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Office of Research and Creative Activity News

Thursday, October 22, 2026
  1. UNO
  2. Office of Research and Creative Activity
  3. ORCA News
indextrue179123264548684749620News RoomNews from the Office of Research and Creative Activity at the University of Nebraska at Omaha1462078800000News Room/news/indexOffice of Research and Creative Activitysite://Office of Research and Creative Activity/news/indexcnebel17194374713624556204917926877543521761714000000
News ReleaseNoNoYesYes1774933200000UNO’s annual research celebration filled campus with ideas worth experiencing. View the graduate and graduate award winners.//news/2026/03/img/20260327_rcaf_055-web1.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/03/img/20260327_rcaf_055-web1.jpgwww20260327_rcaf_055-web1.jpg492091200800Student gestures toward framed artwork displayed on a gallery wall at UNO’s Student Research and Creative Activity Fair. Rachel Cloeter presents an art exhibit at the Student Research and Creative Activity Fair on Friday, March 27, 2026. Photo: Ryan Soderlin, UNO Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications /news/2026/03/img/20260327_rcaf_023-web.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/03/img/20260327_rcaf_023-web.jpgwww20260327_rcaf_023-web.jpg739091200800Student in a white shirt plays a grand piano in front of an audience seated in a classroom at UNO’s Student Research and Creative Activity Fair. Marcus Kroeber performs at the Student Research and Creative Activity Fair on Friday, March 27, 2026. Photo: Ryan Soderlin, UNO Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications /news/2026/03/img/20260327_rcaf_034-web.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/03/img/20260327_rcaf_034-web.jpgwww20260327_rcaf_034-web.jpg589631200800Student presenter gestures toward charts and data on a research poster while explaining findings to an attendee at UNO’s Student Research and Creative Activity Fair. Dustin Reilly presents during the poster session of the Student Research and Creative Activity Fair on Friday, March 27, 2026. Photo: Ryan Soderlin, UNO Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications /news/2026/03/img/20260327_rcaf_021-web.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/03/img/20260327_rcaf_021-web.jpgwww20260327_rcaf_021-web.jpg731031200800Panel of five speakers seated at the front of a lecture hall, with one woman speaking into a microphone while audience members listen during UNO’s Student Research and Creative Activity Fair. From left: Gurpreet Dhillon, Ph.D., Dean of UNO’s College of Business Administration; Alex Kolodkin, Ph.D., Sara Myers, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity; Joann B. Sweasy, Ph.D., Director of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center; and Lance C. Pérez, UNL College of Engineering. Photo: Ryan Soderlin, UNO Office of Strategic Marketing and CommunicationsYouTube

➡️ What’s new: The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) hosted a two-day celebration of student research and creative activity March 26–27, featuring a keynote speaker, expert panel, and a full day of student-led presentations and performances. 

🔎 Zoom in:  

  • March 26: Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist Alex Kolodkin, Ph.D., kicked off the event with a lecture on neural circuit assembly in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom.  
  • March 27: The  Weber Fine Arts Building/CEC spaces/Strauss Performing Arts Center transformed into a hub of discovery, with undergraduate and graduate students presenting research through posters, presentations, performances, and interactive exhibits.  
  • March 27: A keynote and panel discussion brought together leaders in business, engineering, and cancer research to explore the impact of interdisciplinary collaboration. 

💡 Why it matters: Pragmatic Research and Discovery is one of four pillars UNO’s strategic plan.   

  • Investigators secured more than $40 million in external funding for research in FY 2024-2025, including more than $600,000 in student awards. 
  • Ten current and emeritus UNO faculty members are among the top two percent of cited scholars in the world, according to a ranking of 100,000 researchers from Stanford University and Elsevier. 

