Two University of Delaware alumni and current leaders were elected to the National Academy of Engineering, a distinction that is among the highest professional honors accorded to an engineer.

Terri L. Kelly — a 1983 graduate, the retired president and CEO of W.L. Gore & Associates, and now vice chair of the UD Board of Trustees — was selected “for leadership in product development and commercialization by advancing management practices that foster innovation.”

Levi T. Thompson — who graduated in 1981 and returned to UD in 2018 as dean of the College of Engineering and the Elizabeth Inez Kelley Professor of Chemical Engineering — was selected “for advances in catalysis and energy storage, entrepreneurship and academic leadership.”

Seven other UD faculty and faculty emeriti and 13 other UD alumni are also NAE members.

The nationwide reckoning with racial injustice in 2020 led to many difficult but honest and productive conversations in the University of Delaware community, as well as structural changes and a fresh commitment to continue confronting the challenges of systemic bias.

The UD Antiracism Initiative grew out of an open dialogue among faculty, staff and students who are passionate about the critical issues of race and discrimination. The effort amplifies and supports the aims of the Black Lives Matter movement and seeks to address the continuing challenges of systemic racism within UD, the nation and the world.

UD student-athletes worked to influence local leaders towards positive change in the areas of police reform and student voter registration. Student-athletes also participated in implicit bias and inclusive language training and created a training curriculum for hosting recruits on campus.

This work is critical to reflecting the growing diversity of UD’s student population, as well as its faculty and administrative ranks.

At an institutional level, the University integrated its efforts into a central Office of Institutional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, reflecting a strong commitment to the values that are central to UD’s educational mission. The University is also closely examining the naming of buildings and other campus features to ensure they reflect UD’s values and historical context.

Becoming a more diverse community

Serving others is one key to effective leadership, so University of Delaware students are deeply engaged in meeting the needs of their communities. One example is Lori’s Hands.

Launched in 2010 by UD students, Lori’s Hands pairs students in health-care majors with people in the community coping with chronic diseases. 

Students typically help with grocery shopping, meal preparation, light cleaning and other tasks, while the client teaches them about the daily realities of their condition. With about 350 students and 150 clients, the program has adopted more virtual and distanced activities during the pandemic. 

The program has been such a success in Newark that it is adding a Baltimore chapter with Johns Hopkins University and a Detroit chapter with Eastern Michigan University.

“What’s so exciting for me is hearing about the personal relationships that develop between students and clients,” said Liz Bonomo, a co-founder of Lori’s Hands who lives in Baltimore and is helping with the new chapter. “Now, there’s so many relationships between students and clients. It’s almost become like a second family.”

Also, UD student-athletes have continued to engage virtually with the Boys and Girls Club Wowzers program, serving as mentors to children at clubs throughout Delaware.