• Students sitting at computers participating in e-sports
  • Archaeology students working at Valley of Fire
  • Student working in a research lab

Highlights

From creating community partnerships and advancing student achievement, to promoting research, scholarship, and creative activity, we work hard to achieve our goal of becoming a top 100 American research university. Check out our highlights to learn our impact.

A student barista working at UNLV Rebel Grounds coffee shop.

Rebel Grounds, a student-run coffee shop inside the Harrah College of Hospitality, serves up delicious fare while giving student staff the space to turn classroom theory into practice. Students also are charged with overseeing everything from food preparation, design, and café décor to handling cash and training staff. This, along with its central location and ever-rotating menu items, makes Rebel Grounds a favorite stop for students, campus visitors, and UNLV faculty and staff.

Related News: Learning Is Delicious
A woman looking into a microscope.

Airborne pollen is a health concern for many residents in Clark County. The Clark County School District (CCSD) and UNLV established the Pollen Monitoring Program to provide local pollen and mold spore counts in Las Vegas. The county-wide distribution of the sites is a unique feature of the program and makes it possible to monitor important data for the west, northwest, southeast, and UNLV ZIP codes. Regular monitoring and reporting of airborne pollen concentrations continues to help the community prepare for or avoid exposure.

Former UNLV Swimming student athlete Panos Bolanos swimming in a pool.

Former UNLV men's swimming standout Panos Bolanos will represent Greece in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Bolanos, who will swim in the men’s 4x100-meter free relay, is the first men’s swimmer since Richard Hortness (Canada, 2012) to represent the Rebels in the Olympics.

A portrait of Erika Marquez pointing to a wall-sized map of populations in Las Vegas.

Public Health professor Erika Marquez, winner of UNLV’s 2024 Community Engagement Award for Community-Based Research, received $1.2 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The funding will ensure every Nevadan has equitable access to COVID-19 resources and vaccines through the Vaccine Health Equity Initiative. Marquez works with organizations and agencies throughout the state to reach racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, communities with lower incomes, and people who suffer from one or more chronic conditions. 

man in UNLV jersey

The Harrah College of Hospitality received a $1 million gift from entrepreneur and alumnus Marco Benvenuti to establish the Marco Benvenuti Excellence Endowment. The endowment will support student travel, professional development, and special projects to complement coursework and enhance student retention and success.

A view of the Las Vegas Strip at night. The Paris is in center.

The Sands Center for Professional Development in the Harrah College of Hospitality brought in Historically Black College and University students from across the country as well as French students from L'Institut Lyfe for hospitality management education, tours, and project work. They will receive a deep introduction to the travel, tourism and leisure industry and its wide range of professional positions to inspire them to consider one of the world’s fastest-growing and largest employment fields.

graduating class of high school students

Over 900 high school seniors graduated in 2024 with college credit and a taste of the college experience — all at an affordable price, thanks to UNLV's Rebel College Accelerator program, which enables students to complete high school and college credits simultaneously. Many students who participate in UNLV early college coursework plan on continuing their education as full-time UNLV students and benefit from the familiarity they gained with the campus community and university resources.

A group of engineering students working on a robotics project.

The Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering is building a successful community of engineering leaders, with four of its graduate programs earning top 100 spots on U.S. News and World Report's list of Best Graduate Colleges. The programs include: nuclear engineering (28), aerospace studies (68), environmental engineering (77), and civil engineering (97).