Eve Brank, Aaron Douglas Professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, was interviewed for an Aug. 17 Stateline article on parental responsibility laws. The article was among 45-plus national news stories featuring Husker faculty, staff, students, centers and programs during the month.
Research by Brank and colleagues has found that legal professionals generally do not view the laws as effective, which could help explain why the laws are common but rarely enforced. She said there is also potential for the laws to be disproportionately applied to single-parent households, low-income families and families of color.
“We need a pretty comprehensive view, and thinking seriously about whether punishment will actually garner the outcomes that we want,” Brank told Stateline. “Are there ways we could instead focus our attention and resources on prevention?”
The story was picked up by dozens of media outlets nationwide.
Additional national news coverage in August included:
- Kait Chapman, an urban entomologist with Nebraska Extension, was interviewed for an Aug. 3 article in The Pioneer Woman on how to get rid of gnats. Overwatering houseplants is the top cause of fungus gnats, she said, so changing one’s watering routine will naturally diminish the population. “Fungus gnats are controlled by letting the soil of houseplants dry completely before watering,” she said.
- Reach Power and the university’s NIMBUS Lab have secured a Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I contract through AFWERX to study wireless power for perched drones, Interesting Engineering and several other outlets reported Aug. 4. The project will examine whether remotely delivered energy can keep drones operating as persistent communications and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes during military missions.
- Amanda Folck, assistant extension educator in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, was interviewed for an Aug. 4 Dengarden article on the importance of scouting one’s lawn for pests during peak summer. She recommended checking for pests daily. “There can be gradual or immediate changes that can happen in the lawn,” she said. “This way, if you do catch a pest, you can spot it in the early stages rather than in later stages.”
- Brenden Timpe, economics, was interviewed for an Aug. 5 Midwest Newsroom article on the Childcare Modernization Act of 2025, introduced by Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, which aims to address the shortage of affordable childcare in the United States. Timpe said he thought the bill would help improve access to childcare but stressed that increased wages and worker retention would be key to maintaining a level of heightened supply. “There are people who want to work in this sector, but they simply can’t make it work as providers (because of low pay),” he said.
- RFD-TV aired an Aug. 5 story on how the university’s Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory helps cattle producers in Nebraska and beyond. T.L. Meyer, livestock systems extension educator, was interviewed for the story.
- Bedross Der Matossian, history, has been appointed director of genocide research at the Zoryan Institute, The Armenian Mirror-Spectator reported Aug. 6. Der Matossian is an internationally recognized scholar of the Armenian genocide, the late Ottoman Empire and modern Middle Eastern history.
- Der Matossian also wrote an Aug. 7 op-ed for The Jerusalem Post on the city’s Armenian community facing increased harassment, intimidation and discrimination from extremist haredi and nationalist Jewish youths. He called for existing laws to be consistently and vigorously enforced; stronger legal sanctions to be considered; human rights organizations to investigate recurring incidents; and global media to call more attention to the incidents.
- Jayson Beckman, agricultural economics, Michael Yanney Chair in International Trade and Finance, was interviewed for an Aug. 11 segment on RFD-TV’s “Market Day Report.” He discussed the importance of global exports to domestic agriculture and how the university’s Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance is preparing future ag leaders.
- Dylan Mangel, plant pathology, was interviewed for an Aug. 14 Brownfield Ag News story on his team developing forecasting tools alongside UV-based detection methods to spot soybean infections before symptoms appear. The Cool Down picked up the article.
- The Uber Blog published an Aug. 14 article on Husker Share, a new ride-share program for Husker students, faculty and staff. With Husker Share, up to three eligible riders can share Uber rides around Lincoln while saving up to 20% off standard UberX fares.
- Free Day Popcorn in Byron, Nebraska, recently opened a storefront with support from a Business Builder Grant through the Nebraska Regional Food Systems Initiative — part of Rural Prosperity Nebraska. The Fence Post ran an Aug. 16 article on the business.
- The university’s Center on Children, Families and the Law is joining Right at Home, a national initiative to stop homelessness before it starts. As one of 10 partner communities, the center will work with Destination: Home and a coalition of national organizations to build a Nebraska homelessness prevention system modeled on Destination: Home’s nationally recognized approach. Stories on the partnership appeared in KLKN, KOLN/KGIN and Public News Service.
- The university has received an additional $37 million in federal funds for a new facility on Nebraska Innovation Campus. The National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture, a partnership between the university and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, will focus on precision agriculture technology, sustainable production and climate resiliency. Stories on the project appeared in KETV, Nebraska Examiner, Nebraska Public Media, Rural Radio Network and Farms.com.
- NUtech Ventures is launching the Innovation Advancement Fund, a proof-of-concept funding program designed to help move promising university research from the laboratory toward commercialization. Silicon Prairie News published an Aug. 21 article on the fund.
- Brad Lubben, extension associate professor of agricultural economics, was interviewed for an Aug. 25 Financial Times article on the challenges facing U.S. grain farmers due to increased costs from the conflict in Iran. (This article requires a subscription.)
- Dan Uden, interim director of the university’s Center for Resilience in Agricultural Working Landscapes, was interviewed for an Aug. 25 segment on RFD-TV’s “Market Day Report.” He discussed how the center is turning research into practical tools for ag producers.
- Kevin Smith, political science, was interviewed for an Aug. 26 Newsweek article on the U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts and independent challenger Dan Osborn. Smith said the race could be competitive, but he gives the edge to Ricketts in the absence of independent polling showing Osborn ahead. “The big reason for that is Republicans simply outnumber Democrats and independents in the state,” Smith said. “That’s the bottom line.”
Faculty, administration, student and staff appearances in the national media are logged at http://newsroom.unl.edu/inthenews. If you have additions to the list, contact Sean Hagewood at shagewood2@unl.edu or 402-472-8514. If you have suggestions for national news stories, email Deann Gayman at deann.gayman@unl.edu.