Award Recipients 

Undergraduate Performance 

  • Best: Nicole Stander, “Head Sky, Me Much Snout” 
  • Outstanding: Salvador Becerra “Comprehensive Musical Experience exhibiting synthesis of pedagogical ideas and real-world musical practices on keyboards” 
  • Meritorious: Lexi Axiotes, “Religion and Other Catastrophes: Stories Performance” 
  • Honorable Mention: Marcus Kriener, “FUSE Student Creative Activity - Senior Piano Recital for May 2026” 

Undergraduate Exhibit or Demonstration  

  • Best: Ana P. Lopez-Zurita, “Hasta la Piel Collection (Down to My Skin Collection)” 
  • Outstanding: Rachel Cloeter, “Deconstruction: Saint John's Chapel 
  • Meritorious: Simon Miller, “Charlie Vessel” 
  • Honorable Mention: Marie-Claire Broohm, “I'll change the name later” 

Undergraduate Poster Presentation 

  • Best: Claire Wing and Jayden Smith, “Cytotoxic Effects of Ethanol on the OVCAR-8 Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Line” 
  • Outstanding: Chris Schinzel, “Examining Long Term Effects of Antibiotic Administration in Callithrix jacchus” 
  • Meritorious: Clara Wallace, "Do feeding patterns explain greater energy use observed in cold-adapted prairie lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus) populations?’ 
  • Honorable Mention: Kaitlyn Parker, “Effects of dietary protein during zebrafish (Danio rerio) development on stress expression and cortisol after exposure to chronic stress during adulthood” 

Graduate Poster Presentation 

  • Best: Brandon Doehne, “The Role Of Physiological Metrics in Baseball Pitching Performance” 
  • Outstanding: Chukwuma Adinchezor, “Gastrointestinal Transit Time in Captive Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): Associations with Stool Consistency and Gut Microbiome Structure” 
  • Meritorious: Nagesh Palukuru, “Analyzing Trends and District-Level Disparities in Chronic Absenteeism in Douglas County, Nebraska (2019–2020 to 2024–2025)” 
  • Honorable Mention: Brian Schlattman, “Direction-specific wobble-board instability as a rehabilitation strategy to restore orthogonal postural geometry in older adults” 

Undergraduate Oral Presentation 

  • Best: Wells Johnson, “IRE1 and Filamentation in C. albicans” 
  • Outstanding: Dominic Koperski, “Investigation of Antimicrobial PA-12 in Selective Laser Sintered Prosthetic Sockets” 
  • Meritorious: Victor Rivero, “Validation of a human-specific, multiplex platform for detecting common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) inflammatory analytes”  
  • Honorable Mention: Kaitlyn Oswald, “The Impact of Chronic Stress, Cortisol Dysregulation, and Lifestyle Adaptation on Informal Caregivers: A Literature Review” 

Graduate Oral Presentation 

  • Best: Danae Greig, “Effects of environmental pollutant exposure on mitochondrial function” 
  • Outstanding: Jeffrey Zimmerly, “Repurposing FDA-Approved Drugs Against the Pathogenic amoeba Naegleria fowleri” 
  • Meritorious: Josephine Parker, “Creative Arts Impact on Identity Formation within Nebraska Communities” 
  • Honorable Mention: Emilie Whitehouse, “Support for Survivors of Sexual Misconduct: Comparing Accommodations and Student Perceptions Across Institutions of Higher Education”
////Yes/news/2026/03/18th-student-research-and-creative-activity-fair-showcases-innovation-across-unodepartmentOffice of Strategic Marketing and Communicationsphoneemailunonews@unomaha.educategoryResearchAcademic Affairslocationevent-startsevent-endssite://www/news/2026/03/18th-student-research-and-creative-activity-fair-showcases-innovation-across-unowww18th-student-research-and-creative-activity-fair-showcases-innovation-across-uno18th Student Research and Creative Activity Fair Showcases Innovation Across UNO18th Student Research and Creative Activity Fair Showcases Innovation Across UNOUNO’s annual research celebration filled campus with ideas worth experiencing. View the graduate and graduate award winners.Sam PeshekUNO’s annual research celebration filled campus with ideas worth experiencing. View the graduate and graduate award winners.Mar 31, 2026 12:00 AM
News ReleaseNoNoYesYes1785513600000The new center will be a hub for research, education, industry partnerships, and building real-world healthcare solutions. /news/2026/08/img/20200115_prostheticarm_007.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/08/img/20200115_prostheticarm_007.jpgwww20200115_prostheticarm_007.jpg5676091200800Jorge M. Zuniga, Ph.D, helps Rue Gillespie put on her prosthesis before she is run through a series of tests on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020, in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Gillespie home. (Ryan Soderlin/UNO)A man in a black shirt assists a young girl with a pink bow in her hair in putting on a pink prosthetic hand.///YouTube

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is establishing the Nebraska Center for 3D Innovation (NE3D), a new statewide research hub for developing advanced 3D-printed technology for healthcare, after an $8 million award from the National Science Foundation’s E-RISE awards.  

