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You’ll spot an important theme in the stories throughout this issue: Partnership. Building community partnerships is one of the key goals under our Top Tier strategic plan. 

Our cover story explores the role of public-private partnerships in enhancing our campus environment. In March alone, we celebrated our physical growth with three major events: The opening of the Anthony and Lyndy Marnell III Baseball Clubhouse; the expansion and renovation of the Thomas & Mack Center; and the groundbreaking for Hospitality Hall, the new academic building for the Harrah Hotel College. All of these projects were made possible through strong relationships with our alumni, state leaders, and both corporate and individual donors.

But public-private partnerships extend well beyond facilities. Two excellent examples of how these partnerships support the economic development are discussed on pages 12 and 14. Some further recent examples:

• We have partnered with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to launch a community effort to support the presidential debate that will be held on our campus Oct. 19. We would not have been able to bring this educational and international event to Southern Nevada without the resources and special event expertise of the LVCVA. 
• The College of Education brought together more than 250 educators, policymakers, and community leaders for the first Summit on Nevada Education to follow through on the opportunities to collaborate to improve our schools in the wake of the 2015 legislative session, which Gov. Brian Sandoval had declared “the education session.”
• We renewed our collaboration with Brookings Mountain West. It augments our own urban planning programs with the high-quality and independent research of the Brookings Institution to help the region grow in robust and sustainable ways.
• Through the HUNDRED Plan, a team from the School of Architecture’s Downtown Design Center is working with private residents and local officials to redevelop Las Vegas’ historic Westside.
• We launched the International Center for Gaming Regulation, a first-of-its-kind resource for independent education, research, and training programs for governments and regulatory leaders from around the world. It was launched with support from our governor; our Legislature; and such private sponsors as Wynn Resorts, Gaming Laboratories International, and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers.

I am honored and humbled to serve as UNLV’s president during this phenomenal time, and am especially proud of how our campus community, the Nevada System of Higher Education leaders, and community partners have come together to help further our progress. While there is much work ahead, I believe we will achieve our aspirations — together