lane, near the University Medical Center. The School of Dental Medicine is located on the Shadow Lane Campus.[10] Also, the School of Public Health was established in the Division of Health Sciences to address new and emerging public-health issues.[18]
In 2005, construction began on the $113 million science and engineering building, which has 200,000 square feet of teaching space, laboratories, and high-tech conference rooms. The building, completed in 2008, was designed to support interdisciplinary research; draw students to high-demand fields such as electrical engineering, computer science, and environmental science; and attract national and international researchers. UNLV launched its first comprehensive campaign, Invent the Future, with the goal of raising $500 million by December 2008. Also, the Air Force ROTC program was established on campus.[18]
In 2006, The Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents raised the minimum GPA to 3.0 for admittance to UNLV. UNLV opened its first international campus in Singapore, where the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration offered a bachelor's degree program in hospitality management.[18] UNLV planned to end its partnership with the Singapore Institute of Technology by 2015, due to economic issues such as rising tuition in Las Vegas and the falling value of the U.S. dollar in Singapore.[19]
In 2007, an expanded student union (with study and social lounges, eateries, a new ballroom, and a 300-seat theater) and a new student recreation center (with high-tech weight and fitness rooms, swimming pools, and a juice bar) opened in the fall. These facilities reflected UNLV's goal of becoming more student-oriented. The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs broke ground for the $94 million Greenspun Hall, which showcased the latest environmental and technological advancements and served as an anchor for "Midtown UNLV."[18]
In 2011, UNLV's business college was formally renamed after a $15 million donation from the Ted and Doris Lee family, the Las Vegas real estate, hotel, restaurant, and casino investors.[20]
In 2016, UNLV hosted the final presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies covered the debate on their local station UNLV-TV. This featured a three-hour-live broadcast of round-table student commentary, interviews, and coverage from the spin room inside the Thomas and Mack Center.
In 2017, UNLV shut down the only HIV clinic for children and pregnant women in Southern Nevada region for ethical violations.[21] UNLV later settled for $1.45 million related to improper charges made by principal investigator Echezona Ezeanolue to several federal research awards.[22]
In 2018, UNLV President Len Jessup had received unfavorable performance reviews from the system chancellor.[23] Ethical concerns were raised when a $14 million donation was conditioned on his continual employment, but the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees conducted an ethics investigation that uncovered no self-dealings by Jessup and the donor.[24][25]
In 2019, UNLV renamed the School of Community Health Sciences as the School of Public Health.[26]
On December 6, 2023, a mass shooting occurred on campus when 67–year–old Tony Polito opened fire at the Frank and Estella Beam Hall and Student Union buildings. Polito, who had applied to be a professor at the campus but was rejected, killed three and critically wounded a fourth before being fatally shot in a shootout with police.[27]
Research[edit]
UNLV research and economic development activities increased for the fourth consecutive year, according to the fiscal-year-end report from the Division of Research and Economic Development. Research awards rose by 7.5 percent to nearly $34.5 million, and proposals increased by two percent. Research expenditures in FY18 totaled $37 million.[31]
The College of Sciences received the largest amount of award funding among the colleges once again this fiscal year: nearly $15 million through more than 100 awards. Engineering followed with roughly $7.6 million in awards. The College of Education posted the largest percentage gain in award funding in FY16 with a nearly 47% increase from $1,776,332 in FY15 to $2,609,366 in FY16.
UNLV's economic development activities continue to grow. Sixty-one patents were filed in FY16, an increase of 17% over FY15, and licensing revenue doubled from $126,242 in FY15 to $252,309 in FY16.
Another measure of university research activity is the number of doctoral degrees conferred, as doctoral programs require a strong research component culminating in the doctoral dissertation. UNLV doctoral conferrals increased nearly 13% in FY16 to 166 degrees conferred. For the 2017–2018 school year, 163 doctoral degrees were conferred.[31]
Academic rankings
317
269
138
330
501–600
601–800
871
Aerial view of the main campus
The five-story Rod Lee Bigelow Health Sciences Building houses the offices, classrooms, and laboratories for health physics, nursing, radiological sciences, physical therapy, and kinesiology.
The glass wall of the Robert L. Bigelow Physics Building was built in the shape of a sine wave, while banners inside represent the colors of the spectrum.
The Boyd School of Law facilities include the state's largest law library and the Thomas and Mack Moot Court.
UNLV's Science and Engineering Building
"The Flashlight" by renowned sculptor Claes Oldenburg stands 38 ft tall and symbolizes UNLV as a "Beacon of Knowledge" in Southern Nevada.
UNLV's School of Dental Medicine is located in the heart of Las Vegas' medical district. In addition to training dental professionals, the school provides dental services to Southern Nevadans.
Beam Hall is home to the colleges of Business and Hotel Administration.
The University Libraries attract scholars from around the globe with the most comprehensive collection of documents related to the history of gaming in the world.
A view through the windows of Lied Library. The library holds more than a million volumes and has 2,500 study spaces.
The Carol C. Harter Classroom Building Complex holds more classrooms than any other building on campus.
The new Science and Engineering Building includes flexible laboratory and teaching spaces, offices, high-tech conference rooms, and integrated research areas.
