Latest Appearances of the University in the Media

The University Featured Around the Globe

In The News is an archive of stories from media throughout the U.S. and around the world. As such, the links to these stories may degrade over time as news websites outside of the university's control are updated. (Copyright law does not allow us to provide a 'snapshot' of someone else's website.) If you'd like to have us update a link to go to a new location for a story, just send us an email with the new address of the story in the body of the email.

Recent stories
May 13 2026	Nebraska Public Media: Petersen could face legal boundaries, UNL expert says Brandon Johnson, assistant professor of law, was interviewed for a May 13 Nebraska Public Media article on Republican Secretary of State nominee Scott Petersen. Johnson, who specializes in election law, shed light on legal boundaries Petersen will face if he’s elected, particularly around his more restrictive voting proposals.
May 13 2026	The North Platte Telegraph: Rathjen receives Army commission Luke Rathjen of North Platte, Nebraska, was among 29 members of the university’s Reserve Officer Training Corps who received military commissions May 8-10, The North Platte Telegraph reported May 13. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army on May 8.
May 13 2026	Minden Courier: Arnold, Schoone graduate from Honors Program at Nebraska Bailey Arnold and Peyton Schoone of Minden, Nebraska, were among 203 Huskers who completed the requirements to graduate from the University Honors Program in May. The Minden Courier ran a May 13 article on their achievement.
May 13 2026	Minden Courier: Schooner named Chancellor's Scholar Peyton Schoone of Minden, Nebraska, was among 102 Husker students who were recognized as Chancellor’s Scholars during the university’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies May 9 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Chancellor’s Scholars are students who have maintained 4.0 grade-point averages on all collegiate work at Nebraska and elsewhere. The Minden Courier ran a May 13 article on Schoone’s achievement.
May 13 2026	KETV: Secretary of State candidates look to November Kevin Smith, Olson Professor of political science, was interviewed for a May 13 KETV story on Omaha businessman Scott Petersen’s victory over two-time incumbent Secretary of State Bob Evnen in Nebraska’s Republican primary. Smith said Petersen’s rise makes Nebraska unique and that his platform of distrust in ballot machines and mail-in voting is part of a larger shift across the GOP. “It certainly puts Nebraska at the forefront of a movement where state government essentially is expressing little faith in the electoral process that it is legally in charge of,” he said.
May 13 2026	Nebraska Public Media: Gen Z candidates receive fewer votes than opponents in primary Kevin Smith, Olson Professor of political science, was interviewed for a May 13 Nebraska Public Media article on two Gen Z candidates for the Unicameral, Nate Ostdiek and Jayden Speed, receiving fewer votes than their opponents in the Nebraska primary. “Every race is in some ways its own story,” Smith said. “But I think if we were to draw that sort of general inference, I think the big one is experience matters. If you are a young candidate, you haven’t had a lot of time to build a political network or political experience.”
May 13 2026	KOLN/KGIN: UNL's Nieland designed new Lancaster County voting sticker KOLN/KGIN aired a May 13 story on Katie Nieland, who created the winning design in Lancaster County’s first “I Voted” sticker contest. Nieland is the associate director and communications coordinator for the university’s Center for Great Plains Studies.
May 13 2026	National Geographic: Why these gigantic spiders love to be near traffic Eileen Hebets, George Holmes Professor of biological sciences, was interviewed for a May 13 National Geographic article on a recent study by University of Georgia and Valdosta State University researchers examining why joro spiders often spin their webs in noisy locations. Research by Hebets and her team was also highlighted in the article. “It seems like spiders are actually able to adjust their webs in some ways to accommodate noise,” she said. “And we know almost nothing about that.”
May 13 2026	Newsweek: Are Republicans poised to lose in Trump-stronghold Nebraska? Kevin Smith, Olson Professor of political science, was interviewed for a May 13 Newsweek article on the U.S. Senate and 2nd Congressional District races in Nebraska. “A big deal for (Senate candidate Dan Osborn) will be maintaining the perception that he is a true independent,” Smith said. “If he ends up being seen as getting too cozy with the Democrats, that could be a problem, regardless of how the issues and the events of national politics play out.”
May 12 2026	Lincoln Journal Star: UNL's Cahoon named to National Academy of Sciences Edgar Cahoon, George W. Holmes Professor of biochemistry and director of the university’s Center for Plant Science Innovation, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the nation’s highest honors for scientists and engineers. The Lincoln Journal Star published a May 12 article on his achievement.
May 12 2026	NPR's 'Here and Now': What's at stake in the Nebraska primary election? Kevin Smith, Olson Professor of political science, was a guest on the May 12 episode of NPR’s “Here and Now.” He discussed some of the key races in Nebraska’s primary election.
May 11 2026	Kearney Hub: Kearney area students graduate from UNL The university conferred a record 3,885 degrees during commencement exercises May 8-9. The Ainsworth Star-Journal, Kearney Hub, Lexington Clipper-Herald, North Platte Telegraph and York News-Times have run articles on their area graduates.