Inside UNLV UNLV Publications

2-2003

Inside UNLV

Gian Galassi University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Richard Jensen University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute

Kenneth E. Marks University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Repository Citation Galassi, G., Jensen, R., Harter, C. C., Marks, K. E. (2003). Inside UNLV. In Diane Russell, Inside UNLV Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/inside_unlv/65

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Faculty and Staff Publicat ion February 2003 New Faculty/Staff Info Web Site Lumched

An improved "Info for Faculty/Staff'' Web site was launched recently to provide a The interest box Contents better, more convenient way for faculty and quickly links staff to link quickly and easily to Web pages users to popular that are useful to them as employees. employee sites. Wetoome to ~~ Jnto for l'.oultytst.f'J PlOt. This The site provides links to more than 40 :!=~~"g1::b~~=~~!:I~ p~~=r:~· them •• empfoyelt . You will flnd links to more than •o us.tul UNl.V web paget, offerino quldc •~u to pertinent UNLV Web pages, offering quick tubjeotJ ranvlno from humtn retources to purches inv to WebCT. Unkt to r.otnt access to a variety of subjects, including articHt from~. UNLV't cempU1 newsletter, ,,.. PIA Grants tlto induded below on tn. n,.,ht. human resources, parking, classified ads, The t op stories f rom -- UPDATE-- Detailed purchasing, e-mail and telephone directo­ uHLv· · Olfi(lal C111p•• ,., .nlt ltt, t he current issue of ries, the calendar of events, and WebCT. CAU. fOit NOMINAnONI: HARAY Page 3 Update are highlight­ ReiD IILY!R ITATI! RI!I!AIICH To view the new site, go to http:/ I AWARD ed in this section. To In 2001 Presldent Herter cnetad the facultystaffinfo.unlv.edu. The page is also H•rry Retd Silver SUte R.es.. rd't see the full issue, ~w•rdto honor the J~tfictt'!t accessible from the UNLV home page. oontrlbudont of Stnetor Reid to click on "more." rtlt..-ch et UNLV. Th• tw.rd Js Look for the "Information for:" section on '~~:n~= fromthtUNLV the gray bar on the left side of the page, and then click on "Faculty/Staff." The directory links N oteworthy UNLV'r Nev•d• Conctrv.tory The-a-. The UNLV news & public information offer fast access to will hold non--tqulty •uditionr for John Gu•,..·• •s bt O•o,..•• of Sn • r.tion• office and Web services collaborated on the on ,. n, 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Aut hors to employee contact the Ptul Ht rrir Th.. n .ttUHLV. t:1R.t1. redesign project as part of an ongoing information. UNLV nuDI!:HT HONOilEO IY NDIEL PUCE LAU¥ATE Give R eadings effort to improve internal communication on campus. ~":.==.-:!-;:n:;:wa a2:e 3 u "We conducted a survey last spring to e ... ., ContlHt . Hohd •utttor • nd Nob• J Pe.a. .._,,.... EHe W ~seJ section links users to present. d l•n kelowit2 with his • ward gather feedback from faculty and staff on end • $1,500 schoterthtp. t:19.cc. what kinds ofWeb information they found benefits and training most useful as employees," said Sue information. DiBella, assistant director of news & public information. "Using the survey results for Classified guidance, we improved the site in ways we believe will better serve the needs of the to view tl1e rest of one of those articles - as campus, which has involved both the cre­ R etirement campus community." well as the rest of that week's Update­ ation of Inside UNLV and ilie distribution Benefits Several new features were introduced to they can just click on the "more" button at of more information on e-mail. We contin­ the Info for Faculty/Staff site, including an the end of each article. ue to seek ways to serve the communica­ Explained interest box with photos in the upper left­ "Our goal is to provide the faculty and tion needs of ilie campus." hand corner. From the interest box, you staff with quick and convenient access to Flagg encouraged members of the cam­ Page 7 can link quickly to several sites identified in the information iliey need, and use of the pus community to offer feedback about ilie the survey as most useful. Also, on the Web seemed to be a natural choice," said Info for Faculty/StaffWeb site. Questions right side of the Web page, portions of the Tom Flagg, director of news & public or comments about the page should be top articles from the most recent issue of information. "This is part of a larger effort directed to DiBella at ext. 50898 or at Update are included; if readers would like to improve internal communication on [email protected].

