UNLV political science professor Jerry Simich was awarded the March Alumni Faculty Award for Excellence in Academics and Student Focus.

Simich joined the UNLV faculty in 1973 after serving as a visiting lecturer at Iowa State University for one year.

Specializing in the areas of American, comparative, and ethnic politics, as well as political theory and public law, Simich has authored two books and more than a dozen book chapters and scholarly articles. He also has presented more than a dozen papers and is currently working on two books about Croatian immigration to the United States.

During his 25 years at UNLV, Simich has introduced 13 new classes, including "Politics and Music," "Politics and Film," and "Constitutional Rights of Women."

Simich earned his bachelor of arts degree from California State University, Long Beach, in 1966, and his doctorate from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1973.