Growing curiosity

Liz McCue | University Communication and Marketing

Chad Brassil (right), associate professor of biological sciences, talks about native prairie grasses with Gordon Wood during the Science Olympiad National Tournament’s STEM Expo. Wood's four sons all participated in Science Olympiad at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois. Even after their graduation, Wood and his wife have continued to volunteer with the team and support the mission of the event.

Chad Brassil (right), associate professor of biological sciences, talks about native prairie grasses with Gordon Wood during the Science Olympiad National Tournament’s STEM Expo on May 23.

More than 175 faculty and staff volunteered to support the two-day event — which is one of the nation's most prestigious science, technology, engineering and math competitions. This is the second time the national tournament has been held at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Learn more about the impact of the event on campus.

(Top left) Karrie Weber, professor of microbiology, points out bacteria on a slide to a student from Illinois during the Science Olympiad National Tournament’s STEM Expo, held May 23 in Kiewit Hall. (Right) Competitors, coaches and volunteers take part in the STEM Expo on May 23 in Kiewit Hall. (Bottom left) Aldi Airori, a research technologist in agronomy and horticulture, speaks with Nathan Mann and his parents, Allan and Ruby Mann, during the STEM Expo.

The Science Olympiad brings together 120 middle and high school teams who advanced from state-level competitions this spring. More than 1,800 youth participated in rigorous hands-on and lab events led by experts from government agencies, top universities, industry and Science Olympiad state chapters cover topics in engineering, physics, epidemiology, astronomy, chemistry, robotics and coding.

Student teams from Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas, and Sierra Vista Middle School in Irvine, California, took top honors at the 41st annual tournament, which was hosted by the university from May 23-24.

Campus photos of the week

Nebraska Athletics revealed the new turf design inside Memorial Stadium in a May 28 post. The new design includes red endzones with white lettering. Learn more at https://go.unl.edu/xwh3.
@Huskers
Nebraska Innovation Studio’s Robotics Fellowship Program is generating success as the first cohort is poised to take the next step toward commercialization. Learn more at https://go.unl.edu/m7qz.
Alex Fernando celebrated the work of College of Journalism and Mass Communications students who gathered media content for the 2025 Science Olympiad National Tournament. Learn more at https://go.unl.edu/h7gy.
The College of Engineering also celebrated hosting nearly 2,000 competitors, coaches and family members in Kiewit Hall, Othmer Hall and the Scott Engineering Center. Learn more at https://go.unl.edu/62vi.
Students from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln are making a difference in Rwanda through the Public Health Study Abroad Program. Learn more at https://go.unl.edu/9pxa.
Cornhuskers baseball celebrated its back-to-back Big Ten championship on Memorial Day weekend. The team defeated UCLA, 5-0 to secure the title. They advance to play in the Chapel Hill NCAA baseball regional. The team’s first game is 4 p.m. May 30 versus Oklahoma. Learn more at https://go.unl.edu/xsb8.

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