University of Nevada, Reno

"University of Nevada" redirects here. For the other public research university in Nevada, see University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

University of Nevada, Reno

Former names	State University of Nevada (1874–1881) Nevada State University (1881–1906) University of Nevada (1906–1969)
Motto	Omnia Pro Patria (Latin)
Motto in English	"All For Our Country"
Type	Public land-grant research university
Established	October 12, 1874;149 years ago (1874-10-12)
Parent institution	Nevada System of Higher Education
Accreditation	NWCCU
Academic affiliations	ORAU Space-grant
Endowment	$458.0 million (2022) [1]
President	Brian Sandoval
Provost	Jeff Thompson
Academic staff	1,082 [2]
Students	20,718 (Fall 2020)
Undergraduates	16,841
Postgraduates	3,877
Location	Reno , Nevada , United States 39°32′16″N119°48′50″W / 39.53778°N 119.81389°W / 39.53778; -119.81389
Campus	Large city, 200 acres (0.81 km2)
Other campuses	Incline Village
Newspaper	The Nevada Sagebrush
Colors	Navy blue and silver [3]
Nickname	Wolf Pack
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS – Mountain West
Mascots	Alphie Wolfie Jr. Luna
Website	www.unr.edu
University of Nevada Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada
Area	290 acres (117.4 ha) (entire campus) 40 acres (16 ha) (historic district)
Built	1906
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Second Empire, Jeffersonian Revival
NRHP reference No.	87000135 [4]
Added to NRHP	February 25, 1987

The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded on October 12, 1874, in Elko, Nevada.

The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. ^[5] According to the National Science Foundation, the university spent $144 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 139th in the nation. ^[6] The university has a medical school. ^[7] The university is also home to the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism. It has graduated six Pulitzer Prize winners. ^[8]

History

The Nevada State Constitution established the State University of Nevada in Elko on October 12, 1874. In 1881, it became Nevada State University. In 1885, the Nevada State University moved from Elko to Reno. ^[9] In 1906, it was renamed the University of Nevada.

The University of Nevada remained the only four-year academic institution in the state of Nevada until 1965, when the Nevada Southern campus (now the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) separated into its own university. In 1969, the university's name was changed to the University of Nevada, Reno to distinguish from the new institution in Las Vegas.

Academics

Bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs are offered through:

Colleges College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources College of Business College of Education & Human Development College of Engineering College of Liberal Arts College of Science Honors College National Judicial College University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

Schools Graduate School School of the Arts School of Earth Sciences and Engineering School of Journalism School of Medicine School of Nursing School of Public Health School of Social Research and Justice Studies School of Social Work

Centers

View of the Campus in front of UNR Knowledge Center

Nevada sponsors a center dedicated to Basque studies (Including the Basque language) due to the large Basque population in Northern Nevada.

In addition, the university maintains and sponsors many centers, institutes & facilities.

Libraries

UNR Matthewson-IGT Knowledge Center

The university and surrounding community is served by several campus libraries. The libraries are:

• Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center (main library). Opened on August 11, 2008, it was a $75.3 million project which began in September 2005. It replaced the Getchell library.
  • Basque Library (housed in separate section of the Knowledge Center)
  • Special Collections and University Archives (3rd floor of the Matthewson IGT-Knowledge Center)
• DeLaMare Library (engineering, physical sciences, computer science, mining, and geology)
  • Mary B. Ansari Map Library (housed in basement of DeLaMare)
• Savitt Medical Library
• Nell J. Redfield Learning and Resource Center (education library and resources)

Rankings and reputation

Academic rankings
National
Forbes [10]	184
U.S. News & World Report [11]	195
Washington Monthly [12]	138
WSJ / College Pulse [13]	348
Global
ARWU [14]	501–600
U.S. News & World Report [15]	782

For 2024, University of Nevada, Reno was ranked tied for 195th overall among national universities and tied for 106th among public universities in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report . ^[16]

In 2022, Forbes rated the University 184 overall among universities while University of Nevada, Las Vegas by comparison ranked 303rd. A significant and noteworthy jump in the rankings since Forbes analysis in years prior. ^[17]

For 2020, Washington Monthly ranked UNR 138th among 389 national universities in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. ^[18]

Campus

Manzanita Lake in the southwestern part of the campus.

An older picture showing part of the campus in the foreground

The University of Nevada, Reno is the flagship institution of Nevada. ^{[19] [20]} The campus is located just north of downtown Reno overlooking Truckee Meadows and the downtown casinos.

