Clint Clausen, '93 BS Hotel Administration, died of a heart attack Aug. 8. He was a reserve forward on Coach Jerry Tarkanian's final 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ basketball team in 1992. In his two seasons with the Runnin' Rebels he appeared in 24 games. A veteran of the restaurant business, he managed Bertolini's restaurant and Michael Mina's restaurants at the Bellagio and MGM Grand before moving to California. In 2010 he opened his own restaurant, Four Daughters Kitchen, in Manhattan Beach.
Gerald Higgins, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's team physician for four decades, died Aug. 10. The Wisconsin native was inducted into both the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Athletics Hall of Fame and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Lucia, established an annual scholarship for student athletic trainers.
W. Paul Jones, professor of educational psychology and higher education, died July 26 after a five-month effort to overcome a devastating injury. He joined the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ faculty in 1987. Over the years he published more than 85 articles in refereed journals and textbooks in research methods, psychological diagnostics, enhancing clinical skills, and educational psychology. He had served as department chair and as College of Education faculty chair. He also was a founding member of the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Center Research Advisory Committee.
Dennis Lindle, Distinguished Professor of chemistry, died Oct. 5. He came to 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ in 1991, twice served as department chair, and earned the College of Sciences Distinguished Researcher Award. Last year he was named a Distinguished Professor, the highest honor 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ bestows upon faculty. His research was in X-ray spectroscopy and the fundamental properties of matter.
Mike Miller, who created the Hey Reb! mascot, died Oct. 2 of colon cancer. In 1982, Miller was a partner in a local advertising firm when 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ wanted to replace its mascot. His mountain man was meant to embody the spirit of a Rebel while reflecting community history. He began his career as an artist for Disney, contributed illustrations to the Las Vegas Review-Journal for many years, and authored the "Tom?s, The Tortoise" children's book series.
James Rogers, chancellor emeritus of the Nevada System of Higher Education, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ donor, and businessman, died June 14 after a long battle with cancer. "Jim Rogers was passionate about education because he knew an investment in education was an investment in the future," said 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ President Donald D. Snyder. "The university and higher education have lost a friend and an advocate." Rogers and his wife, Beverly, recently committed $10 million to support the expansion of literary programming within 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's Black Mountain Institute, which has been renamed the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute.
Randall Stout, professor of architecture, died July 11. A member of the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ faculty since 2011, he served as the School of Architecture's graduate coordinator for the master of architecture degree program. Described in a as "an environmentally sensitive architect who earned a national reputation for designing dynamically shaped regional museums, mostly in his native South," Stout died of renal cell cancer. Among his museum projects were the Art Gallery of Alberta (pictured), Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tenn.; the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Va.; and the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts in Birmingham, Ala.
Verdun Trione, emeritus professor of educational psychology, died July 4 in Atlanta. A member of the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ faculty for more than 30 years, he taught in the School of Counseling and Guidance. He also was a practicing psychologist specializing in chemical dependency and the author of works of both nonfiction and fiction.
Mary Jane Palmer Watson, emerita associate professor of nursing, died July 29. The Iowa native taught at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ from 1972 to 1997. She was interim director of the nursing department in 1976-77 and was named Outstanding Teacher in the College of Health Sciences in 1987.
