As the new academic year approaches, faculty and researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) are finalizing curricula, launching programs, and continuing research efforts that have attracted local and national media attention.
In health and science news, Louisa Messenger, a medical entomologist at UNLV, shared advice in Homes & Gardens on preventing mosquitoes from entering homes. She also contributed to The Spruce on topics such as deterring wasps and fruit flies, mosquito prevention methods, and using plants as pest deterrents. Messenger was featured by several local outlets including the Las Vegas Review-Journal and KLAS: News 8 for her expertise on mosquito resistance to pesticides and their potential to carry viruses.
Julie Lawrence’s insights into the evolution of human teeth appeared in National Geographic. Brian Labus discussed grocery store produce spraying in Reader’s Digest and highlighted hotel room hygiene risks in Southern Living, Daily Mail, and New York Post. He also addressed vaccine skepticism with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Weekly. Samantha Coogan provided nutrition guidance in Real Simple and Martha Stewart publications.
Psychologist Christopher Kearney spoke about teen distracted driving for SheKnows. Ayan Sengupta’s research with NASA on microgravity effects on the brain was twice covered by KSNV: News 3.
Economist Stephen Miller commented for USA Today on tourism trends in Las Vegas. His analysis extended to issues such as job prospects for graduates, population growth, retail expansion, and rising numbers of millionaire residents across outlets like Travel Weekly and the Nevada Independent.
Tamara Herold provided crowd management tips to USA Today for busy travel seasons. Law professor Nancy Rapoport weighed in on credit card transfer fees (WalletHub) as well as bankruptcy ethics issues reported by Reuters.
Nicholas Irwin discussed land availability for housing development with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and contributed to ProPublica’s report on housing challenges in the U.S. West.
Immigration law expert Michael Kagan spoke with multiple national outlets—including The New York Times—about student arrests related to immigration policy and legal developments impacting immigrants. David Damore analyzed Nevada's upcoming governor’s race for the Associated Press.
Nancy Rapoport also commented on an asbestos bankruptcy case (Bloomberg Law). Cannabis law expert Riana Durrett joined marketing researcher Marla Royne Stafford in Forbes coverage of marijuana's role within gaming industries. Journalism professor Stephen Bates addressed First Amendment issues around books with LGBTQ+ themes in public schools (USA Today).
Brett Abarbanel discussed tax deductions related to gambling losses with USA Today while Ian Bartrum explained aspects of Nevada gun laws for CBS News following a high-profile incident.
Benjamin Edwards examined corporate headquarters relocations to Nevada with Yahoo Finance coverage while providing commentary on municipal market regulations for The Bond Buyer.
In university news highlights, David Hatchett led a project assigned by the U.S. Department of Energy that converted nuclear waste into usable energy—a development featured by The Las Vegas Sun among other outlets.
A new AI-based algorithm developed by graduate student Xiaowei Zhuang along with Edwin Oh enhances wastewater surveillance capabilities; this study was published in Nature Neuroscience and received broad media attention from Water & Wastewater Asia to Quantum Zeitgeist (Nature Neuroscience).
The International Gaming Institute at UNLV established its inaugural advisory board comprising 14 industry professionals who will provide strategic guidance—a move covered by CDC Gaming Reports (CDC Gaming Reports).
Teen Driver Safety Day took place at UNLV as part of the National Summer Transportation Institute program aimed at raising awareness among teens about distracted driving consequences while introducing them to transportation careers (UNLV Release).
Historian Michael Green collaborated with The History Channel; Dan Bubb provided airline industry insights across several platforms; Harry Teng discussed railway operator mergers; Tom Arnold addressed cybersecurity threats linked to QR codes; Marla Royne Stafford examined car insurance price differences; Glenn NP Nowak highlighted spa design principles; Amy Reed-Sandoval wrote about Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum for Salon.