The New Yorker interviewed Nebraska researchers Melissa Homestead, English, and Andrew Jewell, English and university libraries, for a long piece on Willa Cather’s legacy, published in early October. The New York Times published a series of insightful op-eds by Jennine Capó Crucet, English and ethnic studies, about the experiences of first-generation students, among other topics.
In June and July, researchers reported they had used the Diocles laser system in the Extreme Light Laboratory to produce light one billion times as bright as the sun. The project, led by physics and astronomy professor Donald Umstadter, allowed Nebraska scientists to observe changes in the very behavior of photons and electrons. Articles appeared in nearly two dozen science and news outlets from around the globe, such as The Week, Wired, and Motherboard.
Newsweek and Live Science were among the outlets that reported in November on a study led by Eric Weaver, biological sciences, that found a promising avenue toward a universal flu shot.
Assit Patnaik, biological sciences, and other virologists gained clues why Zika virus became more lethal during outbreaks that sicked tens of thousands of people in the Caribbean, South America and the United States in 2015 and 2016. Their findings were reported in ScienceDaily and other outlets.
The Daily Mail and others reported on HIV research by Wei Niu, chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Qingsheng Li, biological sciences, that created an “on/off switch” in a weakened form of the virus, which could lead to a safe and effective vaccine.
Tyler White, political science, and Robert Oglesby, Earth and atmospheric sciences, teamed up in July to examine how the world’s nuclear arsenal could trigger climate change. Their study was covered by the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom and Gizmodo, among others.
A patent for making and using transgenic dicamba-degrading organisms, by Donald Weeks, biochemistry, and colleagues was listed as the second-most cited patent in the December issue of Nature Biotechnology.
Kristi Montooth, biological sciences, was part of a multi-institution research effort that investigated how fruit flies evolved their impressive tolerance for alcohol. The innovative study was covered by several science news sites in January.
NBC Nightly News interviewed Adam Houston, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, about the dangers of storm chasing after three weather observers were killed in a Texas traffic accident in March.
Max Perry Mueller, classics and religious studies, was quoted multiple times for stories about politics and the Mormon Church. The New York Times called upon him in late October to discuss the religious overtones in the resignation speech of U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, a descendant of Mormon pioneers. In January, Mueller wrote in Slate about the controversy over the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing for President Trump’s inauguration.
Wheeler Winston Dixon, film studies, March on Australia’s The Final Cut about pioneer female filmmaker Dorothy Arzner; March on Huffington Post, pros and cons of dropping cable TV; June in USA TODAY, drive-in movie theaters; July in Switzerland’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung, spoiler-prone movie previews, in Investors Business Daily, King Kong producer Merian Cooper, in Florida Times-Union, “legacy” rock acts; August in Spain’s El Diario, 50th anniversary of director Jean-Luc Godard’s “La Chinoise;” September in Akron Beacon Journal,streaming, bingeing and niche TV; October in Los Angeles Times, Harvey Weinstein sex scandal, on Minneapolis TV station WCCO,movie trailers; November in The Christian Science Monitor, Hallmark Channel’s popularity.
Kirk Dombrowski, sociology, January on All Things Considered, rural opioid crisis.
Patrick Dussault, chemistry, September in U.S. News & World Report,causes of Hurricane Harvey-related chemical fire.
John Hibbing, political science, February on National Geographic Startalk, biology and political belief; Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse, political science, June on Vox.com, why Americans dislike democracy; July on Vox.com, misunderstandings about democracy.
Courtney Hillebrecht, political science, January in U.S. News & World Report, international elections.
Ari Kohen, political science, January on Voice of America, Trump’s America; August on CNN, the cost of hate.
Philip Schwadel, sociology, April on National Public Radio, durability of religious belief; December in Newsweek, why Alabama Christians support Roy Moore.
Greg Snow, physics, September in Wired.com, The Verge, and Space.com, cosmic rays.
