{"id":64,"date":"2025-10-21T13:23:05","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/?p=64"},"modified":"2025-11-13T23:27:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T23:27:15","slug":"highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/highlights\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"
Highlights<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n
\"\"
James Schnable<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Researcher helps launch digital twin of corn field<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Virtual replicas, known as digital twins, enable companies to innovate rapidly and are revolutionizing industries from manufacturing and health care to ride-hail services like Uber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nebraska plant scientist James Schnable is bringing the technology to agriculture by helping to develop the first digital twin of a corn field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The digital field will enable researchers to explore how corn with different properties would behave under varying conditions and quickly identify promising hybrids, without the time-consuming process of growing the corn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schnable, Nebraska Corn Checkoff Presidential Chair and professor of agronomy and horticulture, is collaborating with colleagues at Iowa State and Purdue universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nebraska\u2019s state-of-the-art facilities play key roles in overcoming barriers to twinning crop fields. Its LemnaTec High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping System, housed at Nebraska Innovation Campus\u2019 Greenhouse Innovation Center, automates data collection and produces high-resolution data across a plant\u2019s life cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nebraska is a global leader in high-throughput phenotyping and corn quantitative genetics \u2013 two keys to achieving food security. It co-founded the AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture, based at Iowa State University, to build virtual replicas of crops and fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Science Foundation funds this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n\n\n

Additional Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
News release<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska Ag Connection<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
KETV<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
A collection of the NU Press\u2019 baseball titles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Press\u2019 baseball catalog gets another win<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The University of Nebraska Press continues its winning streak in baseball literature, with another publication taking top honors for best baseball history or biography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This marks the 12th time an NU Press book has earned the Dr. Harold and Dorothy Seymour Medal since 2006 and the 13th overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historian Larry Gerlach, a Nebraska alumnus, won the 2025 Seymour Medal for \u201cLion of the League: Bob Emslie and the Evolution of the Baseball Umpire\u201d (University of Nebraska Press, 2024). The medal is awarded annually by the Society for American Baseball Research, the nation\u2019s foremost group of baseball researchers and historians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen they recognize your books, you know you\u2019ve published something important to those who know baseball history,\u201d said Rob Taylor, senior acquisitions editor in charge of sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nebraska\u2019s baseball expertise began in the 1990s, when the press reprinted several books dropped by trade publishers. The success of those books \u2013 which included Ty Cobb\u2019s autobiography, \u201cMy Life in Baseball: The True Record,\u201d \u2013 led to publishing original baseball books that have cemented NU Press\u2019 national reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n\n\n

Additional Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Nebraska Today<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Jamilla Teixeira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Plastic bags get new life in recycled roadway<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A newly asphalted stretch of road in South Sioux City, Nebraska, may look like any other, but millions of plastic bags went into its construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nebraska engineer Jamilla Teixeira partnered with the town to test a cutting-edge asphalt blend that incorporates recycled plastic bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a win-win collaboration, removing 2 million plastic bags from the environment while delivering a more durable road material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a pilot project, but it is an excellent opportunity to partner with a Nebraska community and test how the mixture will perform under the extreme weather conditions we have here,\u201d said Teixeira, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teixeira\u2019s research focuses on sustainable infrastructure. She\u2019s one of four faculty to receive a College of Engineering Scholarship of Engagement Fellowship, which offers $4,000 stipends to assist with community projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asphalt incorporating shredded plastic has been used elsewhere, but this is Nebraska\u2019s first such project. It included paving an extension of the town\u2019s Al Bengtson Bicycle Trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collaborative project included the Nebraska Department of Transportation, private companies and nonprofit organizations. The Nebraska Environmental Trust funded the work<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n\n\n

Additional Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
News release<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Nebraska Public Media<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Video<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Filming Nebraska Innovation Studios welding robot. Behind the scenes photo for the university’s new “Home Again” national advertisement. June 25, 2024. Photo by Kristen Labadie \/ University Communication.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Makerspace names first robotics fellows<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nebraska Innovation Studio welcomed four Huskers as the inaugural class of its Robotics Fellowship Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 20 weeks, the fellows worked in the studio\u2019s makerspace to develop cutting-edge products in cattle ranching, surgery, language development and precision agriculture. The work positioned them to pursue commercialization, such as seeking funding or a patent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fellowship program aims to expand Nebraska\u2019s economy through robotics training, research and implementation. It\u2019s part of the Heartland Robotics Cluster, an interdisciplinary collaboration between the university, the College of Engineering, local leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation, and community colleges. A 2022 U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant established the collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The robotics fellows have access to cutting-edge tools and resources; guidance from a panel of experts; and a stipend for supplies. Events and classes provide networking and learning opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cohort included Amlan Balabantaray, a doctoral candidate in biological systems engineering; Brooke Bode and Teresa Monsees, mechanical engineering seniors at the time; and Husker alum Riley Reynolds, a surgical robots engineer at Virtual Incision in Lincoln.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOpportunities like these are what will elevate our tech communities to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of the best in robotics,\u201d said John Strope, program coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n\n\n