While NE3D is based at UNO’s Biomechanics Research Building, the NSF E-RISE award establishes a coordinated research ecosystem bringing together facilities, educational activities and programs, scientists and investigators through established collaborations with The University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL), The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), UNMC iEXCEL, Mammel Innovation Center at Children's Nebraska, and partner organizations including School District 145, Autism Action Partnership (AAP), The 3D Printing and Training Center at Clarkson College, Metropolitan Community College Prototype Design Lab, and industry partners Shabri LLC.  

The University of Nebraska at Omaha EPSCoR E-RISE NE3D

NE3D was initiated by UNO’s Jorge Zuniga, Ph.D., in 2016 with a small group of scientists and academics and has been a growing collaboration since. 

The center will focus on three major research areas:

  • 3D-printed prosthetics & assistive devices: Creating more human-like, responsive prosthetics and assistive devices.
  • Antimicrobial materials for 3D printing: Developing safer materials that help reduce harmful microbes.
  • Patient-specific anatomical models and surgical planning: Combining AI, medical imaging, and 3D printing to create patient-specific models for better care. 

“What makes NE3D particularly important is that it combines these research areas with education, workforce development, and industry partnerships,” says Zuniga.  

“The long-term goal is not simply to produce individual technologies. It is to build research capacity in Nebraska so that researchers, students, clinicians, educators, and industry partners have the infrastructure and collaborative network needed to develop the next generation of healthcare technologies.” 

NE3D offers mentored interdisciplinary research to graduate, undergraduate, and high school students in areas such as biomechanics and soft robotics, computer-aided design and prototyping, prosthetic and assistive-device development, medical imaging, AI-enhanced medical technologies, and more.  

“The E-RISE program is specifically designed to help states such as Nebraska strengthen research infrastructure, develop scientific talent, build collaborations, and become more nationally competitive in strategically important STEM fields,” Zuniga adds.  

“We are incredibly grateful to the National Science Foundation for their support of this important research, education, and problem-solving endeavor.” 

 

////Yes/news/uno-secures-8m-nsf-award-to-establish-nebraska-center-for-3d-innovationdepartmentUNO Office of Strategic Marketing and Communicationsphoneemailunonews@unomaha.educategoryGeneral PublicFacultyMediaCurrent StudentsCollege of Education, Health, and Human SciencesResearchAwardslocationevent-startsevent-endssite://www/news/uno-secures-8m-nsf-award-to-establish-nebraska-center-for-3d-innovationwwwuno-secures-8m-nsf-award-to-establish-nebraska-center-for-3d-innovationStandard Page - wwwUNO Secures $8M NSF Award to Establish Nebraska Center for 3D Innovation (NE3D)The new center will be a hub for research, education, industry partnerships, and building real-world healthcare solutions.Marlo LarsenThe new center will be a hub for research, education, industry partnerships, and building real-world healthcare solutions.Jul 31, 2026 11:15 AM
News ReleaseNoNoYesYes1791522000000Conventional wisdom says businesses should keep rivals out. A new study from two UNO economists found that in some industries, inviting competition may be the smarter strategy for boosting the bottom line./news/2026/inviting_competition_article_image.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/inviting_competition_article_image.jpgwwwinviting_competition_article_image.jpg3759031200800(Mason Hatfield/UNO) Illustration of overlapping boxers with the IBM, NFL, and Toyota logos prominently displayed, symbolizing competition among major companies and organizations. ///YouTube

What do IBM-compatible computers, electric vehicles, and NFL expansion teams have in common? 

