Nebraska in the national news: July 2025

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s climate expertise was in the national spotlight in July. The stories were among 45-plus national news stories featuring Husker faculty, staff, students, centers and programs during the month.

• The university’s National Drought Mitigation Center and the United Nations’ Convention to Combat Desertification recently released a report outlining the impacts of drought around the world since 2023. The last two years represent some of the worst drought effects seen on a global scale, said Mark Svoboda, report co-author and director of the drought center. Stories on the report appeared in KOLN/KGIN, BBC, CBS News, Der Spiegel, El Mundo, The Guardian, India Today and more than 580 other media outlets.
• Eric Hunt, a climatologist with Nebraska Extension, was interviewed for a July 14 CBS News story on the historic flooding that affected the Midwest last summer. Hunt said he worries about “whiplash weather” caused by climate change. “We had almost a year’s worth of rain in two months,” he said. “By October, (the Midwest was) in severe drought because it quit raining for most of the next three months.”

Additional national news coverage in July included:

• The university’s Bureau of Sociological Research is playing a key role in shaping agricultural policy and research in the state, KHGI, Nebraska Ag Connection and Tri-State Livestock News reported. With decades of survey expertise, the bureau gathers valuable data from Nebraska producers to guide agricultural practices, state efforts and national policy decisions.
• In a major step toward improving legal support for vulnerable children and families, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents recently approved the launch of the Nebraska Children’s Justice and Legal Advocacy Center, a new initiative focused on addressing the shortage of qualified attorneys in rural communities across the state. Stories on the center appeared in KHGI, the Norfolk Daily News, Rural Radio Network and National Jurist.
• Susan M. Swearer, educational psychology, director of the Bullying Research Network, was interviewed for a July 2 New York Times article on a new Tennessee law under which teenage drivers could have their driver’s licenses suspended for a year if they are convicted of bullying or cyberbullying. Research shows psychological interventions are more effective than punishment at stopping bullying, Swearer said. (This article requires a subscription.)
• The U.S. Drought Monitor — produced jointly by the university’s National Drought Mitigation Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture — was cited in a July 7 CBC article on the role climate change may have played in recent flash flooding in Texas. According to the monitor, 85% of Kerr County was in “exceptional drought,” the highest level, with the entire county in “extreme drought,” the second-highest level.
• As part of the Coats for Kids program, the university’s International Student and Scholar Office is collecting new and gently used coats in sizes 2T to 12 years to help children of international students and scholars stay warm through the winter months. Philanthropy Digest ran a July 7 item on the drive.
• Kevin Smith, political science, was interviewed for a July 8 Newsweek article on independent candidate Dan Osborn officially entering Nebraska’s Senate race against Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. Smith said the race could be competitive based on Osborn’s previous race against Sen. Deb Fischer and his increased name recognition but that it should be Rickett’s race to lose due to the party registration advantage for Republicans.
• Eve Brank, psychology, was interviewed for a July 8 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article on St. Louis police possibly citing parents for their children’s actions at future public events, as they did over the July Fourth weekend. Brank helped lead a 2012 study that found that there was not enough evidence to determine if such policies bring down juvenile crime rates — and there still isn’t. (This article requires a subscription.)
• Kait Chapman, an urban entomologist with Nebraska Extension, was interviewed for a July 9 article in The Spruce on whether peppermint oil is an effective pest repellent. She said it may work well as part of an integrated pest management strategy, but not as a standalone tactic. Yahoo! News picked up the article.
• The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s agriculture and natural resources programs rank in the top 10% of nearly 500 institutions worldwide, according to new QS World University Rankings. Stories on the ranking appeared in KHGI, KMTV, Nebraska Ag Connection, Farms.com, The Fence Post and Tri-State Livestock News.
• Mark Brittenham, mathematics, was part of a team that recently solved a decades-old problem in knot theory. The researchers found that larger and seemingly more complex knots created by joining two simpler ones together can sometimes be easier to undo than simple ones — the opposite of what was expected. The finding was featured in a July 15 New Scientist article.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service plans to terminate a national program to support the development of small farms, local food businesses and regional food supply chains. The announcement allows for the five-state Heartland Regional Food Business Center, co-administered by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, to continue normal operations until Sept. 15 and plan for a skeleton crew to support 90 Round 1 Business Builder grant awards. Stories on the shutdown appeared in the Lincoln Journal Star, Farms.com, The Hutchinson (Kansas) News, KZRG (Joplin, Missouri) and the Topeka (Kansas) Capital-Journal.
• Nebraska’s average agricultural land value declined in 2025 for the first time in six years, falling 2% to $3,935 an acre, according to the final report from the university’s 2024-25 Farm Real Estate Market Survey. Stories on the survey results appeared in the Grand Island Independent, KHGI, Lincoln Journal Star, Rural Radio Network, WOWT, Farms.com, The Fence Post and Tri-State Livestock News.
• The university’s Center for Agricultural Profitability has launched new resources to help farmers and ranchers without a family heir plan for their operation’s future, Tri-State Livestock News reported July 17.
• The Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier system, developed by the university’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, was highlighted in a July 27 Essentially Sports article on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s lingering safety issues. The SAFER system “was a revolution that quickly became the gold standard across NASCAR, saving drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman from catastrophic injuries,” the article read.
• Broadway World published a July 29 article on “Disney’s Frozen” coming to the Lied Center for Performing Arts for a 13-performance engagement Aug. 15-24.
• Nebraska Extension and Northeast Community College in Norfolk are hosting the third annual Nebraska Agriculture and Spray Drone Conference Aug. 21-22 at the college, The Fence Post reported July 30. As the largest agriculture drone-focused conference in the Midwest, the event brings together industry leaders, researchers, legal experts and drone innovators for two days of education, collaboration and cutting-edge insight.
• > Tim Hodges, management, executive director of the Clifton Strengths Institute, was interviewed for a July 31 Silicon Prairie News article on Omaha and Lincoln continuing to top national rankings of best cities for workers. He said the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and other Nebraska universities bridge the gap between students and employers, encouraging graduates to stay and explore opportunities in the state.

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, contact Leslie Reed at lreed5@unl.edu or 402-472-2059.