Additional Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Nebraska Today<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
News release<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Video<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Emerging media arts student Kolby Hunt experiments with a VR headset.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Students leverage virtual reality to animate history<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nebraska\u2019s Animating History Lab is giving students the opportunity to bring historical research to digital life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 2016, the lab mentors students in filmmaking and guides them in producing their own digital projects, from creative spark to exhibiting at Student Research Days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interdisciplinary nature of the projects helps students become well-rounded artists in their careers, said Michael Burton, the lab\u2019s founder and assistant professor of textiles, merchandising and fashion design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each fall, Burton hires students through Nebraska\u2019s Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience program, which pays students to work alongside faculty. Students initially collaborate on an Animating History film production. In the spring, they launch their own projects, researching primary sources and developing a short animation, virtual reality experience, or 3D clothing model or similar digital artifact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fall 2024, four students worked on \u201cPerihelion,\u201d a short film examining risk-taking in astronomy. Individually, they created an animated short from Rachel Carson\u2019s 1962 cautionary environmental book, \u201cSilent Spring\u201d; a 3D digital dress worn by a Nebraska philanthropist; an animated comic exploring an alternative version of the 1960s cartoon \u201cThe Jetsons\u201d; and a video game telling the story of Atari, an early gaming company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n\n\n

Additional Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
News release<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
From left: The center team includes Terra Garay, Lori Miller, Michelle Paxton, Megan Harris and Hannah Cook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Center broadens legal help for rural families<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A new center in the University of Nebraska College of Law represents a major step toward improving legal assistance for vulnerable children and families, particularly in rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nebraska Children\u2019s Justice and Legal Advocacy Center is equipping attorneys with the knowledge, skills and support they need to become better advocates for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The center builds on Nebraska\u2019s success training attorneys to work in juvenile courts, part of an effort to improve access to legal expertise in rural areas. Only 7% of Nebraska\u2019s more than 5,500 attorneys practice in rural areas, a problem mirrored throughout rural America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe realities we experience in Nebraska are not unique,\u201d said assistant professor of law Michelle Paxton, the center\u2019s founding director. \u201cOur programs have already shown tangible benefits in addressing Nebraska\u2019s need for high-quality counsel for juveniles in rural communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new center is educating law students and attorneys on state and federal child welfare laws as well as on trauma, child development, substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The center will be a centralized resource for information on juvenile attorney availability and quality in Nebraska.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By creating a framework for rural attorney education, the center will be a model for other states facing similar challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n\n\n

Additional Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
News release<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
National Jurist<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
KOLN-KGIN<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Norfolk Daily News<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Ciera Kirkpatrick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Autonomy-supportive messages may boost interest in clinical trials<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Clinical trials \u2013 a crucial step in medical research \u2013 require participants. Without them, treatments are delayed or may never reach patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet time constraints, safety concerns, lack of awareness and other challenges hamper recruitment. Social media, especially short-form videos, is helping to overcome obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Husker Ciera Kirkpatrick\u2019s research suggests messages that give viewers a sense of agency or control lead to more favorable attitudes toward participating in the trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirkpatrick and her team surveyed more than 600 people who viewed recruitment videos. Those containing autonomy-supportive messages incorporated into a personal story garnered the fewest negative emotions and the best attitudes toward participation. Personal stories without autonomy-supportive messages resulted in less favorable attitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tweaking messages on social media sites, such as TikTok, to include autonomy messaging is easy to do and has a large impact on how people perceive clinical trials, said Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of advertising and public relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such messaging also improves engagement with the video through likes, shares and comments, boosting the video\u2019s viewership and, potentially, trial recruitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health Communication<\/em> published this study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n\n\n

Additional Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
News release<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Journal article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Jack Beard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

College develops first-of-its-kind space law manual<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The University of Nebraska College of Law played a leading role in developing a groundbreaking manual for military interactions in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Woomera Manual on the International Law of Military Space Activities and Operations (Oxford University Press, 2024) is the first comprehensive examination of how earthbound laws will be applied in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As editor-in-chief, Nebraska\u2019s Jack Beard helped guide the manual\u2019s development alongside a team of space and military law experts in the United States, Australia and theUnited Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Husker law students played an extensive role, providing research and editorial support and participating in editorial meetings at home and abroad, said Beard, Robert and Joanne Berkshire Professor of Law and director of Nebraska Law\u2019s Space, Cyber and National Security Law Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Woomera Manual provides an objective overview of existing international law applicable to military space operations. It\u2019s designed to assist military and civilian governments, space operators and policymakers and to advance peaceful cooperation in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nebraska\u2019s program is recognized globally for its expertise in security, space and technology. Faculty consult with governments, nongovernmental agencies, military organizations and the private space industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n\n\n

Additional Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
News release<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Video<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discovery, creativity and innovation are at the heart of Nebraska’s research enterprise. The following highlights showcase UNL’s unique strengths and expertise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-highlights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":481,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64\/revisions\/481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}