The UNLV Alumni Association recently bestowed 60 student scholarships and nine faculty awards at its 26th Annual Alumni Scholarship Luncheon held earlier this month.

The students were recognized for academic achievement in their individual areas of emphasis and nominated by their respective colleges and schools. Final award determinations were made by the UNLV Alumni Association Scholarship Committee led by Chair Nancy Flagg.

Eugene Moehring, professor of history, and Dina Titus, professor of political science, both received the Outstanding Faculty Award, the association's highest honor.

Moehring, a faculty member since 1976, specializes in U.S. urban history and teaches courses in business history, Nevada history, and the history of science. He has published three books, " Public Works and the Patterns of Urban Real Estate Growth in Manhattan , 1835-1894"; " Resort City in the Sunbelt: Las Vegas , 1930-1970"; and most recently, "Urbanism and Empire in the Far West, 1840-1890." He is also the author of numerous articles on urban and Nevada history.
Titus has been a faculty member at UNLV since 1977 and has taught numerous courses in political science and public administration. In addition to publishing two books, " Bombs in The Backyard: Atomic Testing and American Politics " and " Battle Born": Federal-State Relations in Nevada During the Twentieth Century," she has authored hundreds of articles on Nevada politics and the nation's atomic legacy.

The following professors received Student Focus Awards for their commitment to classroom teaching, research, and student mentorship: Louis Kavouras, professor of dance; Ann McDonogh, professor of theatre arts; Andy Nazarechuk, assistant professor of tourism and convention administration; Richard Papenfuss, associate professor of health promotion; Ralph Reynolds, professor of educational psychology; and Matt Tincani, assistant professor of special education.

"Each educator was singled out for his or her outstanding dedication, proven instructional excellence, and commitment to students," said Fred Albrecht, vice president of university and community relations and UNLV Alumni Association executive director. "It is a privilege to bring recognition to these sterling professionals."
Additionally, Karen Kemtes, assistant professor of psychology, was awarded $5,000 for her development of a student-centered project. The project concentrates on a student-run Cognition in Aging Training for Southern Nevadans program, which aims to determine the type of activities that can keep an individual's brain stimulated during his or her later years.

The UNLV Alumni Association, established in 1967, represents more than 53,000 graduates, 70 percent of which reside in Nevada . To date, the association has contributed more than $5.9 million to the university in student scholarships, endowments, and major capital improvements such as the Alumni Amphitheater, Alumni Grove, Alumni Park , and the $2.7 million Richard Tam Alumni Center .