Nearly 40 employees are better prepared to help their peers spot and protect against cyber threats. Their readiness follows their participation in the annual cybersecurity liaison event, which was hosted by the Information Security Office on Oct. 20.

Now in its second year, the event is a culmination of the cybersecurity liaison program’s yearlong efforts to foster a strong security culture at UNLV by raising awareness, sharing knowledge, and adopting best practices that strengthen cybersecurity campuswide.

During Homecoming Week, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) participated in the week-long festivities of UNLV’s annual Homecoming celebration, such as the office decorating contest and the Scarlet & Gray Homecoming Parade. This week was filled with spirit and creativity as various members of the department got together and planned ways to represent this year’s “Haunted Homecoming” theme.

Sixty elementary school students were issued Future RebelCards as part of the Early Outreach Day Camp on Oct. 9. The children were able to design their own campus ID cards with help from RebelCard Office staff.

“What is College?” was this Early Outreach Day Camp’s theme. Campers explored their ideas of college and interest in attending UNLV, according to the Early Outreach site.

UNLV Vice President for Digital Transformation and Chief Information Officer Kivanc Oner was a panelist on the “Developing the Workforce in the New Era of Cybersecurity” panel on Oct. 5 at the 2023 Cybersecurity Conference at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).

The classroom technology services team in the Office of Information Technology participated in the Educational Technology Collaborative Conference in Los Angeles on the campus of the University of Southern California from Sept. 20 to Sept. 23.

Thousands of new students got a smart start with campus technology during Rebel Ready Week that was held Aug. 21 through Aug. 25. UNLV’s newest event helped incoming first-year students learn about campus and services available to them before kicking off their college experience.

Just in time for the fall semester beginning on Aug. 28, major updates have occurred to some of our popular technology services.

Alethea Inns was recognized by the UNLV Women’s Council for her service to the Health & Safety Task Force, which began in March 2023. The subcommittee is focused on enhancing support for the health and well-being of everyone on campus.

The associate instructional technology support specialist for the office of information technology is already contributing to the task force’s new initiatives. She suggested additional resources for the Employee Assistance Program, trauma-informed approaches for campus, and some fitness group activities.

When Jacquee deJesus (‘09 BA Interdisciplinary Studies and ‘11 MA Educational Leadership) signed up for a new professional development opportunity, the academic advisor wanted to learn more about campus resources so she could better support students. She never imagined the amount of valuable information she’d obtain after touring campus with employees from the office of information technology as part of an micro-externship program.

Instructors and employees learned about generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, like ChatGPT, AI detection in TurnItIn, and Stable Diffusion for realistic photo images, during a workshop hosted by the UNLV Faculty Center on April 28.

The workshop sparked conversations about the use of AI, including the risks and benefits, and the potential impact on higher education and academic integrity among instructors, employees, and technologists from the online education and information technology offices.