News: College of Sciences
![Ph.D. engineering graduate George William Kajjumba is hooded during the Spring 2022 commencement ceremony](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-12/d74061_049_grad_commencement_0.jpg?itok=ZAE_dCgp)
Student achievements including competition wins, a science fellowship first, and new innovations splashed local and national news headlines in 2022.
![A laser beam emitting a blue light is projected into a diamond anvil cell](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-03/laser%20heating%20picture.jpg?itok=Lv1KwKF8)
Groundbreaking discovery was the norm for Rebel researchers in 2022. Here's a selection of our favorite news-making UNLV research highlights from the year.
![man giving presentation with powerpoint behind him](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-12/G221104_2022_Rebel_Grad_Slam_029_2000x1333.jpeg?itok=Y1Hihu0I)
International student and biological sciences Ph.D. candidate Santiago Bataller places first in Rebel Grad Slam Competition.
![Graduation cap with "22" tassle](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-12/d74055_172_commencement_morning_0.jpg?itok=-jfeSeL-)
Five UNLV graduates will be recognized by President Keith E. Whitfield during winter commencement for their combination of academic excellence and service to the community.
![rendering of gamma-ray burst](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-12/image_2022_12_05t02_25_12_980z_copy_0.png?itok=o6mDC748)
A long-duration gamma-ray burst observed in late 2021 revealed signatures typically associated with short-duration bursts, forcing puzzled scientists to create a new model for the origin of this unique burst.
![young man in suit at poster presentation event](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-12/d72339_064_our_research_symposium.jpeg?itok=Wsrsyn4u)
UNLV programs, faculty, and fellowships help propel student research and future careers in academia.
![UNLV Engineering team's robot shaking hands with student](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-12/d74415_102_ana_avatar_xprize.jpg?itok=gi2clfY7)
A roundup of students and faculty whose innovation and expertise made news headlines.
![underwater coral and fish](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-11/francesco-ungaro-xymm4lrkzle-unsplash_0.jpg?itok=0uRPhUFO)
UNLV analysis challenges the idea that ocean ecosystems have barely changed over millions of years, pointing scientists down a new path on conservation efforts and policy.
![candid of man in suit jacket talking to a woman](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2024-05/Dave%20Hatchett%20D74620_019%20.jpg?itok=Bsb-kG9F)
Vice President for Research David Hatchett's first goal is hiring more staff to make it easier for faculty to get grant funding.
![Scarlet and Gray, “REB's Glitter Squad”, Lester Cruz and Isabel Ferguson, take pictures and hype up students and families during the October 2022 homecoming football game.](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2023-02/d74395_011_homecoming_football_2.jpg?itok=5uWr1Csm)
A collection of news stories highlighting UNLV students and faculty who made headlines locally, regionally, and internationally.
![A researcher working in U.N.L.V. professor Libby Hausrath's lab](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-10/internal_007_hausrath_lab_0.jpg?itok=O0kMCp6O)
A team of UNLV scientists is researching how we can support extended space travel with oxygen and food needs for people.
![Example of Tellurium-quartz-pyrite hydrothermal vein](/sites/default/files/styles/768_width/public/media/image/2022-10/2261-jowitt-tellurium-quartz-pyrite_0.jpeg?itok=HgY711wa)
UNLV economic geologists estimate global supply of tellurium — a metal used for solar panels — and the potential for extracting critical metals from existing mining operations.