Digital Commons Network^™

Higher Education Reform: A Time For Action, The Lincy Institute

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

The Lincy Institute has been at the forefront of research and analysis on higher education governance reform in Nevada. Following numerous statewide studies, The Lincy Institute has produced reports and policy briefs recommending significant structural changes to the State’s higher education landscape. To provide future generations of students with quality education and training in our 21st-century economy, researchers summarized findings and presented model legislation to improve the quality of education offered by Nevada’s eight institutions of higher learning. All Nevadans should demand an honest and transparent discussion of higher education reform. The 2019 legislative session will be a time for …

The Growing Need For Diverse Teachers In The Mountain West, Michael Hansen, Diana Quintero

Brookings Mountain West Publications

This policy brief examines the racial and ethnic diversity of the public teacher workforce in five Mountain West states, drawing on survey data from 1993 to 2016. We find increases in student diversity are generally outpacing teacher diversity in the region, though important differences in teacher-student parity and access to nonwhite teachers across states are also evident. In addition, we demonstrate the recruitment and retention of nonwhite teachers in these states lag considerably behind the rest of the U.S. This brief concludes with recommendations to help Mountain West states and districts promote greater racial and ethnic diversity among their teacher …

Reflecting On 1 October: Using Research To Inform Public Policy And Heal Our Community, Brookings Mountain West

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

On October 1, 2017, Las Vegas joined a growing list of cities in the United States home to a mass shooting, including Blacksburg, Virginia; Newtown, Connecticut; San Bernardino, California; Orlando, Florida; Columbine, Colorado; Fort Hood, Texas; Parkland and Jacksonville, Florida and other locations. In the weeks following the tragedy, the nation and the Las Vegas community, including UNLV, responded with tributes to the victims, short- and long-term memorials to those killed and wounded, and calls to investigate the circumstances that led to this tragic event and to find ways to prevent future atrocities. Following the one-year anniversary of the 1 …

Las Vegas And The Middle Class, Brookings Mountain West

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

On Friday November 9, 2018, Brookings Mountain West launched “Las Vegas and the Middle Class,” a major project exploring public policy initiatives designed to improve the quality of life of the middle class in Las Vegas, and to increase the number of people rising to join its ranks. Through independent, non-partisan analysis and policy development, the project aims to advance public understanding of the challenges facing the middle class in Las Vegas, and barriers to upward mobility. In collaboration with visiting scholars from the Brookings Institution - including Richard Reeves, Camille Busette, and others – experts at Brookings Mountain West, …

The Life She Deserves: Medical Marijuana In The United States, John Hudak, George Burroughs, Maritza Bermudez

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Brookings Mountain West offered an event titled, "The Life She Deserves: Medical Marijuana in the United States on Monday, November 5, 2018. This event featured a viewing of the film, and was followed by a panel discussion with John Hudak, George Burroughs, and Maritza Bermudez. “The Life She Deserves” is an intimate portrait of Jennifer Collins and her family’s struggle to find a treatment to control her debilitating epilepsy. Because her legal pharmaceutical treatments cause severe side effects, Jennifer and her mother move across the country to access medical marijuana. The therapy provides Jennifer and her family with the relief …

The 2018 Midterm Election: Nevada And The Nation Post-Election Analysis, John Hudak, Robert E. Lang, Rebecca D. Gill, David Damore

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Brookings Mountain West, in partnership with CSUN, was pleased to present part two of a two-part analysis on the 2018 Midterm elections. The 2018 Midterms included elections for all 435 members of the House of Representatives, including four seats in Nevada. In the U.S. Senate, 34 seats were up for election, including one seat in Nevada. Across the United States, 36 states elected governors, including the State of Nevada. The Democratic Party sought to flip a minimum of 24 seats to become the majority party in House and 2 seats to become the majority party in the Senate. Two Mountain …

The 2018 Midterm Election: Nevada And The Nation Pre-Election Analysis, John Hudak, Robert E. Lang, Molly Reynolds, David Damore

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Brookings Mountain West, in partnership with CSUN, was pleased to present part one of a two-part analysis on the 2018 Midterm elections. The 2018 Midterms included elections for all 435 members of the House of Representatives, including four seats in Nevada. In the U.S. Senate, 34 seats were up for election, including one seat in Nevada. Across the United States, 36 states elected governors, including the State of Nevada. The Democratic Party sought to flip a minimum of 24 seats to become the majority party in House and 2 seats to become the majority party in the Senate. Two Mountain …

Unlv School Of Medicine: Rethinking Governance, Planning, And Economic Impact, The Lincy Institute

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

The launch of the UNLV School of Medicine presented a unique opportunity for Southern Nevada to address two critical issues: the absence of adequate healthcare services for a region of more than 2.2 million people, and the economic impact of a new medical school resulting in an expanded regional health care economy. A collaborative process that engages local, state, and private sector interests is essential to the development of the UNLV School of Medicine and the expansion of an effective, efficient, and profitable healthcare economy.

