Historical and human geographers at UNL are studying issues such as the historical settlement of the Great Plains (including indigenous peoples), land use change, environmental perception, population and demography and political behavior. Examples of recent research include:

• Encyclopedia of the Great Plains edited by Dr. David Wishart
• Historical Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections 1788-2004 by Dr. J. Clark Archer and Dr. Stephen Lavin et al
• Person-Environment-Behavior Research: Investigating Activities and Experiences in Spaces and Environments by Dr. Douglas Amedeo and colleagues.