FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Suzanne Ernst
(702) 889-8426

LAS VEGAS – Nevada's Board of Regents today unanimously approved the nomination of Dr. Stephen McFarlane to serve as the interim president of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Currently the university's department chair for Speech Pathology & Audiology, Dr. McFarlane has been with UNR for the past 26 years and will assume his new position on January 1, 2001.

"After several on-campus meetings with faculty and staff, it became clear to us that Dr. McFarlane will provide the leadership this fine university needs in the months ahead," said Thalia Dondero, Board of Regents chair.

In May, President Joe Crowley announced he would end his 22-year tenure at UNR at the end of the year and return to the classroom.

McFarlane has been involved in speech and language pathology since 1968. His interests in voice, cleft palate and stuttering disorders have been continuing for more than 30 years. A member of the department since 1977, he is a foundation professor of speech pathology at the university's School of Medicine. Before coming to UNR in 1974, McFarlane taught at Portland State University and the University of Washington. He also has worked in public school and hospital settings.

Dr. McFarlane earned a B.S. and M.S.T. from Portland State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

Comprising two doctoral-granting universities, four comprehensive community colleges and one environmental research institution, the University and Community College System of Nevada serves the educational and job training needs of the nation's fastest growing state. As Nevada's only system of higher education, the UCCSN provides educational opportunities to more than 90,000 students.