When Matthew Hawke’s wife and six children were chosen to perform the pre-game coin toss during the Huskers’ spring scrimmage, little did they know the Huskers had a big surprise in store.

They thought Hawke would remain stationed in Afghanistan for another 30 days – but not only was he able to return home to Nebraska early, he donned a Husker uniform and ran onto the field with the team. ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC’s TODAY show were among the national news outlets that shared the family’s tears of surprise and joy when Hawke pulled off his football helmet to greet them. The NCAA also posted a story and video.

The tearful reunion was among more than 30 national news stories that featured the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s people and programs during April 2017. In another highlight, a lengthy April 11 story in the New York Times highlighted the championship Nebraska women’s bowling team and the unconventional techniques of its coach, Bill Straub.

Other highlights of April’s national news coverage:

Research by John Benson, natural resources, into the predatory abilities of eastern wolves compared to eastern coyotes appeared on several news sites after UPI published a story April 20.

An April 7 report on the university’s first virtual reality class aired on TV stations across the country, including WDBJ 7, a CBS station serving Roanoke, Virginia. Originating on Lincoln station KOLN-KGIN, the story quoted Christopher Bourke, computer science and engineering.

Justin Chase Brown, director of scholarships and financial aid, was quoted by Nerdwallet in an April 4 story about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and how the unavailability of an IRS data retrieval tool could create a bigger burden for low-income students seeking college financial aid. The story was carried by a number of outlets across the country. Brown also was quoted by The Atlantic in a March story on the same topic.

Chiara String Quartet’s upcoming performance at the Metropolitan Musem of Art in New York City was covered by Broadway World April 3. The quartet, which is Hixson-Lied artists-in-residence at Nebraska, was to perform a piece by prize-winning composer Pierre Jalbert, commissioned for the group by the Glenn Korff School of Music.

The New York Times quoted Bedross Der Matossian, history, in an April 22 article about the discovery of a telegram described as a “smoking gun” showing government involvement with the Armenian genocide that began in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.

An April 7 U.S. News & World Report story on Wall Street’s downgrading of movie theater industry stocks featured Wheeler Winston Dixon, film studies. The Arizona Republic quoted Dixon on a similar topic for an April 11 report on the growing trend of movie theaters providing restaurant and bar service. In The Christian Science Monitor on April 25, Dixon warned that valuable resource books could be lost as campus libraries move away from book storage to other student services.

The National Drought Mitigation Center was mentioned in an April 14 Berkshire Eagle report that drought had ended in the Berkshires and in an April 28 Arkansas Online report about rainstorms that contributed to the drowning of a canoeist on the flooded Buffalo National River.

Dozens of outlets carried an April 15 report on an 8.16-million gallon tank that will store chilled water to reduce summer utility bills for campus buildings. Charlie Griesen, facilities management and planning, was quoted in the story, which originated with the Lincoln Journal Star and was distributed by The Associated Press.

Brad Lubben, agricultural economics, was quoted in an April 3 Harvest Public Media report about Midwest farmers’ support for the North American Free Trade Agreement. The report aired on several NPR stations in the region, including KCUR in Kansas City.

A number of outlets including The Republic in Columbus, Indiana, carried an Associated Press report that Richard Moberly, law, was named dean of the Nebraska College of Law.

Efforts by Sidy Ndao and Mahmoud Elzouka, mechanical and materials engineering, to create a thermal diode that would power computers via heat, instead of electricity, were covered by several technology news sites. New Atlas carried a story on April 18; and stories appeared April 19 on Techradar.com and New Electronics.

The Bookseller announced April 27 that Little, Brown publishers had acquired the rights to a new novel by Chigozie Obioma, English. Obioma’s first book, “The Fishermen,” made the short list for the Man Booker Prize in 2015.

U.S. News & World Report quoted Adam Smith, Nebraska Forest Service, in a story about what will happen to wood from ash trees that are being cut down because of emerald ash borer infestation. The story was distributed by the Associated Press.

In coverage appearing April 26-28, the Deseret News, The Christian Post and NPR Morning Edition included comments from Phillip Schwadel, sociology, on a Pew Research Center analysis that a college education does not necessarily spell the end of religious belief.

In an April 3 broadcast, Iowa Public Radio interviewed Joseph Starita, journalism and mass communications, about Susan La Flesche, who became the first Native physician in 1889. La Flesche is the subject of Starita’s book “A Warrior of the People.” Starita and John Wunder, history and journalism emeritus professor, were quoted in a March 1 Smithsonian.com story about La Flesche’s legacy.

David Steffen, veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences, was quoted in a April 26 PBS NewsHour report on monitoring mutations in farm animals.

Broadway World reported April 27 that the American Ballet Theatre would bring prima ballerinas Misty Copeland and Isabella Boylston to Lincoln in February for performances of Stravinsky’s Firebird, in collaboration with the St. Louis Symphony.

Jay Storz, biological sciences, was mentioned in a April 20 article in Chemical & Engineering News on how naked mole rats regulate their metabolism to survive without oxygen for prolonged periods. Storz co-authored commentary associated with the study for Science magazine.

High Plains Journal reported April 16 that Curtis Weller, biological systems engineering, had been chosen to head the Department of Food Science and Technology and the Food Processing Center.

Faculty, administration, student and staff appearances in the national media are logged here. If you have additions to this list or suggestions for national news stories, contact Leslie Reed, the university’s national news editor, at lreed5@unl.edu or 402-472-2059.