Nebraska in the national news: March 2026

Two new agricultural studies involving University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers made national headlines in March. The stories were among 50-plus national news stories featuring Husker faculty, staff, students, centers and programs during the month.

• A new study suggests that decades of reported gains in crop yields from plant breeding may be significantly overstated, challenging a common method used worldwide to measure genetic progress. The international team includes Husker researchers Jose F. Andrade, Kenneth Cassman, Juan Rattalino Edreira, Patricio Grassini and Juan P. Monzon. Articles on the research appeared in the Lincoln Journal Star, AgriMarketing, Farms.com and Phys.org.
• A new study from Husker ag economists finds that producers with safety-first risk preferences likely make notably different grain marketing decisions than those without. Specifically, according to the economic experiment, those with such preferences sell about 8.45% more of their harvest in the first month of the marketing year. The research team includes Husker ag economists Cory Walters, Simanti Banerjee and Karina Schoengold, and alumna Stamatina Kotsakou, now an assistant professor at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Articles on the research have appeared in the Lincoln Journal Star, Farms.com and Feedstuffs.

Additional national news coverage in March included:

• An interdisciplinary team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is using state-of-the-art eye-tracking technology to pinpoint the physical characteristics of spiders that may contribute to arachnophobia. The team includes Emma Brase, a graduate student in psychology; Eileen Hebets, biological sciences; Mike Dodd, psychology; Kevin Smith, political science; Heather Akin, agricultural leadership, education and communication; Brandi Pessman and Laura Segura Hernández, former graduate students in biological sciences; and Harley Boutard, undergraduate student in psychology. Stories on the research appeared in KHGI, KOLN/KGIN, the Lincoln Journal Star, Earth.com and Phys.org.
• Kevin Smith, political science, wrote a March 2 op-ed for The Conversation on how mass incarceration in the United States has likely influenced election outcomes. “Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering,” he said. “Under the right circumstances, this slice of the electorate is large enough to tip an election.”
• Author and former actress Jennette McCurdy brought her “Half His Age” book tour to the Lied Center for Performing Arts on March 24. The event was presented by UPC Nebraska in partnership with the Lied Center. Broadway World published a preview article on the appearance.
• Stars of American Ballet, featuring principal and soloist dancers from New York City Ballet and other companies, performed March 19 at the Lied Center. Broadway World published a preview article on the show.
• The Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship sought nominations for its 2026 Nebraska Entrepreneur Awards in March, Silicon Prairie News reported. The awards recognize founders, leaders and advocates of the state’s entrepreneurial community.
• Jody Green, an urban entomologist with Nebraska Extension, was interviewed for a March 9 New York Times guest essay on delusional infestation. “This is not technically part of our job,” she said. “But if we know that people can turn a corner and get better if they get help quickly, then we should be a part of that.” Green and other insect professionals and health care providers shared experiences and discussed best practices at a delusional infestation conference in Knoxville, Tennessee, in January. (This article requires a subscription.)
• Hillary Schwarb, psychology, was interviewed for a March 9 Science News Explores article on a new study from the University of Cambridge suggesting that the human brain doesn’t reach its adult form until about age 32. Schwarb said the study is important but only looks at one part of the brain, called white matter. What it doesn’t do, she said, is explain how thinking or behavior changes over time.
• Yingying Wang, special education and communication disorders, recently finished a three-year project to identify factors that determine the best candidates for cochlear implant procedures, and to explore relationships between the brain and speech perception outcomes — the process by which language is heard, interpreted and understood. Medical Xpress ran a March 10 article on the project.
• Allison Walbrecht, a senior animal science major, was interviewed for a March 10 segment on RFD-TV. She recently visited Washington, D.C., as part of the CARET Program, meeting with lawmakers to discuss the importance of investing in ag education programs.
• Art Daily ran a March 11 article on the exhibition “Hyphen American: Intersections of Identity,” on view through July 5 at Sheldon Museum of Art. The show comprises works from the museum’s collection that demonstrate ways in which American experience and identity are explored in art.
• Peter Revesz, computing, was interviewed for a March 14 Live Science article on whether artificial intelligence can help decipher the Indus Valley script. Revesz’s team has used data mining and statistical analysis to help determine which signs in the script are likely to have similar meanings. “(The) Indus Valley script surely will be solved one way or another, and AI can help, but it needs to be guided by a good research design,” he said.
• Rick Bevins, director of the university’s Rural Drug Addiction Research Center, was interviewed for a March 16 Public News Service article on the center’s work to combat addiction in rural Nebraska. Rural areas face unique challenges, he said, including available treatment options, transportation, substance use patterns and stigma.
• Bedross Der Matossian, history, wrote a March 16 op-ed for Armenian Weekly on the controversial firing of Edita Gzoyan from her position as director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute. He wrote that the firing “raises a deeply troubling issue about the institute’s dependence on the Armenian government.”
• Dane Kiambi, advertising and public relations, recently published a case study examining Ticketmaster’s crisis communication failures related to online ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2022. KHGI and Scienmag ran articles on the case study.