In this colloquium The Lincy Institute released new health policy publications prepared with the support …

Evaluation Of Innovative Medical School Facilities And Consultant Recommendations, Tripp Umbach

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

In August 2018, The Lincy Institute1 retained Tripp Umbach2 to provide consultation to evaluate and identify best practices for medical school facilities and development models as the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) and the community embarks on the development of a home for the UNLV School of Medicine. To complete this assignment, Tripp Umbach completed a comprehensive process involving secondary data analysis and actively sought and received input from stakeholders including leadership at The Lincy Institute, UNLV School of Medicine, previous Tripp Umbach clients, leading design professionals with experience developing medical schools, and potential donors to the proposed project. …

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (Ecmo) Access In The 30 Largest U.S. Metros, Kaylie Pattni, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

This Fact Sheet highlights the locations and availability of ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) medical capacity in the 30 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Using the ELSO (Extracorporeal Life Support Organization) registry,1 the Table that follows shows all registered ELSO hospitals in the top 30 MSAs, and their respective type(s) of ECMO access.

We Provided Psychological First Aid After The Las Vegas Shooting – Here’S What We Learned., Michelle Paul, Heather Dahl, John A. Nixon, Noelle Lefforge

Psychology Faculty Research

What is “psychological first aid”? How do mental health experts like you work side by side with traditional first responders? The goal of psychological first aid is to sooth, assist and help people function and cope in a healthy way in the wake of a traumatic event. It’s employed in the hours and days following the event, when people’s immediate needs, including medical care, as well as basic needs like food, shelter and water, must be met, along with their psychological and physical safety needs.

Commercial Interests In American Foreign Policy, From Dollar Diplomacy To The Trump Administration, Geoffrey Gertz

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Throughout history, foreign investors have often relied on their home governments for support in managing complex relationships with foreign governments. This commercial diplomacy is particularly important for businesses in highly-regulated industries, such as mining and natural resources. This lecture assesses how American diplomats have responded to these private pressures, and explains why commercial diplomacy has (re)emerged as a key priority in American foreign policy.

The 2017 Session Of The Nevada Legislature And The Failure Of Higher Education Reform, David Damore, William E. Brown, Jr., Robert E. Lang

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

Executive Summary

This report analyzes 11 bills introduced during the 79th Session of the Nevada Legislature that proposed to reorganize, reform, and realign various aspects of the state’s higher education system. The analysis reveals the following:

Despite bipartisan support for higher education reform, nearly all of the reform bills failed, including two bills vetoed by Governor Brian Sandoval.

The failure to enact meaningful reform stands in contrast to the implementation of bills appropriating more resources for higher education.

Opposition to reform legislation was strongest among those most invested in legitimizing and perpetuating current arrangements.

The report also considers the institutional …

U. S. Fiscal Policy And Asset Prices: The Role Of Partisan Conflict, Rangan Gupta, Chi Keung Marco Lau, Stephen M. Miller, Mark E. Wohar

Economics Faculty Publications

Fiscal policy shocks exert wide-reaching effects, including movements in asset markets. US politics have been characterized historically by a high degree of partisan conflict. The combination of increasing polarization and divided government leads not only to significant Congressional gridlock, but also to spells of high fiscal policy uncertainty. This paper adds to the literature on the relationships between fiscal policy and asset prices in the US economy conditional on the degree of partisan conflict. We analyze whether a higher degree of partisan conflict (legislative gridlock) reduces the efficacy of the effect and response of fiscal policy on and to asset …

Obama’S Fight For Rigor And Results In Social Policy, Ron Haskins

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

This lecture tells the story of how the Obama administration changed the role of evidence in federal policy making. Based on public documents and 135 interviews with major players from the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, federal agencies, Congress, and the child advocacy community, the lecture provides insight into the tools and methods that should serve as a blueprint for policymakers on how to bring social science evidence – especially from program evaluation – to the center of policy making.