UNLV Newsmakers 2022: Issues and Impact

To say it’s been a yr of uncertainty can be giving 2022 an excessive amount of credit score – it’s been a complete lot greater than that. Conflict, inflation, elections, drought, and supply-chain hiccups are only some of the problems which were impacting us globally – and there’s a great deal to replicate on. 

Earlier than tiptoeing into a brand new yr with refreshed optimism for constructive change, let’s check out among the yr’s greatest challenges and the way our campus reacted.

Financial Ebbs and Flows

The ripples of an economically shaky yr have led to modifications in our spending, however that uncertainty has not been having a lot of an affect on Southern Nevada’s economic system. Casinos are nonetheless seeing file gaming win, and the Valley’s anticipated to expertise great progress within the years forward.

• Amanda Belarmino, a hospitality professor and shopper habits professional, talked in regards to the affect of inflation on vacation procuring, journey, eating, tipping, and gifting.

  CNBC, Information Nation, Fox 5 Vegas (twice) (thrice) (4 occasions), KLAS-TV: 8 Information Now, Journey Weekly, Las Vegas Overview-Journal

• Gaming historian David G. Schwartz chimed in on the rise in on line casino income regardless of inflation. 

  Related Press, KSNV-TV: Information 3, Legit Playing, KSNV-TV: Information 3

• The Lee Enterprise Faculty’s Heart for Enterprise and Financial Analysis director Andrew Woods and analysis director Stephen Miller gave perception on jobs, inflation, tourism, and vacation season predictions.

  Vegas Inc, Finnish Broadcasting Firm, KSNV-TV: Information 3, KVVU-TV: Fox 5 Vegas, KLAS-TV: 8 Information Now, Las Vegas Overview-Journal (twice) (thrice) (4 occasions), Nevada Impartial, KNPR, On line casino.org

Can You Dig It?

Society’s reliance on fashionable know-how – together with the provision chain disruptions introduced on by COVID – have made Nevada much more integral. Mining essential metals is obligatory to maintain up with our want for contact screens, cell telephones, computer systems, electrical automobiles, and nearly all the pieces else.

• Simon Jowitt, professor in financial geology, mentioned the vital use of magnets and the way that applies to mining in The Las Vegas Overview-Journal and El Tiempo. He additionally spoke to the BBC, Excessive Nation Information, KALA Radio, CBC Radio, OilPrice.com, and Highways In the present day about the way forward for mining.
• Jowitt and CBER director Andrew Woods have been featured in a KVVU-TV: Fox 5 Vegas piece on lithium mining and Nevada’s function in America’s vitality future. Jowitt additionally spoke to Mongabay in regards to the potential for LED lights to contribute to carbon reductions, and with Newsweek about fossil fuels.
• Tellurium — a preferred new alternative for developing photo voltaic panels — is one other big-ticket essential steel, however its quantities are hardly ever reported in mining operations. So, Jowitt and his colleagues developed a solution to estimate tellurium content material globally: EcoWatch, Qubit, De Tijd

Out of this World

By no means earlier than has our universe felt so small! That is due to the James Webb House Telescope’s high-resolution imagery and advances made in our understanding of the cruel situations that await us exterior of Earth.

Conflict By no means Adjustments

Conflict broke out in Europe for the primary time since WWII, including to the financial strife many Individuals felt – notably on the pump. With Chilly Conflict tensions rekindled, different nations are persevering with to look at how the world reacts to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, together with China concerning Taiwan.

Battle on the Ballots

All through the world, eyes have been fixated on the American midterm election cycle – with Nevada’s race an influencer for the remainder of the nation. The significance of the Latino vote turned a worldwide query for political scientist John P. Tuman from:

VRT Information Belgium, Deutsche Welle, Finnish Broadcasting Firm, The Telegraph UK, Radio Canada, Fox Information, Washington Put up, The Economist, Swiss Data, Telemundo Dallas, EFE, Latin Occasions, Le Level Worldwide

Political scientists David Damore, Dan Lee, and Kenneth Miller lended their very own experience on the problems in regards to the midterms. Lee spoke to Grey D.C. and USA In the present day in regards to the Latino vote and Nevada’s place in controlling Congress. Damore talked to Governing, CNN, and Vox regarding rural voters, public opinion of Republicans, and the partisan major. In the meantime, Miller’s feedback have been featured within the New York Occasions and Bloomberg concerning Nevada’s Senate race and the way management of Congress is drowning out native points for Individuals in all places.

One other divisive subject was the U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s determination to abolish Roe v. Wade, compromising the flexibility and protections in place for abortions. Well being legislation program director David Orentlicher and political scientist Rebecca Gill supplied context.

Publications additionally wished to listen to extra in regards to the subjects of local weather change, the economic system, and impacts of political adverts on our psychological well being.

Inside Local weather Information, U.S. Information & World Report, Politifact, CNN (twice), The Guardian UK, Newsweek, Yahoo!, 5 Thirty Eight, Univision, PBS NewsHour, Las Vegas Solar, Glam

Surgeon Common’s Warning

Simply earlier than the beginning of the autumn semester, UNLV turned a smoke-free campus. The Faculty of Public Well being led the trouble, banning all types of smoking, tobacco and marijuana use, and unregulated nicotine merchandise on all UNLV properties.