According to new research from two University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) economists, they all offer examples of a counterintuitive business strategy: inviting more competition can actually make companies more profitable. 

What’s new:  

  • “Network Externalities and Friendly Neighbors: When Firms Choose to Invite Competition“ by Dustin R. White, Ph.D., associate professor of economics and research director of UNO’s Koraleski Commerce and Applied Behavioral (CAB) Lab, and co-author Ben O. Smith, Ph.D., professor and chair of economics at UNO, was published in The American Economist.  
  • The paper proposes that firms may sometimes increase profits by lowering barriers to entry and encouraging competitors to join their industry. 

Why it matters: Traditional economic theory assumes businesses want fewer competitors because competition reduces market share and pricing power. White and Smith argue that a larger ecosystem creates more value for everyone, and new entrants can help grow the entire market faster than they erode existing firms’ customer base. 

Think about it like this: More electric vehicle manufacturers can lead to more charging stations. More compatible computer manufacturers can encourage more software development. More NFL teams can create more fan engagement and media interest. In each case, the market itself becomes more valuable as additional players join. 

Zoom in: Smith and White’s research looked at three industries where well-established firms intentionally lowered barriers for potential competitors:  

  • Personal computers: Compaq licensed key compatibility improvements back to Microsoft, making it easier for other manufacturers to create IBM-compatible computers. That decision helped expand the overall market by encouraging software developers and hardware makers to support a common standard. 
  • Automotive: Tesla released electric vehicle patents in 2014 and Toyota followed by opening access to hydrogen fuel-cell patents in 2015. Both companies stood to benefit if more manufacturers entered their respective markets because greater adoption would encourage infrastructure growth such as charging and fueling stations. 
  • Professional sports: NFL owners have voted to expand the league by adding the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995, the re-established Cleveland Browns in 1999, and the Houston Texans in 2002. Conventional  thinking would predict that more teams would dilute fan attention, television audiences, sponsorships, and talent. Instead, team profits rose roughly 22% in the first year after expansion, with gains continuing for years afterward and peaking at nearly 77% higher profits four years after expansion. 

What’s next: Future research could explore additional industries where firms actively encourage competitors to enter the market and investigate how these strategies influence innovation, consumer adoption, and long-term economic growth. 

////Yes/news/2026/10/what-ibm-toyota-and-the-nfl-can-teach-us-about-making-more-money-by-inviting-competitiondepartmentOffice of Strategic Marketing and Communicationsphoneemailunonews@unomaha.educategoryCollege of Business Administrationlocationevent-startsevent-endssite://www/news/2026/10/what-ibm-toyota-and-the-nfl-can-teach-us-about-making-more-money-by-inviting-competitionwwwwhat-ibm-toyota-and-the-nfl-can-teach-us-about-making-more-money-by-inviting-competitionStandard Page - wwwWhat IBM, Toyota, and the NFL Can Teach Us About Making More Money by Inviting CompetitionConventional wisdom says businesses should keep rivals out. A new study from two UNO economists found that in some industries, inviting competition may be the smarter strategy for boosting the bottom line.Sam PeshekConventional wisdom says businesses should keep rivals out. A new study from two UNO economists found that in some industries, inviting competition may be the smarter strategy for boosting the bottom line.Oct 9, 2026 12:00 AM
News ReleaseNoNoYesYes1790053200000A team of University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) researchers analyzed 40 years of criminal records and found that the likelihood of a new criminal charge steadily declines over time, with a past charge telling us very little about future risk after about a decade. /news/2026/shutterstock_1628186173-1200-web.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/shutterstock_1628186173-1200-web.jpgwwwshutterstock_1628186173-1200-web.jpg1065331200800(Shutterstock) A two-story cell block inside a prison, with rows of barred cells illuminated by sunlight streaming through large windows. ///YouTube

A new study of more than 16.5 million people spanning 40 years of criminal-charge records finds that the predictive value of a past criminal charge does not last forever.  

Instead, it fades in a highly consistent, measurable pattern, and largely converges with the general population's ordinary risk level within about nine to ten years. 

What’s new: “Criminal history's expiration date: Evidence of prediction decay” by Zachary Hamilton, Ph.D., Alex Kigerl, Ph.D., Jennifer J. Tostlebe, Ph.D., and John Ursino,Ph.D., of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), has been published in Criminology, the flagship, peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Criminology.  

  • The report draws on 746 million person-year observations of criminal charges across five states (Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Washington) from 1980 to 2020, one of the largest datasets ever assembled for this purpose.  
  • The research team developed a new statistical framework to directly measure, year by year, how much predictive value a single criminal charge retains as time passes. 

View the interactive data explorer 

Key findings: 

  • Risk fades fast, then levels off. The probability of a new charge following a prior one drops from 28% one year out to roughly 2% by year 30, a steep early decline (a 51% relative drop by year 7) that gradually tapers, similar to the pattern of radioactive decay. 
  • The pattern holds almost everywhere. The same rate of decay appears across states, sex, race/ethnicity, violent versus non-violent charges, and incarceration history. Groups differ in their starting risk level, not in how quickly that risk fades. (One exception: adults 35 and older show a modestly faster decline than younger adults.) 
  • Criminal records have an “expiration date.” On average, the elevated risk associated with a past charge converges with a state's general population base rate within roughly nine to ten years (a range of about seven to twelve years across the five states studied). 
  • Most people do not reoffend. About 63% of individuals charged with a crime were never charged again, running counter to the often-cited claim that most people released from the justice system recidivate. 

Why it matters: Risk-need assessment tools used daily in pretrial, sentencing, probation, and parole decisions typically assign a person's prior charges a fixed, permanent weight, no matter how long ago they occurred.  

  • The study's authors argue that the next generation of these tools should instead let a criminal record's weight decay over time, mirroring the way real-world risk actually behaves.  
  • The findings also inform ongoing policy debates over record sealing, expungement, and the use of criminal background checks in employment and housing. 

What they’re saying:  

  • Zachary Hamilton, Ph.D., Lead Author, Professor, Nebraska Center for Justice Research Associate Director, and Advancing Research in Corrections Lab Co-Director: “This study bridges a gap between prior knowledge of the age-crime curve and practical utility or criminal history in probation, parole, pretrial supervision, as well as employment background checks.” 
  • Jennifer Tostlebe, Ph.D., Co-Author, Assistant Professor, and Advancing Research in Corrections Lab Co-Director: “Essentially, we found a way to make criminal history dynamic, identifying when a prior criminal charge depreciates, until a point that it loses utility and can be eliminated.”

Methodology: Researchers used administrative court records from the National Institute of Justice's Base Rate Project, tracking criminal charges as the consistent measure of justice-system contact available across all five states over the 40-year period.  

  • Because charges reflect justice-system contact rather than adjudicated guilt, the authors note the findings should be interpreted accordingly.  
  • The findings also reveal that, in contrast to a popular myth that most people recidivate following a criminal event, the vast majority of individuals charged with a crime do not commit another. 

Open access: The study is freely available to read at no cost via Criminology's open-access page. Replication code and data-processing scripts are publicly available on GitHub.  

About Criminology: Criminology is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Criminology, publishing original research on crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system since 1963. 

////Yes/news/2026/09/does-a-criminal-record-predict-future-crime-forever-a-new-study-of-16-million-people-says-nodepartmentOffice of Strategic Marketing and Communicationsphoneemailunonews@unomaha.educategoryCollege of Public Affairs and Community Servicelocationevent-startsevent-endssite://www/news/2026/09/does-a-criminal-record-predict-future-crime-forever-a-new-study-of-16-million-people-says-nowwwdoes-a-criminal-record-predict-future-crime-forever-a-new-study-of-16-million-people-says-noStandard Page - wwwDoes a Criminal Record Predict Future Crime Forever? A New Study of 16 Million People Says NoA team of University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) researchers analyzed 40 years of criminal records and found that the likelihood of a new criminal charge steadily declines over time, with a past charge telling us very little about future risk after about a decade. Sam PeshekA team of University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) researchers analyzed 40 years of criminal records and found that the likelihood of a new criminal charge steadily declines over time, with a past charge telling us very little about future risk after about a decade. Sep 22, 2026 12:00 AM
News
News ReleaseNoNoYesYes1781672400000New UNO research suggests caffeine doesn't affect everyone the same way, at least if you're a zebrafish. The findings could help scientists better understand anxiety and stress in humans./news/2026/2615-artcl_cas_caffeine_sensitivity_research_graphic_final-web.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/2615-artcl_cas_caffeine_sensitivity_research_graphic_final-web.jpgwww2615-artcl_cas_caffeine_sensitivity_research_graphic_final-web.jpg1895391200800Illustration: Mason Hatfield, UNO Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications. Illustration of several striped zebrafish underwater, with one fish emitting visible ripple-like signals toward another. Yellow lightning-bolt graphics highlight the interaction, representing communication or sensory signaling between the fish. ///YouTube

Ever wondered why some people drink a cup of coffee and feel a spark of energy, while others drink the same cup and feel jittery, anxious, or nothing at all?  

University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) researchers in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology may have found part of the answer using zebrafish.  

➡️ What's new: Research led by former UNO undergraduate researcher Sydney Klucas found that found caffeine's effects on anxiety-like behavior vary based on an individual's biological characteristics has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Brain and Behavior.  

💡 Why it matters: Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world, yet people respond to it differently. Understanding why those differences exist could help researchers better understand anxiety disorders, stress responses, and the biological pathways that influence mental health. 

☕️ Key findings: Not everyone responds to caffeine the same way, and neither do zebrafish. Some individuals may be biologically wired to be more sensitive to its effects, and those differences may begin at the molecular level in the brain. 

  • Researchers found that zebrafish with a naturally more cautious, stress-sensitive personality showed more signs of anxiety than their bolder counterparts. Female zebrafish also tended to show more anxiety-like behaviors than males.
  • The surprising finding? A small dose of caffeine didn't make the fish more anxious overall. Instead, caffeine appeared to reduce signs of anxiety in some fish, helping them swim more and freeze less. That effect was strongest among stress-sensitive male zebrafish. 
  • The team also discovered biological differences in a brain signaling system called the adenosine pathway, which is the same pathway caffeine affects when it helps keep people awake. Stress-sensitive fish had different levels of several adenosine-related genes compared to less stress-sensitive fish, suggesting that these underlying biological differences may help explain why caffeine affects individuals differently. 

🔎 Zoom in: Klucas, now a graduate student at the University of Washington, served as lead author on the publication after conducting the research as a UNO student researcher.  

  • The research was conducted in the laboratory of UNO Associate Professor Ryan Wong, Ph.D., with support from a Fund for Undergraduate Scholarly Experiences (FUSE) grant awarded to Klucas.  
  • Funding from Wong's National Institutes of Health (NIH) R15 award also supported portions of the project. 

🎤 What they’re saying:  

