Kelsy Burke, associate professor of sociology, and Emily Kazyak, associate professor of sociology and women’s and gender studies, co-wrote a Nov. 8 analysis piece for The Washington Post on how Americans’ support for transgender rights has declined in recent years. Citing the Public Religion Research Institute’s recent American Values Survey, the researchers pointed out that in 2016, only 35% of Americans favored so-called “bathroom bills” — laws that require transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond to their sex assigned at birth, not their current gender identity. In 2022, after numerous states proposed such laws, the number of Americans supporting them rose to 52%. The jump was especially pronounced for white evangelicals and Republicans. Burke and Kazyak recently surveyed 938 mostly cisgender Nebraskans, asking them to explain their views about transgender bathroom use in their own words. They found that support or opposition hinges on beliefs about the nature of gender itself.
Scientific American published a review of “The Inside Story” by Husker researchers Scott Gardner, biological sciences; Judy Diamond, University Libraries; and Gabor Rácz, University of Nebraska State Museum, in its November issue. The magazine described the new book as “a crash course in the overlooked world of parasites.”
Justin Kirk, communication studies, head coach of the university’s debate team, was interviewed for a Nov. 7 KCUR story on fewer political candidates taking part in debates. Engaging in debates, he said, is one of the core points that James Madison argued as the U.S. Constitution was being written. “The affirmative case for debates begins with this Madisonian principle: That a knowledgeable public is one of the central functioning elements of a democracy,” Kirk said.
Adam Houston, Earth and atmospheric sciences, was a guest on the Nov. 11 episode of WHYY’s The Pulse program titled “The Science of Extreme Weather.” He discussed the Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells (TORUS) project, which he leads. The 17-member, multi-institutional TORUS team crisscrossed the Great Plains this summer, using high-tech instruments to gather data on supercell thunderstorms, known to produce the most destructive tornadoes.
The Genoa Indian School Digital Reconciliation Project, co-directed by Margaret Jacobs, was highlighted in a Nov. 24 Associated Press article on efforts to locate the bodies of more than 80 Native American children buried at the former boarding school. Jacobs is Charles Mach Professor of History and director of the Center for Great Plains Studies at Nebraska. The story has been picked up by 280-plus media outlets.
Carole Levin, Willa Cather Professor Emerita of history, was interviewed for a Nov. 25 Tasting Table article on the origins of the gingerbread man. She discussed Queen Elizabeth I’s fondness for the sweet treats. “She did do a banquet where she had gingerbread men made to represent foreign dignitaries and people in her court,” she said.
