THE LINCY FOUNDATION AWARDS $14 MILLION TO UNLV
The Daily Tell
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Sept 2 2009
The Lincy Foundation awards $14 million to UNLV for new center to
address pressing issues in societyArticle By John Bracchitta On
September – 2 – 2009
In a city that makes its money on the luck of the draw, the Lincy
Foundation and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) are looking
for some definitive answers regarding problems in society.
The foundation, which was founded by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian,
has announced that it has awarded $14 million to UNLV to create a
new Institute at the school to try and solve some of our society’s
more pressing issues.
Pending approval from Nevada’s Higher Education Board of Regents,
the donation from the foundation will help establish The Lincy
Institute at UNLV, a new center that will "set a new standard for
integrated problem solving by allowing regional organizations to more
effectively address large-scale challenges in the areas of education,
health care, social systems and public policy," according to a press
release announcing the gift.
Additionally, the center will utilize other research centers already
established at the university and report its findings to the UNLV
vice president for research and graduate studies to help solve local
issued affecting the area surrounding the school.
"To truly prosper as a region, we need to address our key issues
through a sustainable, productive and inclusive approach," said UNLV
President Neal Smatresk. "The Lincy Institute will be a hub for
addressing the human capital challenges that are integral to the
future prosperity of our region. It brings together the resources
of the university in partnership with nonprofit agencies to tackle
problems in a focused, cohesive manner."
The Institute will employ a variety of health, education, and social
system directors along with a grant writer. It will also sponsor 12
faculty fellowships that will be awarded to experts in areas related
to the institute’s ideals.
The Lincy Foundation was founded in 1989 by Kerkorian to help those
affected by deadly earthquakes in Spitak, Armenia. With its focus
on helping children and families "reach their full potential," the
foundation has donated more than $800 million since its founding to
various philanthropic and humanitarian causes.