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Welcome Back Rebels!
As we reunite on campus, the Academic Success Center wants to express our deepest gratitude for your strength and resilience following the tragic campus events. Our hearts are heavy, but your courage and unity inspire us all.
During this challenging time, the Academic Success Center is here to offer our academic support, and we encourage you to seek personal support resources from unlv.edu/unlvstrong.
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Student-athletes diagnosed with a documented disability or mental illness often struggle with effective time management. Additionally, they often lack effective study skills and have trouble advocating for themselves. Student-athletes are pulled in many directions and at times find themselves doing great things on the playing field, but struggling to make it in the classroom. The question becomes how do we as educators support our student-athletes in higher ed?
The learning specialist position is a role designed to help student-athletes bridge the gaps
between their diagnosis, in the classroom and on the playing field. UNLV’s learning specialist is
a dual-role reporting position between our SAAS team and the Disability Resource Center.
Bryan works within SAAS developing, coordinating, and implementing academic support plans
for identified student-athletes who need specific learning strategies to be successful in the
classroom. Student-athletes who qualify for academic accommodations are also able to meet
with Bryan in-house, complete their accommodations intake, and be approved for DRC
services quickly.
Bryan is able to work with student-athletes on a one-on-one basis or in a group setting, teaching study skills, effective time management skills, managing academic accommodations, and co-teaching workshops that help student-athletes be prepared for life after college and competition. Bryan also works with UNLV Practice here on campus assisting student-athletes with obtaining appointments for diagnosis testing to determine if the student-athlete is eligible for academic accommodations or other academic supports.
Bryan is a 2016 graduate of UNLV earning his Master's Degree in Special Education. Bryan can understand and work with student-athletes who have challenges with learning in all areas. His 16 years of experience working in the disability field as a Special Education Teacher, Job Coach, Program Manager, and Facilitator make him the perfect fit for our athletes, the SAAS team, and the University Community.
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Student Success
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Carmen Nieto, ASC Service Intern for Academic Success Coaching, graduated in December 2023 with a Master’s of Science in Couple and Family Therapy. Carmen was also recently published: Nieto, C. V., Usbeck, K. N., Teo, J-X., & Rimon, K. A. (2023). Family rituals. In K. M. Hertlein's (1st Ed.), The International Handbook of Couple and Family Therapy. New York: Routledge.
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Danielle Noletto, ASC Academic Success Coach, performed the role of Tonina in UNLV Opera Theater's Fall production of Antonio Salieri's Prima la Musica e Poi le Parole at the Dr. Arturo Rando-Grillot Recital Hall on November 8th.
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Luis Capili, Front Desk Leader Academic Success Coaching, graduated in December 2023 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration Management, concentration in Human Resources.
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Dr. Joel Jimenez Vargas, former Hixson-Lied Success Scholar and resident in the Kerkorian School of Medicine, was featured in the Nevada Independent article, “UNLV Psychiatry Resident Wants to Give Back to City That Embraced Him as an Immigrant Teen,” October 18, 2023.
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Rilee Currie, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar, recently accepted her dream job as Zoological Specialist - Dolphin at Sea World, San Diego. She will be starting her new position in December 2023 and work full time while completing her last semester at UNLV remotely (Spring 2024).
ASC Staff Updates
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Erik Block joined the ASC as an Academic Advisor working with Exploring and Pathways students.
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Ana Patrnogich-Arieli joined the Academic Transitions & Learning Support Unit (ATLS) as the Coordinator of Academic Transitions and Learning Support. She will be working with the ASC Peer Mentors, Hixson-Lied Scholars Program, and Jump Start Scholars.
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Vy Nguyen joined the Academic Transitions & Learning Support Unit (ATLS) as a Math Bridge Specialist.
Staff Recognition
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Katie Ballou, SAAS Academic Eligibility Specialist, was nominated and selected as one of four people to represent UNLV at the Women Leaders in College Sport conference this October in New Orleans. She received travel expenses from the UNLV Athletics Department.
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Carly Lutes, ATLS Administrative Assistant III, was chair of the Women’s Council Donation Drive for Safe Nest. The program collected basic need items such as personal hygiene items and clothing from location drop-off points across UNLV’s campus. An office in the Academic Success Center was filled with donated items!
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Agnes Haynes, Assistant Director of SI, Tutoring and Bridge Programs, attended Supplemental Instruction (SI) Supervisor Training Online through the International Center for Supplemental Instruction, University of Missouri - Kansas City. The certificate training consisted of "procedures for selecting SI courses and SI Leaders; roles of supervisors and leaders as well as benefits; evaluation and funding of the program; training and supervision of SI Leaders; theoretical frameworks underlying the SI model; and effective learning strategies and SI session activities.
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Dr. Emily Shreve, Sr. Associate Director ATLS, Tracie Godfrey, Sr. Coordinator Academic Success Coaching, and Agnes Haynes, Assistant Director of Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring, and Bridge Programs had a proposal accepted titled, “Take a Chance: Creative Strategies to Encourage Early Use of Tutoring and Coaching” for the 48 the Annual NOSS Conference in February 2024.
