This summer, UNLV has its chef hat on and is serving up an academic BBQ of knowledge. We’ve combined the May flowers and June heatwave to bring you this weightier edition of Newsmakers with a double helping of headlines. 

How can you stay safe in this summer heat? Curious how to beat post-sickness blues? Looking to brush up on what your teens are saying at the dinner table? How about keeping yourself current ahead of the presidential election? We’re cooking up everything from the best golf bags to the history of the Mirage hotel.

Here’s a look at the headlines:

Parenting

As Father’s and Mother’s Day approached, media outlets called on several UNLV experts to shed light on the role of child caregivers.

• Brandon Eddy, a researcher in the Couple and Family Therapy Program, explained the evolving roles of dads in the household and was featured in several publications such as: Las Vegas Review-Journal, KSNV: News 3, EMS 1, Custodia Home Management, and Public News Service.
• Child psychologist Christopher Kearney coached Every Mum readers on how to explain to curious kids where babies come from.
• Is Mother’s Day just for moms or for grandmothers too? Psychology expert Rachael Robnett chatted about the expectations moms should have during Mother’s Day with TODAY, and the story was picked up by local stations including NBC Bay Area News. Robnett also chatted with KNPR for a story honoring Mother’s Day and the holiday’s history.

Hip New World

Depending on your 'POV', summer often means spending more time with family and friends. So, it's important that we all understand the lingo to avoid feeling like an 'NPC' during our warm-weather get-togethers.

• Both the New York Post and TODAY looked to media expert Benjamin Burroughs to tell us what the new, obscure slang phrase ‘fax, no printer’ means. Fortune also called upon him to explain how the Peppa Pig cartoon character became a global phenomenon.
• Media expert Benjamin Morse helped TODAY with several stories, explaining why teens say ‘low-key,’ ‘POV’, ‘NPC,’ and ‘caught in 4K’. TODAY also talked to him about the best dads in TV history.
• Psychology expert Rachael Robnett defined the new derogatory phrases ‘pick-me girl’ and ‘pick-me boy’ with TODAY. 

Health

• Medical entomologist and go-to mosquito expert Louisa Messenger talked about the safety and effectiveness of bug repellents in Forbes and Family Handyman; the uptick in Southern Nevada mosquitoes and West Nile cases with Scripps and the Nevada Current; the potential danger to pets with KTNV: ABC 13; and how to dodge mosquitoes entirely with the Washington Post. She also talked with USA Today generally about bugs’ winter habits.
• Integrated health scientist Sara Rosenkranz cleared up the importance of electrolytes in an article from the American Heart Association.
• Geriatric psychologist Kate Zhong was a featured guest on the AARP Washington State Podcast discussing advances in Alzheimer’s treatments.
• Epidemiologist Chad Cross told USA TODAY how to rid our yards of ticks. His lab was also featured in a Las Vegas Review-Journal story about its efforts to track local cases of West Nile in mosquitoes.
• CNN, France 24, and BBC caught up with architecture professor Steffen Lehmann about what can be done about the sweltering heat felt around the world.
• GQ examined how alcohol impacts the performance of athletes with Tedd Girouard, director of the athletic training program.
• CBC, Country & Town House, and TIME covered the benefits of walking backward with health scientist Janet Dufek.
• Woman’s World interviewed clinical psychologist Brenna Renn on how to ease depression symptoms after recovering from a sickness. Woman’s World also learned some healthy eating hacks from nutritionist Samantha Coogan.
• Yahoo! Life talked to clinical sports psychologist Brad Donohue about improving your mental outlook during a workout.
• Marc Kahn, dean of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, commented on what’s being done to address Nevada’s physician shortage on Vegas PBS, KNPR, and KVVU: Fox 5. He also chatted with KSNV: News 3 about the combined COVID-flu vaccine.
• Psychologist Tanya Crabb joined KSNV: News 3 to talk about overcoming mental health hurdles through the inspiration of super heroes.
• Jefferson Kinney, chair of brain health, shared the latest news in research, patient advocacy, and treatment for Alzheimer’s with Vegas PBS.
• Mother Jones asked public health expert Brian Labus about the consequences of a new social media trend where influencers consume raw milk. He also talked to MDLinx about COVID’s surprising role in the surge of food recalls.

