Keith E. Whitfield
Biography
UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield is an experienced university administrator and prolific scholar in the fields of psychology, health, and aging.
A psychologist and expert on the social, psychological, and cultural factors of cognition and healthy aging, Whitfield’s current research focuses on the relationship between stress and longevity in African American families. Whitfield has authored or co-authored over 200 publications and has earned nearly $20 million in funding from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Science Foundation. He’s a member of the NIA’s National Advisory Council on Aging, he sits on the board of directors for the Coalition of Urban-Serving Universities, and he has served on committees for the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
Whitfield previously served as provost, senior vice president of academic affairs, and professor of psychology at Wayne State University in Michigan. Prior to Wayne State, he was vice provost for academic affairs at Duke University and held appointments as a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, a research professor in the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. He also was the co-director of the Center on Biobehavioral Health Disparities Research.
Education
- Post Doc, University of Colorado-Boulder Institute for Behavioral Genetics, Quantitative Genetics
- Ph.D. in Life Span Development, Texas Tech University
- M.A. in Psychology, Texas Tech University
- B.A. in Psychology, College of Santa Fe
Related Links
Keith E. Whitfield In The News
Articles Featuring Keith E. Whitfield
Nevada Academic Health: A Collaborative Vision for Transforming Healthcare and Education
Embracing the idea that we’re “better together,” UNLV’s academic health center takes another step forward.
UNLV Opens Storefronts at Junior Achievement’s Biztown and Finance Park
The new partnership will develop career-readiness skills and financial literacy skills in youth.
UNLV Defies National Trends with Record-Breaking Fall Enrollment
Nearly 33,000 students are choosing UNLV to advance their education this fall, redefining what’s possible in higher education.
UNLV Signs Extension to Remain a Member of the Mountain West Conference
UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield and Director of Athletics Erick Harper announced that Rebel Athletics will extend its contract with the Mountain West from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2032.