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Heather McGowan Torgersen, '09 MA Political Science, has joined UNLV's College of Liberal Arts as director of development. She has more than a dozen years of development experience. She began her career working on political campaigns and later transitioned into development work with nonprofits, spending nearly a decade in development with the American Cancer Society. While there, she worked in event planning and fundraising, led a national training team for development, and secured major gifts while managing a team of fundraisers. She is married to Andrew Torgersen, '08 BS Marketing. They live in Henderson  

Ashkan Mahdavi, '16 DMD and MBA, is pursuing further studies in the field of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics at the Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO). He is one of 18 licensed dentists selected from a diverse group of applicants to enroll in the new residency program at GSO. The program will educate dentists to be proficient in the clinical specialty of orthodontics while providing affordable care to the underserved population. GSO was granted initial accreditation by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in August and has begun efforts to provide the underserved population in Georgia with access to affordable orthodontic care by serving patients for approximately half the cost of private practice orthodontic care. His hobbies include watching the L.A. Clippers and other shows as well as hanging out with friends and family. He lives in Atlanta.

Glenn Plantone, '83 BS Hotel Administration, is owner and broker of VIP Realty Group. He also is the founder and owner of Tony Bolony's Italian Market. He lists work, travel, food, and real estate as being among his hobbies. He and his wife, Evelyn, have three sons, Tony, 25; Ed, 24; Vince, 16; and Giovani, 13. The family lives in Las Vegas.

Deron Shields, '84 BS Hotel Administration, is a senior manager at an international bio technology company. Previously, he spent 25 years in hospitality management. His hobbies include coaching soccer, playing golf, and traveling internationally. Married with five grown children, he lives in South San Francisco, California.

John Gregory Green, '08 PhD Civil Engineering, is a senior project manager - rail with Mott MacDonald in its Chicago office, and also serves as a commissioner on the Village of Plainfield Planning Commission. Additionally, he is treasurer of the Illinois section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He and his wife, Margaux, welcomed their daughter, Margaret Louisa, on Feb. 16, 2016. She joined older brothers John Jr., Joseph, and Matthew. The family lives in Plainfield.

Sabrina Orque, '01 BS Hotel Administration, started a human resources consulting firm for small to midsize businesses in 2013. She lives in Henderson.  

R. Andy Bomberger, '14 BS Hospitality Management, is catering sales manager for the Whitney Peak Hotel in downtown Reno. His hobbies include skiing, snowboarding, biking, beaching, traveling, learning, and eating. He said he loves his family, partner, and dogs. He lives in Reno.  

Robin Harris Slipock, '93 BS Hotel Administration, owns Jackson's Bar and Grill with husband, Brian Slipock, '92 BS Hotel Administration. Her hobbies include travel, food, and collecting turtles. The couple has a daughter, Dina, who is a senior in high school.  1

Alexia Hsin Chen, '13 Master of Architecture, was sworn in in August as a registered architect with the Nevada State Board of Architecture, Interior Design and Residential Design. She is a designer with architectural firm LGA where she has been instrumental in the design, project management, proposal-writing, and communications outreach for many complex projects. She is an ambassador presenter for the International Living Future Institute and an active member of the local chapters of the International Code Council and Urban Land Institute. She recently joined the Committee of the Environment with AIA Las Vegas. For her graduate professional project at UNLV, she led a multidisciplinary team of more than 60 students to design and build a net-zero solar-powered home, for which the team eventually won second place at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013. The project, coined Desert Sol, is on permanent display at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.

Brian Benitz, '11 BS Hotel Management - Meetings and Special Events Management, is director of sales and marketing for OB Sports Golf Management, representing 16 golf courses. He has been with the company for five years and says he plan on retiring with them. His hobbies include golf (a 10 handicap), disc golf, running half marathons, and skateboarding. The owner of a Brittany spaniel, he lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

David Nightingale, '80 BS Hotel Administration, has been general manager of the Peninsula Golf & Country Club in San Mateo, California, since 2005. Among his previous jobs have been serving as general manager of the St. Francis Yacht Club, as general manager of the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, and as lakeside manager of the Olympic Club. He said he considers himself lucky to be able to have a great career and stay in the San Francisco Bay Area where her and his wife, Melissa, grew up. Family, golf, and travel are his hobbies. He and Melissa have three adult children, Jonathan, Brooke, and Derek Nightingale, '14  BS Hotel Administration. Derek is a sales manager for Marriott in San Francisco. David and his wife are moving to empty-nester status, but have six chickens and a goldendoodle named Madison to keep them busy. They live in San Mateo.  

R. Scott Killian, '92 BS Hotel Administration, operates Scott Real Estate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Previously, he worked in the private country club business, switching to real estate in 2003. He lives in Bedford.