There tends to be a little less traffic around the university during the summer months, but the campus is as busy as ever when it comes to knowledge.

Are there hidden messages in company logos? What do the stripes on a pilot’s uniform mean? How can you build more muscle, more quickly? Will marijuana eventually be legalized in Las Vegas casinos? And why is it a bad idea to squish the ants in your home?

Without further ado, the early summer installment of UNLV Newsmakers is here!

Health & Science

• The Science Sessions podcast featured geoscientist Arya Udry in a discussion about the possibility of life on Mars.
• The Washington Post featured the expertise of medical entomologist Louisa Messenger on how to avoid mosquitoes in the summertime. She also appeared in a pair of articles for The Spruce about why you shouldn’t squish ants (picked up by Tom’s Guide) and whether baking soda keeps them away.
• School of Integrated Health Sciences professor Kara Radzak commented in a Health piece concerning sports bras causing back issues.
• Nutrition sciences expert Sara Rosenkranz spoke about beverages that promote critical kidney function in a piece featured in Coventry Telegraph and Daily Express U.S.
• The New York Times talked to psychologist Joel Snyder regarding rivaling theories of consciousness.
• Infectious disease expert Brian Labus spoke to milk testing concerns in Parents, and shed light on controversy over vaccine ingredients via Everyday Health.
• Kinesiologist John Mercer details best practices for building muscle in Health.
• Family medicine professor Denice Ichinoe provided advice on getting going with interval walking training in Healthline.
• Prevention consulted health scientist Janet Dufek for the benefits of walking backward.
• The Las Vegas Review-Journal and KNPR highlighted the recent breakthrough autism research from College of Sciences professor Łukasz Sznajder.
• Alzheimer’s researcher Jeffrey Cummings was featured in stories about recent clinical trials for the disease in Medical Xpress, The Economist, and KLAS: 8 News Now. Also, the Las Vegas Sun highlighted his research in a profile piece.
• Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine professor Ed Oh discussed wastewater disease monitoring with Medscape.

Culture

• Marketing expert Marla Royne Stafford spoke about hidden messages in company logos in Reader’s Digest.
• Architecture professor Glenn Nowak appeared in a Reader’s Digest story discussing why some tall buildings skip the 13th floor.
• Tourism researcher Marta Soligo examined agricultural tourism’s increased popularity with Global Traveler.
• WalletHub featured hospitality expert Amanda Belarmino’s thoughts on money-saving tips and travel plans for the 4th of July.
• WalletHub also highlighted comments from public policy professor Chris Stream regarding states with the highest incomes.
• Hospitality professor and food science expert Christine Bergman commented on the efficacy of baking soda in reducing bad refrigerator smells in Eating Well. She also talked to Risk Management Magazine about the potential food safety impacts of USDA budget cuts.
• Business researcher Andrew Woods’ CBER projections anticipate the population of Clark County to reach 3 million by 2045, as seen on KNPR, KTNV: ABC 13, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
• Casino management researcher Anthony Lucas gave his thoughts on the likelihood of smoke-free casinos in Las Vegas Weekly, and made an appearance in Gambling News.

Politics

• Immigration law expert Michael Kagan appeared in many stories covering federal immigration reform:
  
  The Christian Science Monitor; USA Today (twice) (thrice) (four times); MSN; Mother Jones; The Guardian; Las Vegas Sun (twice) (thrice); The Nevada Independent (twice) (thrice); KSNV: News 3; KVVU: Fox 5 (twice); KLAS: News 8; KNPR; Austin American-Statesman
• The Washington Post talked to tax law professor Francine Lipman about proposed changes to the child tax credit.
• Labor law expert Ruben Garcia commented on the constitutional protections applied to ICE detainees in Bloomberg Law.
• Business law professor Benjamin Edwards was featured in stories from Reuters, Forbes, USA Today, Associated Press, and The Nevada Independent. These discuss high-profile businesses potentially leaving Delaware, the legal challenges of a Wall Street regulator, and a presidential pardon.
• Public health researcher Jace Flatt commented on the president’s push to change the conversation around gender in The New Yorker.
• Education Week pinged education policy expert Bradley Marianno for his insight regarding teacher strikes under the current presidency.
• Benjamin Edwards and fellow law professor Nancy Rapoport put together a contributor piece about the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for The Hill. 

University News

• About 3,500 degrees were awarded during the 2025 spring commencement ceremony inside the Thomas and Mack Center. Coverage of the special weekend could be found in the Las Vegas Sun (twice), KSNV: News 3, KVVU: Fox 5 (twice), and Sports Illustrated.
• UNLV’s Cannabis Policy Institute (CPI) has made progress in developing, coordinating, and expanding cannabis research, policy, and education. Recently, the conversation of marijuana’s legality in casinos, advertising, and more has reopened for the first time in about a decade. The CPI’s findings, along with its executive director Riana Durrett, the director of research Marla Royne Stafford, and law expert Terry Johnson were featured in stories from:
  
  Forbes; Vice; The New York Times;  Benzinga; Travel Weekly; The Nevada Independent; The Las Vegas Sun; KNPR; CDC Gaming; Casino.com (twice); Gambling News; Greenway; Marijuana Moment
• UNLV is launching a new bachelor’s degree program in insurance and risk management: Insurance Journal and KLAS: 8 News Now 
• The university hosted several youth summer camps, including those for kids looking to get experience with hockey, the hospitality industry, and cybersecurity: KLAS: 8 News Now (twice), KTNV: ABC 13, Sports Illustrated (twice), KVVU: Fox 5

Experts Roundup

• Airline historian Dan Bubb covered a variety of topics, including the Air India crash, the stripes on pilot uniforms, and why passengers are asked to keep window shades open during takeoff:
  
  Newsweek (twice), Reader’s Digest (twice) (thrice), CBC, Seattle Times, NPR Marketplace, Politico’s Morning Brew, The National News Desk, KSNV: News 3, Vegas Inc
• TODAY translated “FAFO” with media studies professor Benjamin Morse. And The New Yorker used his help defining the modern meaning of “POV.”
• Psychologist Erin Hannon explained why music can help us study in Parade, and her insights were also featured in the New York Post (twice).
• AARP detailed the connection between social security cards and baby names with insight from historian Michael Green.
• Law expert Courtney Cross commented on abuse allegations in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial in Vox.
• A Parents article highlighting how to talk to your kids about climate change included insight from psychologist Lisa Durette.
• Cybersecurity expert Greg Moody went over how to keep your Apple Wallet information safe in Reader’s Digest.
• African American history expert Javon Johnson highlighted the history of Juneteenth with Our Weekly Los Angeles.
• Through the Urban Forestry Initiative, professor of sciences Allison Sloat helped organize a university effort to plant thousands of trees in the community. It was featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal and KVVU: Fox 5.
• Engineering professor and railway infrastructure expert Harry Teng talked to The Washington Times about public transportation and privatization.
• The Epoch Times tapped sustainable architecture expert Steffen Lehmann for a piece on Nevada’s rapid urban sprawl amid the ongoing Southwest water crisis.
• Guardian Service’s house fire report featured the insight of life science professor Scott Abella.