KRNU Campus Voices

Paula Lavigne, investigative reporter for ESPN, was the featured guest for the 2026 Seline Lecture in the UNL College of Journalism & Mass Communications on Wednesday, April 15. Bill Doleman, a CoJMC Assistant Professor of Practice, moderated the discussion, which included audience questions. Here is an audio recording of the conversation.The full video version is available here: Seline Lecture 4-15-26.

Katherine “Kathy” Ankerson currently serves as interim chancellor of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She began the interim role on January 12, 2026. Ankerson previously served as UNL’s executive vice chancellor from January 2022 until her retirement in 2024. Prior to serving as executive vice chancellor, Ankerson was dean of the College of Architecture from 2016 to 2022. Her career in higher education spans 35 years, including 24 years at UNL. In this episode of KRNU's Campus Voices series, she discussed her role as interim chancellor and the challenges and opportunities facing the campus.

Lance Koenig is managing partner at Rival, an integrated marketing consultancy. He was the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications Worick Visiting Professor in Market Research for the 2025-26 academic year. While on campus in late March of 2026, he sharing his industry expertise with students on the national student advertising competition team and in other advertising and public relations courses.

Brian Streeter is a junior in the College of Journalism & Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the editor of the university’s satirical publication, The Daily’er Nebraskan. In an episode of KRNU's Campus Voices series, he discussed the foundation and history of the publication, the working relationship with their sister publication The Daily Nebraskan, the nature of and need for satire and how the publication has expanded onto other platforms.

UNL student James Rasser is a member of The Bathtub Dogs, the university's oldest student a cappella group. He is also a prolific arranger, both for the group and for his own multitrack a cappella recordings. This summer, he has been selected to join The Hyannis Sound, a legendary auditioned a cappella "super group" of college students who perform in and around the Cape Cod area during the summer months. In this episode of Campus Voices, he discussed his interest in a cappella and vocal arranging, the production process he uses to create his multitrack recordings, the audition process to join The Hyannis Sound and his plans for the future.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen presented his 2026 State of the State address on Thursday morning, January 15, to an assembly of state legislators, government officials and guests gathered in the Legislative Chamber of the Nebraska Capitol. KRNU presented a replay of his remarks as an episode of the station’s Campus Voices public affairs program the following Sunday morning.

Barney McCoy has been a Professor in the College of Journalism & Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 2005, teaching courses in broadcast journalism, media writing and social justice. He is also a prolific documentary producer, focusing most recently on military history documentaries. In this episode of KRNU's Campus Voices series, McCoy discussed the creation of his latest documentary "Running Towards The Fire: A War Correspondent's Story." The project focuses on coverage of the European front in World War II by journalists like Robert Reuben, a Reuters News correspondent from Omaha, Nebraska. Reuben was one of a handful of reporters that joined Army Airborne troops in parachuting behind enemy lines just hours before the D-Day amphibious assault on Normandy in 1944 and provided first-hand accounts of the liberation of France and the end of the war.

Teresa Mastin is Michigan State University’s vice provost and associate vice president for faculty and academic staff affairs. In this role she is responsible for envisioning, leading and implementing the university’s strategic commitment and priority to advance faculty and academic staff success in addition to fostering an academic climate of respect, care, diversity, equity and inclusion at the university. She just completed a term as president of The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She visited the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism & Mass Communications in early October to visit with students, faculty and staff.

Dr. Jeffrey Gold, President of the University of Nebraska system, presented his State of the University address in the rotunda of the Nebraska state capitol on Thursday, September 4. Here is a recording of his remarks, aired on Sunday morning, September 7.

Luke McDermott is a UNL junior from Millard majoring in political science, economics and history while also earning a Certificate in Public Policy Analysis.A UNL Honors Program student, he is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was chosen in Spring 2025 by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation as one of 54 scholars nationwide selected as a prestigious Truman Scholar. This year’s Truman Scholars were selected from 743 nominees representing 288 colleges and universities. Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school, participate in leadership development activities and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.McDermott has a lengthy history of public service, serving as Government Liaison Committee Director for UNL's student government as well as a page for the Nebraska Legislature. He also traveled to Washington D.C. in the summer of 2024 to serve as a Victory Institute Congressional intern in Sen. Adam Schiff's office, and is the recipient of a 2024-26 Voyager Scholarship, the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service.

