As you no doubt already realize, the past few months have been difficult for many students, faculty, and staff. We miss the patient and kind professors senselessly killed on Dec. 6. As you’ll read further in this issue, we will ensure that the legacies of Jerry Cha-Jan Chang, Patricia Navarro Velez, and Naoko Takemaru will not be forgotten. We are continuing with our Rebel Recovery Program in earnest so all of us can heal.
Following the tragedy, I must admit I worried that some students might not return after the chaotic end to their fall semester. But we welcomed our largest-ever spring class. This spring’s enrollment is 5% larger than last year’s, and nearly 95% of students were retained from the fall. To me, this signals that students – and their parents – value 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ and the important role we play in helping them to achieve their dreams. Their growth, like ours, is not to be stopped.
On March 1, I was humbled and honored when the Nevada Board of Regents renewed my contract as president of this great institution. A few days later, I delivered my annual State of the University address. When I prepare for these events, I like to take a close look at the work happening throughout our university. And each year, I grow even more amazed by and appreciative of the incredible contributions of 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s dedicated staff, faculty, and students. There is so much for Rebels to be proud of.
We’re continuing conversations with regional planners and elected officials regarding a future 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ campus on 2,000 acres in North Las Vegas. This land offers potential for graduate student housing, an education and leadership training center, and both a sports rehabilitation and aquatics facility.
We have multiple new building priorities for the main campus, including new buildings for our College of Education and the College of Fine Arts. We are also accelerating the timeline for a new Lee Business School. As a trio, these buildings are physical symbols of our our mission to improve the lives of individuals and transform our communities:
- We ensure the next generation can achieve their academic goals, and we begin that work early through partnerships to improve our pre-K-12 system.
- We foster a climate of research innovation and inspire creative activity in the form of original new works. As we expand our art facilities, we increase our contributions to the cultural vitality of our community.
- We leverage our resources and collaborate with stakeholders to fully support economic diversification. We envision the new business building as the epicenter for industry engagement with 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ.
Another major achievement in March came when 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ was selected by the National Science Foundation to participate in a first-of-its-kind Regional Innovation Engines to translate our high-impact research into tangible innovations. We’ll be working with Nevada’s Desert Research Institute, Arizona State University, University of Utah, and industry partners on a project that could infuse $160 million in federal research dollars into our region over the next decade.
On top of this, we also received two grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to accelerate clean energy technology and provide early-stage funding opportunities for small businesses and university-based innovation. This shows what happens when you create a university ecosystem that ultimately benefits everyone.
51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s path is forged, not by our challenges, but by our commitment to improving the well-being of our students, our faculty and staff, and the world. I am incredibly humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to continue leading 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ. And I am more committed than ever to helping our university move forward.
Thank you for your partnership and support of 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ.
Keith E. Whitfield
51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ President
