Largest Corporate Gift in
UNLV History
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 10, 2007 - University of Nevada,
Las Vegas (UNLV) President David B. Ashley, Harrah's Entertainment Inc.'s
Chairman, President and CEO Gary Loveman and William F. Harrah College
of Hotel Administration Dean Stuart Mann announced today a $30 million
donation, the largest corporate gift in the university's history.
The $30 million gift, provided by the Harrah's Foundation, designates
$25 million toward construction costs of the William F. Harrah College
of Hotel Administration academic building and $5 million for related research,
recruitment, training and education initiatives at INNovation Village,
a series of hospitality education and research facilities to be constructed
at UNLV.
"We are extremely grateful for the generosity, support and trust of
the Harrah's Foundation in making this gift to UNLV," said UNLV President
David Ashley. "In focusing on both facilities and programmatic support,
Harrah's has made an investment in the future that will ultimately give
UNLV hotel college graduates a tremendous competitive advantage."
"The men and women who manage large hospitality operations need considerable
analytical and technological expertise in addition to outstanding interpersonal
skills," said Gary Loveman, Chairman, President and CEO of Harrah's Entertainment,
Inc.
"INNovation Village at UNLV will ensure that generations of hotel,
food-service and casino-resort professionals graduate with broad-based
academic backgrounds and practical, on-the-job training that will make
them indispensable to major hospitality employers."
"The generosity of the Harrah's Foundation will help launch UNLV into
a building project that will put it at the forefront of hospitality and
recreation management education programs worldwide," said Stuart Mann,
dean of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. "Having
the state-of-the-art hospitality venues of Las Vegas in proximity to the
latest in hospitality-focused academic research facilities at UNLV will
provide a collaborative environment not available anywhere else in the
world."
INNovation Village will be constructed on 6.8 acres of land located
on the UNLV Maryland Parkway campus at the southeast corner of Flamingo
Road and Swenson Street. Among the many buildings envisioned for the completed
project are a fully operational hotel, restaurants, a conference center
and a 100,000 square-foot academic building serving more than 4,000 students
and 100 faculty members. For additional information on INNovation Village,
please visit http://www.unlv.edu. |