Dr. Raymond (Ray) D. Rawson

District 7 - Clark County (map)

2217 Scarlet Rose Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89134
Phone: (702) 290-2121
Fax: (702) 838-4563
E-mail: raymond_rawson@nshe.nevada.edu

Regent Ray Rawson was appointed to the Board of Regents by Gov. Jim Gibbons in January 2009. He serves as chair of the Business & Finance Committee, and as vice chair of the Health Sciences System Committee. He is also a member of the Investment & Facilities Committee.

Regent Rawson was born in Sandy, Utah. He was the student body president of the first graduating class of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in zoology and chemistry from UNLV in 1964. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) from Loma Linda University Dental School (1968) and returned to UNLV where he earned a Master of Arts degree in physical anthropology (1978).

Regent Rawson has researched, taught, and lectured extensively on public policy, dentistry, anatomy, anesthesia, and specialized criminal justice. He has served nationally on the Education Commission of the States and the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education. He is a prolific writer of research papers and has been widely published in scientific journals.

A former senator, Rawson served in the Nevada State Legislature from 1984 to 2004. He recently finished his service on the auditing committee of the American Legacy Foundation in Washington, D.C., is current Vice-Chairman of the Springs Preserve Foundation in Las Vegas, and Deputy Commander of the Nevada-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team for the Department of Health and Human Services of the Federal Government. 

Regent Rawson is currently a practicing dentist in Las Vegas. He and his wife, Linda Downey Rawson, have seven children, 22 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Education

• University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  
  • Bachelor of Science, Zoology, Chemistry, 1964
  • Master of Arts, Physical Anthropology, 1978
• Loma Linda University Dental School, California
  
  • Doctor of Dental Surgery, 1968
• Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Bethesda, Maryland - Certificate 1977
• American Board of Forensic Odontology - Certification, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1994, 2000, and 2006
• American Board of Oral Medicine - Certification, 1987
  

Professional Experience

• Nevada State Senator 1984 - 2004 (one special and nine regular sessions):
  • Senate Assistant Majority Floor Leader, 1987-1989, 1993-2001
  • Senate Assistant Minority Floor Leader, 1991
  • Alternate, Legislative Commission, 1985-1986
  • Interim Finance Committee, 1987-2000
  • State Issues Committee, Assembly on the Legislature (AOL), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 1985-1986
  • Vice Chairman, Health Committee, State-Federal Assembly, Science, Technology and Resource Planning Committee; Health and Education Committee, Western Legislative Conference, Council of State Governments (CSG); Executive Committee, Education Commission of the States; Steering Committee, Reforming States Group; Chairman, Children, Families and Health Committee, Assembly of State Legislatures; Nominating Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, 1996
  • Chairman, Reforming States Group, Milbank Memorial Fund, 2002-2004

• Emeritus Professor, College of Southern Nevada, 2005-2008
  
  
• Full Adjunct Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Dental Medicine, 2002-2007
  
  
• Senior Dental Consultant, Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, Oral Health Access Grant Program 2001-2005
  
  
• Commissioner, Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) 1997-2006
  
  
• Dental Director, Dental Director Services, Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Organization, Las Vegas Nevada, 1994-present
  
  
• Adjunct Clinical Professor, Department of Pathology and Family Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine, 1990-2004
  


• Visiting Faculty, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1988-1992
  
  
• Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Oral Diagnosis, Oral Medicine, and Forensic Dentistry, Northwestern University School of Dentistry, Chicago, Illinois, 1984-1999
  
  
• Forensic Odontologist with Clark County Coroner's Office, Nevada, 1976-present

Professional Affiliations

• Member, President's National Advisory Committee on Rural Health, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, 2002-2007
• Board Member, Audit Committee, American Legacy Foundation, 2003-2007
• American Board of Forensic Odontology; Chairman 1986-1987
• Member, Editorial Review Board, Journal of the American Dental Association, 1985-1987
• American Academy of Forensic Sciences; Chairman, Student Academy, 1985-1986
• Editorial Board of the Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 1979-1985
• American Society of Forensic Odontology; Chairman, Research Grants Review Committee, 1978-1984
• American Board of Oral Medicine
• American Dental Association
• American Dental Education Association
• Southern Nevada Dental Association
• Federation Dentaire Internationale
• International College of Dentists
• Nevada State Dental Association
• Clark County Dental Association
• American Legislative Exchange Council
• Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
• American Association of Dental Schools
• Organization of Teachers of Oral Diagnosis
• Fellow of International College of Dentists
• Fellow American College of Dentists
• Pierre Fauchard Academy
• Omicron Kappa Upsilon - Dental Honor Society

Civic/Charitable Affiliations and Awards

• Boy Scouts of America
• YMCA
• United Way
• Inductee, Nevada Education Hall of Fame-Public Education Foundation, 2007
• Inductee, Nevada Senate Hall of Fame, 2005
• Distinguished Alumnus, Loma Linda School of Dentistry, 2005
• Governor's Award for Arts and Humanities, 2004
• Outstanding Leadership Award, Nevada Healthcare Association, 2003
• Public Service Award, American Association of Public Health Dentistry, 2003
• Legislator of the Year, American College of Emergency Physicians, 2002
• Meritorious Service Award, School-Community Partnership Program, Clark County, 2000
  
• Certificate of Achievement, Clark County Anti-Tobacco Task Force, 2000
• Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Award, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000
  
• 2000 GEM (Generous Endowments-Good Efforts Matter) Award
• Outstanding Leadership in Drafting Children's Diabetes Program, Nevada Diabetes Assoc. for Children, 2000
• Clark County School District, Crystal Apple Award for Exemplary Civic Leadership, 1999
• Leadership Recognition Award, American Association of Dental Schools, 1999
• Alumnus of the Year, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1997
• Legislator of the Year, Nevada Association of Social Workers, 1997
• Legislator of the Year Award, Nevada Medical Association, 1997
• Nicholas Horn Award for Service to Medicine, 1995
• Public Health Award, Nevada Public Health Association, 1994
• Community Hero, National Conference of Christians and Jews, 1994
• Silver Beaver Award, Boy Scouts of America, 1987
• Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America, 1974
• Award of Noteworthy Promise in Research, Loma Linda University
• Distinguished Service Award, Pierre Fauchard Academy