And then there was one.
During the past week, faculty members, students and local business leaders have been interviewing candidates to replace former president Neal Smatresk. Ricardo Azziz, president of Georgia Regents University, toured UNLV earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Len Jessup, dean of the University of Arizona's Eller School of Management, said it was time for UNLV to create new revenues streams through fundraising and research.
Now, it’s UNLV provost John White’s turn to make his case.
As provost and a former dean of the Boyd School of Law, it seems John White might be the favorite. But education analysts believe even with his close ties to the university, UNLV is looking outside for its next president.
White recently was criticized following a report by UNLV's Center for Business and Economic Research on The Education Initiative, which said the so-called margins tax could benefit the economy. The initiative was defeated on Nov. 4.
Emails sent after the CBER report was released showed several gaming executives taking issue with the study and expressing their displeasure with it to acting president Don Snyder.
White told KNPR that he was a strong defender of academic freedom.
Whoever replaces Neal Smatresk will be faced with several important issues that are key to UNLV's and the region's future economic diversification. The university is working to earn Tier One status, it wants to build a medical school and finance an on-campus stadium.
GUEST
John White, provost University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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