Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Philanthropist’s $12M gift to boost special education programs at UNLV

Gift from estate of Kitty Rodman is largest in history of College of Education

Kitty Rodman2

courtesy

Kitty Rodman is shown May 19, 1991.

When longtime UNLV supporter Kitty Rodman died in February, she had one more gift waiting for the university.

UNLV officials announced today that Rodman had willed a $12 million grant to the UNLV College of Education’s Special Education Department. The gift, the largest in the history of the College of Education, is to be used as a financial scholarship for students studying to become special education teachers.

While it is unknown how many students will receive the scholarship each year, it is expected to last in perpetuity. The university will only use the money earned off interest from the $12 million gift.

Still, it will have a huge impact for the special education department, said department Chairman Tom Pierce.

“We tend not to be a receiver of gifts, and for Kitty to acknowledge this program is incredibly important,” Pierce said. “We’ve done some pretty good work over the years.”

Rodman, who died at age 88 from Parkinson’s disease, has long been a supporter of the university and helping those with intellectual disabilities.

In addition to being among the first women to break into the Las Vegas construction industry, she has served on the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees since the 1980s, she was a founding member of the UNLV Women’s Center and helped establish a physical therapy program. Her efforts earned her the 2005 Silver State Award, the highest honor given to non-alumni by the UNLV Alumni Association.

She was also involved for 40 years with Opportunity Village, a nonprofit group that helps find jobs for intellectually disabled people.

Her gift will now be crucial for the university as it attracts and trains future special education teachers. UNLV will be better able to recruit potential local and out-of-state candidates to help provide a boost in a specialty that has long been in demand in Southern Nevada, Pierce said.

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