Culture

• Fashion historian Deirdre Clemente appeared in a Washington Post story revealing what our socks say about us, as well as what our clothing conveys during court appearances via Newsweek. She also talked to Yahoo! Life about the safety of corsets featured in the hit show Bridgerton. 
• Brett Abarbanel, director of the International Gaming Institute, provided comments on Dave & Buster’s allowing betting on arcade games in an NBC News story. She also talked to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the murky sports betting laws in Georgia, where a fantasy sports company has just moved in.
• Aviation historian Dan Bubb covered a variety of topics on air travel, including the best international aviation museums, the most ideal airports for a layover, FAA safety issues, and what happens if both pilots fall ill during a flight: Travel + Leisure (twice), CBC, BestLife, The National Desk, Newsweek (twice) (thrice) (four times). He also teamed with College of Sciences professor Michael Pravica for a Mashable story on increasing turbulence.
• Riana Durrett, director of UNLV’s Cannabis Policy Institute, discussed the possible changes that could come from a federal reclassification of marijuana in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas Sun, Casinos.com, and KLAS: News 8.
• Su Kim Chung of UNLV Libraries’ Special Collections appeared on a Milk Street Radio episode about Las Vegas restaurant history.
• Gaming expert Alan Feldman and historian Michael Green hearkened back on the Mirage’s history on the Strip in Travel Weekly. Feldman joined hospitality professor Amanda Belarmino in coverage of the resort in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. KVVU: Fox 5 also interviewed Feldman for its story on the property.

Politics

• The New York Post asked Nicholas Irwin, research director of the Lied Center for Real Estate, how the current housing crisis in the country could impact the upcoming presidential election.
• Political scientist Rebecca Gill talked to reporters about a variety of election issues. She helped International Business Times cover recent rhetoric from former president Donald Trump; Reuters about Trump’s recent Las Vegas campaign stop; CBS News about Nevada’s Senate race; the Los Angeles Times and KSNV: News 3 about the Supreme Court rulings on abortion and bump stocks; the Las Vegas Review-Journal about Nevada’s importance as a swing state.
• Political scientist Austin Wang authored a piece in the Diplomat explaining the political strife in Taiwan, leading to protests against a package of bills. His expertise on the matter was picked up by Al Jazeera and Voice of America.
• NPR, Deseret News, and Cancer Health were among the outlets that tapped political science professor Kenneth Miller for insights on campaign ads, health care, and other election issues. 
• Law expert David Orentlicher’s thoughts on Congress’ case against the attorney general were published on CNN.

UNLV Happenings

• UNLV president Keith E. Whitfield provided an update on the Rebel Recovery plan and campus safety to Vegas PBS viewers. He also commented on the upcoming Nevada Studios campus project in the Los Angeles Business Journal.
• Engineering experts Jeremy Cho and Marie-Odile Fortier and geochemistry professor Andrew Martin received a three-year, $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a new way of processing steel that generates fewer emissions than a traditional blast furnace, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

Experts Roundup

• Law professor Nancy Rapoport’s insight was featured in Bloomberg Law’s coverage of bankruptcy court dilemmas in Houston, a separate bankruptcy and fraud case in Silicon Valley, and an ex-judge’s bid for immunity. Additionally, Rapoport appeared in CBS News regarding bankruptcy costs, Forbes detailing the Purdue Pharma case in front of the Supreme Court, and Reuters tracking legal fees.
• Danica Hays, dean of the College of Education, spoke to the Christian Science Monitor about the changing expectations of what the modern college student looks like.
• Social behavioral health expert Jason Flatt discussed LGBTQ+ retirement communities with AARP.
• Chris Cain, director of UNLV’s PGA management program, helped put together a list of the best golf bags with the Associated Press.
• Tyler Parry, an expert on African diaspora studies, shared historical anecdotes about Juneteenth traditions with the History Channel.
• Casino management researcher Anthony Lucas’ findings about the effectiveness of free-play promotions were featured in Gambling News and Gambling Insider.
• College of Fine Arts professor Adam Paul shared his screen acting expertise in a Fast Company story about the prevalence of ‘method dressing’ in Hollywood.
• Economist Eric Chiang went over the bankruptcy of the Red Lobster restaurant chain with Daily Mail (twice) and LA Times.
• Hospitality professor Amanda Belarmino talked about modern tipping practices with GOBankingRates.
• Astrophysicist Jason Steffen explained why planes board front-to-back in Travel + Leisure.