Cotnputer Science: 'What's Not to Like?' by Gian Galassi market and the inherent fascination people department added a Ph.D. program have with technology. "There is no question designed to accommodate ilie intense UNLV's School of Computer Science iliat the plentiful supply of high-paying jobs scholarly interest that emerged as a result of shares many of ilie characteristics that define in the field is an important motivator," he tl1e computer industry's rapid growth. And the technology it teaches: cutting-edge, rap­ said, "but you can't dismiss ilie fact that just this past year, the department was for­ idly evolving, and in demand. computer science is just a lot of fun . It has mally designated as its own school of study It should come as no surprise, then, that all the elements iliat people want in a career within ilie College of Engineering. enrollment in its burgeoning programs has these days - high salaries, interesting work, But while ilie increased student interest Athletic more ilian doubled since 1995 to approxi­ and plentiful jobs. What's not to like?" may be partly a reflection of the job market, Training mately 700 students. And wiili a record Computer science courses have been the school's focus has evolved along wiili number of new students being admitted offered at UNLV since the early 1970s, the rest of the university. What was once Program every semester, the growth shows no signs but a formal department was not estab­ strictly a teaching program is now a Growing of slowing. lished until198 0. Since then, UNLV has research-intensive academic discipline. Hal Berghel, director of ilie School of been conferring bachelor's and master's Numerous faculty are engaged in important Page 8 Computer Science, believes the increased degrees in computer science upon an ever­ research activities and are publishing their interest is boili a reflection of a strong job growing number of students. In 1995, ilie continued on page 2 UNLV, Henderson Create Rec Program Preparing for UNLV and tl1e Henderson parks a.tld recreation traitling ma.tmals, a resource Web site, and a series of the Legislative department have collaborated to create YouthFirst, a newsletters to educate parents on sports participation youth sports orientation progra.tn for parents. issues on an ongoing basis. Session The goals of the program are to encourage parental Sue Weakland, Henderson recreation supervisor, involvement, emphasize fun in sports participation, and said the partnership with UNLV allows the city to boost retention of children in tl1e programs. offer a parent education program tailored for tl1e by "An added expectation is tl1at parents, by learning local community. Carol C. Harter their role in youtll sports, will display appropriate and "We wanted to take a proactive approach to curb­ UNLV President supportive behavior when watching games," said R.R. ing violence irt youth sports," she said. "The unique Apache, assistant professor of educationalleadersllip. tl1ing about tl1is program is that it was tailored specifi­ Many of you may have heard or read about Under Apache's direction, students enrolled in cally for our commwlity and gives us direct access to the university's recently adopted "macrothemes." UNLV's sports education and leadersllip program experts in tllis field. We're very fortunate to have Though I have discussed tl1em on several occa­ developed and conduct a one-hour orientation session found the resources to create tllis program right here sions and they have been described in various that all parents enrolling tlleir children in a city of in Southern Nevada." publications, I believe the campus community Henderson sports progra.tn are required to attend. Teresa Jordru1, chair of tlle department of educa­ could benefit from knowing more about these The orientation discusses the roles of the parent and tiona! leadership, said, "YouthFirst represents university macromemes and what they mean. the coach, as well as why children quit youtl1 sports a.11d and community collaboration at its finest. Witl1 contin­ By way of background, I should note that me what parents can do to foster participation. Parents ued support and active involvement of me sports edu­ senior leadership on campus began working with complete a certification quiz and sign a code of conduct cation and leadersllip students, the program has tl1e some 150 faculty members more than a year ago pledge at tl1e conclusion of tl1e orientation program. potential to make a considerable impact on the quality to help identifY tl1e major academic and research In addition, UNLV students developed parental of life of fa.tllilies in the city of Henderson." strengtlls of our institution. This effort grew out of tl1e belief that it is critical for UNLV both to be recognized as a research instinttion and, in keeping wim the goals of the system's master plan, to dis­ Computer Science tinguish its mission from tl1at of other UCCSN continued .from page 1 institutions. We felt a critical part of doing so was to acknowledge and publicize our areas of strength work in some of tlle most respected journals in the and to create a structure through which mey could field, Berghel said. be identified and supported. We felt this would Since 1995, the faculty have produced more than also serve to enhance our ability to set university­ 50 refereed journal publications and book chapters, wide priorities and manage our resources more seven books, and 73 conference papers, and have given efficiently. This .kind of institutional "self-reflec­ nearly 500 invited presentations and keynote addresses tion" is occurring at major research universities at professional conferences. across tl1e nation wim greater frequency, particu­ This fiscal year, Berghel projects, the department tarly given the current era of timited state funding. will bring in more tl1a.t1$2 million in external research denri.tying our areas of strength was the first funding. Research projects currently under way include step. We began by seeking to pinpoint current or a NASA-funded study of hru1d signals aboard space­ emerging areas that characterize the contribution ships; research into information-custonlization technol­ UNLV is making to Nevada and the nation. The ogy tl1at scans e-mail and digital documents for threat­ goal was to identifY the scholarship and research ening, mission-critical, or time-sensitive information; clusters that most keenly represent our commit­ and research into Internet forensics, or the study of ment to partnering with our community, that sup­ Internet "hacking." port economic diversification efforts, and that An important component of the research effort is HalBerghel illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of the pro­ the wliversity's Information Science Research grams active on campus. Over tin1e, the initially Institute, which supports about 25 percent of tl1e finding rewarding, attractive jobs botll witllin and witl1- identified macrothemes were expanded and department's graduate students and employs more out Nevada," Berghel said. "Ultimately, our goal is to refined with faculty input; we expect tl1at tlley will thru1 10 researchers. All computer science students provide our graduates with an educational fourtdation continue to evolve as the institution grows. have tl1e opportunity to work on projects at tl1e insti­ and skill sets tl1at will make tl1em llighly marketable For now, the number of macrothemes stands tute as well as at other research labs, including those today as well as prepare tl1em to be lifelong scholars." at 11; they represent a broad range of academic dealing with graphics and computer visualization, This past fall, tl1e department received a six-year subjects, touching on nearly every discipline witl1- multimedia, ru1d Internet security. Berghel said he accreditation by the Computer Commission of tl1e in the wliversity. They include the following: believes tl1at these kinds of research oppornulities not Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Hospitality, Gaming, Tourism, Recreation, only benefit tl1e students, but also local business, which is tlle longest such accreditation a university pro­ and Entertainment Management; Entertain­ industry, ru1d government. gram can receive. ment and Convention Technologies. This Berghel is already looking forward to what the For more information about the department, visit macrotheme involves tlle analysis of how current fi.1ture holds. Plans are urtder way to add several new its Web site at www.cs.Wllv.edu. and emerging technologies are used to support progran1s that will cater to unique employment oppor­ operations in hospitality management and the per­ tunities in Southern Nevada, irtduding multimedia and forming arts. These activities include efforts in the graphics, and Internet technology and the Web. entertainment industry to design and control "It goes without saying that Las Vegas is particularly lighting systems, robotics, and a.tlimatronics; to appealing to computer scientists who have an interest in NLV develop control systems; and to use virtual reality the entertainment, gaming, a.tld hospitality industries," STAFF BOX to enhance entertainment value. said Berghel. "But Southern Nevada is developing a Editor Diane Russell Arid Lands Environmental Science, Policy, computing and information technology base that goes Assistant Editor Cate Weeks and Engineering. This interdisciplinary research well beyond those key industries. I fully expect that Las Writers Gian Galassi area focuses on the Mojave Desert a.t1d, by exten­ Vegas will establish its own unique identity in software Richard Jensen sion, all arid lands in the world in order to assess development and host scores of software companies in Photography Geri Kodey me effects of expanding urbanization and increased the near future." John Litty population on fragile desert environments. But Berghel knows tl1at the students graduating Production Publications/Reprographics Language, Literacy, Literature, and from his program won't have to wait for that to occur. Conununications. Researchers in tllis area explore Labor analysts forecast that computer-related jobs will Inside UNLVwelcomes comments and suggestionsfrom readers.Please sendan e-mail to [email protected] drop a note to the elements that form tl1e basis human commu­ remain among tl1e hottest career paths for many years of Inside UNLVat mail code 1012.UNLV is an AA/EEOInstitution. nication. This involves examining the concept of lit­ to come.