• A March 2024 study by Ciera Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of advertising and public relations at Nebraska, and Sungkyoung Lee, associate professor of strategic communication at the University of Missouri, was highlighted in a March 17 New York Post article on YouTube star Ms. Rachel showing off her 1-year-old daughter’s impressive vocabulary. The study found that new mothers with a higher social comparison orientation — or tendency to compare oneself to others — were more negatively affected by idealized portrayals of motherhood than those with a lower such orientation.
• The value of agricultural land in Nebraska declined 1% over the past year to an average of $3,905 per acre as of Feb. 1, according to the preliminary report from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s 2025-26 Farm Real Estate Market Survey. It is the second consecutive year of declining land values since the market reached $4,015 per acre in 2024. Stories on the report appeared in at least six Nebraska media outlets, as well as The Fence Post, High Plains Journal, Progressive Farmer and Tri-State Livestock News.
• The Nebraska LEAD Program honored the 30 fellows of Class 43 during the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council’s Annual Recognition Banquet, held March 13 on East Campus. The banquet celebrated the fellows’ completion of the two-year leadership development program and recognized key supporters. Stories on the fellows appeared in at least five Nebraska media outlets, as well as The Fence Post and Tri-State Livestock News.
• Tri-State Livestock News ran a March 20 article on Jacob Harvey, research project coordinator at the university’s Barta Brothers Ranch in Rock County, Nebraska. Since 2023, he has transformed the ranch into a thriving research hub, expanding projects, partnerships and field activity. With NASA-backed studies, grazing innovation and hands-on student mentorship, the once-quiet site now punches above its weight class in advancing Great Plains rangeland science.
• The College of Law’s Weibling Entrepreneurship Clinic was highlighted in a March 21 Silicon Prairie News article. The clinic, started in 2013, offers free legal advice and representation to entrepreneurs across Nebraska. The clinic’s director, Brett Stohs, was interviewed for the article.
• Twenty-five years ago, a collaboration between a Sandhills ranch family, a rural veterinarian and Husker researchers led to a management innovation that transformed how cattle producers prevent calf scours. Known today as the Sandhills Calving System, the approach has become one of the most widely recommended strategies for preventing neonatal calf diarrhea. The Lincoln Journal Star and Midwest Messenger Kansas ran articles on the approach.
• The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop, performed at the Lied Center on March 26. It was the orchestra’s first appearance at the venue since 2001. The Lincoln Journal Star and Broadway World published preview articles on the performance.
• “Backyard Farmer” is back for its 74th season to help gardeners and lawn care enthusiasts keep their landscapes healthy and thriving, Farms.com reported March 24. The new season premieres at 7 p.m. April 2 on Nebraska Public Media and continues through the summer
• John Fech, Nebraska Extension educator, wrote a March column for Golf Course Management titled “What purpose does your tree serve?” “It’s important to remember that tree placement and presence must be intentional, not just random,” he wrote. “Sure, trees bring many benefits, but they can interrupt play, add unnecessary expense to management and create unhealthy turf.”
• Animal Engine Theatre Company will present the world premiere of “Capital City” April 9-12 at the Lied Center’s Carson Theatre, Broadway World reported March 24. The play is inspired by Nebraska author Mari Sandoz’s novel of the same name.
• The Lincoln Journal Star, Norfolk Daily News, The Fence Post and Tri-State Livestock News ran articles on FFA-related achievements, opportunities and impact in Nebraska.
• Silicon Prairie News published a March 25 article on NASA funding supporting innovation and research in Nebraska. The NASA Nebraska Space Grant has funded students working in the lab of Shane Farritor, Lederer Professor of Engineering, and Virtual Incision’s 2024 test of its miniature surgical robot in space came through a NASA Nebraska EPSCoR grant awarded to Farritor and doctoral student Rachael Wagner.
• Sue Ellen Pegg, recruitment coordinator for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, was interviewed for a March 25 segment on RFD-TV. She discussed opportunities for students in the college to get hands-on, real-world experience.
• Nearly 8,000 FFA members and guests visited Lincoln March 25-27 for the Nebraska FFA Convention. Stories on the convention appeared in KOLN/KGIN, the Lincoln Journal Star and The Fence Post.
• Dona-Gene Barton, political science, was interviewed for a March 26 HuffPost article on how politicians on both sides of the aisle have taken advantage of Americans’ short attention spans to sway public opinion in their favor. When a topic feels more “cognitively demanding,” she said, voters are quick to grab onto shortcuts they are offered. “It’s easier for voters to turn to trusted political elites to condense the information for them,” she said.
• Gregory Dickinson, law, was quoted in a March 26 Reuters article on the implications of U.S. juries recently finding Meta and Alphabet liable for harming children on their platforms. “Courts are increasingly trying to distinguish claims about platform functionality or platform conduct from claims that would really just impose liability for third-party speech,” he said. Dickinson was also interviewed for a March 27 New York Post article on the topic.
• Jayson Beckman, agricultural economics, Michael Yanney Chair of International Trade and Finance, was interviewed for a March 27 Brownfield Ag News article on the uncertainty around fertilizer cost and availability straining small and mid-sized farms. Beckman said those farmers can’t absorb higher costs as easily. “They make their living off the higher yields in corn and they’re going to have difficulty achieving those yields either because they have to apply less fertilizer or they will have to make some sort of change in their cropping practice,” he said.

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.