Early construction

The university's first building, Morrill Hall, was completed in 1887 and still stands on the historic quad at the campus' southern end. The hall is named after U.S. Senator Justin Morrill, author of the 1862 Land-Grant College Act. ^[21]

Lincoln Hall (all-male residence) and Manzanita Hall (all-female residence) were both opened in 1896. While Lincoln was under construction, boys were housed in the building which had previously held the now-defunct Bishop Whitaker's School for Girls, which had shuttered in 1894.

The Quad

The tree-lined Quad is located in the southern part of the campus, surrounded by Morrill Hall and the Mackay School of Mines. This quadrangle is modeled after Thomas Jefferson's at the University of Virginia. ^[22]

Herbarium

The herbarium at the University of Nevada, Reno is made up of the herbarium of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station (College of Agriculture) and the herbarium of the Biology Department. They have operated as one unit since 1978. Among those who worked at the herbarium were Patrick Beveridge Kennedy and Amos Arthur Heller at the experiment station and Philip Augustus Lehenbauer, Dwight Billings, Hugh Nelson Mozingo, Ira La Rivers and William Andrew Archer at the biology department. ^[23]

Mackay Stadium

Main article: Mackay Stadium

The football team plays at Mackay Stadium. The modern Mackay Stadium was completed in 1966 with a seating capacity of 7,500. The facility has been expanded several times in the last 15 years and now seats 30,000.

E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center

The University of Nevada began construction of a new 108,000 square foot fitness center in June 2015. Named the E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center, it opened in February 2017. Students' use of the fitness center is included in annual tuition and fees. The fitness center has four floors and includes a gym with three basketball courts, areas for weightlifting, cardio training, fitness classes, stadium stairs and an indoor running track. The project had a $46 million cost. ^{[24] [25]}

Sustainability

Since its creation in the fall of 2008, the University of Nevada, Reno's Sustainability Committee has been gathering information on various aspects of campus sustainability and beginning the development of a plan for creating a more sustainable campus. ^[26] Significant efforts are made towards recycling and keeping the campus green. Many university buses run on bio-diesel fuels. The bicycle program has seen a significant increase in the number of bicycle users. The university's Food Services has made a commitment of 1% of the meal plan revenue to go towards funding sustainable initiatives on campus. ^[27] In order to reduce energy use, UNR has installed solar panels on the Joe Crowley Student Union and built its first LEED accredited building. ^[28] The University of Nevada has been ranked among the nation's most sustainable colleges, ^[29] receiving an overall grade of "B+" on the Sustainable Endowment Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2010. ^[30]

Athletics

Main article: Nevada Wolf Pack

The university is simply called Nevada for athletics purposes. Its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack (always two words). They participate in the NCAA's Division I (FBS for football) and in the Mountain West Conference.

A Nevada Wolf Pack baseball player scores a run during a 2011 game in Los Angeles

Men's basketball

Main article: Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball

In March 2004, the Wolf Pack Men's basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history. The team earned a repeat trip in 2005 and beat Texas in the first round before falling to eventual national runner-up Illinois. The team returned for 2006 as a No. 5 seed but was upset in the first round by former Big Sky Conference rival Montana. They began the 2006–07 season ranked #24. The Pack's major star during this recent period of success was Nick Fazekas. In 2007, Nevada was ranked No. 9 in men's basketball, which is the highest ranking that Nevada has ever held.

Football

Main article: Nevada Wolf Pack football

The football team plays at Mackay Stadium. The modern Mackay Stadium replaced its predecessor and was completed in 1966 with a seating capacity of 7,500. The facility has been expanded several times in its history and now seats 30,000. In 2005, Nevada won a share of the WAC Title. The 2010 season saw Nevada at its best finishing the season ranked No. 11 in the AP and No. 13 in the BCS, stunning Boise State, 34–31, and costing the Broncos a possible shot at the BCS title, to win another share of the WAC title.

Conference affiliations

Nevada joined the Mountain West Conference in 2012. ^[31]

Previous conference memberships include:

• 1954–1968 – Northern California Athletic Conference
• 1969–1978 – West Coast Conference – (Independent for football)
• 1979–1991 – Big Sky (swapped conference affiliations with Gonzaga University, which has been without football since 1941)
• 1992–1998 – Big West
• 1999–2012 – WAC

Student media

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2020

Race and ethnicity [32]	Total
White	55%	55
Hispanic	23%	23
Other [lower-alpha 1]	9%	9
Asian	8%	8
Black	3%	3
Foreign national	1%	1
Native American	1%	1
Economic diversity
Low-income [lower-alpha 2]	28%	28
Affluent [lower-alpha 3]	72%	72

Nevada's editorially independent, weekly student newspaper is The Nevada Sagebrush . It comes out every Tuesday afternoon, and employs more than 40 people, 25 full-time. Prior to 2004, the newspaper called itself simply the Sagebrush.

