University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty, staff and students appeared in national and international news stories about 80 times in the month of October. Highlights include a groundbreaking fossil find by an undergraduate student; an English professor who was a candidate for one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world; and the discovery of a Medusa sculpture at the Antiochia ad Cragum archaeological site in Turkey.
UNL undergraduate Carissa Raymond’s discovery, under the tutelage of Ross Secord, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, of a multituberculate mammal fossil received extensive worldwide coverage, from Time on Oct. 5 to National Public Radio’s Morning Edition on Oct. 7. ABC News was among scores of outlets that picked up an Associated Press version. Scientific American, Nature World News and LiveScience were among many other outlets that reported on the rodent-like creature that survived the dinosaur extinction.
In the lead-up to the Oct. 13 announcement of the Man Booker Prize, Reuters reported Oct. 9 that “The Fishermen,” a novel by Chigozie Obioma, English, was among six candidates prestigious award. Obioma and author Marlon James, the eventual winner of the prize, were interviewed by the BBC on Oct. 9. Obioma also was announced Oct. 6 as the 2015 winner of the Emerging Voices fiction award by Financial Times. After the prize was announced, a writer for Nigeria’s The Sun reflected upon James win and Obioma’s nomination for an Oct. 17 column. Obioma spoke with The Creators Project, a Vice.com art blog, Oct. 29 about the future of fiction in Nigeria. Obioma grew up in Nigeria, but was educated in Cyprus and the U.S. before his arrival at UNL.
Michael Hoff, art & art history, discussed why so few Roman relics are found intact at the Antiochia ad Cragum site in Turkey in an Oct. 20 LiveScience report on discoveries made at the site in 2015. Hoff leads the dig, which turned up a Medusa sculpture that Philip Sapirstein, art and art history, helped determine was once part of a pediment adorning a small monument. The LiveScience report also featured a photo gallery with scenes from the dig. Archaeology.org, a publication of the Archaeology Institute of America, published an Oct. 20 report on Antiochia ad Cragum. Discovery.com and Australia’s Daily Mail carried stories on Oct. 21 and Sci-News.com featured the dig Oct. 23.
Other October newsmakers:
Kenneth Cassman, agronomy and horticulture, was among the experts quoted in a widely carried October Harvest Public Media series about the global demand for meat
Kathleen Cue, extension, was quoted in United Press International and the Christian Science Monitor Oct. 7 for a story about pumpkin crop shortages for Halloween and Thanksgiving this year. Although Illinois’ pumpkin yield was predicted to be down by half this year, Cue said it had been a good pumpkin growing season in some parts of Nebraska.
The New York Times quoted Eric Berger, law, for an Oct. 16 story about a successful petition drive calling for a public vote on whether to repeal the death penalty.
Kate Brooks, livestock economics, was interviewed by PBS’ Market to Market program on Oct. 9. She discussed cattle market prospects in coming months.
Jie Cheng, engineering, was featured in a Oct. 26 Jetson Green article about a device that would allow wind turbines to harness excess wind energy. Jetson Green is a blog that covers renewable energy, green technology and energy efficiency.
Kwame Dawes, English, was interviewed on Jefferson Public Radio during an Oct. 16 visit to Southern Oregon University. He spoke about life, art and his interactive site, “Living and Loving with HIV in Jamaica.”
Newsweek reported Oct. 29 on research led by David Dunigan, plant pathology, and several other University of Nebraska scientists, that produced the first direct evidence that an algae-infecting virus can invade mammals. Science Codex published an Oct. 21 report on the research.
Bruce Dvorak, environmental engineering, was quoted in a Oct. 29 Harvest Public Media story about the problems nitrates cause for small-town water systems. The story was carried by radio station KUNC in Colorado.
Sherilyn Fritz, biological sciences, was quoted in an Oct. 28 Science article about scientists’ efforts to understand why the Amazon is so biologically diverse.
BTN LiveBig interviewed Bob Hall, master of fine arts student, for an October feature on UNL’s “World of Viruses” comic book project.
