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Nevada Fund supports critical campus initiatives

Through generous donor support, the Nevada Fund allows the University to respond to immediate needs by furthering vital initiatives that support students. Last year, donors aided the Nevada Fund in providing comprehensive and inclusive programming for students through NevadaFIT, Wellness Welcome Back and Move-in/NOW Weekend. Additionally, the fund helped create a retreat focused on healing, support and trust with the Women of Color Collective. And lastly, in partnership with Apple, the University’s Digital Wolf Pack Initiative is working to provide a common learning platform and deliver equal access to technology and digital tools for freshmen and faculty.

Nicole Shepherd named 2022 Herz Gold Medalist

During commencement, the University recognized Nicole Shepherd '22 (accounting & applied music) as the recipient of the Spring 2022 R. Herz Gold Medal. She received the award as the graduating senior with the highest University GPA with the most letter-graded credits. Shepherd graduated with a 4.0 while pursuing a double major in accounting and music (clarinet performance) and a minor in mathematics. The Herz Gold Medal is the University’s oldest and most prestigious award and was established in 1910 by brothers Richard, Carl and Otto Herz. Funding for the award is provided by the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Foundation and the Thelma B. and Thomas P. Hart Foundation, a Reno-based charity. Learn more about Shepherd and her University journey in .

Celebrating the Class of 2022

In mid-May, we welcomed thousands of new alumni to the Wolf Pack Family — conferring 3,213 degrees and certificates at the Spring 2022 Commencement ceremonies. Of those, 2,516 were bachelor's degrees and 697 were master's or doctoral degrees across 169 different majors, with graduates ranging from 19 to 71 years old. As part of the Class of 2022's Senior Class Gift, the Associated Students of the University of Nevada is encouraging this year’s graduating class and our community as a whole to donate to support the next generation of students through scholarships and financial aid. Outgoing ASUN President Austin Brown '22 is asking students, faculty and alumni to join him in making a gift of $20.22 to support future Wolf Pack students, saying, "While our time on campus is coming to a close, our legacy and influence as a member of the Wolf Pack is just beginning." A record 178 gifts across all colleges and schools have already been received.

Julius A. Ballardini Cognitive and Brain Sciences Graduate Student Award Endowment established

Julius Ballardini and his daughter, Nicole Ballardini ’96 (psychology), ’07 M.A., established this endowment to provide awards to graduate students studying neuroscience or cognitive and brain sciences. A local Nevadan, Julius grew up in a time when higher education was not easily accessible and hopes support such as this will help future generations of cognitive scientists; and Nicole is a first-generation graduate student of the University’s Cognitive and Brain Sciences Graduate Program.

Welcoming the 2022 Foundation Professors

Deborah Boehm, Ana de Bettencourt-Dias and Fred Harris Jr. were named the Foundation Professors for 2022. Deborah Boehm, professor of Gender, Race, and Identity and Anthropology, researches immigration in addition to the intersectionality of gendered family relations. Ana de Bettencourt-Dias, holder of the Clemons-Magee Endowed Chemistry Professorship, focuses on research of light-emitting compounds and served as associate vice president for University Research from 2015-19. Fred Harris Jr., a professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers on parallel computation, data science and virtual reality, and oversees all of Nevada’s Established Programs to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) programs as director. The honorific Foundation Professor title is carried in perpetuity and each professor receives $15,000 from the University Foundation to support their professional endeavors. With the Foundation’s support, more than $70,000 is awarded to deserving faculty and staff each year.

Crystal Family Foundation supports Scholar Leader scholarship endowment

To support students in The College of Business’ Scholar Leaders Program, the Crystal Family Foundation established the Crystal Family Scholar Leader Scholarship Endowment Fund in 2010 and made its most recent gift to the fund. Focused on enhancing the college’s strategic initiatives through student engagement, this program is designed to identify and support student leaders’ academic and professional success. The Crystal Family Foundation has supported numerous colleges and programs across campus for the last 23 years and is engraved in the Honor Court as a Gold Benefactor.

