Regents name 2019 Distinguished Nevadans
The Nevada Board of Regents has named recipients of the 2019 Distinguished Nevadan awards who will receive the Nevada System of Higher Education’s most prestigious honor at Spring commencement ceremonies.
The award recognized prominent individuals who have made significant contributions to the cultural, economic, scientific, or social advancement of Nevada and its people.
This year’s Distinguished Nevadans include:
Former Nevada Supreme Court Justice Miriam Shearing and her late husband Steven P. Shearing, M.D. — Justice Shearing was the first woman in Nevada to serve as a District Court Judge, Supreme Court Justice and Chief Justice. Dr. Shearing was a noted ophthalmologist and inventor of a lens that revolutionized modern cataract surgery. He is in the Nevada Inventors’ Hall of Fame.
Tony F. Sanchez III, Esq. NV – NV Energy Senior Vice President of Government and Community Relations, Sanchez has served on the Board of Trustees of the National Judicial College, is co-Founder of the Nevada Corporate Giving Council and was named UNLV Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year.
George Norman Christensen, M.D. – Known for his dedication to the health and well being of White Pine County residents, Dr. Christensen is the longest serving rural preceptor for the UNR School of Medicine who is credited with introducing ambulance service and training for emergency medical care in rural Nevada.
William A. Douglass, Ph.D. – UNR’s William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies is named for Professor Emeritus Douglass, an internationally acclaimed Basque scholar named to the Basque Hall of Fame and the Nevada Writers’ Hall of Fame. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Nature Conservancy.
Cliff and Donna Findlay – Lifetime members of the UNLV Alumni Association and pillars of the Southern Nevada community, the Findlays are beloved philanthropists, donating millions to education and local charities.
Governor Robert F. List – Former Nevada Governor and two-term Attorney General, Gov. List is also proud to be an Honorary Alumnus of UNR. As the state’s chief law enforcement officer, he established the first criminal division and anti-trust unit, and as governor played a pivotal role in the preservation of Lake Tahoe.
Governor Brian Sandoval – Gov. Sandoval served two terms as Governor and two terms as Attorney General, was a U.S. District Court Judge, Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, and Chairman of the National Governor’s Association. He was UNR Alumnus of the Year and DRI President’s Medal honoree.
As an integrated system NSHE’s institutions, UNLV, University of Nevada, Reno, the College of Southern Nevada; Great Basin College; Nevada State College; Truckee Meadows Community College; Western Nevada College; and Desert Research Institute, can address all higher education needs from community college through doctoral and professional programs.
