CAS in the national news, April 2018

Photo Credit: Newspapers
Fri, 05/04/2018 - 13:43

A study showing that humans and their ancestors are responsible for an unprecedented wave of large-mammal extinctions was featured in numerous publications in April. 

Kate Lyons, assistant professor of biological sciences at Nebraska, co-authored the study, which originally appeared in the journal Science.

Lyons was quoted in stories in USA TodayNBC News, the New York Post, the Independent and Inquisitr, among dozens of other media outlets.

The study also noted that the "downsizing" trend may continue, with a domestic cow possibly being the largest mammal in 200 years.

"It wasn't until human impacts started becoming a factor that large body sizes made mammals more vulnerable to extinction," Lyons said. "(The extinctions) occurred not very long after the birth of us as a species. It just seems to be something that we do."

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A massive study led by Marilyne Stains, chemistry, found that traditional lecturing has persisted in STEM classrooms despite calls to replace it with more student-centered approaches. The study was featured in Inside Higher Education on April 2 and on the website Futurity on April 5. The study was first published in Science.

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New research led by Kevin Smith, political science, shows that liberals tend to express more emotions with their faces than conservatives do. The website Futurity ran an article on the research April 5.

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Kelsy Burke, sociology, wrote an April 5 piece for The Conversation about the Christian right opposing pornography but still supporting President Donald Trump. Burke wrote that evangelical logic supposes that giving in to sexual temptations is part of the human condition. The article was picked up by Newsweek, International Business Times and several other media outlets across the country.

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Paul Blum, biological sciences, was interviewed for an April 20 article in The Guardian about N-001 — a drug developed at his biotech startup company, Neurocarrus, that is designed to treat severe and chronic pain without the high of opioids. N-001 is a localized treatment designed to target pain at its source via an injection or topical solution.

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Jennine Capó Crucet, English and ethnic studies, wrote an April 28 op-ed piece for The New York Times on her decision to turn down a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Florida to attend Cornell University.