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Jakob Smith, SI Leader, will be presenting his research poster titled, "Synthesis of Non-Toxic Novel 2,4,6-Triphenylpyrylium Chloride Salt with Water Soluble and Fluorescent Properties for Enhanced Cellular Imaging" at the Nevada Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) state-wide meeting.
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Leanna Oliver, SI leader, was selected (through an audition) to join the UNLV String Virtuosi tour in Milan, Italy, in May 2023. She has also been playing in several world premiers for music composition students at UNLV.
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Bryan Duran, SI leader, is working on a research paper titled, “Semi-supervised Learning for Classifying Plasma Waves that Can Affect Space Weather” with Dr. Lin and other students from Korea Aerospace University, Republic of Korea, and the Space Institute at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
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Congratulations to our Fall 2023 ASC Rebel Spirit Award Winners: Christopher Saito, Katie Ballou, Kristina Martirosyan, and R'Asya Philbert!
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Jennifer Czajkowski
Senior Academic Advisor, First-Year Programs
Tell us about what led you to work at UNLV, and your job duties and responsibilities at the ASC.
My husband's job moved us here from California in 2013. I’ve worked in Higher Education since 2008, so I knew that I wanted to remain in Higher Ed. As an Academic Advisor, I work with students who are exploring their options for majors, non-degree students, and students returning to the University. I ask questions to help them to think about what careers they may enjoy, their strengths and passions, and their motivation for being here. I help them to select classes each semester, support them by listening and making referrals on campus; helping them to be successful while they are here.
What is your favorite part about academic advising?
Talking to students and asking them about their dreams and passions, where they might see themselves contributing to society after college. I like to find things online while my students are with me to teach them how to find internships, jobs, volunteer opportunities, student organizations, research; things that they can do outside of the classroom to get them engaged in the process of exploring their interests in an academic manner.
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What is your favorite hobby?
Spending time with my family, we have an 11-year old son and 9-year old daughter who are both active in sports. I enjoy being in the kitchen trying new recipes, as a family, we enjoy traveling (especially to the beach), trying new foods and going on hikes.
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What is your perfect weekend?
Trying a new recipe, reading a book while enjoying coffee in my backyard, spending time outside with my family and neighbors (we have such a close relationships with our neighbors and they have become like family), watching the kids play, laughing and enjoying great conversations.
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What is something you wish every student knew about the ASC?
We do a lot of major/career exploration with students. There is a misconception that if students are exploring that they are “behind”, but in fact it allows students to take a few semesters to really explore the majors we have, their interests and passions before they start taking their major courses.
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What is your favorite tip to provide for students to be successful?
Conduct multiple informational interviews as a way to learn more about the field they think they want to enter into. Oftentimes students aren’t really sure what someone does in a profession and having the opportunity to talk with someone who does that work is eye opening. It can either ignite the passion to move forward in that area or to change gears. I enjoy helping them dream big, then helping them to get engaged in things on campus which will develop new skills and passions; such as research, internships, and joining student organizations to name a few.
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Nikki Adams
Hixson-Lied Scholar
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What is your major, favorite part of your major, and year of planned graduation?
I’m a biochemistry major, graduating in 2027.
[Favorite part is] probably the chemistry. Originally I was a chemistry major, but I can’t do the level of calculus that it requires, that would ruin my love
for chemistry. I thought biochemistry was an
easy middle ground, and I’m very interested in
CRISPR-Cas9 and gene editing in particular.
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Why did you choose to come to UNLV?
Our research programs. I was really interested in medicinal research, particularly in
Dr. [Edwin] Oh’s lab. Dr. Oh is an associate professor at the School of Medicine. He investigates wastewater around the Las Vegas area and researches neuroscience, particularly schizophrenia. I’m interested in both of his research plans, and I hope that I’m introduced to his research lab in the upcoming years.
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Name a class or professor that has had a strong impact on your studies at UNLV.
I’d say Dr. [Hanqing] Pan and Dr. [Jenifer] Utz have both had a strong impact on my studies. Particularly Dr. Utz, with her office hours. They have been very influential in my success in the class, and Dr. Pan, she reinforces my love for chemistry more than I already do love it. Her way of teaching it is amazing, and her continued support that I have in that class is amazing too.
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What are your plans after graduating?
I’m either going to go to law school or med school. I’m actually on UNLV’s Mock Trial Team right now. I love trial advocacy, our legal system, and our criminal justice system. I’m going to start volunteering for Legal Aid next semester. [In med school] I would get my MD-PhD, so I could focus on Alzheimer’s research. I would love to research alongside my studies. [Between law and med school] It always switches. Right now, it’s law school. It’s a lot less time & money than med school. If I chose law school, I could not do chemistry anymore.
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What role has the ASC played in your success at UNLV?