Jay Wilkinson is a visionary entrepreneur, philanthropist and advocate for purpose-driven business. A 1988 graduate from the College of Journalism & Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Wilkinson is the founder and CEO of Firespring, an agency providing creative, marketing, printing and technology solutions to help businesses and nonprofits prosper. It is Nebraska’s first Certified B Corporation and was featured in Inc. Magazine as one of the Top 50 Places to Work in America. He also founded the Do More Good Movement, an organization created to educate, empower and amplify companies and business leaders doing more good for their various stakeholders. Wilkinson returned to the UNL campus in April of 2025 as the college's Alumni Master for the year. He visited Campus Voices to reflect on his time at UNL and how it prepared him for the various ventures he has pursued.

Following a confrontation and assault of some students from the LGBTQA+ community on the UNL campus, this episode of Campus Voices focused on the reaction from the campus and resources available to help in the aftermath.

Lucinda Austin is an associate professor and the associate dean for graduate studies and research at the Hussman School of Journalism & Media at the University of North Carolina.She joined the UNC faculty in July 2016 and teaches courses in public relations and strategic communication. Her research focuses on social media’s influence on strategic communication initiatives, namely health and crisis communication, and explores publics’ perspectives in corporate social responsibility and organization-public relationship building.Dr. Austin earned her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she was recipient of the 2011 Charles Richardson Most Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award and the 2009 Outstanding Teaching Award. She has published work in a number of academic journals.She visited the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus in April 2025 to work with College of Journalism and Mass Communications Dean Shari Vail as part of a mentorship partnership through the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Association of Schools of Journalism & Mass Communication.

The 2025 Seline Lecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln featured Nebraska Examiner Editor-in-Chief Aaron Sanderford and CNN National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny, both of whom hold degrees from UNL's College of Journalism & Mass Communications.While on campus, they sat down with College of Journalism & Mass Communications faculty member Barney McCoy to visit about the intersection of local and national political coverage.

J.J. Jurgens is a broadcast producer, writer, creative director, editor and vocal performance professional. An Omaha native, she played basketball for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1994-98 while studying in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. She was the first person to graduate from UNL's specialized Sports Marketing/Broadcasting Master's program in 2000 and worked for HuskerVision, UNL's athletic television production group. Following graduation, she moved to the west coast where she worked in a variety of broadcast production capacities, including 8 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and 21 years with CBS. She also owns her own voice over and creative production firms. She returned to the UNL campus to visit with journalism students in late March of 2025.

Noah Stahr talked to Aaron De La Torre, Vice President of the Mexican American Student Association.

Lydia Hernendez talked to Robert Russel, Center for Academic Success and Transition Director about the importance of the CAST program at UNL.

Hamilton Reinbold talkes to to Tom Dey about why he became a new student enrollment leader and how he makes connections with the incoming freshmen and makes sure they feel welcome on the UNL campus.

Mackenzie Noble hosts Campus Voices with guest Dr. Vernetta Kosalka, an Assistant Professor ofPractice in Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr.Kosalka shares insights from her extensive career, including owning a wedding planning business andworking in various hospitality roles. 

Cole Eastwood catches up with Nebraska Football Creative Media Assistant Donovan Mousel to discuss what it's like to portray the football program in the media. Listen in to learn more about what goes into working in sports media at UNL.

Just Diep is joined ASUN Speaker of the Senate Renata Cadena to discuss her time as a Senator and the closure of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Riley Bry sat down with "Cowboy" Nathan Ertzner about his guitar playing around the UNL campus. 

Trevor Darnell sits down with Dylan Jurgens, the peer mentor in charge of the Press Box LearningCommunity at UNL. Jurgens talks about what it is like to be both a peer mentor and a member of alearning community and why learning communities are so beneficial. Listen in to learn more about thelearning communities at UNL!