The newspaper was given an Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award for work completed during the 2007–2008, 2008–2009, 2011–2012 and most recently, 2014–15, school years. ^[33] The newspaper won the Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker award in 2008 and 2009. ^[34]

Notable alumni and faculty

Main article: List of University of Nevada, Reno people

Film history

The University of Nevada's classically styled campus has served as the setting for many movies, including: ^[35]

• Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)
• Margie (1946)
• Apartment for Peggy (1948)
• Mother Is a Freshman (1949)
• Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949)
• 5 Against the House (1955)
• Hilda Crane (1956)

Notes

1. Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
2. The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
3. The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

References

1. As of June 30, 2022. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Endowment Market Value, and Change* in Endowment Market Value from FY21 to FY22 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
2. "University of Nevada, Reno employee counts by year". Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
3. "UNR Visual Identity" . Retrieved September 11, 2022.
4. "National Register Information System – (#87000135)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
5. Carnegie Classification. "University of Nevada". carnegieclassifications.iu.edu. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
6. "Table 20. Higher education R&D expenditures, ranked by FY 2018 R&D expenditures: FYs 2009–18". ncsesdata.nsf.gov. National Science Foundation. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
7. "University of Nevada School of Medicine". Medicine.nevada.edu. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
8. University of Nevada, Reno. "About - Journalism". Journalism.unr.edu. Archived from the original on August 19, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
9. "Training Session for Inkblot Employees" (PDF). pp. 18 (on page 15). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
10. "Forbes America's Top Colleges List 2023". Forbes . Retrieved September 22, 2023.
11. "2023-2024 Best National Universities". U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved September 22, 2023.
12. "2023 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly . Retrieved February 10, 2024.
13. "2024 Best Colleges in the U.S." The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
14. "ShanghaiRanking's 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
15. "2022-23 Best Global Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved February 25, 2023.
16. "University of Nevada--Reno Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
17. Business, Forbes. "America's Top Colleges". Forbes. Retrieved January 1, 2023.{{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
18. "2020 National University Rankings". Washington Monthly. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
19. "Office of the President | University of Nevada, Reno". Unr.edu. April 20, 2012. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
20. "Tuition and Fees at Flagship Universities over Time - Trends in Higher Education - The College Board". Trends.collegeboard.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
21. Straka, Thomas (November 2009). "Ten things you didn't know about: Land-grant universities" (PDF). Nevada Silver & Blue. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
22. The Lawn at the University of Virginia: Charlottesville, Virginia Archived June 24, 2020, at the Wayback Machine . American Planning Association. Retrieved 2020-06-22
23. "History of the Reno Herbarium". University of Nevada, Reno NevadaTod. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
24. "UNR pleased that plans for engineering building at top of priority list". Reno Gazette–Journal . Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
25. "E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center". University of Nevada, Reno. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
26. "Sustainability Committee Information". University of Nevada, Reno. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
27. "Campus Sustainability: Food". University of Nevada, Reno. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
28. "Campus Sustainability: Energy". University of Nevada, Reno. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
29. "Nevada Today". University of Nevada, Reno. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on May 30, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
30. "College Sustainability Report Card 2010". Sustainable Endowments Institute. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
31. "Fresno State, Nevada to remain in WAC until 2012". ESPN. October 28, 2010. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
32. "College Scorecard: University of Nevada-Reno". United States Department of Education. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
33. "ACP - 2015 Newspaper Pacemaker". studentpress.org. Associated Collegiate Press. 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
34. "Nevada Sagebrush nominated for Pacemaker award". Reynolds School of Journalism. University of Nevada, Reno. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
35. "Campus on the Hill: A walking tour of the University of Nevada". Delamare.unr.edu. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.

External links

• Nevada portal

• Official website
• University of Nevada Athletics website
• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. NV-18, " University of Nevada (Site Plan), Evans, Virginia & Ninth Street, Reno, Washoe County, NV ", 1 measured drawing
• HABS No. NV-18-A, " University of Nevada, Reno, Dairy Building, North of East Ninth Street, Reno, Washoe County, NV ", 20 photos, 10 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
• "Nevada, University of"  . Collier's New Encyclopedia . 1921.