(Left to right): Robert Lang, UNLV Director of Brookings Mountain West and Director, The Lincy Institute; Patricia Hoban-Moore, HUD, Director FPM (Field Policy and Management); and Kenneth J. LoBene, Field Office Director, Las Vegas HUD Field Office at the announcement of "Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant ($3,488,000).

Rob Lang, UNLV director of Brookings Mountain West, speaks to more than 400 business, political,and education leaders who attended "Nevada 2.0: New Economies for a Sustainable Future," January 7, 2011.

Brookings Mountain West brought economic diversification experts from across the region to speaks to more than 400 business, political,and education leaders at "Nevada 2.0: New Economies for a Sustainable Future," January 7, 2011.

Left to right: Speaker of the Nevada Assembly John Oceguera, Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki, and Nevada State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford discuss economic diversification at "Nevada 2.0: New Economies for a Sustainable Future," January 7, 2011.

On October 8, 2010, Brookings Mountain West hosted a conference, "The Political Demography and Geography of the Intermountain West," in Greenspun Hall on the UNLV campus. Among the featured speakers were: Left to right: Ruy Teixeira, Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution; Joint Fellow, Center for American Progress and the Century Foundation; Karlyn Bowman, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; William Frey, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Robert E. Lang, UNLV Director, Brookings Mountain West and The Lincy Institute; Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research, Pew Research Center; and Tom Sanchez, Professor and Chair of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech.

At the October 8, 2010 conference, "The Political Demography and Geography of the Intermountain West," hosted by Brookings Mountain West, speakers Ruy Teixeira, Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution; Joint Fellow, Center for American Progress and the Century Foundation, and Karlyn Bowman, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; presented findings from the 2010 Internountain West Public Opinion Survey. This survey identified numerous political and social opinions held by residents of the region and its six states.

On October 8, 2010, Brookings Mountain West hosted a conference, "The Political Demography and Geography of the Intermountain West," in Greenspun Hall on the UNLV campus. Featured speakers at a luncheon panel entitled, "The Immigration Issue: Nevada, Arizona, and the Nation," included, (left to right): David Damore, associate professor, department of history, UNLV; Ron Brownstein, political director, Atlantic Media Company; and José Cárdenas, General Counsel, Arizona State University (UNLV, Class of 1974).

Left to right: William Antholis, Managing Director, Brookings Institution; Neal Smatresk, President, UNLV; and Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution, gather in front of Greenspun Hall, home to Brookings Mountain West. Supported by funding from The Lincy Foundation, UNLV partners with the Brookings Institution to operate Brookings Mountain West, a collaboration that brings Brookings' high-quality, independent, and impactful research to a wide range of issues facing the dynamic Intermountain West region.

On April 5, 2010, Bruce Katz, Vice President, Brookings Institution and Director, Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program,delivered a talk, "Reclaiming Prosperity: Repositioning Southern Nevada for the Net Economy." Guests included: Front row (left to right): UNLV President Neal Smatresk; Lindy Schumacher, Director of Nevada Giving, Lincy Foundation; Mark Muro, Washington Director, Brookings Mountain West; Back row (left to right): Ron Smith, UNLV Vice President for Research; Jeff Wilkins, Director , Health and human Services Policy, Lincy Foundation; Brian Greenspun, Chairman,The Greenspun Corporation, and Bruce Katz.

On April 5, 2010, invited guests and webcast viewers enjoyed a presentation by Bruce Katz, Vice President, Brookings Institution and Director, Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, entitled, "Reclaiming Prosperity: Repositioning Southern Nevada for the Next Economy." Katz presented a provocative and innovative plan for economic recovery, responded to audience questions, and hears a panel of community leaders react to his remarks.

Rob Lang, UNLV Director of Brookings Mountain West, leads a discussion among panelists (left to right): James Murren, President, Chairman of the Board and CEO, MGM Mirage, Inc.; Rose McKinney-James, Managing Partner, Energy Works Consulting LLC; and The Honorable Allison Copening, Nevada State Senator, District 6. Lang and the panelists commented on an April 5, 2010 presentation by Bruce Katz, Vice President, Brookings Institution and Director, Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, entitled, "Reclaiming Prosperity: Repositioning Southern Nevada for the Next Economy."

UNLV Director of Brookings Mountain West, Rob Lang, convenes a discussion among regional partners affiliated with Brookings Mountain West. Colleagues from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Utah collaborate with Brookings Mountain West staff at UNLV to gather data and provide policy recommendations.

Lindy Schumacher, is Director of Nevada Giving for The Lincy Foundation, an organization dedicated to create sustainable change primarily by supporting efforts focused on education, health and elderly initiatives. The Lincy Foundation provides support for two major UNLV initiatives, Brookings Mountain West and the Lincy Institute.

Adele Morris (foreground), Fellow and Policy Director for Climate and Energy Economics at The Brookings Institution tours the ACCIONA Solar Power facility in Boulder City, Nevada, with Michele Rihlmann-Burke, marketing & communications manager. As a Brookings schoar, Adele meets with UNLV faculty and students, political officials, and business leaders.

Brookings Mountain West engages with academic, political, business, and community leaders throughout the Intermountain West to address crucial issues. Colleagues from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Utah collaborate with us to gather data and provide policy recommendations.

Mark Muro, foreground, leads a discussion among regional partners affiliated with Brookings Mountain West. Colleagues from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Utah collaborate with Brookings Mountain West staff at UNLV to gather data and provide policy recommendations.

Pietro Nivola, Brookings Scholar and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he holds the C. Douglas Dillon Chair in Governance Studies, delivers his public lecture on January 26, 2010.

Energy research at UNLV includes extensive work on solar energy, a major initiative for the university and the state of Nevada. Alternative energy sources and global climate change are two research priorities for Brookings Mountain West scholars. A solar dish power-generation system installed on the north side of campus along Flamingo Road serves as the focal point of a UNLV Center for Energy Research project.

Greenspun Hall, located on Maryland Parkway, is home to Brookings Mountain West, and boasts a distinctive courtyard shaded by a solar power array, which provides a portion of the energy required to operate this modern building. Greenspun Hall possesses a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.

Environmental issues in Nevada and the region offer vital areas of research interest for Brookings Mountain West scholars. Southern Nevada, located in the Mojave Desert and home to a one of the nation's fastest growing urban centers, presents a series of challenges to the creation of a diverse, sustainable economy.

Brookings Mountain West, with support from the Lincy Institute, is leading local efforts to improve and enhance educational and health services to children in our region.

Life in the desert is often one of extremes, with fluxuating economic indicators, political trends, and environmental conditions. Brookings Mountain West and UNLV are poised to address issues of critical importance to Las Vegas, our state, and the Intermountain West region.