I hope that this note finds you well as we hit the one-year anniversary of the pandemic and bring this challenging and disruptive year to a close. Here at the Graduate College we persist and remain hopeful for a healthier, safer, and all-around better year ahead.
As the semester unfolds in a mostly virtual and hybrid manner, we are excitedly anticipating the third #RebelsGive, UNLV’s giving day, which will take place on March 2 and 3.
In December, the Graduate College celebrated almost 200 spring, summer, and fall 2020 doctoral graduates during UNLV's first virtual Doctoral Commencement, which included a virtual ceremony complete with advisor congratulatory videos as well as a virtual reception for graduates, family, and friends in Remo (left), a virtual event platform.
BY THE NUMBERS
$215,000+ DOLLARS GIVEN TO GRADUATE STUDENTS THROUGH EMERGENCY RETENTION AWARDS SINCE AUGUST
1,525+ GRADUATE COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED IN 2020
98 2020 REBEL GRAD SLAM: 3-MINUTE THESIS COMPETITION PRESENTERS (MOST IN EVENT HISTORY)
41 PARTICIPANTS IN THE WINTER GRAD REBEL WRITING BOOT CAMP (MOST IN PROGRAM HISTORY)
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Participate in Virtual and Flexible 5K to Support Graduate Students!
In support of UNLV's graduate students, the Graduate College invites you to participate in its #RebelsGive flexible 5K where you can do anything you love. Run 5K races routinely? This one’s for you. Don’t run at all? This one is still for you. During the Five to Thrive 5K, participants are asked to pick any activity (walking, skating, dancing, reading books, eating cookies) and do it for five of any measure (kilometers, minutes, pages of writing, songs) between Feb. 26 and March 3. Want to register? Looking for more information? Interested in a Five to Thrive T-shirt? Please visit the Graduate College's 5K page.
Not interested in the 5K? Please consider supporting graduate students on March 2 and 3 during this year's #RebelsGive. This year with the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic uncertainty, financial support is more important than ever to our graduate students. Any gift, no matter the size, makes a difference in the lives of graduate students.
Call for Nominations: UNLV Annual Alumni Awards
UNLV's Annual Alumni Awards honor the university's best and brightest graduates as well as outstanding faculty, donors, and volunteers. The university is seeking nominations through Friday, March 5 for several award categories. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in fall 2021 during Rebel Homecoming Week (date TBD). Learn more about the award categories and submit a nomination. Self-nominations are accepted.
Alumni Leadership Speaker Series: Dr. Lisa Danielson
Join the UNLV Graduate College, the UNLV Alumni Association, and UNLV Career Services on April 8 from 4-5 p.m. for a virtual installment of the Alumni Leadership Speaker Series featuring Dr. Lisa Danielson, M.S. ’98. The Alumni Leadership Speaker Series allows notable UNLV alumni to share their stories and successes. Dr. Lisa Danielson is the Director of the Center for Space and Earth Science and the NASA Program Manager for Discovery Science and New Missions at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Danielson spent the previous 15 years at NASA Johnson Space Center, first as a National Academy of Science Fellow, and then as a Jacobs contract professional staff member, most recently as Manager of Basic and Applied Research within the Science and Exploration Department on the Jacobs JETS contract. This event is free and open to faculty, staff, alumni, and students. Please RSVP (required) and find the virtual event link at tinyurl.com/lisadanielson.
Join Us as a Grad Alumni Ambassador
The Graduate College has launched a new Grad Alumni Ambassadors program. This group will work with the Graduate College to help promote UNLV graduate education and advocate for graduate student success. Ambassadors can represent the Graduate College at events; share their experiences, expertise, and professional networks; represent the Graduate College in the community; support graduate admissions; make a personally meaningful gift to the Graduate College; and attend one-hour conference calls each semester to hear updates from campus leaders. Ambassadors can select how they’d like to participate based on what their interests are and what fits into their schedule. To sign up to become a Grad Alumni Ambassador, complete the online form. Contact Director of Development Liz Kahane at liz.kahane@unlv.edu or 702-895-3429 for more information.
Nevena Cvijetic Earns Promotion to Executive Director of Leadership, Professional, and Career Development at Graduate College
The Graduate College is pleased to announce that Nevena Cvijetic has been hired as the Executive Director of Leadership, Professional, and Career Development. Cvijetic will enhance the student experience with innovative programming and collaborations through The Grad Academy, which provides graduate and professional students with leadership, professional, and career development opportunities.
Kendra McClothen, a Ph.D. student in Neuroscience, and Harjiv Singh, a Ph.D. student in Kinesiology, tied for first place in the 2020 Rebel Grad Slam competition on Nov. 18. Rebel Grad Slam, an annual event hosted by the Graduate College, challenges graduate students to present their research in a condensed and compelling way using only three minutes and one slide.
Many UNLV graduate students are currently facing extreme hardships. In these challenging times, we're looking for partners to join us in supporting the Graduate Student Emergency Support Fund, which provides help to our graduate students during times of need. This fund provides Emergency Retention Awards to students with emergency financial need. We have seen a large increase of applications due to COVID-19, and we expect these needs to continue.
For more information, please contact Director of Development Liz Kahane at liz.kahane@unlv.edu or 702-895-3429 or visit our giving page. Thank you!
UNLV Online Programs Shine in Latest U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Online master’s program for School of Nursing ranks 7th overall and College of Education earns highest-ever placement at 35th; Liberal Arts’ online bachelor’s in psychology debuts at 26th.
Your contribution provides invaluable resources to support graduate students, expand their educational and professional opportunities, and change both their career paths and their lives. To support graduate students, visit our giving page. Or, for more information on how you can support graduate education at UNLV, contact: