As we gear up for a fresh school year, many folks around campus are putting the final touches on their upcoming curricula, preparing new and continuing prorgrams, and continuing a strong summer of research breakthroughs.

Are mosquitoes impervious to insecticides? Why is Nevada becoming the new home for so many corporate headquarters? How much land is left in the Valley for homes? Should you ever use the ice bucket in your hotel room (hint: no)? And which party has the upper hand in the next governor’s race?

The July Newsmakers is absolutely stacked and ready to unpack – so let’s dig in.

Health & Science

• Medical entomologist Louisa Messenger appeared in Homes & Gardens detailing how to keep mosquitoes from windows. She was also quoted in several stories from The Spruce regarding how to keep wasps away, ridding our trash cans of fruit flies, mosquito prevention, and how plants can help deter pests.
  
  Messenger was also prominently featured in local headlines concerning the immunity of mosquitoes to pesticides and the viruses they can carry: Las Vegas Review-Journal, KLAS: News 8, KVVU: FOX 5, KTNV: ABC 13.
• National Geographic sought the expertise of biological anthropologist Julie Lawrence in a story about the evolution of human teeth.
• Infectious disease expert Brian Labus explained why grocery stores spray produce with water in Reader’s Digest. He revealed some of the most surefire ways to get sick in hotel rooms in Southern Living, Daily Mail, and New York Post. And he chatted with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Weekly about vaccine skepticism surrounding measles and other illnesses.
• Registered dietitian nutritionist Samantha Coogan shared healthy midday snacks in Real Simple, defined ‘super food’ in Wise & Well, and talked about both carrot juice and high protein grains in Martha Stewart.
• Psychologist Christopher Kearney discussed talking to teens about distracted driving in  SheKnows.
• Health sciences researcher Ayan Sengupta was featured on KSNV: News 3 (twice) about his research with NASA into the effects of microgravity on the brain in outer space.

Culture

• USA Today covered the recent trend in Las Vegas tourism numbers with economist Stephen Miller. He also commented on the city’s visitation, job market for new grads, retail and population growth, and millionaire residents, in pieces from Travel Weekly, Daily Mail, Las Vegas Business Press, Las Vegas Review-Journal, CDC Gaming, KSNV: News 3, KLAS: 8 News Now, Nevada Independent, Travel and Tour World, and New York Sun.
• Crowd management researcher Tamara Herold told USA Today how to handle busy travel destinations this summer.
• Law professor Nancy Rapoport provided some opinions on credit card transfer fees for WalletHub.
• The Las Vegas Review-Journal asked economist Nicholas Irwin about the amount of land the Valley has left for homes, as well as about the increasing unaffordability of used vehicles. ProPublica tapped him for a story on the U.S. West housing crisis.

Politics

• Immigration law expert Michael Kagan spoke with The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Al Jazeera, Time, Mother Jones, and New York Magazine about student arrests, volunteer efforts to support immigrants, and rhetoric regarding denaturalizing citizens. He also provided insight in a Bloomberg Law story about a Supreme Court case on agencies’ authority. And he talked to KVVU: Fox 5 (twice) about immigrant fears within schools and the hospitality industry. 
• Political scientist David Damore commented on Nevada’s next race for governor in the Associated Press.
• Reuters covered the resurgence of an ethics scandal involving a bankruptcy watchdog firm with the help of law professor Nancy Rapoport. She also made an appearance in an asbestos bankruptcy story from Bloomberg Law.
• Forbes’ story on the future of marijuana and gaming in Las Vegas featured insight from cannabis law expert Riana Durrett and marketing researcher Marla Royne Stafford.
• Journalism professor and First Amendment expert Stephen Bates appeared in a USA Today story concerning a Supreme Court case and books with LGBTQ+ themes in public schools.
• USA Today interviewed gaming expert Brett Abarbanel for a story detailing the new tax deduction for gambling losses.
• Law professor Ian Bartrum shared expertise on Nevada gun laws in a CBS News story about a high-profile incident in New York City.
• Yahoo Finance covered the relocation of several corporate headquarters out of Delaware, with possible interest in Nevada with law professor Benjamin Edwards. He also talked to The Bond Buyer about legal regulations in municipal marketplaces.

University News

Converting Nuclear Waste into Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy tasked David Hatchett, professor and VP of research at UNLV, with turning nuclear waste into usable energy. Not only did his team accomplish that feat, it went a step further. Securing the future prosperity of our power grid was covered in outlets such as: The Las Vegas Sun, KSNV: News 3, KLAS: News 8, KVVU: FOX 5

Finding Viruses in Wastewater with AI

A new AI-driven algorithm is improving wastewater surveillance, and our ability to map virus emergence, mutation, and transmission faster than ever before. A study by UNLV graduate student Xiaowei Zhuang, professor Edwin Oh, and community partners was published in Nature Neuroscience, and featured in these news reports: Water & Wastewater Asia, Quantum Zeitgeist, News-Medical.net, The Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas Review-Journal, KSNV: News 3, KVVU: FOX 5

IGI Confirms Advisory Board

The International Gaming Institute announced the formation of an inaugural advisory board. The 14 gaming industry professionals will offer strategic counsel, resources, and help the academic research hub foster connections: CDC Gaming, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Gaming Intelligence, KVVU: FOX 5, KLAS: News 8, SBC Americas, Indian Gaming, Gaming America

Teen Driver Safety Day

The public event — an effort to help teens understand the serious consequences of distracted and impaired driving — was part of the 2025 National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) program held at UNLV. It also introduces young people to careers in the areas of transportation industry and public safety. The Las Vegas Sun; KSNV: News 3 (twice), KLAS: News 8, KTNV: ABC 13

Experts Roundup

• Historian Michael Green helped The History Channel identify several high-profile friendships through time.
• Airline historian Dan Bubb discussed Delta’s efforts to capitalize on mail delivery in Marketplace, rolling back the TSA’s 3.4oz liquids rule on LiveNow from FOX, and a new aviation bill to prevent mid-air collisions on the National News Desk. Additionally, Bubb explained what temperatures are too hot for flight and why planes circle before landing in Reader’s Digest.
• Engineering professor and railway infrastructure expert Harry Teng was featured in a Newsweek piece covering the merger of two major railway operators.
• Cybersecurity expert Tom Arnold spoke of the phishing dangers hiding behind QR codes with CBC News.
• Marketing researcher Marla Royne Stafford explained why car insurance prices vary from state to state in WalletHub.
• Architecture professor Glenn NP Nowak explained how thoughtful design can enhance spa guest experiences in Skin Inc.
• Salon published a piece on Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum from philosophy professor Amy Reed-Sandoval.