Dear Colleagues, 

Following an internal search, I am pleased to announce Dr. Robert Futrell as the new Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Liberal Arts. His start date is July 1, 2024. 

Dr. Futrell is a COLA and UNLV lifer, arriving in the Department of Sociology in 1999. A nationally recognized scholar, he specializes in qualitative methods focusing on social movements and social change, environmental sociology, and urban sustainability. This year, he’s published two books: Out of Hiding: Extremist White Supremacy and How it Can Be Stopped (with Blee and Simi, 2024, Routledge) and the third edition of American Swastika: Inside the U.S. White Power Movement's Hidden Spaces of Hate (with Wagner and Simi, 2024, Rowman & Littlefield). 

He served as the chair of Sociology from 2013 to 2023 and won the 2018-2019 UNLV Outstanding Chair Award for his excellent leadership and service. Dr. Futrell has also received several teaching awards, including the UNLV Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award. His service across the university has been wide-ranging, and his experiences working with other campus units will serve him well in this new role. 

Dr. Futrell brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role in graduate and undergraduate education, a history of collaboration and positive relationships across campus, and innovative ideas about how to support our humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary programs in COLA. 

Thank you to everyone in the college who participated in the interviews and provided feedback. Your input was instrumental in identifying the right candidate for this crucial role in our college.

Please extend a warm welcome to Robert as he joins the COLA leadership team. 

Best wishes,

Jennifer Keene

Dean