Nebraska's Brandon Jurgens, a junior journalism major from Filley, is working this summer through the Rural Fellows Program to help improve emergency communications in Knox County.
The Rural Fellows program, part of Rural Prosperity Nebraska, returned this year after a two-year pause. Jurgens is one of eight University of Nebraska–Lincoln students participating in seven-week summer experiences in communities across the state. Students work alongside local leaders on projects shaped by community needs.
In Knox County, Jurgens is focused on how emergency information is communicated and on gathering feedback from residents about ways systems could be improved during urgent situations.
Jurgens said he joined the program with an interest in rural communities and a desire to apply what he has learned at the university in a real-world setting.
“I just thought this was a really unique opportunity,” Jurgens said. “Coming from Filley, Nebraska, small towns aren’t a new thing to me, so I was really interested in what I could do as a UNL student to help out. Plus, I felt like it might be a cool chance to build a little more independence and see what I’m made of in a totally new place.”
A key part of his work will involve meeting with Knox County residents to understand how emergency information is currently communicated and where gaps may exist.
“Essentially, a big part of my summer is going to be spent meeting with all sorts of people from Knox County — farmers, workers, businesspeople and others — to get their thoughts on the emergency management system and see ways it could be adapted to fit everyone’s needs,” Jurgens said.
The Rural Fellows program also requires students to develop independent research components tied to their host communities. Jurgens, who is studying in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, plans to interview residents who lack access to modern communication tools to better understand how they receive emergency alerts.
He also will examine emergency communication models used in other parts of the country to identify approaches that could be adapted for Knox County.
“It’s funny, because even though I don’t have a background in this specific field, I’m still able to take a lot of what I’m learning in my sports media classes about interviewing, doing research and being thorough to help on this huge project,” Jurgens said. “I’m just hoping it can make a little bit of a difference in reaching people when it matters.”