Page 2 Inside UNLV Planning Initiative Award Grants Detailed

by Richard Jensen

The last two issues of Inside UNLVhave out­ lined 10 of the Planning Initiative Awards that were granted for the 2002 -03 academic year. Tllis issue discusses the final four grants. These grants focus on the purchase of badly needed equipment to train students for careers in health sciences, the future of the arboretum on campus, an archaeological study in Cyprus, and a service leaning program that will help integrate service-learning into the curriculum across campus. I hope that these three discussions have provided an indication of the richness of the work being done by faculty and staff on campus and have given an indication of the effect that the Planning Initiative Awards have on the campus. Carl L. Reiber of biology received $30,000 to purchase physiological equipment for biomedical/ dental education. The equipment will be used to train students who are majoring in a health science field with intentions of attending dental, medical, or nursing schools. Dennis Swartzell of landscape and grounds and Susan B. Jones of the landscape architecture pro­ gram received $8,000 to determine the future of the arboretum on campus and to create an interpre­ tive plan that addresses the arboretum's educational role within the university and the community. Swartzell has left the university, but the grant con­ Anthropolo gy professor Alan tinues under the direction of Mark E. Hoversten, Simmons, above, received a coordinator of the landscape architecture and plan­ $19,9 02 grant to launch an ning programs. Alan H. Simmons of an thropology received archaeological study in west­ $19,902 to launch an archaeological study invol­ ern Cyprus. At left, UNLV ving UNLV students-:' The ~u"'dywill investigate the anthropology master's student colonization of islands and human-induced environ­ mental impacts by undertaking interdisciplinary Kasey O 'Horo and Ph.D. excavations at Ais Yiorkis, an archaeological site in student Gwyn Madden western Cyprus. participate in the expedition Cheri A. Yow1g of hotel management, Cynthia Carruthers of tourism and convention administra­ last summer. tion, Deborah Young, director of development for hotel administration, Robert Ackerman of educa­ tionalleadership, and Jonathan Paver of the Teaching and Learning Center received $9,838 to create a service-learning program that will help inte­ grate service learning into the UNLV curriculum.

Celebrated Authors to Give Public Readings at MSU Ballroofll

Noteworthy visiting writers will give public read­ of an African American Writer. He is also the ings on campus this spring as part ofWriters-in-the­ editor of many anthologies, including In Search of Schools (WITS), an arts-learning program that pro­ Color Everywhere: A Collection of African American motes the teaching of contemporary literature in Poetry. He is director of the Mrican American area high schools. Resource Center at Howard University in The readings will be held at 7 p.m. in the Moyer Washington, D.C. Student Union ballroom on: Perrotta Cisneros Karr Mi ller Prior to their public lectures, the autl1ors will • Feb. 14- Tom Perrotta, a fiction writer and Writers' Workshop and has won two National work with students in UNLV's MFA in creative writ­ author of Bad Haircut: Stories of the Seventies and Endowment for the Arts (NEA) fellowships and a ing international program and with tl1e high school Joe College. His book, Election, was made into a MacArtlmr fellowship. She lives in San Antonio. students and teachers participating in WITS, a proj­ movie in 1999. He is a graduate of Yale University • March 28- Mary Karr, a poet and non-fiction ect of the International Institute of Modern Letters, and studied creative writing at Syracuse U1liversity. writer of Cherry and Viper Rum. Her memoir, The the English department, and the NEA. He currently lectures at Harvard University and Liar)s Club, was a national best-seller and was selected The program received a $40,000 grant from the lives in Belmont, Mass. as a notable book of 1995 by The New York Times and NEA and $46,374 in applied research initiative fund­ • Feb. 28 - Sandra Cisneros, a fiction writer The New Yorker. She was a Bunting Fellow at ing from UNL V. whose works include The House on Mango Street. Her Radcliffe College and is now the Jesse Truesdale Peck The project is also funded by more tl1an $62,000 latest book, Caramelo, is a multi-generational story Professor of Literature at Syracuse University. in private patron support through the International of a Mexican American fanllly. She earned a master's • April 11 - E. Ethelbert Miller, a poet and Institute of Modern Letters, including a generous of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa autl1or of the memoir Fathering Words: The Making donation from Park Place Entertainment.

