Principal Investigator for SBDC at UNLV
Office Location: UNLV
Email: Zach.Miles@unlv.edu
Phone: 702-895-5019
Zach currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Technology and Partnerships at UNLV and the Executive Director of the UNLV Research Foundation. Zach is responsible for driving new ideas to life changing products and services, engaging industry in mutually beneficial collaborations, supporting small businesses formation and growth through services rendered by the Nevada Small Businesses Development Center at UNLV, and establishing a physical environment at the UNLV Harry Reid Research and Technology Park to attract expanding and relocating businesses to Southern Nevada.
Zach has worked in academic based economic and research park development for the past 20 years having similar roles and responsibilities at the Oklahoma State University and the University of Utah. Zach is proud to have been part of the team at the University of Utah that earned the honor of being the top research university in the nation for technology transfer, according to the Milken Institute’s 2017 ranking of Best Universities for Technology Transfer. Further, Zach was the founder of the Black Fire Innovation facility at the UNLV Harry Reid Research and Technology Park, a living lab and acceleration, incubation, and co-working space focused on innovating the hospitality and entertainment industry. In 2014 Zach helped to reestablish the Nevada Small Business Development Center at UNLV through an agreement with the Nevada SBDC at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Nevada SBDC at UNLV has become a highlight organization within the SBDC. Recently, Zach orchestrated and drove the approval of two new developments at the UNLV Harry Reid Research and Technology Park. He is currently fostering two transformative projects at the park in the medical and media space: both of these are approximately 34-acre developments.
Zach received his Bachelor of Science with a major in Microbiology from Weber State University and his Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire. Zach also serves on multiple advisory boards.