 |
|
||||||||||||
|
Press Releases MGM MIRAGE ENDOWMENT TO FUND NATIONAL MERIT® SCHOLARSHIPS AT UNLV LAS VEGAS – October 31, 2006 -- The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the Invent the Future campaign leadership today announced the largest corporate scholarship donation ever received in the institution’s 49-year history. With a $1 million gift from MGM MIRAGE, the university will establish the MGM MIRAGE Academic Excellence Scholarship Endowment. The funds will be used to underwrite scholarships for National Merit® scholars at UNLV.
UNLV President David Ashley accepts a check for $1 million from MGM MIRAGE Executive Vice President and General Counsel Gary Jacobs. The gift, the largest corporate scholarship donation ever received in the university's 49-year history, establishes the MGM MIRAGE Academic Excellence Scholarship Endowment for National Merit® scholars at UNLV. (Photo: Courtesy of UNLV)
"The MGM MIRAGE Academic Excellence Scholarship program will support UNLV’s efforts to attract the best and brightest students from Nevada and throughout the United States, " said UNLV President Dr. David B. Ashley. "The perpetuity of this endowment will allow us to continue attracting these talented students in the future."
Established in 1955, the National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition that honors individual students who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors are selected to become National Merit® scholars. "At MGM MIRAGE, we believe education has the potential to uplift the lives of individuals and provide a foundation for a community's growth and development," said MGM MIRAGE Chairman and CEO Terry Lanni. "This gift reinforces our commitment to higher education in Nevada and helps enhance the academic reputation of UNLV." According to Lanni, MGM MIRAGE will consider providing additional annual gifts of $1 million to the UNLV endowment fund for the next four years. "We hope that the MGM MIRAGE Academic Excellence Scholarship will become one of the most prestigious awards offered to attract our nation's most promising young scholars to UNLV, " noted Stephen Rosenbaum, dean of UNLV's Honors College. "We know that merit-based scholarships are one of the elements academically-talented students look for when selecting their university of choice. " The MGM MIRAGE Academic Excellence Scholarship Endowment will be counted as part of the Invent the Future campaign — the university’s first comprehensive effort to raise $500 million to fund initiatives at UNLV. The campaign has raised more than $332 million in gifts and pledges since 2002. In addition to establishing student scholarships, funds will help attract and retain top faculty, enhance academic research and expand partnerships throughout the university community. Media Contacts: Dave Tonelli, UNLV Public Affairs Debra Nelson, MGM MIRAGE |