RENO, Nev. — The Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU) has announced that University of Nevada, Reno President Brian Sandoval will serve as chair of the organization’s Council of Presidents. Sandoval previously held the role of secretary on the council.
APLU is a membership organization that consists of more than 250 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems and affiliated organizations spanning across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, six U.S. territories, Canada and Mexico. It fosters a community of university leaders collectively working to advance the mission of public research universities. The Council of Presidents is composed of the presidents and chancellors of APLU member universities and systems.
“We’re thrilled to announce Brian Sandoval as chair of the APLU Council of Presidents,” APLU President Waded Cruzado said. “He brings a wealth of experience as a public university leader, public servant and policymaker. Brian is highly respected by his peers across the country, and we look forward to his continued leadership in support of the public and land-grant university community.”
Sandoval serves as the 17th president of the University of Nevada. He is the first person of Hispanic origin as well as the first alumnus to serve as president in the University of Nevada's history. Since starting in September 2020, Sandoval has launched a number of key initiatives stressing a long-term collaborative commitment to meet the ever-changing needs of Nevada.
As he has raised visibility and awareness of the strategic priorities for the state’s original land-grant institution, Sandoval has stressed student accessibility and success including an emphasis on the dual-credit opportunities for Nevada high school students; faculty and staff achievement and excellence; and innovation, partnership and impactful engagement through the University of Nevada’s research and outreach efforts.
Before coming to the University of Nevada to serve as president, Sandoval served two terms as the 29th Governor of the State of Nevada from 2011-2019, during which time his leadership helped lift Nevada from a historic recession to a time of record-setting prosperity and growth. Previously, Sandoval was president of global gaming development for MGM Resorts International and served as a senior fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy as well as a Distinguished Fellow of Law and Leadership at UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law.
Prior to becoming governor, Sandoval was appointed United States District Judge for the District of Nevada, becoming the state’s first Hispanic federal judge. He also was elected Nevada’s Attorney General, was a member of and at one point was the youngest chairman in the history of the Nevada Gaming Commission, and served two terms, 1994-98, as an assemblyman in the Nevada State Legislature.
Sandoval is a 1986 graduate of the University of Nevada with a degree in English. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from The Ohio State University Moritz School of Law in 1989.
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The University of Nevada, Reno is a public research university that is committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University serves 21,000 students. The University is a comprehensive, doctoral university, classified as an R1 institution with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Additionally, it has attained the prestigious “Carnegie Engaged” classification, reflecting its student and institutional impact on civic engagement and service, fostered by extensive community and statewide collaborations. More than $800 million in advanced labs, residence halls and facilities has been invested on campus since 2009. It is home to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and Wolf Pack Athletics, maintains a statewide outreach mission and presence through programs such as the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Small Business Development Center, Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Through a commitment to world-improving research, student success and outreach benefiting the communities and businesses of Nevada, the University has impact across the state and around the world.