  • Sydney Klucas, former UNO undergraduate researcher and lead author, now a Pharmacology Ph.D. student at the University of Washington: "One of the most valuable parts of my experience at UNO was having the opportunity to do meaningful research as an undergraduate. I was able to expand on what I learned in the classroom by actively participating in the scientific process and contributing to the field. Being able to design experiments, analyze data, present findings, and ultimately publish this work gave me a level of experience and confidence that prepared me for graduate school." 
  • Associate Professor Ryan Wong, Ph.D.: “We all know people who can drink coffee all day and feel fine, while others become anxious after a single cup. Our findings suggest that some of those differences may be rooted in underlying biological mechanisms that influence how the brain responds to caffeine and stress, which is exciting on its own. What makes this publication even more special is it shows both UNO undergraduate and graduate students have opportunities to engage in research that asks important questions and helps us better understand the world around us.” 
////Yes/news/2026/06/why-do-some-people-thrive-on-caffeine-but-others-feel-nothing-zebrafish-have-some-cluesdepartmentOffice of Strategic Marketing and Communicationsphoneemailunonews@unomaha.educategoryCollege of Arts and Scienceslocationevent-startsevent-endssite://www/news/2026/06/why-do-some-people-thrive-on-caffeine-but-others-feel-nothing-zebrafish-have-some-clueswwwwhy-do-some-people-thrive-on-caffeine-but-others-feel-nothing-zebrafish-have-some-cluesStandard Page - wwwWhy Do Some People Thrive on Caffeine, but Others Feel Nothing? Zebrafish Have Some CluesNew UNO research suggests caffeine doesn't affect everyone the same way, at least if you're a zebrafish. The findings could help scientists better understand anxiety and stress in humans.Sam PeshekNew UNO research suggests caffeine doesn't affect everyone the same way, at least if you're a zebrafish. The findings could help scientists better understand anxiety and stress in humans.Jun 17, 2026 12:00 AM
News ReleaseNoNoYesYes1787677200000A new imaging tool developed at UNO makes fertilized eggs in worms glow green, helping researchers uncover the biology behind infertility and early embryo development./news/2026/08/fertilize-story.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/2026/08/fertilize-story.jpgwwwfertilize-story.jpg920001200800Bright green flouresence visualizes the precise moment an egg is fertilized. (Courtesy: Karem Kim Guisbert)Green dots indicate the fertizilation process///YouTube

What if scientists could watch fertilization happen in real time? A University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) researcher has developed a new tool that does exactly that.  

➡️ What’s new: Backed by a R15 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, research from Biology Assistant Professor Karen Kim Guisbert, Ph.D., allows scientists to visualize the precise moment an egg is fertilized, revealed by a flash of green fluorescence inside a living organism. 

💡 Why it matters:  

  • Infertility affects approximately 11% of women and 9% of men. Problems during the transition from egg to embryo can also contribute to miscarriage.  
  • By revealing what happens in the first moments after fertilization, Kim Guisbert's research could deepen scientists' understanding of one of human biology's most fundamental processes.
  • The grant also supports student research and course-based undergraduate research experiences.  

🔎 Zoom in: At the center of the project is a new imaging system called the CaFE (Calcium during Fertilization in C. elegans) reporter, which makes eggs glow green when fertilization occurs.  

  • The research uses the microscopic roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism widely used in genetics and developmental biology. 
  • Although the worms are only about one millimeter long, they share an important characteristic with humans: fertilization happens internally.  
  • Unlike humans, however, the worms ovulate approximately every 23 minutes, allowing researchers to observe many fertilization events in a short period of time.  
  • To create the glowing reporter, Kim Guisbert used CRISPR gene-editing technology to engineer the worms so the fluorescent marker is expressed in their reproductive cells.
  • The imaging system captures the calcium signal that moves through the egg as fertilization unfolds. 

🎤 What they’re saying:  

  • Karen Kim Guisbert, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology: “Every pregnancy begins with a series of biological events that scientists still don't fully understand. By uncovering how fertilization is regulated at the cellular level, we're building knowledge that could one day help researchers better understand infertility, miscarriage, and other reproductive health challenges that affect millions of people around the world."
  • Sara Myers, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity: "An NIH R15 award is an investment in both scientific discovery and student success. At UNO, our students work alongside faculty to tackle questions that matter and can make a real difference in people’s lives. Awards like this show that impactful, nationally competitive research is happening right here in Omaha, and our students are helping lead it." 

📌 Grant award info:  

