Jim Ratigan received the 2004 Outstanding Alumnus Award, the highest honor presented by the UNLV Alumni Association, at the annual homecoming dinner.

Ratigan, '78 BS Business Administration, is a former president of the UNLV Alumni Association and served as an ex-officio trustee on the UNLV Foundation Board. Ratigan is a member of the Foundation's Annual Giving Council and has served on UNLV's Management Information Systems Business Community Advisory Council.

Ratigan frequently speaks to students on how to make a successful transition from the academic world to the professional workplace. He recently was tapped to serve as the keynote speaker to an audience of more than 3,000 at UNLV's new student orientation.

He is partner and senior vice president of Nevsys, Inc., a software development company that specializes in application development for court systems and the hospitality/gaming industry. Previously, he was co-founder and president of Advanced Cyber Solutions, Inc., a computer network integration and wireless communication company. The company was formed in 1995, and Ratigan recently sold his interests to his longtime business partner to pursue the Nevsys opportunity.

Ratigan's daughter, Heather, is immediate past president of the UNLV Student Alumni Association.