The Rural Blog posted an Oct. 26 item about UNL’s Heuermann Lecture featuring philanthropists Howard G. Buffett and his son, Howard W. Buffett. The lecture series highlights food, water and agriculture. The Buffetts said their philanthropic efforts around the world have taught them the importance of strong rural communities in the U.S. Howard G. Buffett is the son of Omaha billionaire investor Warren Buffett.
Michael James, textiles, merchandizing & fashion design, was interviewed by TextileArtist.org for an October story about his career and his latest works. In addition, WKPT, an ABC station in Tennessee, reported Oct. 7 that James would be among quilt artists to be featured in a world-class exhibit at East Tennessee Stat University.
UNL students Allison McElmury and London Hawk were interviewed for an Oct. 30 USA TODAY College story that discussed the influence of political polls on student voting behavior.
The Daily Beast quoted Raymond Haymes, anthropology, for an Oct. 6 story about the Ishango bone, an artifact perhaps 20,000 years old that is believed to be one of the firs examples of humans conceiving of numbers. The baboon fibula has notches engraved on its surface and some experts believe it was used as a lunar calendar. The Daily Beast also cited Hames Oct. 19 for a story about a controversial book about the anthropology of human sexuality.
USA TODAY College reported on “Put a Sock in It,” a charitable drive led by three UNL sophomores – Tayler Sundermann, Sarah Porath and Josie Jensen. The drive collects socks without mates for donation to homeless people
Bill Kreuser, agronomy and horticulture, was interviewed about how to best fertilize turfgrass for an October Blog Talk Radio episode.
The Clarion, the University of Denver’s student newspaper, quoted a 2013 study by Barney McCoy, journalism, in a story about digitally distracted students.
The National Drought Mitigation Center was cited by Louisiana’s Bayou Buzz for a story about drought in Mississippi and Louisiana. The Center also was mentioned in a CNN report about flooding that replaced drought in Texas, as well as several Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports on drought conditions in Arkansas.
Ken Nickerson, biological sciences, was featured in an Oct. 9 report about faculty who keep working past traditional retirement age. Produced by education news site The Hechinger Report, the story was carried by a number of National Public Radio outlets.
Space.com interviewed former astronaut and native Nebraskan Clayton Anderson for an Oct. 28 article about his new book ,“The Ordinary Spaceman.” The memoir was published earlier this year by the University of Nebraska Press.
Mario Scalora, psychology, was among experts quoted in an October Mother Jones report on efforts to prevent mass shootings on college campuses. Scalora also was quoted in two Oregon Live stories that followed up on October’s mass shootings at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, where eight students and a professor were killed. An Oct. 12 story picked up by The Associated Press and carried nationwide quoted Scalora about cooperative efforts between police, mental health providers and UNL officials to prevent targeted violence.
In an Oct. 6 report by the Associated Press, Anthony Schutz, law, helped analyze TransCanada’s decision to drop its eminent domain claims and seek Public Service Commisison approval for its proposed route for the Keystone XL pipeline. The story was carried by news outlets nationwide.
A new study by Philip Schwadel, sociology, that identified national differences in the levels of religious belief among the college-educated, was covered Oct. 27 by Deseret News and Oct. 26 by Phys.Org.
Culture Type, a web site featuring black artists, included the Sheldon Art Museum’s exhibit of Emory Douglas’s graphic designs as a “must-see” museum show. As minister of culture for the Black Panthers, Douglas created powerful images and graphic illustrations for the revolutionary organization’s newspapers.
Susan Swearer, educational psychology, was quoted in an Oct. 21 article in the New Yorker that discussed how the internet has changed bullying.
The Sarasota, Fla., Herald-Tribune quoted Matthew Waite, journalism, and Owen Yardley, UNL Police, for a Oct. 21 article about how unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, should be regulated.
Faculty, administration, student and staff appearances in the national media are logged at http://newsroom.unl.edu/inthenews/ If you have additions to this list or suggestions for national news stories, contact Leslie Reed at lreed5@unl.edu or 402-472-2059.
