Dr. Marta Meana, who’s been the acting president of UNLV since July 1, 2018, recently threw her hat into the ring, expressing her desire to be considered as the next UNLV president. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Marta as she interacted with donors and boosters on numerous occasions, and I think she is the logical choice to continue the great things that have been happening at the university.

An internationally noted scholar in clinical psychology, Marta has been a professor of psychology at UNLV since 1997 and dean of UNLV’s Honors College since 2012. As dean, she tripled Honors College enrollment and boosted student success rates. She also served for a year as senior advisor to UNLV President Neal Smatresk. Last year, she was chosen to head the university until a permanent replacement could be found. Since then, she has done an extraordinary job of solving problems, building alliances between campus groups, and rebuilding relationships with alumni and donors.

During her tenure as acting president, UNLV achieved its long-awaited goal of being designated an R1 research university in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This designation should help UNLV compete for more research grants and attract top-level research faculty and graduate students. The designation from Carnegie is only one step in UNLV's transformation to a top-tier university, a goal Marta has been working toward in her 21 years at UNLV. 

I have found Marta to be responsive, articulate, and (most of all) passionate about the university she leads. She’s committed to the development and success of the medical school, with the goal of improving health care by supporting more local education programs for students in the health care profession.

I know the Board of Regents is conducting a national search and casting a wide net to find the next university president, which is the responsible thing to do. However, I believe that the best candidate for the position may already be here: Marta Meana. Her tenure, her knowledge of the community, and her commitment to UNLV make her a great choice. She is a true Rebel, and demonstrates that on a daily basis.

Regards,

Dallas Haun

Chairman

Nevada State Bank