Inside UNLV Page 3

I From the FROM THE COLLEGES

Dean's ;, .· candidate success. Additional purposes are to track pro­ Desk Business grams and to identifY program strengths and weakness­ es. Aggregate candidate information will be analyzed to by Kenneth Marks The college, in association with Deloitte and inform program development, and a broad goal is to Dean of Libraries Touche, will host the Nevada Business Hall of Fame prepare professionals capable of responding to changing dinner at 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at the MGM Conference educational contexts. Center to honor three of the state's top business lead­ Eunsook Hong, professor of educational psycholo­ According to the UNLV Libraries spring ers. This year's inductees are Irwin Molasky, Claudine gy, recently assumed tl1e role of director of the col­ 2002 assessment of service quality, graduate stu­ Williams, and tl1e late Howard Hughes. lege's assessment system. She bas begun data align­ dents rated library services below minimum in The Fannie Mae Foundation in Washington D.C., ment of critical course learnings (CCLs) in which fac­ two dimensions: "access to information" and awarded the college's Lied Institute for Real Estate ulty designed syllabi that reflect national and profes­ "personal controL" Four focus group sessions Studies a $38,000 grant to conduct research on sional specialty association standards, identified bench­ were held with graduate students during the fall "Rates and Race: An Analysis of Racial Disparity in marks, and created rubrics and course expectations semester to further specify the areas of low per­ Mortgage Rates." The institute will combine efforts tl1at clarify the relationships between what candidates formance; in general, they were expressed as: with UNLV professors Alan Schlottmann of econom­ are expected to do and how tl1ese expectations are ics and Paul Thistle of finance, as well as witl1 the assessed. Current assessment practices include CCLs, 1) a desire for the UNLV Libraries to com­ University of Tennessee, to conduct the research. course grades, field evaluations, candidate work sam­ municate regularly with graduate students, per­ Economics professor Jeff Waddoups received a ples, and course evaluations. Some of these are used haps through personal contact with librarians $25,000 grant from the National Institute of to provide candidate and faculty feedback, some are who serve as subject specialists and/or through Occupational Safety and Healtl1 and the Center to used to evaluate curricular effectiveness, and others a series of electronic communications, such as Protect Workers' Rights to conduct a research project are used to refine the college's conceptual framework newsletters, titled "Injuries and Cost Shifting in the Construction alignment and to project future needs. Industry." This study will research uncompensated Selected faculty members from each department as 2) a desire for more information on how health-care costs of construction workers in the Las well as computer support staff are members of the to search for and locate discipline-specific Vegas Valley. college's Assessment System Committee. Such cross­ resources, and In January, the college's Nevada Small Business college input is essential to developing a computer­ Development Center relocated from an off-campus based system designed to integrate data from UNLV's 3) a desire for improvement ih the speed and location to UNLV's new Paradise campus. office of institutional analysis and planning and the convenience with which library materials can be Keith Schwer, director of the college's Center for state Department of Education. retrieved (faster interlibrary loan delivery, short­ Business and Economic Research, presented Economic The process of formalizing assessment ensures a er bindery cycle times, improved response times Outlook 2003 in December. Approximately 200 peo­ long-term commitment to assessment as an integral for the Lied Automated Storage and Retrieval ple attended the event. The center offered the confer­ part of program development and evaluation. System, and improvement in the ease and relia­ ence twice to accommodate increased attendance. bility of connecting remotely to library databas­ es and electronic resources). Engineering Efforts are under way within the appropriate Dentistry library divisions to improve performance in Professor Walter Vodrazka was appointed interim these areas. The school's first semester ended with all the stu­ chair of the department of civil and environmental Even before our conversations with graduate dents passing their fall courses. Faculty members now engineering in December. He has served as associate student focus groups, remote access to library are involved in another busy and intensive semester dean for tl1e college and has also fulfilled the duties of databases and electronic resources was an area of with a wonderful inaugural class, whose motto is chair at both UNLV and his previous university. He concern. It was difficult in some cases for faculty, "Paving the Way." This semester continues tl1e will continue to work as the coordinator of tl1e col­ staff, and students to connect to library resources school's innovative integrated curriculum for oral lege's Accreditation Board for Engineering and (such as indexes, statistical databases, and elec­ health professionals and adds a first-year clinical den­ Technology. Vodrazka's appointment follows the tronic books and journals) when using off-campus tistry course. departure of Ken Fridley, former interim chair and computers. Connecting from computers at remote "Firsts" for the school this past semester included associate dean, who accepted an offer at the sites such as homes or workplaces required users the hiring of the first permanent dean, Pat Ferrillo. University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. to reconfigure the computer's Web browser, Additionally, Millie McClain became tl1e first faculty Assistant professor Thomas Piechota of tl1e depart­ which sometimes proved to be difficult and frus­ member funded for a research proposal. Several new ment of civil and environmental engineering recently trating. Now this problem has been resolved. clinical faculty members have come on board. Also, was awarded the prestigious National Science Founda­ During the full semester, library staff began the school will be recruiting faculty members for inte­ tion (NSF) CAREER Award. According to NSF, the testing software that allows authorized users to grated biosciences and professional studies. CAREER program "recognizes and supports the early connect from off-campus locations without the The renovations of the Shadow Lane campus, career-development activities of tl1ose teacher-scholars need for Web browser reconfiguration. Testing where the school will have educational, clinical, and who are most likely to become the academic leaders of has confirmed, as of this writing, that 98 percent research facilities, are in progress with a spring 2004 the 21st century." of the electronic resources Listed at date projected for occupancy. In the meantime, The college congratulates the following fall 2002 www.library.unlv.edu/resources/ eralpha.htrnl are instruction will continue on tl1e main campus with the graduates who were recognized in the Honors now directly accessible. Students, faculty, and second class of students entering in August. Already, College Medallion Ceremony in December: Tirnotl1y staff connecting from off-campus need applications for admission have exceeded last year's Atobatele, computer science, magna cum laude; Alan only select the resource, provide a correct name number. At the end of fall semester, there were more Frantti, computer science, cwn laude; Andrew and library barcode number, and proceed with tl1an 1,100 applications, compared to approximately Hooker, mechanical engineering, magna cum laude; tl1eir search. 900 at that time the previous year. Interviews for den­ Mehlika Kiser, mechanical engineering, cum laude; As in the past, a useful guide to connecting tal students are conducted most Tuesdays and James Traynor, civil engineering; and Nathaniel from off campus can be fot1nd online at Thursdays; 128 applicants had been interviewed by Whittacre, computer science. All six students earned www.library.unlv.edu/resources/remote. the end of the semester. University Honors. We will continue to work with the vendors/ providers of the remaining 2 percent of electron­ ic resources that are currently in conflict with this new method for connecting from off cam­ Education Fine Arts pus. Please bear witl1 us as we work out any minor glitches encountered during the The college is developing an assessment system The Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery was honored spring semester. ' to respond to accreditation standards and institutional by Las Vegas Life magazine in December in the publi­ needs that ensure program fidelity and measure cation's annual "Vegas 100 Listing." The gallery was

