The gifts, made through the UNLV Foundation, are from some of the university's long-time supporters. Sierra Health Services and its subsidiary company Health Plan of Nevada are partnering to give $1.35 million. Fred Cox, a member of the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees, and his wife, Harriet, have committed $1 million. Bechtel National will contribute $500,000. PBS&J, an engineering firm with local offices in Henderson, has promised $150,000 ($100,000 toward the building and $50,000 for other purposes in UNLV's Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering).

"The Science, Engineering and Technology building is the cornerstone of our mission to become a premier research institution," UNLV President Carol C. Harter said. "We cannot express enough our appreciation for the outstanding support these community partners have shown in advancing our mission. Research activity is a vital part of our community, and these contributions will enable us to engage in cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research."

The building is a major step in increasing momentum for Nevada's economic diversification efforts. Empowered with the resources needed to compete with other states, UNLV will be able to recruit and retain the best and brightest students from Nevada and around the globe.

As these students graduate, they will increase the pool of qualified employees available to Nevada businesses. In addition, faculty and student researchers will be able to increase their collaborations with local industry and create the academic environment sought by technology-based companies.

"This facility is a unique resource that has tremendous implications for the region," said Raymond W. Alden, executive vice president and provost. "Not only will it greatly enhance the educational and research experiences of our students and faculty, but it will also allow UNLV to become a top research institution and serve as a catalyst for economic diversification in Nevada."

The 190,000-square-foot building, slated for completion in 2007, will include state-of-the-art labs, "smart" conference rooms, and integrated research space.

Research will include issues in energy and materials sciences, entertainment and convention technology, arid land sciences, and information, data, and communication technology. These fields of study will lead to discoveries ranging from advancements in robotics to new chemical and biological sensors for environmental pollutants. All in all, the building will improve Nevada's competitive edge with surrounding mountain states by offering one of the most advanced research facilities in the Southwest, Harter said.

For more information, visit www.unlv.edu/pubs/scientech.

The UNLV School of Dental Medicine is now screening patients for acceptance in its clinic, which will open this summer.

The clinic is open to all Nevadans including those participating in the Nevada Check-Up and Medicaid programs.

Patients will be treated by dental students under the supervision of faculty dentists. Patients will be accepted if they have dental needs that fit with the students' educational needs.

There is no charge for the initial screening appointment. Subsequent treatment fees at the clinic are about one-third to one-half of the customary fees in the community. If a patient has insurance, the school will assist in billing the insurance company for reimbursement.

Patients must be available for one three- to four-hour appointment at least once every two weeks until their dental work is completed. They must have reliable transportation to the school, which is located at Charleston Boulevard and Shadow Lane in downtown Las Vegas.

For more information, call the School of Dental Medicine at 702-895-0451.

Hundreds of photographs, publications, documents, and artifacts chronicling the 65-year history of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. are now housed in special collections at the Lied Library, thanks to a donation by the Las Vegas-based gaming company.

"Anyone wanting a window into the growth and changes in the gaming/hotel/resort industry over the years will find this corporate collection invaluable," said Peter Michel, director of special collections.

The extensive materials include celebrity memorabilia, financial reports, publicity files, corporate communications, film, videotape, and promotional items. The eclectic collection also contains materials about founder William Harrah's large antique car collection and his historical game and card collection.

The collection is part of the Gaming Studies Research Center and is open to the public.

Mary Palevsky's resume contains all the academic qualifications you would expect of an oral historian. Yet her most compelling credential is that she was born into a family of storytellers and scientists.

Her parents – both scientists with the Manhattan Project, the secret World War II atomic weapons development program – would often tell stories that, Palevsky realized later, were filled with the moral dilemmas associated with the project's legacy.

Now as director of UNLV's Nevada Test Site Oral History Project, Palevsky will document similar stories of people involved with the Nevada Test Site (NTS).

"There are many interesting parallels between the ethos of scientists, like my father, who did no weapons work postwar, and of those who worked at the NTS," Palevsky said. "They all shared an amazing commitment to ingenuity, hard work, and sacrifice that their work demanded of them, regardless of their politics. However, I think a lot of people have misconceptions about who these scientists really were and whether they could be human in certain ways."

Working with history professor Andy Kirk and sociology professor Robert Futtrell, Palevsky expects to interview more than 100 individuals this year. The three-year project is funded by a $582,000 federal grant.

Interviews will include scientists, administrators, and politicians as well as technicians, soldiers, secretaries, security guards, and others who did not have high-profile roles at the site. Also among proposed interviewees are protestors, "downwinders," and American Indians whose lives were impacted by the test site.

