Robert E. Lang, a UNLV professor who is credited with helping Las Vegas recover from the Great Recession and diversify its economy, died Monday of cancer complications. He was 62 years old.

Robert E. Lang, a UNLV professor credited with helping Las Vegas recover from the Great Recession and diversify its economy, died Monday of complications from cancer. He was 62.

Renowned UNLV professor Dr. Robert Lang has passed away.

Dr. Robert Lang, executive director of UNLV’s Brookings Mountain West and The Lincy Institute, has passed away at 62. University President Keith Whitfield confirmed the loss, saying it came after a battle with a “lengthy illness.”

Dr. Robert Lang, a professor of public policy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and executive director of the school's Brookings Mountain West and The Lincy Institute, died Monday at age 62.

UNLV announced Thursday it has hired Edmund “Ed” Synakowski as the new vice president of research.

UNLV is no longer requiring masks on campus for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The university says the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest mask guidelines.

Nevada’s public higher education system announced Thursday that face masks are now optional on campuses for those who are fully vaccinated, prompting UNLV to immediately announce it will drop its current requirement.