The inside scoop on the people and projects that support UNLV

In this issue:

• Celebrating Earth Day: Pam Musa, Associate Vice President, Facilities Management
• The History of Earth Day
• KNPR Interview: Tara Pike
• CSB Renovation Update
• Campus Emergency Phones Upgraded
• Spotlight on Service: RMS Career Day at Doral Academy
• Take Your Child to Work Day 
• Coffee with the CFO
• Upgrading Your Digital Literacy
• Dates to Remember

Celebrating Earth Day: Pam Musa, Associate Vice President, Facilities Management

Every April, as we celebrate Earth Month, people across the world turn their attention to preserving our planet’s natural resources. In particular, April 22 - also known as Earth Day - is a fantastic way to shine a light on global sustainability efforts, but keeping our planet habitable for years to come requires a focus on sustainability during the entire year - not just one month. 

It all starts in our community. According to various studies, Nevada is feeling the effects of climate change. The state has historically seen approximately 12 days per year with a heat index above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but if current emissions continue, that number could climb to 39 days per year by mid-century and 68 days by 2100. To slow the warming trend, Nevada is actively pursuing reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) and is poised to take on climate change preparedness and adaptation. The Clark County commissioners demonstrated this commitment when they unanimously passed the All-In Sustainability and Climate Action Plan at their last meeting. 

So, how is UNLV contributing to this effort? We are the first NSHE institution to launch a comprehensive climate action planning process. We’ve partnered with Brailsford & Dunlavey to develop the Rebel CAP, our nickname for the UNLV Climate Action Plan, a document that will serve as an official guide for integrating sustainability practices into university operations to reduce our carbon emissions. The planning process will take approximately 12-18 months and incorporate feedback from campus stakeholders. Once complete, the Rebel CAP will be reviewed and approved by President Whitfield before it launches. We will share updates and developments related to the Rebel CAP on the UNLV Sustainability website.

We also need your help! Please take some time to let us know if you would like to help with Rebel CAP by completing this brief Rebel CAP Ideas Assessment Survey.

I would like to thank the members of the UNLV Sustainability Task Force, especially Sustainability Coordinator and Recycling Manager Tara Pike and Dr. Lisa Davis, executive director of graduate student services with the Lee Business School, for their partnership in this endeavor. Both Dr. Davis and Tara are sustainability pioneers who have been working on these issues since the 1990s. You can read more about some of their work in the article 5 Changes Rebels Made Toward Sustainability featured in UNLV Today. 

Go Rebels… Go Green!

Sincerely,

The History of Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual event that celebrates our planet and rallies support for environmental protection. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, in various cities around the United States. Shocking environmental tragedies, such as the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill and the Cuyahoga River catching fire due to industrial run-off, underscored a need for increased environmental protections. Approximately 20 million people demonstrated on the first Earth Day. Today, Earth Day has grown into a worldwide celebration of our planet and a rallying cry for increased sustainability. 

Come celebrate culture and community on campus this Earth Day on April 22. Visit the news center for more on UNLV’s Earth Day events.

KNPR Interview: Tara Pike

UNLV Sustainability Coordinator and Recycling Manager Tara Pike joined KNPR's State of Nevada last month to discuss recycling in Las Vegas. Listen to the broadcast on KNPR’s website.

CSB Renovation Update

The Campus Services Building (CSB) is an integral part of UNLV, housing some of the university’s most central functions, including Human Resources (HR) and Business Affairs (BA). 

Overseen by Planning & Construction (P&C), the building has undergone extensive renovations over the past few years, constructed in phases, to update, modernize, and maximize space allocations and employee seating capacity in what was once a temporary solution to spacing issues on campus.

“The most recent phase - renovating an area on the first floor for a newly remodeled Human Resources department - went extremely well,” said Ron Singer, a P&C senior project manager. “The contractors did a great job and we finished early, completing construction before the end of the fiscal year.”

Along with installing controlled direct access to the HR (northeast) entrance, the space has three internal huddle/meeting rooms, a conference room, and a large copy/work room, making it a great collaborative space.

“Aesthetically, the office is set up wonderfully, with lots of light and space and the design is appealing and professional,” says Ericka Smith, vice president, Human Resources & chief people officer. “HR is the gateway for new employees and it is nice that we get to have a space that is reflective of our role.”