  • Funding source: NIH NICHD 
  • Funding amount: $239,086 
  • Award number: R15HD111986
  • NuRamp number: UNO-00068476 
////Yes/news/2026/08/uno-scientist-earns-nih-grant-to-illuminate-the-earliest-moments-of-fertilizationdepartmentUNO Office of Strategic Marketing and Communicationsphoneemailunonews@unomaha.educategoryResearchlocationevent-startsevent-endssite://www/news/2026/08/uno-scientist-earns-nih-grant-to-illuminate-the-earliest-moments-of-fertilizationwwwuno-scientist-earns-nih-grant-to-illuminate-the-earliest-moments-of-fertilizationStandard Page - wwwUNO Scientist Earns NIH Grant to Illuminate the Earliest Moments of FertilizationA new imaging tool developed at UNO makes fertilized eggs in worms glow green, helping researchers uncover the biology behind infertility and early embryo development.Sam PeshekA new imaging tool developed at UNO makes fertilized eggs in worms glow green, helping researchers uncover the biology behind infertility and early embryo development.Aug 25, 2026 12:00 PM
News ReleaseNoNoYesYesDespite a push for personal finance education in schools, there's no tool to measure a student's knowledge on the topic. UNO researchers are changing that./news/personal-finance-research-story.jpgnavigationNosite://www/news/personal-finance-research-story.jpgwwwpersonal-finance-research-story.jpg2073801200800UNO's Jamie Wagner, Ph.D., and UNL's Jennifer Davidson, Ph.D., present their research at the Southern Economic Association.Two women wearing identification lanyards stand side by side in front of a projector that reads "Thank you, Nebraska Council on Economic Education, NEFE"///YouTube

Researchers at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are leading a national effort to develop modern, nationally normed assessments designed to measure what K-12 students actually know about personal finance. 

Dr. Jamie Wagner, Professor of Economics and Director of UNO's Center for Economic Education, and Dr. Jennifer Davidson, Associate Professor of Practice and President of the Nebraska Council on Economic Education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, are leading a multi-phase research project in partnership with the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) to develop personal finance assessments for elementary, middle, and high school students. 

Thirty-nine states now require students to complete personal finance coursework before graduating high school, up sharply over the past decade. But, as of 2024, only two states require statewide testing in the subject — leaving educators, policymakers, and researchers without a nationally recognized way to measure what students have learned. 

"Personal finance education has grown rapidly across the country, but our ability to measure student learning has not kept pace," Wagner said. "This project will provide educators and researchers with a validated, nationally representative assessment that can be used to evaluate programs, inform instruction, and support evidence-based policy decisions." 

The assessments will align with the 2021 National Standards for Personal Financial Education, published by the Council for Economic Education (CEE), making them among the most current tools available for measuring financial literacy. 

The research is unfolding in five phases over 2026 and 2027. The team began in Spring 2026 by revising existing elementary, middle, and high school assessments initially written by researchers at Northern Kentucky University, updating questions for clarity, improving alignment with national standards, and balancing cognitive rigor. A panel of K-12 teachers and economics education scholars will then review the assessments before they're finalized for national data collection. 

Researchers will collect data during fall 2026 and spring 2027 using an established academic competition platform that reaches students across dozens of states, producing a nationally representative sample of middle and high school students. 

The team will then analyze the data using established psychometric techniques, including item response theory, factor analysis, and validity and reliability testing, to produce fully normed middle school and high school assessments suitable for classroom use, program evaluation, and research. 

No nationally normed assessment aligned with today's personal finance standards currently exists. That gap makes it difficult to compare programs or measure whether financial education initiatives are actually working.

The project's findings will be presented at national academic conferences and submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. A final report is expected in early fall 2027. 

Media interested in coordinating interviews Dr. Wagner and/or Dr. Davidson should contact UNO's Office of Strategic Marketing at unonews@unomaha.edu 

////Yes/news/researchers-work-to-develop-nationally-normed-personal-finance-assessment-for-k-12-studentsdepartmentphoneemailunonews@unomaha.educategoryCollege of Business AdministrationResearchFacultyMediaParents and FamiliesGeneral Publiclocationevent-startsevent-endssite://www/news/researchers-work-to-develop-nationally-normed-personal-finance-assessment-for-k-12-studentswwwresearchers-work-to-develop-nationally-normed-personal-finance-assessment-for-k-12-studentsStandard Page - wwwResearchers Work to Develop Nationally Normed Personal Finance Assessment for K-12 Students Despite a push for personal finance education in schools, there's no tool to measure a student's knowledge on the topic. UNO researchers are changing that.UNO Office of Strategic Marketing and CommunicationsDespite a push for personal finance education in schools, there's no tool to measure a student's knowledge on the topic. UNO researchers are changing that.Aug 11, 2026 3:00 PM
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