Page 4 Imide UNLV

I named as "Best Place to Get Your Art Fix." In addi­ recruitment of top lugh school students into the responsibility to train its employees and be concerned tion to the Beam Gallery, the write-up noted the major. The graduate pediatric and geriatric nurse prac­ about its customers. Nevada law now requires casinos Alumni and Grant Hall galleries and the lobbies of titioner programs will also help to fill a much-needed to provide hotline information for addicted gamblers. Ham Hall and Bailey Theatre as the places to go to niche in our community's health-care agenda. He began Ius ganling industry career in 1975 as a see good shows of contemporary art. Faculty in all departments have been very success­ regulator with the Nevada Ganling Control Board. In The University Company of Nevada Conservatory ful in expanding external funding for research initia­ 1991, Bybee was elected to tl1e board of directors of Theatre presents Moliere's Tartuffe in the Bayley tives from both federal and private sources. As a side the National Council on Problem Gambling. He has Theatre Feb. 7-16. Michael Lugering will direct this benefit, national and international travel opportwuties been teaclling at UNLV since 1994. He was the first hysterical comedy that has kept audiences laughing for have increased as faculty have presented tl1eir research to introduce tl1e topic of problem gambling into the more than 300 years. findings willie at tl1e same time helping spread the classroom and, over time, the topic was incorporated From Feb. 21 through March 2, The Adventure news about the deptl1 and breadth of scholarly into all coursework for introductory hospitality courses. Theatre Series presents Dance of Bees in the Black endeavors in the college and at UNLV. Box Theatre. When a group of friends is stranded in a mountain resort, things are not what they seem to be. In Darren Pine's suspenseful script, there is a Law dark secret that must be faced before the truth wash­ Honors es it away. It promises to be an evening of intrigue At its December meeting, tl1e Council of the and mystery. The college recently began two initiatives that will Section of Legal Education of the America Bar The Performing Arts Center is pleased to present provide it more direct contact witl1 faculty and stu­ Association voted w1animously to recommend full Twyla Tharp Dance on Feb. 7. Twyla Tharp has creat­ dents in tl1e various academic departments and enable accreditation for the William S. Boyd School of Law. ed more than 125 dances and choreographed five it to raise awareness of scholarship on campus, both Meeting witl1 Dean Richard Morgan and a number of Hollywood movies, including Hair, Ragtime, for honors students and for the campus community. friends and benefactors of the law school, the mem­ Amadeus, and White Nights. She has received two Honors has established a program of faculty liaisons to bers of the council had nothing but praise for tl1e Emmy Awards, 17 honorary doctorates, and a tl1e various undergraduate departments. The liaisons school's achievements since it opened its doors in the MacArthur Fellowship. Twyla Tharp Dance has been will provide information about tl1e college to students fall ofl998. touring to critical acclaim, performing a repertoire of and faculty in tl1e departments and will relay depart­ The Jaw school received its provisional ABA popular favorites and new works. mental information to the college, including nomina­ accreditation in 2000, a status which qualified all of tions of students for awards and scholarships. tl1e school's graduates to sit for the bar exanlination in Additionally, the college, in cooperation with the tl1e state( s) of their choosing. Honors Coilllcil and tl1e academic departments, is The final step in achieving full ABA accreditation Graduate law1ehing an athenaewn at which various faculty will will come tlus month at the meeting of the full ABA informally discuss their research with students and House of Delegates. Witl1 a favorable vote at that As described in past communications, the college colleagues. The college anticipates that this will be a meeting, the law school will have achieved full accredi­ has been developing several electronic initiatives to regular forum for ideas, occurring about every two tation at the earliest date permitted under ABA rules. enhance management and student services. The new weeks during the semesters, and will help make hon­ In addition to ABA accreditation, tl1e law school is E-COMS information request system was implement­ ors students aware of undergraduate research oppor­ also seeking membership in tl1e prestigious Association ed in late fall and has enabled prospective graduate tunities. For more information and a schedule, con­ of American Law Schools (AALS), which is the students to fill out an online "interest page." These tact the Honors College. learned society for legal academics. Many of our expe­ students then gain access to personalized "VIP pages" The college will begin a review of its curriculum rienced faculty have been active members of that which are customized according to the information over the next few montl1s in keeping witl1 tl1e univer­ organization tl1roughout their academic careers, but they entered. Students receive automatic e-mails sity's review of the structure of general education. The have had to forego participation in its activities since enabling them to access admission application forms, purpose of tl1e review will be to improve and refine arriving at Boyd. They look forward to resunling their to receive specific departmental and program informa­ the curriculwn for honors students pursuing the dis­ leaderslup roles in the AALS as soon as our member­ tion, and to be apprised of relevant deadlines and tinctions of University Honors Scholar and ship is secure. events. Prior to availability of the E-COMS system, Departmental Honors Scholar. the Graduate College received an average of 360 The college expects soon to launch a comprehen­ inquiries each month. In the first three months of sive new Web site, which comes from extensive coop­ E-COMS operations, the college averaged 886 eration with the office of marketing and community Liberal Arts inquiries each month, an increase of 146 percent. relations. A second major initiative implemented this semes­ The college also invites faculty to submit ideas for The achievements of faculty members in the ter is the online submission and management of new interesting Honors College seminars for talented department of antl1ropology and ethnic studies in graduate courses as well as revisions to existing grad­ undergraduates. recent months have been many. uate courses. Significant amounts of paperwork will In addition to receiving tlle lugh honor of being be reduced and the efficiency of submitting curricu­ named a UNLV Distinguished Professor last year, lum changes to the college's Curriculum Committee Martha Knack received news that her book, Boundaries will be greatly facilitated with these new procedures. Hotel Administration Between: The Southern Paiutes, 1775-1995, had won Kate Hausbeck, associate professor of sociology and the prestigious John C. Ewers prize from the Western chair of the committee, has worked witl1 Gale Professor Shannon Bybee, director of the UNLV History Association. Gary Palmer co-authored a paper, Sinatra, tl1e college's associate dean for academic International Ganling Institute and professor at tl1e titled "The Filipinos," which will appear in a fortllcom­ affairs, to design and implement tlus program. Harrah Hotel College and Boyd School of Law, ing book, Peoples of Las Vegas. He is a co-editor of the Instructions for submitting curriculum materials may received a special acluevement award for responsible book Cognitive Linguistics in Non-Indo-European be found on the college's Web site under "informa­ gaming at tl1e American Gaming Association (AGA) Languages and also is lead editor of a special issue of tion for faculty." Awards dinner honoring America's gaming greats, tl1e journal Cognitive Linguistics on tl1e topic of which was held in conjunction with tl1e Global "Talking About Thinking Across Languages." Both Gaming Expo. He is the first individual not currently will be published tllis year. affiliated with a gaming company to receive tllis Jennifer Thompson's recovery work involving Health Sciences annual award. ancient hwnan skeletons found around the Dakhleh Bybee is influential in addressing gambling addic­ Oasis in the western desert of Egypt is being highlight­ The department of nursing continues to work par­ tion issues, which has led to problem-gambling regu­ ed on tlle British Broadcasting Corporation production ticularly hard at recruiting and graduating undergrad­ lations in tl1e state as well as to promoting the need Secrets of the Sands: Neolithic People from Dakhleh Oasis. uate and graduate students to meet tl1e nursing/ for industry involvement in responsible gaming. The skeletons are from about 3000 B.C. health-care needs of our community. This process has Bybee notes that some companies still may not give Karen Harry's book, titled Economic Or,ganization been facilitated by tl1e new "RevUp" program for at­ the problem the attention it deserves. He maintains and Settlement Hierarchies: Ceramic Production and risk students in the nursing major and by increased that tl1e gaming industry has a social and financial continued on page 7

Inside UNLV Page 5 ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Hal Rothman (History) received the Texas Rainier Spencer (Anthropology & Ethnic Andy Nazarechuk (Tourism and Convention Admin­ Philosophical Society Award of Merit for Best Book in Studies) has bad his book chapter, "Census istration), who is serving as a visiting professor at 2001 for LBPs Texas White House: <

