The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents today voted to appoint Marta Meana as acting UNLV president. Meana, currently dean of UNLV’s Honors College, will begin July 1 and serve until the successful completion of a national search for the university’s next president.

Meana, a professor of psychology at UNLV since 1997, has been dean of UNLV’s Honors College since 2012 and previously served as senior advisor to the university president. NSHE Chancellor Thom Reilly recommended Meana as acting president after meeting with members of the campus and community. According to NSHE policy, an acting president carries out the full duties as president of the institution until a permanent appointment is made.

“Marta is a highly respected clinician, researcher, and educator, and is lauded for her contributions to teaching, psychology and women’s health,” Reilly said. “As dean, she has tripled Honors College enrollment and boosted student success. I am confident she is the right person to lead the university as we conduct a search for a permanent president.”

An internationally noted scholar in clinical psychology, Meana’s groundbreaking research has reshaped clinical approaches to women’s health and human sexuality. She has published two books and close to 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. She has also earned multiple university, state and national awards, including a Nevada Regents Excellence in Teaching Award, Nevada Senatorial Recognition for Teaching, the James Makawa Award for outstanding contributions in psychology, and the Masters and Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award.

"I’ve been privileged to be part of the UNLV community for more than 20 years and I’m honored to serve as acting president during this transition period for the university,” said Meana. “UNLV has a deep pool of leadership talent, and I look forward to working with partners on and off campus to continue to move the university forward.”

Chancellor Reilly and leadership from the Board of Regents hosted 11 forums this spring to solicit input from students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, donors, and community members. The chancellor and the Board of Regents will meet with the university community this fall to discuss timing to launch a national presidential search.

“Marta is committed to UNLV’s Top Tier efforts and understands and supports the mission of a research institution and its relationship to a strong undergraduate curriculum. We’ve seen this repeatedly throughout her career at UNLV,” said Board of Regents Chair Kevin J. Page. “She has excellent management skills and is admired by students and faculty alike.”

Meana joined the psychology department at UNLV in 1997 after completing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at McGill University and a post-doctoral research fellowship in women’s health at the University of Toronto.