A new program designed by the UNLV Tourist Safety Institute is helping Nevada Highway State Patrol employees focus on their social and emotional wellness. Law enforcement officers are learning skills in mindfulness, emotional regulation, attention control, and maintaining effective interpersonal relationships. The goal is to help them improve their health, operational performance, and abilities to manage challenging situations as first responders. In addition to serving nearly 3 million residents, agencies address the safety needs of the 40.8 million visitors who come to Las Vegas annually. 

UNLV has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to study the effects of radiation exposure on breast cancer risk in occupational and medical settings. Breast cancer, which accounts for 30% of new cancer diagnoses each year, is the second-most common cancer among women. The study, a collaboration between the Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences and Computer Science, will continue to advance health care solutions and cancer research.

As the Las Vegas Valley continues to grow, UNLV and Desert Radiology are working together to keep up with the demand radiologic technologists. Thanks to the renewed partnership, every student in UNLV’s radiography program is able to complete clinical rotations at Desert Radiology's multiple locations. The program graduates about 24 students each year.

Engineering professor H. Jeremy Cho co-founded and leads the research team behind WAVR Technologies, Inc., a UNLV startup that makes devices capable of capturing water vapor from the air around us for commercial and individual uses. For years, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Las Vegas Valley Water District have been working hard to slow the depletion of Nevada's natural water reservoirs, but the new UNLV startup may be a key in the search for water sustainability solutions to the Southwest climate crisis.

Life Sciences master’s student Benjy Sedano-Herrera earned the Forrest Shreve Research Award from the Ecological Society of America for his work investigating cyanobacteria in the soils of the Mojave and Chihuahuan deserts. The research will help stabilize fragile desert crusts, improve water retention, and ensure that desert plants and other organisms can survive and thrive.

UNLV received a $3.2 million grant from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation to develop a biomarker observatory that will capture and categorize emerging information on blood tests, brain scans, and digital devices to help diagnose and monitor Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. This first-of-its-kind database will provide greater access to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s treatments to researchers around the world.

UNLV is collaborating with the Desert Research Institute, and the University of Nevada, Reno, University of Utah, and Arizona State University to build a stronger workforce in scientific technology. Thanks to a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, this multi-state effort will train new professionals to install and maintain sensor networks that scientists use to gather crucial information on wildfires, water, climate, and ecology in the Western U.S.

UNLV launched its comprehensive Climate Action Plan in September. The plan – which will encompasses academic courses, research, and campus operations – will have a lasting impact on our community for years to come. The stakes have never been higher and we all need to do our part. Being sustainability-minded is not new to UNLV, as we have worked hard for years to reduce our carbon footprint and create a more sustainable campus. The CAP moves us to the next level by giving us a clear, strategic roadmap for the future.