North Vegas Times

University of Nevada recently issued the following announcement.

COVID-19 changed the world. And in Las Vegas, it achieved the unimaginable: it shuttered the Strip. 

When the city’s famous lights went off in 2020, it became even more evident that the Las Vegas economy needs to be more diversified, resilient, and sustainable. 

Teams of UNLV students are coming up with how to do just that through the inaugural President’s Innovation Challenge. 

The challenge, spearheaded by UNLV’s Office of the President, Graduate College, Office of Economic Development, Black Fire Innovation, and the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, brings together teams of UNLV students across disciplines in a competition to solve Southern Nevada’s major problems. 

“The goal of the program is to see what kind of ideas students can come up with that could lead to the development of a new company, a new sub-industry, or a new sector for the economy in Southern Nevada,” says Robert Rippee, executive director of UNLV's Black Fire Innovation. “Beyond hospitality and tourism, what else can we do to make our economy more resilient to these kinds of unforeseen events in the future?”

The President’s Innovation Challenge began in fall 2021 and asked UNLV students to come up with actionable solutions by the end of the academic year. 

“The world has changed a lot since the pandemic began, and as we look for ways to emerge stronger and smarter than we were before, it made sense to turn to the future leaders of our workforce for answers,” said UNLV President Keith Whitfield. “By building diverse and interdisciplinary teams, we’re challenging students to create a vision for our region’s future that incorporates their varied perspectives and experiences in ways that move beyond the status quo.” 

And in just a few short months, the program has garnered enthusiastic student interest. 

A total of 16 teams submitted their proposals in December, and nine finalists were selected to present their solutions at the in-person culmination of the President’s Innovation Challenge on April 6. One team will walk away with the grand prize of $20,000.

“The finalists don’t just pose incredibly smart and creative solutions – they're bringing different perspectives together in ways that make their innovations more well-rounded and doable,” said Kate Korgan, senior vice provost for academic affairs and former dean of the Graduate College.

Beyond the monetary prize, incentives such as extended access to campus research facilities and study spaces, free parking passes, and sustenance scholarships surely spent on a healthy dose of free pizza and coffee have galvanized the competing teams. Working closely over two semesters, these diverse teams represent a cross-section of the university. The teams, per the challenge’s requirements, are multidisciplinary and have at least one undergraduate and one graduate student. 

“By requiring interdisciplinary teams, we're encouraging people to get out of their academic silos,” says Korgan. “The teams are also structured to provide near-peer mentorship. Graduate student members mentor undergraduate students, and each team has faculty and/or community members to advise and mentor the group. So even the composition of the teams is innovative and impactful.”

Because of the excitement the competition has already generated, it is safe to say that this is the first of many President’s Innovation Challenges. 

“We're going to see this program just continue to grow over the next few years, and it could become a model for many universities on how to do these things,” says Rippee. “All credit to President Whitfield. He is the impetus for this idea, and it's commendable that he and other members of university leadership are directly engaging students in finding innovative solutions to our region’s economic challenges.”

The final round of the President’s Innovation Challenge will take place on April 6 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. inside the Thomas & Mack Center Strip View Pavilion. The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by Monday, April 4.

Original source can be found here.