Emily Reinhart discusses the life-changing impact of leadership development with Isela Tercero from the Emerging LeadersProgram. They talk about Isela's inspiring journey, her role in empowering students, and theprogram's focus on overcoming challenges and creating skills. 

Rex McKeeman interviewsJaiden Schilke about the UNL Esports club. They discuss the evolution ofUNL Esports and the community around it.

On this episode of Campus Voices, Nolan Rachiele interviews Dawson Iasillo about her experience in DanOsborn's senate race. She worked on the campaign, organizing events, managing social media, andinteracting with the student newspaper. She details the impact of young adults on politics.

Lucy Mendez talked to Sasha Dobson, Lecturer at the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts and EducationOutreach Manager at the Lied Center about theatre, acting and the William H. Thompson and Honors Program at UNL.

Kyler Adams is joined by Brenden Evers to discuss being a Resident Assistant . They chat about what an RA is, what an RA isn't, how they plan events.

Jenesi Reppert discusses majoring in art, stereotypes involved and finding a job after college with Professor Byron Anway from the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. 

Ellie Volk interviewed Julie Uribe, an Emmy Award-winning producer and former television executive. Uribe currentlyteaches at the College of Business and at the College of Engineering, using the applied improv approachto teach soft skills. They discussed Hollywood and the importance of learning about theatre in college.

On Campus Voices, we dive into the world of college sports journalism with the assistant sports editor ofthe Daily Nebraskan, Anthony Rubek. From covering game-day highlights to navigating the challenges ofbalancing objectivity with school spirit, our guest shares insights into what it takes to report on theUniversity of Nebraska's athletic programs. We discuss his favorite stories, the evolution of his journalismcareer, and the impact of sports on campus culture. Whether you're a sports fan or curious about thebehind-the-scenes work of student media, this conversation is full of energy and inspiration.

Bennett Woody met with Jason Manzitto, a senior Music Education major at UNL, to discuss student leadership. Jasonhas taken on several leadership roles in college including serving as a Drum Major for the CornhuskerMarching Band and as the Midwest District President of Kappa Kappa Psi, an honorary band fraternity. They discuss his responsibilities as Midwest District President and his advice for aspiring student leaders.

Lincoln's Star City Pride events are being held June 7-8 in downtown Lincoln. Providing details on UNL's involvement in the weekend and on the broader concept of pride are Zac Franzen, Programming Committee chair for the UNL Chancellor's Commission on Gender and Sexual Identities, and Pat Tetreault, Director of UNL's Gender and Sexuality Center.

A self-professed grammar and book geek, Pam Ungashick has spent a lifetime in love with words. After graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she built a successful career as a journalist and corporate communications executive in Wyoming, Nebraska, and Missouri.Now retired, she has turned her attention to writing fiction novels. Her debut, Somebody Knows, released in March of 2024, reflects her infatuation with dark characters and dysfunctional family dynamics.In this episode of Campus Voices, she discusses her time at the university, her careers in journalism and corporation communications and the process of writing - both fiction and nonfiction.

Todd Purdum, who covered the Clinton White House for The New York Times, and Mike McCurry, who served as press secretary for President Clinton presented the 2024 Seline Lecture in the UNL College of Journalism & Mass Communications on Thursday, April 25. While on campus, they sat down with 90.3 KRNU's Barney McCoy to discuss their careers at the intersection of politics and journalism.

