Abstract
The Robert Lang Professional Papers (1976-2020) mainly contain urban planning research and reports from former University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) professor and public policy expert Robert Lang. Materials represent different public policy related projects and issues Lang worked on when he was employed with the Fannie Mae Foundation in Washington, D.C., and Brookings Mountain West and the Lincy Institute at UNLV. Materials also include Lang's teaching files which include course syllabi, class presentation slides, and course readers. Research, notes, and drafts of Lang's books including
Finding Aid PDF
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Scope and Contents Note
The Robert Lang Professional Papers (1976-2020) mainly contain urban planning research and reports from former University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) professor and public policy expert Robert Lang. Materials represent different public policy related projects and issues Lang worked on when he was employed with the Fannie Mae Foundation in Washington, D.C., and Brookings Mountain West and the Lincy Institute at UNLV. Materials also include Lang's teaching files which include course syllabi, class presentation slides, and course readers. Research, notes, and drafts of Lang's books including
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials remain as they were received.
Biographical / Historical Note
Robert Edwin Lang was born on May 28, 1959 in Brooklyn, New York and raised in New Jersey. He attended Rutgers University where he met his wife, Karen Danielsen-Lang whom he married in 1980. At Rutgers, he obtained his Ph.D. in sociology and also worked as a research associate. He also held positions as a Senior Director of urban and metropolitan research at the Fannie Mae Foundation in Washington, D.C. and as a professor and department chair in urban planning at Virginia Tech.
Lang established himself as a public policy expert and authority on urban growth and economic development, particularly amongst America’s metropolitan areas. In 2011, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to lead two public policy research centers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV): the newly founded Brookings Mountain West think tank and the Lincy Institute. Lang also became the first Lincy Endowed Professor of Urban Affairs in the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.
Lang’s work helped inform public policy issues in Southern Nevada such as developing a medical school at UNLV, building a publicly-funded major-league sports stadium, elevating UNLV to top-tier research status, building out Interstate 11 from Phoenix, Arizona through Las Vegas, and the development of a light rail system. His work directly influenced major economic development projects which led to the launch of UNLV’s Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, building Allegiant Stadium, and expanding the Interstate-11 corridor among other important community needs.
Lang also authored several publications including
Lang passed away on June 21, 2021 due to complications from cancer. He is survived by his wife, Karen Danielsen-Lang, who is a professor in UNLV’s School of Public Policy and Leadership, and son Aidan Robert Lang.
Sources:
Casey, Juliet V., “UNLV Public Policy Expert Robert Lang Passes Away,” UNLV News Center, June 22, 2021. https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/unlv-public-policy-expert-robert-lang-passes-away
“Robert Lang, UNLV public policy leader, dies at 62,”
“Robert Edwin Lang,” Dignity Memorial, Accessed September 22, 2023. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/las-vegas-nv/robert-lang-10243051
Wootton-Greener, Julie, “Robert Lang, who helped reshape Southern Nevada’s economy, dies at 62,”
Preferred Citation
Robert Lang Professional Papers, 1976-2020. MS-01143. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f15783
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated by Karen Danielsen-Lang in 2023; accession number 2023-014.
Processing Note
In 2023, Tammi Kim rehoused the collection, transferred one digital file off of an optical disc, and created box level summaries and the finding aid in ArchivesSpace.
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Appraisal Note
Acquired by Visual Materials Curator, Aaron Mayes, as part of UNLV Special Collections and Archives holdings on the history of urban planning and redevelopment in Southern Nevada. The original acquisition included 0.10 linear feet of duplicate reports, student records, and routine personnel files that were removed due to the out-of-scope nature of the materials and to maintain compliance with FERPA. Staff removed these files and securely shredded them.