UNLV 2026 Community Engagement Award Recipients Announced

UNLV’s Office of Government and Community Engagement is pleased to recognize this year’s recipients of the UNLV 2026 Community Engagement Awards.

These annual, university-wide awards recognize students, staff, and faculty for their exceptional Carnegie-defined academic community engagement in the areas of 1) service-learning, 2) community-based research, 3) faculty/staff community outreach activity, and 4) student service.

The 2026 recipients are:

Service-Learning Faculty Award

• Recipient:
  • Kathleen Thimsen, Associate Professor in Residence, School of Nursing  
    • NURS 350L Population Health Nursing in the Community – Clinical             

Community-Based Research Award

• Recipient:           
  • Ying Guo, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health     
    • Evaluating Boys Town’s LIFT Community-Based Intervention: Enhancing Student Well-being in CCSD    

Faculty/Staff Outreach Award

• Recipient:
  • Jennifer Byrnes, Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts
    • Forensic Anthropology Consultation for/with the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner (CCOCME)      

Student Service Award

• Recipient:
  • Kyle Fairweather, Student, International Business, Lee Business School
    • Mindset Matters             

Additionally, the following individuals received Honorable Mentions:

Community-Based Research Award

• Honorable Mention:
  • Marta Soligo, Assistant Professor, William F. Harrah College of Hospitality             
    • UNLV Tourism Development, Diversification, and Resiliency Initiative

Faculty/Staff Outreach Award

• Honorable Mentions:
  • Jill Manit, Associate Director of Education and Training, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine             
    • BeHERE Nevada: K-12 Outreach
  • Alison Sloat, Professor-in-Residence, College of Sciences
    • Rebel Science Camp                       

Student Service Award

• Honorable Mentions:
  • Nikki Adams, Student, Biology, College of Sciences           
    • UNLV Mock Trial Summer Workshop      
  • Imer Cespedes-Alvarado, Student, Political Science, College of Liberal Arts
    • Youth Voice of Nevada                 
  • Nicole Garcia-Contreras, Student, Communication Studies, Greenspun College of Urban Affairs
    • UNLV Harvard LEAD Cohort, Harvard Latina Empowerment and Development Conference
  • Liam Johnson, Student, Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts      

Please join us in congratulating these individuals for leveraging UNLV’s strengths to develop strong academic partnerships that are mutually beneficial, promote the value of the university, and enrich intellectual and cultural vitality for those who call Nevada home!