Nebraska in the national news: May 2026

Research and innovation from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources made national headlines in May. The stories were among 30-plus national news stories featuring Husker faculty, staff, administrators, students, centers and programs during the month.

• IANR recently received two New Holland methane-powered tractors as a gift from CNH. The tractors will be used at the university’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead. Stories on the tractors appeared in at least six Nebraska media outlets, Progressive Farmer and several other outlets.
• The national Wheat Quality Council recently selected the hard red winter wheat line NE20620, developed through the university’s small-grains breeding program, for its Miller’s Choice Award 2026. The regional award points to the variety’s exceptional quality for milling, mixing and baking. The team responsible for the variety includes Katherine Frels, Lan Xu and Mark Walter, all agronomy and horticulture; and Devin Rose, food science and technology, and agronomy and horticulture. Articles on the achievement appeared in The Fence Post, Grain Journal, Milling Journal and Tri-State Livestock News.
• The university’s new agricultural systems technology major was featured in a May 28 Hechinger Report article. The major — one of only six such programs in the United States — blends hard science, data science, engineering and management to prepare students for the future of agriculture. Derek Heeren, professor of biological systems engineering; Joe Luck, interim chair of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering; and Cody Nieratka, a sophomore agricultural systems technology major, were interviewed for the article.

Additional national news coverage in May included:

• According to the latest projections from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the University of Missouri, Nebraska’s net farm income is expected to jump 12% in 2026, to an all-time high of $9.96 billion. Stories on the projections appeared in Nebraska Public Media, Rural Radio Network and Farms.com.
• Nevin Lawrence's pioneering scientific findings and partnership with Western Sugar Cooperative, a regional grower-owned sugar beet association, helped head off a major outbreak of Palmer amaranth in western Nebraska. Lawrence is an associate professor of agronomy and horticulture at Nebraska. The Fence Post ran a May 1 article on his research.
• Anastasia Meyer, agricultural profitability extension educator, was interviewed for a May 5 segment on RFD-TV’s “Market Day Report.” She discussed Nebraska Land Link, a university program that connects beginning farmers with available land.
• The university is hosting the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare June 1-3 at the Nebraska East Union. Articles on the symposium appeared in Rural Radio Network, Farms.com, The Fence Post and High Plains Journal.
• Kevin Smith, 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.
• Smith 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.”
• Smith was also interviewed for a May 28 Newsweek article on a new Democratic internal poll pointing to a close gubernatorial race in Nebraska between Republican Gov. Jim Pillen and Democratic challenger Lynne Walz. “Republicans are facing some stiff headwinds going into the fall elections, and Pillen is almost certainly going to feel that breeze, too,” Smith said. “That said, Walz has to be considered a pretty heavy underdog, and it would be a huge upset if she pulled off the win.”
• Eileen Hebets, 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.”
• Two-hundred-three Huskers recently completed the requirements to graduate from the University Honors Program in May. The Minden Courier and Yankton (South Dakota) Daily Press and Dakotan ran articles on their area Honors Program graduates.
• 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. The clinic was mentioned in recent articles on the case in Nebraska Examiner and The New York Times.
• Scott Hutchins, chief scientist and undersecretary for research, education and economics with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told the audience at the April 28 Heuermann Lecture that two Agricultural Research Service positions are moving to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The employees will help facilitate research conducted at the forthcoming ARS National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture on Nebraska Innovation Campus. The points from the lecture were highlighted in a May 15 Midwest Messenger article.
• Richard E. Moberly, dean of the University of Nebraska College of Law, co-wrote a May 19 Bloomberg Law op-ed with Danielle M. Conway, dean of law at Penn State University, and Kellye Testy, executive director and CEO of the Association of American Law Schools, on how law schools are adapting to artificial intelligence. “What does adaptation look like in practice?” they wrote. “It looks less like a single ‘AI class’ and more like a set of fast, pragmatic changes across the curricular spectrum — doctrine, skills, simulations, clinics — paired with a healthy skepticism about hype.”
• Kurtis Harms, director of the Nebraska LEAD Program, was interviewed for a May 19 segment on RFD-TV’s “Market Day Report.” He discussed the longtime agricultural leadership development initiative, which is currently accepting applications for the next cohort.
• Backed by a $4 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, Eric Weaver, biological sciences, director of the Nebraska Center for Virology, will advance a vaccine to protect against future flu pandemics by providing strong, long-lasting immunity across multiple high-risk avian strains. Articles on the research appeared in KFAB, Nebraska Public Media and National Hog Farmer.

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, email Deann Gayman at deann.gayman@unl.edu.