In brief

July 13, 2009 by The Rebel Yell 

Education dean named

William Speer, associate dean of the college of education, was named the interim dean of his college, effective July 1.

Speer, who works as a mathematics education professor, assumed the position after the controversial resignation of his predecessor, Christopher Brown.

Brown said his departure was the result of his subjugation to negative racial comments.

Hotel college upgraded

UNLV’s students in the William F. Harrah Hotel College will receive a boost in training for their future careers due to the donation of a new software system.

Consulting company Rainmaker Group donated the, $1.23 million system, which is used by hospitality institutions from Wynn Las Vegas to MGM Mirage.

Students will begin working with the program in the fall.

Rainmaker Group’s Web site describes the company as one committed to profit optimization through useful, advanced methods to best attract customers and manage pertinent business materials.

Campus lands awards

The Southern Nevada Water Authority commended UNLV on its use of xeriscape gardening and other water-saving techniques in planning the campus landscape.

The facilities team, which cares for the campus’s vast array of plants and other landscaping elements, was awarded for its use of desert-friendly plants, or xeriscape gardening, and its turf-reduction program.

The team placed first and second in the Landscape Awards Competition in the commercial/institution category. The awards, recognize community members and institutions for their efforts to conserve water and maintain this conservation long-term.

According to a UNLV press release, the awards were received on the basis of the “overall beauty, efficient water use, plant selection and design” of the landscaped areas.

Marketing prof. is ‘best’

Professor of marketing Jack Schibrowsky is the Robert E. Clarke Outstanding Educator of the Year of 2009 for the Direct Marketing Education Foundation.

Schibrowsky, who will be presented with his award at the DMEF Direct/Interactive Marketing Research Summit in October, has been teaching marketing for 30 years.

As an author and speaker, Schibrowsky focuses on direct marketing, marketing education and health care marketing.