"The fabulous thing about oral history is that it's a method to document the experiences and views of people who would not normally be included in the historical record," she said. "Their voices can democratize history, reminding us that history is made by all of us."

Palevsky's own interest in oral history didn't manifest itself until the late 1980s, when she began recording the memoirs of her dying father. Although the interviews left her with as many questions as they did answers, the experience, along with the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, inspired her to seek out other Manhattan Project scientists.

Her research resulted in a book, Atomic Fragments: A Daughter's Questions, which weaves together personal inquiry and oral history to examine the legacy of the Manhattan Project and to better understand the impact it had on her own life. She hopes the NTS project will do the same for others.

"Many people's lives in Nevada were affected by what happened at the test site, so I think that the stories that come out of this project will be important to them," she said. "It's an essentially interesting picture of the developments in American culture during the Cold War, not the least of which is the amazing secrecy surrounding nuclear weapons and the science behind them.

"I don't think we comprehend the extent to which nuclear weapons have changed our lives.What is striking to me is the diversity of views people hold about their meaning."

All tapes and transcripts from the project will be housed in the Lied Library's special collections department, where they will be made available to the public.

By Gian Galassi

As more and more venues catering to Las Vegas' jazz enthusiasts close, KUNV 91.5 FM continues to breathe new life into the classic art form.

Now in its sixth year with an all-jazz format on weekdays and an eclectic mix of world music on weekends, the station has been steadily increasing its audience. And while simply staying on air in a notoriously difficult market would be cause enough for some to rest on their laurels, the handful of dedicated staff members and volunteers are not satisfied with the status quo. They continue to both strengthen and refocus their efforts.

Under the management of communications professor Anthony Ferri, the station has made several changes to expand its loyal fan base. Most notable is the addition of program director Gig Brown. A former radio broadcaster, saxophonist, and percussionist, Brown knows what it takes to please an audience. His extensive experience includes stints at some of the nation's most popular jazz radio stations, including the industry leader WBGO in New Jersey.

Since Gig Brown became KUNV’s program director, the station has retooled its production suite to attract new programming, such as the nationally distributed “JazzSet with DeeDee Bridgewater.” Brown is pictured here with KUNV announcer Freddie Jackson in the background. Photo by Geri Kodey/UNLV Photo Services.

"We are now refocusing our playlist to bring more continuity to our sound," says Brown, who wants to restore a consistent flow to the daily schedule. "Listeners are going to have a much clearer idea of where the music they're hearing is headed."

Lori Huerta, director of marketing and membership, explained that the station's appeal has always been its traditional jazz programming, which was largely missing from the Las Vegas airwaves before KUNV's 1998 format change. "There are other jazz stations out there but they tend to target more of the soft jazz audience," says Huerta. "Our listeners tend to be local musicians and jazz aficionados who want to preserve traditional jazz in town and who want to hear intelligent information about the music they love."

Brown hopes a recent retooling of the production suite will attract partnership opportunities with international artists. For example, the station hopes to become the home of the nationally distributed program "JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater." Bridgewater and her producer, Ginger Bruner, are local residents.

Although jazz will always be the main focus of KUNV, two programs have been added recently to attract a wider audience.

Last fall, KUNV became the home for a retooling of a popular radio program hosted by Las Vegas weatherman Nate Tannenbaum. The program, which can be heard Saturdays at 10 a.m., features notable local guests and out-of-town visitors who discuss and play eclectic selections of their favorite music.

Also added is "Our Metropolis," a half hour talk show Sunday mornings about Southern Nevada issues. It is hosted by history professor Hal Rothman, and guests have included Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water Authority; Dina Titus, state senator and UNLV professor; and Thom Reilly, Clark County manager.

Huerta and Brown both hope that KUNV's increasingly diverse programming and growing popularity will translate into more financial support for the station. It relies on membership dues, underwriting support, and grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to pay its bills – including its off-campus rent. The station occasionally receives support from various Las Vegas venues and the artists who play them, but there's no misconception about the nature of the particular jazz scene it promotes.

"While smooth jazz artists are traveling the world playing 17,000-seat arenas," Brown explains, "the traditional jazz musicians that we typically promote are still playing for $50 and dinner at the local pub."

On the station's "wish list" for 2004 is new equipment for remote broadcasts, server space for broadcasting live over the Internet, a music scheduling and cataloging system, and better production facilities. "The things this station has been able to accomplish with the equipment and facilities that we have is nothing short of amazing," says Brown. "But we need to tap into additional resources if we're going to build on those accomplishments and truly reach our full potential."

For more information, visit kunv.unlv.edu or call 702-798-9169.