education from preschool through higher education, demand for improved training and research associated President's Column including the preparation of teachers, school leaders, with threats to the safety and stability of conunu.nity continued from page 2 and W1iversity faculty. infrastructure. They focus on multidisciplinary Biomedical and Health Sciences/Biotechnology. approaches in the study of homeland security, includ­ ability to identifY and critically evaluate and use informa­ This area provides a broad array of research opportW1i­ ing examination of emergency response and manage­ tion in its various formats; ensuring the availability and ties directed at understanding tl1e causes, treatments, ment by fire and police; public transportation; public creation of Literature; helping individuals understand cul­ and cures of human diseases, as well as development of healtl1 and bioterrorism; engineering and construc­ tural differences; and preparing communication profes­ strategies promoting and maintail1ing human health. tion; and strategies to ensure efficient interactions of sionals to use a variety of media effectively. Current research and creative activity include the study local, regional, and national governments. Social and Urban Issues: Outreach and of the underlying causes and treatment of cancer; appli­ As you can see, many of these macrothemes were Collaborations. This macrotheme calls for work witl1 cations of biotechnology to forensic science; innova­ developed with an eye toward encouraging the pursuit and in a diverse conummity to address critical social tions in prosthesis design, forensic dentistry, and mobile of and collaboration on research subjects of concern and urban problems. The goal of this effort is to reach testing of student oral health; environmental toxicology to the commW1ity and region. Tllis not only focuses out to and collaborate with community partners to and health; and environmental health promotion. research attention on matters often unique to our spe­ identify and solve social and urban problems, focusing Business and Economic Development, cific area, but also strengtl1ens our relationship witl1 on issues such as child welfare, provision of healtl1 Diversification, and Management. Study in this area the surrotmding community. I have long maintained services, urban growth and development, public lead­ involves the evaluation of the factors and processes that given our relative geographical isolation, we have ership, assessment of public programs and projects, and within the commW1ity that determine job creation, a heightened responsibility to pursue a research agen­ crin1inal justice practices. increase job skills and wages within the labor force, da that serves and nurtures our area. Informatics. The focus of this macrotheme is the and promote development of regional industries and I should note, however, that we likewise believe convergence of information, data, and communications businesses. Research in this area provides critical analy­ that facu.lty interest, expertise, and creativity must technology. This convergence is evident in tl1e tele­ sis of economic trends and technical needs, offering lead where they may; thus, we recognize not all phone and video commW1ication devices that are insights to local and regional stakeholders such as city, research will fall into the categories defined by the reshaping many aspects of society, including entertain­ county, and state governments; development autl1ori­ macrothemes. As we have in the past, we will contin­ ment, health, and personal lifestyle. New developments ties; enterprise corporations; and area chan1bers of ue to support facu.lty efforts in all academically driven by computing and information science are commerce. sound research, creative, and scholarly endeavors; I becoming essential witl1in virtually all academic disci­ Energy and Material Science. Within tllis believe that any such activity serves our community plines and sectors of society. macro theme, there are two areas of emphasis: 1) renew­ and society at large by contributing to the expansion Analysis and Preservation of History, Culture, able energy and alternative fuel sources and 2) materials of knowledge. and Society. Researchers studying this macrotheme science and engineering. The study of renewable energy In the meantime, the development of these analyze and document social, cultural, economic, and and alternative fuel sources explores Nevada's natural macrotl1emes helps us identify and build on our historical patterns, enhancing our ability to tmderstand energy resources - including wind, solar, biomass, and strengths, distinguishes our endeavors from those of the past, present, and future. They emphasize the col­ geothermal - tl1at can be used to meet tl1e energy other system institutions, encourages team building lection of data and the subsequent management and needs of tl1e region and nation. Research on new mate­ and interdisciplinary collaboration, and promotes archiving of that data. rials and composites involves experimental, analytical, service-oriented research opportunities. Like many School Improvement, Assessment of Learning, and theoretical work on the component materials of initiatives that we are pursuing, it achieves a variety and Educational Research. Research in tllis area natural and man-made systems. of goals. I look forward to seeing how these seeks to provide understanding of the roles education Development and Protection of Community macrothemes help us focus and contribute to the and learning play tl1roughout our lives. This effort is Infrastructure: Ensuring Homeland Security. success of our research agenda and, indeed, to the based on preserving and enhancing a seamless view of Researchers in this area are responding to the national campus as a whole.