Katerina Jones Diversity and Inclusion in Nursing Scholarship established

The Jones Family established this scholarship to support students pursuing a bachelor’s of nursing in the Orvis School of Nursing in honor of alumna, Katerina Jones ’06 (nursing), ’16 MSN. This scholarship will support a student who has positively contributed to the LGBTQIA+ community by promoting a more inclusive and equitable health environment.

Bruce A. Krater Civil Engineering Memorial Scholarship established

Established by family and friends, the Bruce A. Krater Civil Engineering Memorial Scholarship was created to recognize the late Bruce Krater ’52 (civil engineering) and support undergraduate students in civil engineering. After graduation, Krater served in the U.S. Air Force for four years before coming back to his forever home in Reno where his 50-year career included overseeing the design and construction of numerous important and critical infrastructure improvements in Reno, Lake Tahoe and northern Nevada/Northern California. Krater was past president of the Nevada Society of Professional Engineers; member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Public Works Association; and past president of both the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Engineering Alumni Association and the Nevada Alumni Association.

Loretta Terlizzi establishes three endowments through planned giving

To honor her late husband, Faculty Emeritus James McCormick, Loretta Terlizzi established three endowments benefiting KUNR Reno Public Radio, Special Collections and the Department of Art where McCormick taught for 32 years. The endowment for the Department of Art will provide support to both faculty and graduate students. The endowment for Special Collections will support the ongoing care and maintenance of papers donated by McCormick from 2012-16; and the endowment for KUNR Reno Public Radio will benefit KUNR's classical music and local news broadcasting, which have been a favorite of Loretta’s for nearly 40 years.

Mission Support and Test Services Student Research in the Physical Sciences Fund established

Mission Support and Test Services, LLC is the managing and operating contractor for the Nevada National Security Site and satellite facilities of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nevada Field Office. MSTS hires outstanding candidates in a variety of career fields, including science, engineering, information technology, project management, human resources, finance, construction and business. MSTS established this fund in September to support ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ students engaging in research in the physical sciences.

Nevada Public Health Foundation establishes scholarship endowment in gerontology

Dedicated to building a healthy future for Nevada, the Nevada Public Health Foundation established the Nevada Public Health Foundation Scholarship Endowment for Gerontology Nursing Fund in June. Supporting students pursuing graduate degrees in adult gerontology acute care or adult gerontology primary care, this endowment aims to build a stronger workforce through advanced nursing education. In addition to the establishment of this fund, the Nevada Public Health Foundation established a scholarship endowment for social work in 2019 and has supported the School of Public Health over more than 11 years of philanthropy.

Robbyn and Harry Tolles Family Medical Education Research Fund established

Robbyn and Harry Tolles ’00 MBA are establishing this fund through a bequest from their trust. Robbyn worked for the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ School of Medicine’s Office of Medical Education first as an assistant director of medical education, then as coordinator and lastly, as director for curriculum assessment and development. In her 14 years with UNR Med, Robbyn noticed there were limited funds for medical education research. The Tolles hope this fund will provide access to financial support for medical education-focused projects and/or programs, especially hypothesis-based research evaluating improvement in students’ learning or clinical skills as well as aiding faculty in trying out new learning strategies.

College of Business Graduate Student Scholarship established

Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, this scholarship has been established to support graduate-level students pursuing a degree in The College of Business. The college is a premier business school with a world-class reputation as a source of uniquely qualified future industry leaders.

Endowments and scholarships support student veterans, National Guard members, reservists and ROTC cadets

The ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ and University Foundation are grateful for the military service of our donors, faculty, staff, alumni and students. Thank you for your courage, strength and dedication. There are more than 400 student veterans, National Guard members and reservists at the University, and there are more than 120 cadets in the University’s ROTC Wolf Pack Battalion. Donors have established endowed scholarships to benefit veteran students at the University, including the Anthony W. & Delores J. DeSio Foundation Scholarship, the Amy & Mark Nichols Veteran Scholarship featured below, the A. Clark Hestmark Scholarship, and the George Prassinos & Thurman Fogarty Scholarship for Veterans & First Responders. Scholarship endowments that benefit veteran students and students participating in the University’s ROTC program include the Barsanti Brothers Military & Veterans Scholarship, the William A. Chaffin Jr. ROTC “Quarter Horse” Scholarship, the Colonel & Mrs. John M. Etchemendy Scholarship and the Frost Family Scholarship.

