Gloria (Leija) Ayala, ’93 BA Education, has worked as an educator with the Clark County School District for 27 years, during which time she earned her master’s degree from the University of Phoenix in 2004.  

Mark S. Bacon, ’93 MA Communication Studies, released his fourth theme park murder mystery book, Dark Ride Deception, in September. Based in part on real-life tech and imagination, this story of corporate espionage, kidnapping, and murder takes place in Nostalgia City, a sprawling Arizona theme park that re-creates a small town from the 1970s. Recently, the first book in the series, Death in Nostalgia City, was recommended for book clubs by the American Library Association. After graduating from UNLV, Bacon taught journalism writing at UNLV for a number of years. Most recently, he was a correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle. As a reporter, copywriter, and author, Bacon has written for TV, radio, newspapers, online and print magazines, and books.  

  Andrew Thomas Reyes, ’08 BA Criminal Justice, ‘11 MA Criminal Justice, recently relocated from Pittsburgh, Penn., to his new assignment in Charleston, West Virginia, as the Federal immigration benefits officer covering the entire state of West Virginia. His hobbies include road trips, aviation, and travel as well as visiting museums and universities. He just completed 1,500 featured posts travel map documenting his travels between 2012-22, having traveled to every state in the U.S. along with stops in Guam and the South Pacific. In addition to colleges football events, nature, and hiking, he enjoys attending auto races and visiting local coffee shops, restaurants, and cafes.  

  Jessica Landram, ’12 BSBA Management, who earned a master’s degree in social work from another institution, has worked as a school social worker, in private practice as a licensed clinical social worker, and as private adoption social worker. She resides in Southern Nevada.  

  Maria (Bugay) Maliwat, ’98 BS Hotel Administration, is a proud mother of three – all of whom have ties to UNLV: Carmella Bugay, ‘17 BS Health Care Administration; Anthony Bugay, ’21 BS Nursing; and Brandon Bugay, a current student studying nursing.  

Thomas M. Ware II, '86 BA Political Science, was granted fellowship in the College of Community Association Lawyers. More than 4,000 lawyers practice community association law in the United States, yet fewer than 175 attorneys nationwide can distinguish themselves as fellows. Fellows must demonstrate a commitment to educate and empower boards and residents of the more than 347,000 community associations across the country. He lives in Los Angeles. 

Diane (Hornsby) Ferraro, ’90 BA English, is the first female CEO of the nonprofit organization Save the Storks in Colorado Springs, Colo., after being a key member of its executive and leadership teams since 2018. Save the Storks partners with pregnancy health clinics across the United States to empower women with choice during pregnancy through mobile medical units known as "The Stork Bus" that are on the road in 30 states. Before joining the nonprofit, Ferraro served in various roles at large corporations, including overseeing marketing and communication efforts at a national retail chain based in Southern California. She had previously founded "The Soulful Experience" marketing and PR consulting agency that served businesses and nonprofits.  

  Kyle Ensrude, ’20 MFA Writing for Dramatic Arts, is excited that Papa Voodoo, a short film he wrote and directed while attending UNLV, had its world premiere at the historic TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, Calif., as part of the 24th Annual Dances with Films Festival on Aug. 29. The film's crew was made up almost exclusively of UNLV alumni and current students and was produced by UNLV professor and 2017 Nevada Women Filmmaker of the Year May May Luong. The process of the film's production started in UNLV professor Warren Cobb's film production class.  

  Paula Gehring-Kevish, ’95 BS Physical Education, combines her passions for animals and children as the author of “The Rescue Series” featuring children’s books about rescued animals. The native Las Vegan earned a master’s degree in school counseling and is retired from Clark County School District. She currently resides in Las Vegas with her husband, Steve, and is the proud mother of two children and grandmother of four. Her hobbies include reading, cooking, and traveling.  

  Ryan Muir, ’14 BA History, is an attorney licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Last spring, he represented a client in a Title 2 SSDI matter before Social Security Administrative Law Judge. His client suffered from chronic migraines for decades that eventually caused her to leave her career, and finding her only migraine relief through steroid treatment. Unfortunately, prolonged steroid treatment led to the development of avascular necrosis in the hip, requiring a hip replacement. She had been denied disability benefits but after a hearing, she was approved and received back pay of over $90,000. He lives in Woodbury, Minn., with his wife, four children, and two dogs. He enjoys playing hockey, fishing, and following Minnesota sports in his free time.  

  Shanice Stevens, ’10 BA Journalism & Media Studies, has been promoted to education director for Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada. Stevens also volunteers with multiple organizations such as the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Las Vegas Alumnae Chapter; Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy, and Southwest Las Vegas Chapter of Kiwanis International. She also serves as a Nevada Promise Scholarship mentor for the College of Southern Nevada and COLA Connections volunteer mentor with the UNLV College of Liberal Arts. When not working or volunteering, Stevens enjoys traveling, mentoring youth, community service, and spending time with family and friends. The Las Vegas native earned her graduate degree in organizational leadership from National University and resides in Henderson.    

  Mark Leonardo, ’82 BSBA Business Administration, has been an attorney for 36 years in the Los Angeles area with Kuzyk Law in Lancaster, California. He recently won a personal injury case where the jury awarded $15.5 million to his client, who had been severely injured in a single vehicle automobile accident as a passenger where the driver was intoxicated. The driver had previously been convicted of drunk driving but blamed the plaintiff for getting into his vehicle.