Charlie Arnot is founder and CEO of Look East and founder of the Center for Food Integrity.A 1986 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism & Mass Communications, Arnot started his career in radio at KLIN radio in Lincoln before moving into video and film, where he worked on documentaries like Michael Moore's “Roger and Me.” While working in film production, Arnot's interest in public relations grew, and he shifted career paths when he joined the public relations team Premium Standard Farms, a pork producer in Missouri, in 1993. At first, Arnot was confident in his work."We spent a lot of time defending our positions, talking about science, talking about our economic impact and attacking those who attacked us," Arnot said.Over time, he said he realized that their strategy wasn't very effective. He left Premium Standard Farms in 2004 and then opened Look East, an employee-owned public relations consulting firm in Kansas City, Missouri, focusing on building trust rather than defending a position."If you're focused on building trust, you'll engage in very, very different strategies," he said.  In 2007, Arnot helped found the Center for Food Integrity, a group of companies, associations and nongovernmental organizations that have come together to build trust in the food system. He credits the founding as his greatest professional achievement because he is working to shift the paradigm of communicating successfully about agriculture-related issues. Arnot returned to the UNL campus in early April as the 2024 Alumni Master from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. The Alumni Masters program honors UNL alumni who have demonstrated success and leadership in their fields.

Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist who has been covering humanitarian crises for The New York Times and National Geographic for more than two decades. Addario has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Darfur, South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Syria, and Ukraine. American Photo Magazine named Addario as one of the five most influential photographers of the past 25 years. She received a Pulitzer Prize for reporting out of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a MacArthur Fellowship. Addario has a bestselling memoir, It's What I Do, and a solo collection of photography, Of Love and War. She was a featured speaker in this year's E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues series, and visited with Campus Voices in advance of her appearance in Lincoln.

Kent Pavelka has been the radio voice of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln men’s basketball team for nearly forty years, calling over 1,000 play-by-play broadcasts. KRNU’s ArianaJoy Cobler visited with Pavelka about his career for an episode of KRNU’s Campus Voices public affairs show. 

Guests Dr. Marco Barker, Vice-Chancellor, UNL Office of Diversity & Inclusion and Germán Ávila, a program coordinator in the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, discuss plans for this year's celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Included at the end of the program are Dr. King's closing remarks from an appearance in Lincoln in December of 1964 when he addressed a gathering of the Methodist Student Movement Conference at Pershing Auditorium. Dr. King's full remarks, and more details about the activities for MLK Week, are available here.

Ongoing advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) present both opportunities and challenges for journalists and academics, among others. Matt Waite, a Professor of Practice in the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications, taught a course in the fall semester of 2023 to examine the various ways AI is (and should be) used in media and education. He visited with KRNU's Campus Voices to share some of what he and his students learned, and to present an example of how AI can mimic vocal characteristics as well as generate text and visuals.

Brigadier General Craig Strong is the 34th Adjutant General of the Nebraska Military Department, which includes the Air National Guard, Army National Guard and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. A fifth-generation Nebraskan whose military service spans nearly 40 years, Gen. Strong holds three degrees from the University of Nebraska. He served several tours overseas including two in Iraq before transitioning to the Pentagon as a senior policy analyst working on counternarcotics and global threats. He returned to his home state in July of 2023 to head the Nebraska Military Department. He visited Campus Voices to discuss his Nebraska roots, his military career and his pride in returning home.

December 1, 2023, is the 35th recognition of World AIDS Day. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is planning an interdisciplinary event that afternoon featuring music from the World AIDS Day Quilt Songbook performed by musicians from UNL's Glenn Korff School of Music, a presentation by UNMC researcher Dr. Benson Edagwa, a panel from the original NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt on display, local resource information from the Nebraska AIDS Project and light refreshments. The event is set for December 1 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the International Quilt Museum at 33rd and Holdrege. Joining Campus Voices to discuss the event are Pat Tetreault, Director of UNL's Gender & Sexuality Center, and Kevin Hanrahan, Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy at the Glenn Korff School of Music, and UNL Director of Faculty Development.More information about the December 1 event is available here.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism & Mass Communications welcomed Adrian Whitsett, a 2008 bachelor's of journalism and bachelor's of philosophy graduate, as one of UNL's Distinguished Alumni at the Multicultural Homecoming events Oct. 26 - Oct. 28, 2023. Multicultural Homecoming is hosted by the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of People of Color, the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center and the Nebraska Alumni Association.Whitsett is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning anchor and reporter with more than 15 years of broadcasting experience who works to cover the highs and lows of the human experience.He grew up in Papillion, Nebraska and worked at KETV Omaha for seven years before moving to Orlando, Florida. Whitsett anchored the morning news at WESH 2 for five and a half years before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2020 to anchor for WCPO 9 News.As a Marine vet who fought in Iraq in 2003, Adrian enjoys sharing other veteran's stories and brings that perspective to the newsrooms he's worked in. Whittset is also the father of 2 young kids, so he's shifted his story focus to the future of education and the environment.When he's not on the air, Whitsett is active in his community. He serves on an all-volunteer board of a non-profit that helps the underserved.