Being a Hixson-Lied Scholar has helped me substantially. I’ve met some great people here. For example, one of the scholars here is also in my chemistry class. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve met at UNLV. Anna, our program coordinator, is so nice and supportive, she asked how my mock trial tournament went. It feels amazing having some people back you up.
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What is one piece of advice you would give new UNLV students?
Go to office hours. Even if you don’t have questions to ask, hearing what other students have to ask is so much more helpful than you think. Also, make as many friends as you possibly can. It might be easy to stay comfortable with your high school friends, but making friends who are in your major, or joining a club, makes the world seem so much better. You meet amazing people from all types of backgrounds who are doing pretty amazing things.
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What skills or knowledge have you improved through participation in the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars program?
Through tabling, I’ve gotten to meet a lot of people, so definitely my communication skills. I love telling people about the tutoring in the Lied Library. So communication, as well as networking, because the amount of people that I’ve met that genuinely do not know about the resources here at UNLV is astounding. I hope that, once they know about them, they’re able to go to the library & meet other people who have the same problems, or maybe a different skill set than them.
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What is your most memorable experience as a Hixson-Lied Scholar so far?
Like I said, one of the scholars I’m with is also in my chemistry class. One time, he pulled out his lab manual because he had to get a pen, and I said “Wow, are you in that lab?”. He said “Yeah, I have this class at this time”, and we realized we were in the same class. This was at the start of the semester, at a time where I still had my high school friends and some of my studying group, but no one that I really knew. That moment was mind-blowing. From there on out, I feel like me and him got a lot closer, and sometimes we’ll help each other with homework. So I’d say Hixson-Lied has brought me closer to someone that I wouldn’t have gotten to meet otherwise, and it also made me realize the world is a lot smaller than I think.
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Let’s say we finish this interview and you step outside your front door and find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?
I would love to have $10 million, but I would probably take $1 million, and give $9 million to my grandparents. They support me right now, and they help me with my finances and everything like that. They have shown me more than $9 million worth of love, so I would love to give them a fraction of what they’ve given me.
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UNLV Undocumented Student Program | |
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UNLV continues its mission to support every student on campus. The UNLV Undocumented Student Program (USP) supports students with basic needs assistance like food and housing, financial aid and scholarship assistance, mental health and well-being, as well as providing individualized assistance based on a student’s specific needs and academic goals.
In an effort to increase access to all students, the USP has partnered with TheDream.US National Scholarship Program to provide support with college and career success to immigrant youth. For specific details about this national scholarship and eligibility criteria, please visit the TheDream.US National Scholarship Application page. The Fall 2024 application is now open, and you can reach out to USP Resource Coordinator Nayelli Rico-Lopez at nayelli.ricolopez@unlv.edu for assistance with completing the application.
In addition, USP partners with CSUN, UNLV’s student government, to offer the Undocumented Student Scholarship. This academic year, the scholarship was awarded to four students in the amount of $2,000 each and dispersed over Fall and Spring. Congratulations to the recipients!
Along with providing resources and access to students, the Undocumented Student Program provides UndocuAlly training to inform UNLV faculty, staff, students, and administration about the specific needs of undocumented students. The training includes background information, college and career access, challenging dominant narratives, UNLV resources, and general best practices for providing support. Please visit the Undocumented Student Program webpage for upcoming UndocuAlly training events.
For more information about the Undocumented Student Program (USP), visit their webpage or reach out to the USP Resource Coordinator Nayelli Rico-Lopez at nayelli.ricolopez@unlv.edu or by calling 702-895-5658.
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COM Lab
GUA 4131 & 4132,
& Virtual
702-895-3177
comlab@unlv.edu
Appointment Schedule
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Advising
Phone/In-Person Drop-in Advising: Mon-Fri. 9-4:30
or call for an Appointment
702-895-3177
ascadvising@unlv.edu
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ASC Spring Services
The ASC building will be open during the following hours of operation:
Monday - Friday
8 AM - 5 PM
Services including Tutoring, Success Coaching, and Peer Mentoring will return in the Spring term.
*NetTutor and Brainfuse are available virtually for students
Information on all Academic Success Center's services is available on the ASC website.
Representatives are available to answer questions at
702-895-3177 during normal business hours.
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Hixson-Lied Success Scholars Program
Join a supportive cohort with the ASC where you can engage in
academic and professional development while serving your
peers on campus.
Benefits of the program include:
- A scholarship in the amount of $2,304 per semester ($4,608 per year) for up to eight semesters.
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Academic Success Coaching sessions.
- The ability to make a difference through serving peers and giving back to UNLV.
- Access to the Hixson-Lied Success Scholars Newsletter, a monthly newsletter created by the scholars.
Applications are available on our website!
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Check With Your Colleges for Scholarship Opportunities!
Spring is the time when many applications for college scholarships become available. Be sure to visit your College's website as well as the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website for additional scholarship opportunities.
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Follow the ASC on Social Media! | | | | |
