State’s attitude toward education a shame

To the editor:

I am one of those "overpaid" UNLV professors. I have a B.S. (four years), Ph.D. (five years) and post-doctoral (four years) degrees. If I have invested the same amount of time in medical school, I would be making three to five times more money.

However, I wanted to do research and teach. I exchanged earning potential for the thrill of discovery and the opportunity to educate. I have never regretted my decision. I feel saddened, though, when I read comments devaluating higher education.

Before coming to Nevada, I worked in New York. When I decided to move, I had offers to work in Philadelphia and Detroit. I decided to come to UNLV because it was a young university changing into a research institution. I wanted to be a part of that. As I expected, UNLV has many growing pains, But I remained optimistic. I continue to teach, work in my office and in my laboratory.

I have brought $1.5 million to UNLV for my research program. With that money, I am supporting two technicians, four graduate students, and three undergraduate research projects. The money goes to pay salaries, buy reagents, equipment, etc.

One common misconception is the role of research. Research allows the exploration of new areas of knowledge. These new concepts are not found in books and are the based for future industries. More importantly, research helps students develop critical thinking skills.

Research experience is a huge plus for students going into the medical field. Simply put, students applying to medical school without research experience will not be able to compete with their peers from other states. My graduate students also teach their skills to the newest generation of undergraduates. From my laboratory, I had students go to medical, graduate, and pharmacy school. In the near future, these professionals will take care of your health.

Despite all the obstacles, I remained optimistic. The economic downturn is cyclical and we will eventually come out. I can deal with that. What is frustrating is the lack of concern (and outright belligerence) that Nevada has for education.

In any other state, a governor who proposed to balance the state budget by gutting education would have been laughed out of government. The governor's proposal was so insidious that I had colleagues from other states asking if Nevada was going to shut down higher education altogether.

Instead of outrage, the Review-Journal editorialized in favor of the governor's proposal.

At this point, I wonder. Is Nevada worth it? Do I let my children get a mediocre education? With a 20 or 25 percent cut, how much of UNLV will survive?

The thing is, I and others like me, can easily move to other research institutions, but we still believe in the potential of UNLV and Nevada. At some point, however, I may need to cut my loses. I will be very disappointed, but I will not sacrifice my family and career for a state that does not care.

Ernesto Abel-Santos

LAS VEGAS

The writer is an associate professor in UNLV's department of chemistry.