Page 6 Inside UNLV News from the Colleges UNLV President Carol C. continued from page 5 Harter presents the Nevada Centennial Medallion to Exchange Among the Hohokam, will be published by UNLV graduate Lesley Praiger Press this month. Jiemin Bao recently learned that her book manuscript, Marital Acts: Gender, Marie Pefia. The award, co­ Sexuality and Identity Among Chinese Diaspora in sponsored by the Las Vegas Thailand and the United States, has been accepted for Rotary Club and UNLV, is publication by University of Hawaii Press. John Swetnam's article "Nothing Happened" was published given each year to the grad­ in d1e November edition of Proteus. This spring, uating senior with the Barbara Roth will have an edited volume published by highest grade point aver­ d1e Society for American Archaeology in its publica­ tion series tided From Campus to Corporation. age. Pefia, who graduated in May 2002 with a bache­ lor's degree in business Science administration, earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. She now This month, the department of geoscience would is attending Boalt Hall Law like to highlight its newest faculty member. Cad1erine Snelson joined d1e faculty last spring, School at the University of having completed her Ph.D. in geophysics at the California, Berkeley. University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) in 2001. As the first geophysicist on d1e geoscience staff, Snelson adds a new dimension to the department's teaching and research mission. Her primary research interests lie in seismology, the structure of d1e earth's crust, and FAQs on Classified Staff earthquake hazard assessment. She spent much of her first year developing a new geophysics program at UNLV. She taught her first geophysical methods course to a group of undergrad­ Retirement Benefits Answered uate and graduate students in the fall and has assisted several graduate students in integrating geophysical Editor's Note: Inside UNLVasked Mary Fischer, Can I withdraw my contributions or the state's methods into d1eir d1esis and dissertation projects. benefits manager in human resources, to answer the contributions to the plan early? Snelson has initiated several new research projects top questions her office gets regarding retirement No. You are eligible to receive an unreduced retire­ aimed at seismic risk assessment in Southern Nevada benefits. Tlus mond1, we'll address benefits issues for ment benefit with five years of service at age 65; with l 0 and the Las Vegas Valley. She is collaborating with classified staff members. In an upcoming issue, we'll or more years of service at age 60; or with 30 years of researchers In civil engmeermg at UNLV, UTEP, look at the retirement benefits of professional staff. service at any age. If you earn the years of creditable UNR, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. service necessary to retire but have not reached the One project uses seismic waves to determine the struc­ Overview: Classifed staff members who are required age, you may retire with a benefit actuarially ture and geometry of the Las Vegas basin. The goal is employed at least half time at UNLV contribute to reduced by 4 percent of the unmodified benefit for each to recognize potential earthquake-generating faults d1e retirement fund of Public Employees Retirement full year you are under tl1e appropriate retirement age widun the valley and identifY areas susceptible to System (PERS) ofNevada (www.nvpers.org). There and an additional .33 percent for each additional mond1. enhanced ground shaking during earthquakes. On are two options when electing to make contributions another project, she obtained fimding from the U.S. under d1e Nevada PERS System. The first option is Can I work while receiving retirement benefits Department of Energy to install d1ree real-time seis­ employer-paid contributions, winch are calculated at from PERS? mometers in local schools. This project has both 18.75 percent. Wid1 this election an employee's There are no restrictions regarding private employ­ applied research and educational objectives that salary is adjusted to compensate for d1e fact d1at ment or public employment outside Nevada. However, involve interactions among Clark County students and there is no retirement deduction from their pay­ there are very specific restrictions regarding work teachers and university-level researchers. check. If an employee elects employee/employer­ for a public employer in Nevada. Contact PERS for paid contributions, d1e employee and UNLV share more information. equally in the contribution toPERS, currently 9.75 percent each. These after-tax contributions are What happens if I leave before retirement age? Urban Mfairs refundable upon termination of employment if an Employees contributing tmder the employee does not receive a monthly retirement. employee/employer paid option who leave prior to The department of counseling is proud to armounce retirement age have the option ofleaving their contri­ d1e development of a new minor in compulsive gam­ How much will I receive when I retire? butions in place in case d1ey return to public employ­ bling. This is the first minor of its kind to be devel­ The amount of retirement benefits an employee ment at a later date, or requesting a refimd of the oped in the country and has already been nationally receives is based on the employee's years of service contributions they have made under the recognized as a major step for the addictions field. and average compensation during employment. employee/employer-paid plan. Employees under the The minor consists of six courses for a total of 18 Benefits are paid to a retiree for life. A retiree has employer-paid contributions plan do not have the semester hours. It is scheduled to be available begin­ several payment options from which to choose. option of requesting a refimd of contributions. They ning this fall. Students who complete the minor will PERS will review these options with an employee will have service credit available should they enter be in a position to apply for national certification as prior to retirement. public employment at a later date. gambling counselors. The department of counseling is leading the What can I do to increase the amount of my What happens to my retirement benefits if I die? country in addictions training wiili minors in treat­ retirement benefits? If an employee dies prior to retirement, eligible ment, prevention, and now gambling. The depart­ Employees who have five years of creditable serv­ survivors would be entided to survivor benefits: ment also offers minors in human services counseling ice, may purchase up to five years of additional serv­ • If the employee has two years of service in the and family studies. ice. An employee electing dus option must pay ilie two-and-one-half years immediately preceding Students majoring in human services counseling full actuarial cost associated with their age and aver- d1eir death; or will be in a strong position to provide counseling and . age compensation at the time of purchase as calcu­ • If d1e employee had more than l 0 years of to enter the department's master's program in com­ lated by PERS. The cost to purchase one year of accredited service; or munity counseling. This progran1 emphasizes addic­ service averages about one-third of an employee's • If an employee's death was caused by an occupa­ tions or marriage and family therapy. Many students average annual salary. The employee can purchase tional disease or an accident arising out of or in are choosing to complete both programs of study and the additional service in a lump sum or by install­ the course of their employment, regardless of become dually licensed by the state. ment payments. service credit.

Inside UNLV Page 7 News from the Colleges UNLV President Carol C. continued from page 5 Harter presents the Nevada Centennial Medallion to Exchange Among the Hohokam, will be published by UNLV graduate Lesley Praiger Press tlus month. Jiemin Bao recently learned tl1at her book manuscript, Marital Acts: Gender, Marie Pefia. The award, co­ Sexuality and Identity Among Chinese Diaspora in sponsored by the Las Vegas Thailand and the United States, has been accepted for Rotary Club and UNLV, is publication by Utuversity of Hawaii Press. John Swetnam's article "Nothing Happened" was published given each year to the grad­ in the November edition of Proteus. This spring, uating senior with the Barbara Roth will have an edited volume published by highest grade point aver­ tl1e Society for American Archaeology in its publica­ tion series titled From Campus to Corporation. age. Pefia, who graduated in May 2002 with a bache­ lor's degree in business Science administration, earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. She now This montl1, the department of geoscience would is attending Boalt Hall Law like to highlight its newest faculty member. Catherine Snelson joined the faculty last spring, School at the University of having completed her Ph.D. in geophysics at the California, Berkeley. University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) in 2001. As tl1e first geophysicist on the geoscience staff, Snelson adds a new dimension to the department's teaching and research nlission. Her primary research interests lie in seismology, the structure of the earth's crust, and FAQs on Classified Staff eartl1quake hazard assessment. She spent much of her first year developing a new geophysics program at UNLV. She taught her first geophysical methods course to a group of undergrad­ Retirement Benefits Answered uate and graduate students in tl1e fall and has assisted several graduate students in integrating geophysical Editor's Note: Inside UNLVasked Mary Fischer, Can I withdraw my contributions or the state's methods into their thesis and dissertation projects. benefits manager in human resources, to answer ilie contributions to the plan early? Snelson has initiated several new research projects top questions her office gets regarding retirement No. You are eligible to receive an unreduced retire­ aimed at seismic risk assessment in Soutl1ern Nevada benefits. This monili, we'll address benefits issues for ment benefit wiili five years of service at age 65; wiili 10 and tl1e Las Vegas Valley. She is collaborati ng with classified staff members. In an upcoming issue, we'll or more years of service at age 60; or witl1 30 years of researchers in civi1 eng meeni1g atuNI:v, UTEP, look at the retirement benefits of professional staff. service at any -age. If you earn ilie years of creditable UNR, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. service necessary to retire but have not reached tl1e One project uses seisnlic waves to determine the struc­ Overview: Classifed staff members who are required age, you may retire wiili a benefit actuarially ture and geometry of the Las Vegas basin. The goal is employed at least half time at UNLV contribute to reduced by 4 percent of ilie unmodified benefit for each to recognize potential eartl1quake-generating faults ilie retirement fund of Public Employees Retirement full year you are under tl1e appropriate retirement age witlun tl1e valley and identity areas susceptible to System (PERS) ofNevada (www.nvpers.org). There and an additional .33 percent for each additional month. enhanced ground shaking during eariliquakes. On are two options when electing to make contributions anotl1er project, she obtained funding from ilie U.S. under tl1e Nevada PERS System. The first option is Can I work while receiving retirement benefits Department of Energy to install three real-time seis­ employer-paid contributions, which are calculated at from PERS? mometers in local schools. This project has boili 18.75 percent. Witl1 tl1is election an employee's There are no restrictions regarding private employ­ applied research and educational objectives tlut salary is adjusted to compensate for tl1e fact that ment or public employment outside Nevada. However, involve interactions among Clark County students and there is no retirement deduction from ilieir pay­ tl1ere are very specific restrictions regarding work teachers and university-level researchers. check. If an employee elects employee/employer­ for a public employer in Nevada. Contact PERS for paid contributions, tl1e employee and UNLV share more information. equally in tl1e contribution to PERS, currently 9.75 percent each. These after-tax contributions are What happens if I leave before retirement age? Urban Mf airs refundable upon termination of employment if an Employees contributing under ilie employee does not receive a monthly retirement. employee/employer paid option who leave prior to The department of counseling is proud to armounce retirement age have the option of leaving ilieir contri­ tl1e development of a new nlinor in compulsive gam­ How much will I receive when I retire? butions in place in case iliey return to public employ­ bling. This is the first minor of its kind to be devel­ The amount of retirement benefits an employee ment at a later date, or requesting a refund of tl1e oped in ilie COlmtry and has already been nationally receives is based on ilie employee's years of service contributions they have made under tl1e recognized as a major step for the addictions field. and average compensation during employment. employee/employer-paid plan. Employees under ilie The nlinor consists of six courses for a total of 18 Benefits are paid to a retiree for life. A retiree has employer-paid contributions plan do not have the semester hours. It is scheduled to be available begin­ several payment options from which to choose. option of requesting a refund of contributions. They ning tllls fall. Students who complete tl1e nlinor will PERS will review these options with an employee will have service credit available should iliey enter be in a position to apply for national certification as prior to retirement. public employment at a later date. gambling counselors. The department of counseling is leading ilie What can I do to increase the amount of my What happens to my retirement benefits if I die? country in addictions training with minors in treat­ retirement benefits? If an employee dies prior to retirement, eligible ment, prevention, and now gambling. The depart­ Employees who have five years of creditable serv­ survivors would be entitled to survivor benefits: ment also offers nlinors in human services counseling ice, may purchase up to five years of additional serv­ • If tl1e employee has two years of service in ilie and family studies. ice. An employee electing tllis option must pay the two-and-one-half years immediately preceding Students majoring in human services counseling full actuarial cost associated with their age and aver­ ilieir death; or will be in a strong position to provide counseling and age compensation at the time of purchase as calcu­ • If tl1e employee had more than 10 years of to enter tl1e department's master's program in com­ lated by PERS. The cost to purchase one year of accredited service; or munity counseling. This program emphasizes addic­ service averages about one-third of an employee's • If an employee's death was caused by an occupa­ tions or marriage and family therapy. Many students average annual salary. The employee can purchase tional disease or an accident arising out of or in are choosing to complete both programs of study and the additional service in a lump sum or by install­ ilie course of ilieir employment, regardless of become dually licensed by the state. ment payments. service credit.

