University of Nebraska at Kearney Biology Department

08/26/2026

Congrats Haiwei on being featured for Nebraska Women in STEM!

Nebraska Women in STEM talked to UNK's Haiwei Lu about plants, medicine and the power of curiosity.

Read about Haiwei - https://www.nebraskawomeninstem.com/haiwei-lu/

07/29/2026

06/08/2026

UNK associate biology professor Joe Dolence has received a National Institutes of Health grant, becoming the first UNK faculty member to earn a Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) award.

The four-year grant provides approximately $500,000 to support research examining why males and females respond differently to peanut allergens and how those differences may influence the development of peanut allergies.

“Undergraduate researchers will be involved in every stage of the project, from conducting experiments and analyzing data to presenting research at scientific meetings and contributing to publications,” Dolence said. “Student involvement has always been a central part of my research program, and this award will significantly expand those opportunities. This grant will allow us to provide even more cutting-edge experiential learning experiences for students at UNK along with doing some cool and important science.”

FULL STORY: https://unknews.unk.edu/2026/06/08/unk-professor-joe-dolence-receives-500000-grant-for-peanut-allergy-research/

05/28/2026

The end of an era. The biology department and the Kearney community will miss Dr. Steele and Dr. Twigg. We wish them the best on their next endeavor!

04/14/2026

Sunanda Rajput was recently recognized with the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award from the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools.

She’s the first UNK student to receive this honor.

“I truly believe receiving this award highlights and represents the core strength of the UNK biology program and the mentorship it offers for students," she said.

Sunanda earned a master's degree in biology from UNK and she's currently a medical student at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙇 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔: https://unknews.unk.edu/2026/04/13/unk-alumna-first-to-earn-midwest-graduate-thesis-award/

04/06/2026

Congrats Dr. Dolence!

UNK associate biology professor Joe Dolence is one of 10 individuals from across the country selected for the 2026-27 American Association of Immunologists Public Policy Fellows Program.

He's the first person from Nebraska selected for the program, which advocates for increased federal science funding and science policies relevant to the immunology community.

“As an immunologist who is a faculty leader at a primarily undergraduate institution in rural Nebraska, I see firsthand how federal and state decisions shape research programs, student opportunities and the strength of our communities,” he said.

𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙇 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔: https://unknews.unk.edu/2026/04/06/unk-professor-joe-dolence-first-nebraskan-selected-for-aai-policy-fellowship/

03/23/2026

Before spring break, 6 students from Dr. Austin Nuxoll's lab and 1 student from Dr. Kim Carlson's lab attended the American Society for Microbiology Missouri Valley Branch Annual Meeting in Lincoln, NE. Ella Buhlke, from Dr. Carlson's lab, won first place for undergraduate poster presentation with her presentation titled "Roughest as a Candidate Receptor for Nora virus in the Drosophila Midgut". Chayton Kumpost, from Dr. Nuxoll's lab, won first place for undergraduate oral presentation with his talk titled, "Antimicrobial Activity and Biofilm Disruption of the Benzyl Isothiocyanate Against Oral Pathogens". Congrats also to Dr. Nuxoll for organizing a successful meeting as the president of ASM-MVB!

03/17/2026

From the back of an ambulance to the research lab, UNK junior Carter Moss is gaining a firsthand understanding of what rural health care really looks like.

A KHOP scholar and pre-medical student, Moss is balancing coursework, campus involvement, biomedical research and his role as an EMT – all while preparing for a future as a physician serving rural Nebraska.

“I think rural health care is incredibly important,” he said. “The provider shortage that’s currently being experienced is something that can’t be ignored for too long, otherwise we’re going to see a lot of these smaller towns start to fade away. Having access to health care is a necessity, and it’s really key to keeping these towns going.”

𝙁𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔: https://unknews.unk.edu/2026/03/17/unk-junior-carter-moss-is-an-emt-biomedical-researcher-and-future-physician/