Endowed scholarship helping student veterans reach graduation

Established through planned giving by Ron and Grace Nichols and named in honor of their daughter, Amy ’13 (neuroscience), and their late son, Mark, the Amy & Mark Nichols Veteran Scholarship Endowment supports veterans of the U.S. armed forces pursuing their bachelor’s in engineering. This year’s recipient, Jacob Tucker (class of 2022) says starting college at an older age was intimidating, but this scholarship has been a critical support as he nears graduation. A U.S. Army veteran, Jacob traveled as a combat medic for seven years but always knew his future professional passion had started at a young age. “I was obsessed with video games as most boys are but when I started to wonder about the mechanics of the games and the physics engines powering them, I knew my obsession was my life goal,” Jacob said. “The opportunity to take my passion for games and technology and turn it into a career is something that I will never take for granted. Scholarships such as this have been crucial in providing financial help as I build my dreams as well as motivation for me to finish my degree.” Jacob will graduate with his bachelor’s in computer science and engineering and double minor in mathematics and digital interactive games in May.

Helaine Greenberg RSVP Award for Cultural & Athletic Events Endowment

Helaine Greenberg has dedicated much of her life to being an advocate for older adults, helping them maintain an active, engaged and joyful life as they age. She established this endowment to recognize the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program’s more than 500 volunteers who are actively involved in the Sanford Center for Aging’s community outreach programs and provide them the opportunity to attend University cultural and athletic events.

Andre Agassi Foundation for Education supports Pack Athletics

In August, the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education — an educational organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities and resources to otherwise underserved populations — gave a gift to provide computers for Wolf Pack student-athletes as well as support for the Alpha Fund Feeding Women Student-Athletes. The Alpha Fund, started by University President Brian Sandoval ’86, was created to provide nutrition education and quality calories to help our 200-plus female student-athletes maximize their strength and reach peak performance in training, competition and in the classroom.

UNR Med Alumni Chapter establishes white coat endowment and provides matching support

The UNR Med Alumni Chapter established the UNR Med Alumni Chapter White Coat Endowment in December 2020 to assist in the purchase of medical students’ white coats and coat patches. Additionally, ahead of the White Coat Ceremony in August, the alumni chapter committed to match all funds raised by the 2021 White Coat Crowdfunding Campaign up to $17,500 — helping raise more than $32,000 in total for the fund. Each year, approximately 70 outstanding scholars have the honor of joining the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ School of Medicine when they are formally welcomed as the newest class of students during the annual White Coat Ceremony. Their white coats signify the beginning of their journeys to achieve the long white coat when they become physicians.

Weatherford Family Political Science Internship Endowment established

Stephen Weatherford ’68 (political science) and his spouse, Lorraine McDonnell, established the Weatherford Family Internship Endowment in September. This endowment will support University students serving as interns in a public service or governmental organization. As a first-generation college graduate, Weatherford went on to the University of Oxford after graduating from Nevada and completed his Ph.D. at Stanford University. He and Lorraine were professors of political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This endowment “pays forward” the encouragement Weatherford received from teachers in the public schools of Sparks, the University of Nevada, Oxford and Stanford; and recognizes the importance of scholarships throughout his academic career, especially the support of the Nugget Scholarship.

See It To Be It Initiative established by Anthem

In April, Anthem provided generous support to the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ School of Medicine to help establish the See It To Be It Initiative Fund. This initiative will seek to broaden awareness about and increase attendance at existing and future educational programs by pre-med students from populations underrepresented in medicine or from medically underserved communities through monthly podcasts, mentorship programs and a one-day summit. Anthem has also provided generous support to Project ECHO and the Youth Horticulture Education Program on campus.