Nebraska in the national news: February 2026

Husker research on privacy stewardship, politics-related anxiety and true crime was highlighted in national news stories in February. The stories were among 25-plus featuring University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty, staff, students, centers and programs during the month.

• Research co-authored by Natalie Chisam, assistant professor of marketing, suggests companies that handle customer data with transparency, care and clear communication can gain a measurable competitive advantage through what researchers call privacy stewardship. Articles on the research appeared in KHGI, Digital Information World and Tech Xplore.
• Research by Kevin Smith, Olson Professor of political science, and colleagues was highlighted in a Feb. 18 Dame Magazine article titled “How political chaos is affecting Americans’ mental health.” The research, from 2017 and 2022, found that politics had taken a toll on many Americans’ mental, and even physical, health. Smith, who was also interviewed for the article, said he believes he would see similar results in the wake of the 2024 election.
• Two recent articles by Kelli Boling, assistant professor of advertising and public relations at Nebraska, and Danielle Slakoff, associate professor of criminal justice at California State University, Sacramento, were highlighted in a Feb. 23 Axios article on the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie becoming America’s latest true crime obsession. The research focused on the impacts of true crime media on the family and friends of crime victims.

Additional national news coverage in February included:

• Oleh Khalimonchuk, biochemistry, has received a five-year, $2 million renewal of his Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award from the National Institutes of Health to study the role of mitochondrial failure in a host of diseases. KHGI and Tri-State Livestock News ran articles on the research.
• Two representatives from NASA — Ben Cook and Jonathan Case — have joined the team of U.S. Drought Monitor authors, Nebraska Public Media and Tri-State Livestock News reported. The monitor is hosted by the university’s National Drought Mitigation Center and produced through a partnership between the drought center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and now NASA.
• Danielle Jefferis, law, was interviewed for a Feb. 3 Independent article on state and local officials pushing back against federal plans to expand immigrant detention facilities. State and local governments can decline to lease detention space to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, she said, but they generally can’t prohibit businesses and private landowners from using their property for such facilities.
• Embedded Computing Design published a Feb. 3 article on Marilyn Wolf, computing. She discussed her background and the fundamental skills students need to succeed in the industry.
• Yijie Xiong, animal science, precision livestock management specialist with Nebraska Extension, was interviewed for a Feb. 5 Farm Progress article on the growing use of drones in cattle operations. “Having drones in the sky can give producers a pair of eyes to see a lot of information from up above,” she said. “But the most common thing I hear producers say is that drones give them peace of mind. When there’s a lot of work, and you just can’t ride horses over every acre of your land, you can rely on something to complete the work for you.”
• The American Society of Animal Science Midwest Section has honored Amy Desaulniers, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, with its 2026 Outstanding Young Teacher Award. The award recognizes a university instructor who demonstrates an exceptional “mastery of subject, technique, vision and attitude” and a strong “ability to motivate and stimulate students.” Tri-State Livestock News ran a Feb. 5 article on Desaulniers’ award.
• Gunhild Carling, known for her work with Postmodern Jukebox, performed Feb. 20 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Broadway World published a Feb. 5 article on the concert.
• Brad Lubben, agricultural economics, wrote a Feb. 6 guest column for Farm Progress titled “The intricate evolution of a farm bill.” “Congress looks ready to discuss farm bill language again in 2026,” he wrote. “With major parts of the farm bill taken care of through 2031, the rest of the farm bill could be less controversial to put together, although it could also be less of a priority to finish, as well.” Lubben was also interviewed about the farm bill for a Feb. 11 High Plains Journal article.
• A recent Nebraska Extension report titled “Beyond the Auction,” examining the social impact of Nebraska’s livestock sale barns, was featured in a Feb. 6 Progressive Farmer article. According to the report, sale barns give rural communities a financial boost and help rural residents build relationships and support one another.
• The University of Nebraska has launched the Artificial Intelligence Institute, which aims to position Nebraska as a national leader in shaping the future of responsible, human-centered artificial intelligence. The institute will be co-directed by Husker faculty members Santosh Pitla, biological systems engineering, and Adrian Wisnicki, English. Stories on the new institute appeared in at least six Nebraska media outlets, as well as Silicon Prairie News.
• Farm Progress published a Feb. 10 article on Chris Calkins, professor emeritus of animal science. Calkins’ team at Nebraska teamed up with the University of Florida to research ways to add value to the beef chuck and round, which led to the discovery of the flat iron steak.
• Guillermo Balboa and Michael Kaiser, both agronomy and horticulture, have partnered with American Farmland Trust and four Nebraska farmers to establish a biochar on-farm research network. It is among the first and largest in the United States. Articles on the network appeared in The Central City Republican Nonpareil, Farms.com and The Fence Post.
• Kylin Floth, textiles, merchandising and fashion design, was consulted for a Feb. 12 CNN list of the 16 best men’s socks. She highlighted the three most important aspects. “A lot of what people experience as poor performance in socks comes down to material choice, fit and how the sock is constructed,” she said.
• Broadway World published a Feb. 17 article on the national tour of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” coming to the Lied Center for Performing Arts for five performances March 5-8.
• The College of Law’s First Amendment Clinic is providing free legal services to DiGiacomos’ Social Holdings, LLC, in a legal dispute over an Omaha bar’s barber-themed name and décor. Stories on the case appeared in KMTV, the Nebraska Examiner, WOWT and the Los Angeles Post. Attorney Daniel Gutman, director of the clinic, said he and Husker law students found the case fascinating. They contend that impending enforcement of a state statue violates Barber Shop Blackstone’s constitutional rights under the First and 14th Amendments.
• Grain Journal published a Feb. 26 article on Akashdeep Kamboj, a doctoral candidate in agronomy at Nebraska. He is currently leading a hybrid wheat breeding program focused on increasing yield potential.

University Communication and Marketing tracks faculty, administration, student and staff appearances in the national media and reports upon them month by month. If you have additions to this list, contact Sean Hagewood, news coordinator, at shagewood2@unl.edu or 402-472-8514.