How are you spending your summer vacation?
At UNLV, students and researchers are using the time to inspire the next generation of scientists and healthcare heroes; they’re tackling tough topics like climate change and gun violence through scientific inquiry and policy solutions; and they’re digging deep to stay a step ahead of emerging COVID variants and to get a handle on the emerging threat of monkeypox.
Throughout July, UNLV’s newsmakers shared their expertise to add context to issues making local, national, and international headlines.
Read on to learn more in the latest edition of UNLV Newsmakers.
Health is Wealth
It was a busy month for UNLV’s School of Nursing.
Due to demand, Nurse Camp — an annual summer event that gives local high school students or those who recently graduated high school a hands-on glimpse into the profession — expanded to offer three sessions this summer and garnered a visit by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak: (), , , ,
Nursing professor Jennifer Vanderlaan’s research on water births gained national attention via and .
And several faculty members spoke to media about the nursing shortage. Dean Angela Amar explained to viewers how an interstate compact could help ease Nevada’s dearth of nursing professionals. Angela Silvestri-Elmore, director of the traditional bachelor of science in nursing program, spoke to the about educational investments aimed at shoring up the workforce.
Gun Deaths
Barely six months into 2022, the U.S. surpassed 300 mass shootings. Meanwhile, controversy surrounding police shootings and other gun violence continued to loom large in the headlines. Several UNLV experts weighed in on the debate.
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Mary Blankenship, a Brookings Mountain West graduate researcher who studies the nexus of public policy and internet misinformation/disinformation, sifted through over 1.3 million tweets to examine how Twitter users’ emotions and reactions to recent mass shootings varied and converged based on political affiliation:, , , , , ,
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Deborah Kuhls, a trauma surgeon who serves as the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine’s assistant dean of research, was among a group of clinicians from states affected by mass shootings who published recommendations for an effective healthcare response to future incidents: , , ,
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Frank Rudy Cooper, a William S. Boyd School Law professor who serves as director of UNLV’s Program on Race, Gender & Policing, commented on the dip in Las Vegas police shootings:
Climate Crisis
Concerns surrounding global warming reached a fever pitch in July. A global heat wave sent temperatures soaring into the triple digits in cities with historically mild summers. Daily trips to the metaphorical sauna also caused water sources across the U.S. West to continue drying up — leading to the discovery of a third set of human remains at Lake Mead. UNLV experts offered historical context and possible solutions.
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Paleoclimatologist and geoscience department chair Matthew Lachniet added context to , , , and pieces about the record-low water levels at Lake Mead. He also spoke to about the heat wave hitting cities around the globe and to about the Colorado River crisis.
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Communication studies professor Emma Frances Bloomfield helped explain how readers of can parse tough climate conversations.
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In an essay for the , William S. Boyd School of Law senior fellow and adjunct professor wrote about the ways building performance standards can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help us save water, energy, and money.
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Architecture professor and sustainability expert Steffen Lehmann similarly touted the potential positive impact of solar power and changes to construction materials and blueprints on the Silver State’s climate crisis during a panel discussion.
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Amid the discovery of a third body at Lake Mead, history professor Michael Green spoke to and ; gaming historian David G. Schwartz chimed in on ; and forensic anthropologist Jennifer Byrnes was quoted by , , and .
Social Justice News
From sports and politics to health and history, issues surrounding race and ethnicity were prominent topics in July.
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Renowned architect Paul Revere Williams’ achievements transformed the landscape of Nevada but were obscured by racism, the reported. UNLV Oral History Research Center director Claytee D. White weighed in.
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Asian and Asian American Studies professor Constancio Arnaldo spoke to about the impact of race on figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi’s legacy, and about the history of Asians in sports with .
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Why is the model minority stereotype harmful to Asian Americans? Psychology professor Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt weighed in via .
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featured UNLV Immigration Clinic director Michael Kagan’s insights on ways former President Donald J. Trump’s border policy and the U.S. Supreme Court impacted immigrants.
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African American and African Diaspora Studies professor Tyler D. Parry was interviewed by and about the wedding tradition of jumping the broom.
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highlighted School of Public Health professor Courtney Coughenour’s research on the role of racism in pedestrian deaths.
University Business
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Flashlight sculptor Claes Oldenburg died at age 93: , ,
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A class on the lawyering process and legal writing pushed Boyd Law up in national rankings:
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Two College of Sciences professors have received grants. reported on life sciences professor Kelly Tseng partnering with a company for tissue regeneration research. The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy awarded physicist Qiang Zhu a $1.3 million grant to jumpstart his efforts to accelerate new materials discovery, per .
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The highlighted one UNLV program that’s helping athletes hone their mental health to take performance to the next level.
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Students chimed in on UNLV’s diversity for a report on a new initiative to collaborate with other Hispanic-serving research institutions on upping Latinx enrollment and faculty.
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Student Heather Renner became the first openly gay pageant contestant to be crowned Miss Nevada: , ,
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checked in on UNLV’s development and retention efforts amid the Great Resignation.
General Roundup
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Psychology professor and gender researcher Rachael D. Robnett spoke to the about actress/singer Jennifer Lopez assuming husband Ben Affleck’s last name. The story was picked up by dozens of international outlets, including , , , , and .
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The quoted David Orentlicher, director of UNLV’s Health Law Program, in a story about prison inmates and organ donation.
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Comments by , a professor and university librarian who has written about political outrage, were featured in , and the story was picked up by outlets including and .
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sought Couple and Family Therapy professor Brandon Eddy’s insights on selecting the right professional and treatment options. Meanwhile, and cited his research on postpartum depression in new dads.
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Is Sin City sex positive? Greenspun College of Urban Affairs professor Rebecca Bosetti talked to about her new course, “Sexual Behavior & Society: The Good, the Bad, and the Controversial,” and why Las Vegas needs more sex-positive social workers.
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reported on the recent launch of psychology professors Rochelle and Dustin Hines’ new company dedicated to advancing psychedelic therapies. The neuroscientists were also quoted by and () about the impact of psilocybin and other psychedelics on mental health, and by for a story on state cannabis board requirements surrounding DUIs and pot lounges.
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Astrophysicist Jason Steffen’s airplane boarding method was featured on () and he additionally provided the with commentary on new images from the James Webb Telescope.
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published an interview with economist Makayla Lavender on finding inexpensive health insurance premiums.
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Dozens of outlets picked up a story featuring Sports Research and Innovation Institute co-director and Title IX expert Nancy Lough’s thoughts on the significance of the Las Vegas Raiders hiring the first Black woman team president in NFL history.
- Social media researcher Mary Blankenship’s examination of disinformation surrounding the Russia invasion of Ukraine and the related dissemination of propaganda in Africa was featured in and .