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Jessica Impallaria
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Jessica Impallaria '08 M.Ed.

Director of Development & Alumni Relations
Phone: 702-895-3078
Email: jessica.impallaria@unlv.edu

Events

Gretchen Grierson Portrait

 

2024 College of Liberal Arts Alumnus of the Year

Gretchen Grierson '92 '94 finds her passion in compassion. From her career to her philanthropy, Gretchen is always quick to lend a helping hand (and ear).

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2023 College of Liberal Arts Alumnus of the Year

The College of Liberal Arts Alumnus of the Year went from being uncertain about the future of his education to being one of the top residential real estate agents in the Las Vegas Valley.

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2022 College of Liberal Arts Alumna of the Year

Lindsey Ricciardi's dedication to treating eating disorders and serving the community makes her standout as the Liberal Arts Alumna of the Year.

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2021 College of Liberal Arts Alumnus of the Year

Josh Molina draws on his UNLV psych background in his role as a restaurateur.

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2020 College of Liberal Arts Alumna of the Year

Jill Campbell attributes her Sociology bachelor's as the foundation for her ascent to heights of corporate leadership.

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Class Notes

Amanda Gordon

Amanda Hurst Gordon, '09 BA Sociology, '11 MA Criminal Justice, recently was hired as the board and volunteer relations coordinator in UNLV's ​office of alumni engagement & annual giving.

Abbi Silver

Abbi Silver, '86 BA Political Science, in January 2019 will become the sixth woman to serve on the Nevada Supreme Court. She is running unopposed in the November 2018 election, so automatically will be elected to the post. She recently was sworn in by Gov. Brian Sandoval as the first female chief judge of the Court of Appeals of Nevada. In 2015, Sandoval appointed her to the inaugural Court of Appeals of Nevada after recommendation by the Nevada Judicial Selection Committee. She recalls political science professors emeriti Dina Titus and Jerry Simich writing her recommendations for law school in 1986. Titus, D-Nev., now is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.            

Natalie Bachiri

Natalie Lutz Bachiri, '92 BA English and BA Communication Studies, is an emotionally focused therapy (EFT) therapist. Her hobbies include reading, gardening, and researching mental and physical health. The mother of two lives in the small European country of Luxembourg.      

Heather Brown

Heather Brown, '08 BA Political Science, co-founded a political consulting firm, Modern Action Strategies, in 2013. The company focuses on grassroots campaign consulting and scale-able event organizing. Most of its clients are scattered around Europe, which is why she now lives in Brussels, Belgium.

Jack Werner

Jack Werner '72 BA Political Science, works in a variety of capacities. He is executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Power, an international standards development body where he recently developed the standard for U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) weatherization training program. He also is a senior fellow at the Climate Institute where he works on climate change programs, recently developing sustainability programs for small island development states (SIDS). Additionally, he serves as contract assessor for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for certification bodies seeking ANSI accreditation. He also works under contract as a coach for communities involved in DOE's community solar Sunshot program. Previously, he served as director of the DC Government Energy Office. He is married and lives in Washington, D.C.      

Sal Gugino

Sal Gugino, '71 BA Political Science, has been appointed vice president/assistant general counsel for Boyd Gaming Corp. He has practiced law in  Las Vegas for 36 years, having earned his law degree from the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law. A former member and chairman of the state Employee-Management Relations Board and former president of the Clark County Bar Association, he is married to Deborah Ann Bichsel Gugino, '81 BS Education, '86 Master of Education. They are the grandparents of Ashley Gugino, '17 BA Communication Studies.          

Cristina Hernandez

Cristina Hernandez, ’10 BS Political Science, was named a 2017-18 White House Fellow. One of just 14 people chosen, she will be working in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Cristina is an Army veteran and has served in the national security sector for over 15 years. She has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, led teams, delivered policy recommendations, and utilized innovative technologies to ensure the safety of those protecting our nation. She has received the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and continues to serve underprivileged communities today. Cristina was a Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellow at the Center for a New American Security and holds a Master’s of Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Michael Newman

Michael Newman, '86 MA English, teaches English at Desert Rose Adult High School. Previously, he taught freshman composition at UNLV for 17 years, worked as a dealer and boss in the gaming business for 40 years, was a member of the Culinary Union and the Laborer's Union, worked as a substitute teacher in the Clark County School District, and taught English at CSN. He also is a freelance writer and the author of Vegas: An Imploded Life, a memoir about growing up in Las Vegas from the time of the atomic explosions until the hotel casino implosions. He and his wife, Paula, have been married 45 years and have two adult children. Hobbies include swimming; watching classic movies, including film noir and Westerns; and reading. He particularly likes the post-Word War II British "angry young men" writers.

Vickie Wilson

Vickie Wilson, '01 BA Sociology, '10 Master of Education, is CEO of Vegas Valley Food Tours,  a top-rated culinary tour of downtown Las Vegas. She says she considers herself a culinary pioneer of sorts. Just when many people had given up on downtown, she launched her business in 2013. She also is the first woman to lead groups of strangers though the streets of downtown, introducing them to the delicious food available in many "Mom & Pop" establishments. A TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence recipient for the past three years, the company also has been voted one of the best tours in Las Vegas by AAA, Hopper Blog, Thrillist, and Expertise. Her hobbies include eating and traveling.      

Iris Hattersley

Iris Hattersley, '12 BA English, attended graduate-level summer school literature courses at the University of Oxford, Exeter College, in July. She celebrated her 75th birthday while there. She hopes to complete her master's degree in English at UNLV in December. She previously has worked as a deputy U.S. marshal, a special agent for the Department of Defense, and a special investigator. Her hobbies include reading, walking, traveling with her husband, and spending time with friends. She lives in Henderson.