P&C is gearing up for the next phase of the CSB renovation project - the complete update of the building's main entrance (south), HR's entrance (northeast), and the entrance on the southernmost door on the east side of the building. CSB patrons will be excited about the final product, which will make the entrances more inviting and welcoming, provide attractive landscaping and shaded communal areas, as well as modernized elements that will increase CSB’s aesthetic appeal. 

What CSB patrons should know:

• The next phase will commence on approximately July 1.
• The renovation includes the main building entrance and the two east side entrances.
• The building exterior will be under construction for four to five months.
• When the main entrance is closed, the southeast entrance will function as the main entrance.
• The renovation will include shade structures over the south and east entrances, shaded seating areas, new accessible ramps, and two accessible parking spaces.
• The construction for the remodel renovations will have minimal impact on parking.

“The ultimate goal for future interior remodels is to bring light into the building, reconfigure areas to maximize space utilization and functionality, and create an updated and exciting new work environment for the building occupants,” says Ron.

Once the entrances are completed, the next phase of CSB renovations will consist of remodeled spaces on the second floor, including the restrooms and a new breakroom, as well as a lactation room, quiet room, more conference rooms, and several new department offices. Additional first-floor renovations will also include new conference rooms, a flex space, and a new department office.

Campus Emergency Phones Upgraded

The emergency phones located throughout campus are functional, viable options for quickly reporting safety hazards or requesting assistance.

Equipped with Informacast Mass Notification, a function that audibly relays emergency messages from University Policy Services (UPD) through the phone’s speaker system, they have been replaced to ensure UNLV staff, students, and visitors have access to lifesaving tools during urgent, unforeseen situations.

Telecommunications technicians, such as Jonathan Myers (pictured above), test the 134 emergency phones across UNLV’s campuses quarterly in person, remotely monitor them daily, and promptly correct any identified issues within minutes. Technicians also monitor a system called RedSky e911 that allows the exact location of each emergency phone to be automatically communicated to UPD dispatch when a phone is activated by a caller.

UNLV continues to add emergency phones as the campus grows and Telecommunications participates in the process from the planning phase to the final handoff.

For more information about the campus emergency phones, contact Telecommunications at telecom@unlv.edu or call 702-895-1800, option zero.

Spotlight on Service: RMS Career Day at Doral Academy

UNLV Fire Inspector Daniel Landeros and Fire & Life Safety Manager Lewis Austin recently participated in Doral Academy’s Career Day event. Daniel and Lew spoke with students from Kindergarten to 6th grade and presented an overview of the UNLV Fire & Life Safety duties including fire inspections, fire drills, and CPR training. Thank you, Daniel and Lewis, for all that you do for the community!

Take Your Child to Work Day 

UNLV will celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day on Thursday, April 27, 2023! Employees are invited to bring their children to campus to participate in a variety of activities showcasing the university’s diverse offerings.

Business Affairs teams are once again pulling out the stops to make this a memorable day for future Rebels. Rebel Recycling will host The Recycle Games, The Community Garden will host Nature Crafts and Garden Fun, and Risk Management & Safety is partnering with Nellis Air Force Base to bring their fire safety trailer to campus for hands-on training on how to safely use a fire extinguisher. 

Visit the Take Your Child to Work Day webpage for a complete list of events taking place across campus, register for lunch, and complete a waiver for child participants.

Coffee with the CFO

The next Coffee with the CFO event will be held on May 17. If you haven’t had a chance to join or would like to attend again, RSVP by completing the Coffee with the CFO Google form. Space is limited to CSB meeting room capacity (20 attendees) and participation is in-person only. See you there!

Upcoming Dates:

• May 17:  11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• Register by May 10
• June 21:  11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• Register by June 14

Please reach out to Nohealani Benicarlo at nohealani.benicarlo@unlv.edu with any questions.

Upgrading Your Digital Literacy

Google Workspace is introducing improvements to the web Google Drive location picker that enables users to quickly and efficiently select a location to organize files and folders. The updates include a new visual experience and helpful suggestions when moving files and folders or adding shortcuts to items in Drive. For the full update and tutorial, visit the Google Workspace Blog.

Dates to Remember

• April - Earth Month
• April 22 - Earth Day
• April 27 - Take Your Child to Work Day
• May - Asian Pacific American Heritage Month & Mental Health Awareness Month
• May 5 - Cinco De May