Inside UNLV Page 7

I Athletic Trainers Provide I<.ey Assists by Gian Galassi with UNLV team physicians and desig­ nated staff athletic trainers in the training They arrive hours before each game rooms and in the field, students must also and stay long after the crowds have gone spend additional hours observing surgical home. They are critical to the success procedures and assisting physicians in an of every team, though they never enter office setting. the game. They often help athletes make "The National Athletic Trainers' the highlights reels, but you'll seldom Association Board of Certification only find their names in the pages of any requires 800 hours of clinical work to sit sports section. for the certification exam," Holcomb said Certified athletic trainers are the "but our students end up with more like unsung heroes of the sports world. 1,450 hours because our program con­ Since the early 1980s, the athletic sists of an additional semester. We believe training/ sports injury management pro­ the hands-on, clinical instruction not only gram, located in the College of Health complements the educational experience, Sciences, has been preparing students for but also provides excellent field-based jobs in this increasingly popular and learning and networking opportunities growing profession. for each student." "Initially, I think students become During the program, students have the interested in athletic training because it opportunity to work with a variety of ath­ seems like a cool job, especially for those letes. They will work with botl1 men and who have an interest in sports," said Bill women and with athletes competing in Holcomb, athletic training program direc­ both individual and team sports, including tor. "It's a hands-on profession high-risk programs such as football and that can provide some pretty exciting expe­ Assistant athletic trainer Ann Dovenmuehler, an instructor in the athletic training basketball. In aU, atluetic training students riences, but not aU of the work takes place help provide medical coverage for 17 program, demonstrates a wrapping technique. out in the field. The responsibilities of ath­ intercollegiate athletic programs at UNLV. letic trainers have become much more comprehensive." physical therapy, or other health and allied health fields; Athletic training students also have the opportuni­ In addition to the more traditional courses, such as and the more rigorous clinical program in athletic train­ ty to apply to a number of high-profile internship pro­ rehabilitation and assessment, students are required to ing, which is designed for students who intend to grams. Over the years, UNLV students have worked study less obvious subjects as well, including nutrition, become certified athletic trainers. The athletic training with such teams as the Arizona Diamondbacks and psychology, counseling, and even health-care adminis­ curriculum is the only program in the state to be accred­ Dallas Cowboys. tration. That variety, said Holcomb, speaks to the ited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied The department of intercollegiate athletics offers widening scope of the profession. Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). seven graduate internships each year. These positions "A lot of people think that athletic trainers are very But interested students must have more tl1an just a are typically filled by students pursuing master's degrees similar to physical education teachers, but in reality the combined interest in sports and medicine to gain in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports medicine. profession is much more closely aligned with nursing admission to the program, explained Holcomb. With a Altl1ough UNLV's program and the profession's and physical therapy. Our students have to be able to linllted number of openings available each year, the various accrediting organizations have gone through address a variety of issues, each of which are determined admission requirements are among the university's some changes recently- including significant educa­ by the environment they end up working in." most stringent, he said. tional reform - Holcomb believes it is a change for According to the U .S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "We set the standards high to attract quality stu­ the better. athletic trainers are most often employed in secondary dents who will be able to handle tl1e rigorous clinical "The market has been quite good for certified ath­ schools, colleges and universities, sports medicine clin­ program and to help our preprofessional sntdents pre­ letic trainers lately, and it seems to be getting better ics, professional sports programs, and in business and pare for demanding graduate work," Holcomb said. every year," he said. "Which might explain why we're industrial settings. In the clinical athletic training program, students currently looking at a record number of students apply­ UNLV currently offers two degree programs: the must prove themselves competent in htmdreds of skill ing to our program for next year." preprofessional program in sports injury management, areas, including prevention, treatment, and rehabilita­ For more information about the atl1letic training which prepares students for advanced study in medicine, tion of athletic-related injuries. In addition to working program, visit www.wuv.edu/athletics/ training.

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