Retailers together with KSNV-TV: Information 3, KLAS-TV: 8 Information Now, KTNV-TV: ABC 13, the Las Vegas Overview-Journal, and the Nevada Impartial outlined the brand new initiative.

Instructor Scarcity

• Instructor union professional Brad Marianno was featured in interviews discussing all the pieces from a union that introduced affirmative motion into its layoff practices, to instructor strikes in locations together with Seattle and Minnesota, to politics surrounding rising instructor salaries and the affect of flu outbreaks on studying.

  Schooling Week, USA In the present day, Related Press, Politico, The nineteenth Information, The 74 Million, Yahoo, Minnesota Public Radio, Chalkbeat (twice), Related Press, Vox (twice), Christian Science Monitor, Boston Globe, Okay-12 Dive

• School of Schooling dean Danica G. Hays wrote a Las Vegas Solar visitor column about modern UNLV applications geared toward attracting extra lecturers to the occupation.
• UNLV’s School of Schooling has created an answer that permits open instructing positions in CCSD to be stuffed by people who’re already working in native colleges with the Paraprofessional Pathways Challenge.

  Las Vegas Overview-Journal, KVVU-TV: Fox 5, Telemundo Las Vegas, KLAS-TV: 8 Information Now, KTNV-TV: ABC 13

Capital Metropolis of Sports activities

Yearly, Las Vegas turns into extra ubiquitous with sports activities. And now, town lastly has its first championship underneath its belt with the WNBA’s Aces. Plus, Las Vegas is making sports activities historical past with the Raiders hiring the NFL’s first black feminine group president, pushing the significance of girls in sports activities. To not point out the NFL draft, heightened sports activities betting, and an F-1 race on the horizon.

• Sports activities Analysis and Innovation Initiative co-director Nancy Lough was featured within the New York Occasions concerning methods the 50-year-old Title IX legislation modified Congress, campuses, and sports activities. She additionally spoke to Healthline, Newsy, Star Tribune, Avenue & Smith’s Sports activities Enterprise Journal, and KNX Radio in regards to the limitations girls in sports activities nonetheless face.
• Brett Abarbanel, director of analysis on the Worldwide Gaming Institute, offered perception to NBC Information and Playing.com about file turnout for Tremendous Bowl betting in Las Vegas, together with online game esports probably turning into the following huge sports activities betting sensation. Alan Feldman, a Distinguished Fellow in Accountable Playing, spoke to Information 4 NBC New York and KNPR about drawback playing telephone facilities answering the next quantity of calls than ever earlier than, and the place the ‘enjoyable economic system’ of Las Vegas is heading.
• Historical past professor Michael Inexperienced and Worldwide Gaming Institute govt director Bo Bernhard additionally joined the New York Occasions to speak about Las Vegas internet hosting the NFL draft.
• Hospitality professor Amanda Belarmino was interviewed on the tourism affect of occasions such because the NFL draft by the Las Vegas Overview-Journal (twice).
• In her second yr as UNLV girls’s basketball coach, Lindy LaRocque was highlighted by Las Vegas Weekly for her excellent work – together with main the group to victory within the Mountain West Convention and to the NCAA Event for the primary time in 20 years. The Las Vegas Solar additionally shared Coach LaRocque’s views on the importance of Title IX for generations of girls.

Drought, Local weather, and Lake Mead

The eyes of the world have been glued to Lake Mead and the water provide within the Southwest. Document lows, water allowance cuts, physique discoveries with potential ties to the mafia, and the myriad ‘what-if’ situations created a surplus of media consideration.

A worldwide warmth wave in July despatched temperatures hovering into the triple digits in cities with traditionally gentle summers. And as water reservoirs dried up, our consultants have been persistently known as upon to speak about sustainability, altering course, and different options.

• Paleoclimatologist and geoscience division chair Matthew Lachniet added context to  Good Morning America, ABC Information, Fox Information, and Yahoo! items in regards to the record-low water ranges at Lake Mead. He additionally spoke to ABC Information in regards to the warmth wave hitting cities across the globe and to KRDO-TV in regards to the Colorado River disaster. 
• In an essay for the Nevada Impartial, William S. Boyd Faculty of Legislation senior fellow and adjunct professor Frank Fritz wrote in regards to the methods constructing efficiency requirements can cut back greenhouse fuel emissions and assist us save water, vitality, and cash. 
• Structure professor and sustainability professional Steffen Lehmann equally spoke of the potential constructive affect of solar energy and modifications to development supplies and blueprints on the Silver State’s local weather disaster throughout a KNPR panel dialogue.
• After a number of our bodies have been present in Lake Mead, historical past professor Michael Inexperienced spoke to The Guardian and Patch; gaming historian David G. Schwartz chimed in on On line casino.org; and forensic anthropologist Jennifer Byrnes was quoted by The New York Occasions, CBS Information, Nationwide Geographic En Español, Enterprise Insider, and Yahoo!. Byrnes additionally supplied perception to Insider for a narrative about drought revealing an outdated metropolis in Iraq, and the article was picked up by Yahoo!.

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