Kyle Ethelbah,
Director for Adult Education Services
Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach
Kyle Ethelbah recently was selected as the President's Professional Staff Member of the Year, the top honor UNLV gives to a member of its professional staff. Chosen for his leadership, innovation, and dedication, Ethelbah below discusses his job and his personal connection to the federally funded programs for which he now works.
Rebel since: 1999
What I do: I am director of a federally funded TRiO program intended to give access to education to adults. The program helps adults who would be first-generation college students or who have low incomes. We have both a GED and a higher education component. We provide access for any college they want to go to. It doesn't have to be UNLV.
On access for adult students: Educational opportunities exist regardless of what may have happened in your past. Many adults have lower self-esteem about not having successfully completed their educations. I want people to know it's not too late. One of our students earned a degree in computer information systems when she was 77.
Personal connection: I am a product of TRiO. My first time visiting Las Vegas and UNLV occurred through Upward Bound, which is one of the TRiO programs. It was 1990. I had grown up on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and by then was a freshman in high school participating in a summer Upward Bound program at Northern Arizona University. Later I was part of the TRiO student support services program at the University of Arizona.
How I benefitted from the program: I became the first in my family to attend college. I now have two degrees: an undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and a master's degree in public health from UNLV. TRiO programs do work. Without them I don't feel that I would have known where to begin, let alone complete (my degrees).
What I want people to remember: We are like a lighthouse. Someone once said (institutions shouldn't) focus on adults because their ship has sailed. In our program we guide those ships that have sailed back to the land that is education.
Couldn't do my job without: My staff. They are very proficient at what they do. It's not just that they are efficient and able; they are caring. I know that personally, and because individuals in the program tell me that.
If I had to change fields...: I would work in the public health field, maybe assisting communities of color to live healthier lifestyles through better diet, exercise, and healthier ways of living, including overcoming substance abuse. We can resign ourselves to being victims or we can take control of our own positive lifestyle.
Something people would be surprised to learn: This should surprise them because it certainly surprised me. I'm a pet lover. Two years ago I got Jake, a beagle. Until then I never pictured myself as an animal person nor an outdoorsy person.
Why he was nominated for the award: In the letter nominating Ethelbah, Keith Rogers, CAEO deputy executive director for operations, wrote, "Under his innovative and collaborative leadership, AES (adult education services) has significantly exceeded the federal grant requirement rates of adults that complete the GED and/or re-enter a postsecondary program. His overall development and dedication to the AES program has resulted in the overall recognition of AES and UNLV as a whole as it relates to adult education in Clark County.
Additionally, "Kyle's dedication to the university is evident in his involvement at the university level. Kyle is a founding member of UNLV's American Indian Alliance, a faculty and staff group dedicated to building a unified American Indian presence on campus. This informal organization has been instrumental in the implementation of co-curricular activities that ensure new and current American Indian students are acclimated to the university environment."
Other professional staff members who were nominated for the award (a record 17 nominations were received):
- Victoria Arnold, assistant director of infrastructure services, student affairs technology
- Lisa Chastain, director of advising, Honors College
- James Cho, video and motion graphics designer, distance education
- Lisa R. Davis, MBA recruitment director, MBA programs
- Angie Doran, associate budget director, budget office
- Gina Eastman, senior counselor, financial aid and scholarships
- George L. Fratus, chemical hygiene officer, risk management and safety
- Janet Hollinger, academic advisor, College of Sciences Advising Center
- Jerry Koloskie, senior associate director of athletics, intercollegiate athletics
- Ryan Larsen, assistant director for education abroad, international programs
- Tara Pike-Nordstrom, solid waste and recycling manager and sustainability coordinator, facilities management
- Josh Rankin, creative director, reprographics/design services
- Karl Reynolds, director of facilities management, facilities management
- Leisa Rodriguez, finance director, Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies
- Geetha Sendhil, executive director, student affairs technology
- Gina Strebel, executive director, academic resources, office of the executive vice president and provost
