The shortest month of the year ended up stacked with stories featuring UNLV and its experts, including all the way from Mars! How will the executive orders from the new presidential administration change life for Nevadans? Is a Disney annual pass still worth it? Can sushi give you a brain infection? Will an asteroid slam into Earth in a few years? When is it TOO cold to fly an airplane? And why are so many more Americans procrastinating on their taxes?

The topics this month are about as varied as a box of chocolates: “You never know what you’re going to get.” But if you read on, you’ll at least find the answers in February Newsmakers.

Samples from the Martian Planet

NASA’s Perseverance rover has collected the first soil and airfall dust samples from Mars, ranging from chunky rocks to fine particles – and geoscience researcher Libby Hausrath is front-and-center on a study documenting the finds. She’s part of a team that will decide which samples to ship back to Earth for closer inspection and information that can hopefully tell us about the planet’s history, including past signs of water, life, and habitability. 

A variety of news outlets have covered the research, such as: Space.com, KNPR, Las Vegas Review-Journal (video), StudyFinds, Mars Daily, KVVU: Fox 5.

Health & Science

• TRT World extensively covered the ongoing water crisis in the Southwest, along with the problem-solvers trying to create ingenious solutions. Mechanical engineering expert H. Jeremy Cho and geosciences expert Alison Sloat were featured in the half-hour documentary piece.
• Infectious disease expert Brian Labus was in demand this month. He talked with PharmaVoice about drugmakers’ vaccine-readiness against bird flu, then explained how bird flu can transfer to humans to KVVU: Fox 5. He talked about the safety of sushi consumption in Daily Mail, after a tourist in Hawaii developed a parasitic brain infection. Labus also appeared in a U.S. News & World Report story about how aging impacts the immune system.
• Medical entomologist Louisa Messenger spoke to Fodor’s Travel about ways to dodge bed bugs on an airplane.
• Science’s story on the formation of Jupiter’s moons featured the research of astrophysicist Zhaohuan Zhu.
• Registered dietitian nutritionist Samantha Coogan talked about any influence chocolate has on the heart in Health. She then recommended healthy snacks to overcome the midday energy crash via Real Simple.
• With a 1-in-32 chance of hitting Earth, YR4 became the Asteroid to watch out for. KMSP: Fox 9 (Minnesota), KEYT News (California), and Audacy’s WCBS-FM all interviewed astrophysicist Michael Pravica for details on the asteroid’s path. Reader’s Digest also asked Pravica which temperatures are too cold for planes to fly.
• Neuroscientists Rochelle and Dustin Hines commented on medical mushrooms’ potential use for anxiety and depression treatment in the Nevada Current. 

Culture

• The Associated Press, Snopes, and CBS News dove into the origins of Valentine’s Day with help from historian Elizabeth Nelson.
• National Geographic asked communications studies professor and food culture expert Donovan Conley about the storied trajectory of caviar from free happy hour fare to luxury item.
• Tax law expert Francine Lipman talked about why more Americans are procrastinating on their taxes this year with Fortune.
• Fashion historian Deirdre Clemente’s thoughts on a “nude dress” on display at the Grammys were included in an article from Today.
• Marriage and family therapist Dawn Moore provided Valentine’s Day date tips for new couples in a story from Bustle.
• Tourism researcher Marta Soligo explained why colorful, vintage motels and tourist destinations are making a comeback in a Livingetc article that was also picked up by Inkl. She also talked about the potential for agritourism to combat agricultural instability with The Food Institute.
• Hospitality professor Amanda Belarmino weighed in on balancing the worth of a Disney annual pass with inflation in GoBankingRates.
• Cannabis policy expert Riana Durrett provided her opinion on the state of Nevada’s marijuana industry with Vegas PBS.
• KTNV: ABC 13 discussed the changing landscape of media literacy with UNLV students and journalism lecturer T.R. Witcher.

Politics

• Immigration was a huge media topic in February. Law professor and UNLV Immigration Clinic director Michael Kagan shared his thoughts on the legality of sending undocumented immigrants to detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay in USA Today. Newsweek spoke to Kagan about a bill that would ban immigrants from asylum in the U.S. with criminal histories, while a second Newsweek article featured his opinion about the birthright citizenship executive order. Kagan then explained the yearslong process involved in undocumented immigration cases in the Nevada Independent, along with the barriers the president faces regarding immigration in The Economist.
• Bloomberg Law’s coverage of Meta’s social media addiction case featured expertise from law professor Jeffrey Stempel.
• Political scientist Austin Wang provided his expertise on Taiwan’s political climate and ongoing “recall wave” in a piece from the BBC.
• The Associated Press covered the lead of registered Republicans over Democrats in Nevada with political scientist Dan Lee.
• Airline historian Dan Bubb commented on the president’s planned overhaul of the FAA via The National News Desk (twice).
• Public health researcher Jace Flatt commented on withdrawn federal funding originally allocated for a military health study in STAT (twice) and KLAS: News 8. Yahoo picked up the story, as well.
• Wealth Management’s coverage of a court case involving a self-regulatory organization’s enforcement proceedings included thoughts from law expert Benjamin Edwards.
• Law expert David Orentlicher warned of the possible consequences that reopening a Steve Wynn defamation case might have on a free press in Gambling News.
• The Nevada Independent provided an overall look at the issues facing the federal immigration orders with immigration law expert Melissa Corral.
• Economist Stephen Miller expressed how tariffs may have a local impact with the Nevada Independent.
• The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s story about President Trump’s administration review of national monuments included insight from environmental law expert Bret Birdsong.
• Economist Nicholas Irwin provided his thoughts on the possible impact of tariffs on Nevada’s housing market in the Las Vegas Review-Journal

University News

In an effort to meet the childcare needs of families across Southern Nevada, UNLV broke ground on the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Education Center expansion project. This would effectively double its size, with 10 new classrooms and allow about 120 additional children to enroll. College of Education dean Danica Hays and UNLV/CSUN preschool director Claire Tredwell spoke to the Las Vegas Sun and KLAS: News 8.

Experts Roundup

• Airline historian Dan Bubb discussed the mysterious site of many aircraft disappearances known as the “Nevada Triangle” in the Daily Mail. Bubb shared one of the biggest mistakes airport travelers make in BuzzFeed, talked the future of low-cost airlines with Yahoo! Finance, and shed light on the air traffic controller shortage with KSNV: News 3. He also appeared in a Newsweek article, highlighting 1950s requirements for flight attendants. 
• Architectural psychologist Dak Kopec gave AOL readers advice on installing in-home elevators for accessibility.
• Gaming experts Alan Feldman and Kasra Ghaharian, along with psychologist Shane Kraus, all provided insight into responsible gambling practices in CDC Gaming. Kraus and Feldman also shared their approach to responsible gambling with Gambling News. 
• Oral History Research Center director Claytee White joined the Las Vegas Review-Journal (twice) to chronicle the story of Nevada’s first Black legislator and the first Black man to pass the state bar exam. She was also a guest on Vegas PBS’ Nevada Week regarding the importance of recording memories for historical record.
• Tyler D. Parry, an expert on African American studies, shared historical anecdotes about the 1969 Historic Westside uprising with KTNV: ABC 13 and KLAS: News 8. The story was also picked up by Yahoo.
• Law professor Nancy Rapoport discussed the ethical conflicts involved in a prominent bankruptcy case in a story from Bloomberg Law.
• Geologist Steve Rowland spoke about the decades-long struggle to protect a natural marvel on the edge of Las Vegas in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.