Brittany Jones-Cooper is a freelance writer, journalist, host and lifestyle reporter based in New York City with more than 15 years of experience working in television, digital media and podcasting. A native of Omaha, she is a 2008 Broadcasting graduate of the UNL College of Journalism & Mass Communications. After graduation from UNL, she spent a few months as a local reporter at KETV in Omaha before taking on the role as Katie Couric's personal production assistant at The CBS Evening News. From there, she joined Couric at her daytime talk show as an associate producer. As a lifestyle reporter for Yahoo, she was a host for the "Build Series" featuring long-form interviews with actors, musicians, athletes and authors, and later hosted a show called "Unmuted" which provided a platform for underrepresented voices. Her newest podcast will debut later this year. She spoke with Campus Voices as part of a series on the future of the media and communications industries.  

Tia Newcomer is the Chief Executive Officer for CaringBridge, a charitable organization based in Minnesota which allows people facing various medical conditions and their family and friends to communicate. Her career has spanned both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors and includes experience in healthcare, technology and consumer packaged goods. She is a 1995 graduate of the UNL College of Journalism & Mass Communications where she majored in Advertising. She was recently selected as one of Top 100 People to Know in 2023 by Twin Cities Business. She spoke with Campus Voices as part of a series on the future of the media and communications industries. 

Emily Doskow is the Chief Marketing Officer for Leo Burnett, based in Chicago, where she leads new business and growth efforts for the agency's U.S. operations. She is a 2002 graduate of the UNL College of Journalism & Mass Communications where she majored in Advertising and Public Relations. She was recently selected as one of Ad Age's Leading Women of 2023. She spoke with Campus Voices as part of a series on the future of the media and communications industries.

Juan Perez, Jr., is the education reporter for Politico, based in Washington D.C. He is a 2009 graduate of the UNL College of Journalism & Mass Communications where he majored in Journalism. He worked for The Omaha World-Herald and The Chicago Tribune before moving to Politico in 2019. He spoke with Campus Voices as part of a series on the future of the media and communications industries.  

Dionne Searcey won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting as part of a team for The New York Times. She is the author of the book "In Pursuit of Disobedient Women" and formerly worked as a U.S. politics reporter and the West Africa bureau chief covering stories in 25 countries in West and Central Africa. She is a 1993 graduate of the UNL College of Journalism & Mass Communications where she majored in News/Editorial Journalism. She spoke with Campus Voices as part of a series on the future of the media and communications industries. 

Josh Planos, APR, is the Vice President of Communications & Public Relations for the Better Business Bureau. He serves as the spokesperson of BBB’s International Investigations Initiative, and oversees and executes all internal and external communication efforts. His writing has been published by FiveThirtyEight, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, among other news outlets. He was recognized among the Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Class in 2022. He is a 2014 graduate of the College of Journalism & Mass Communications where he majored in Advertising and Public Relations as well as in English and Communications. He spoke with Campus Voices as part of a special series on the future of the media and communications industries.

Dr. Ronnie D. Green is the 20th Chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he oversees an enrollment of over 25,000 students and 6,000 faculty and staff. Green previously led the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (since 2010), and served as interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the university's highest academic office, from 2015 to 2016. A Virginia native, he received bachelor's and master’s degrees in animal science from Virginia Tech and Colorado State University, respectively. His doctoral program was completed jointly at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the USDA-ARS U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in animal breeding and genetics. He has announced he will retire from the university by June of this year, or sooner if his replacement is found.On this episode of KRNU's Campus Voices series, he looked back on his years in higher education.