Ronald L. Smith, '98 MA Ethics and Policy Studies, is an executive with experience in international and domestic business, security affairs, military training, and diplomatic negotiations. A retired career Naval Officer, his previous positions include commanding officer; and  director of the Logistics Readiness Center for Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet for Operation Sea Signal. He was responsible for the rescue, housing, feeding, health care and security for more than 50,000 Cuban and Haitian migrants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. At the conclusion of the operation, Smith identified and redirected $14.3 million of a $400 million budget to US Atlantic Fleet projects. He interviewed and took part in the vetting process with the White House liaison and the Secretary of Defense’s chief of staff for selection as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs.  Smith was a candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2020. He was the only non-incumbent GOP candidate endorsed by the State Employees Association of North Carolina. He was appointed by the Speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives to the Judicial Standards Commission. Since August 2021, Smith has been working with Rescue From Chaos/Operation 620 and serves on the Global Friends of Afghanistan Advisory Committee. He is married to Joan M. Smith. They have three children: Ronald L. Smith, Jr.; Mark Smith, and Amy Smith.

Jill Derby, '70 BA Anthropology, is a lifelong Nevada political activist and recently published her memoir, When You Dare to Say Yes: Jill Derby and Nevada Activism. When You Dare to Say Yes is a decades-spanning account of how a conservative and conventional upbringing, which began in rural Nevada, evolved into progressive political activism that influenced the course of the state’s education system and advanced women’s gender equality in public life. Derby grew up in Los Gatos, California, but spent her early childhood on the family Flying Flapjack Ranch near Lovelock, Nevada, and every summer through college on the shores of Lake Tahoe in Glenbrook. She earned a BS from the University of California, San Francisco, and after living abroad, returned to Nevada to earn a BA from UNLV, and both her MA and Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. Her political activism started in the mid-1970s with her involvement in Nevada’s effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1988, she was elected to the first of three six-year terms on the Nevada Board of Regents. She was the Democratic candidate for Congress in Nevada’s Second Congressional District in 2006 and 2008. Derby is currently a senior fellow with the Association of Governing Board of Universities and Colleges, and past chair of the board of the American University in Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan.  

Arthur “Richie” Plunkett, '09 BA Anthropology, graduated with a master’s in mental health counseling in 2013 and, shortly after, accepted a job with the Kent Police Department in Washington State. He's been in law enforcement for over a decade. He now works for the Spokane Police Department. Plunkett was recently promoted to sergeant. He also worked as hostage negotiator, field training officer, and neighborhood resource officer. Before becoming a sergeant, Plunkett worked for three years in the Behavioral Health Unit and worked closely with many agencies to get individuals housing, substance use treatment, and mental health resources. He's taught locally to Spokane non-profits on Crisis Intervention and how to work with individuals through empathetic and compassionate means. Plunkett teaches for the WA Criminal Justice Training Commission (academy) in Crisis Intervention, Substance Use, Emotional Intelligence, Communication, and Below 100. He's presented regionally, nationally, and internationally regarding the toll of the job on police officer mental health and well-being. He's been featured in local and regional newspapers and media. One of his biggest accomplishments was being named the Washington State Officer of the Year by Police1 in 2020. Plunkett is married and lives in Spokane with his wife, Katie. They have been married 10 years and are foster parents. The couple has one son whom they adopted after 3.5 years in their foster home and hope to adopt more children. Plunkett enjoys fishing, biking, running, working out, camping, and reading. He follows UNLV football misses his days playing at Sam Boyd Stadium on the offensive line. He's also a huge F1 and Golden Knights fan.  

David Galich, '23 BA Psychology, is a psychologist. He enjoys reading, technology, RC’s, music, and extreme sports.

Christopher Aiken, '07 BA Psychology, is an associate professor in and head of the kinesiology department at New Mexico State University. He is married with two kids. His oldest daughter is named Scarlet in honor of his time at UNLV.

Breyen Canfield, '16 BA Philosophy and '19 JD, accepted an appointment to a position in the federal government after law school. He recently published a book called Plato's Barbell: What Ancient Philosophy Can Teach Us About Olympic Weightlifting. He started the book (edited by fellow UNLV philosophy grad, Shad Taylor) in undergrad after many conversations with some of the great professors in the UNLV philosophy department who were able to help him learn about Plato, Aristotle, and others by putting them in contexts that do not have any obvious connection to ancient philosophy. Canfield thought he could help those in another field he loves, weightlifting, learn more about that sport by drawing on lessons from ancient philosophers while hopefully generating an interest in strength sports in the philosophy field. The book is published by Jailhouse Strong, a company devoted to promoting education in all sports of strength and is available on Amazon. He lives in northern Illinois with his wife and kids.

Michael Clark, '89 BA Psychology, is the COO of Image Analysis Group in London, England.

Brandon Duke, '19 BA Political Science, is retired/disabled. For hobbies, he enjoys reading, motorcycles, and gaming.

Iris Hattersley, '12 BA English and '17 MA English, is the author of the memoir, Lucky Thirteen, published through Amazon in 2022. The work includes her career in the U.S. Marshals Service. Lucky Thirteen refers to recruitment as one of the first 13 women hired to carry the badge of a Deputy U.S. Marshal. The memoir is being sold in the gift shop of the new U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Hattersley is a member of Sun City Anthem Authors and enjoys writing and reading. She is currently writing a fictional mystery work titled, My Name is Jimmy.

Karen Hawkes, Esq., '96 BA Political Science, is the founder and managing attorney at Hawkes Law, APLC. Featured in Modern Luxury Magazine as a "Dynamic Woman," Hawkes focuses her practice on trademark, copyright, and corporate law. She has been protecting brands and content for two decades and has litigated dozens of trademark and copyright cases in federal court and before the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board in Washington, D.C. Hawkes and her team represent entrepreneurs nationwide, including in the entertainment industry. She also serves as director and professor of law of the California Western School of Law Pro Bono Trademark Clinic. Her husband David Hawkes, Esq. is a partner in a La Jolla firm. They love to travel and are involved in philanthropy in La Jolla, Del Mar, and Rancho Santa Fe.