For the Record provides information about recent professional activities and achievements of University of Delaware faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Recent publications, presentations and honors iinclude the following:

Publications

Ravi Ammigan, executive director of the Office for International Students and Scholars, is the author of ”Institutional satisfaction and recommendation: What really matters to international students?” published in the Journal of International Students, Vol. 9, No. 1. This quantitative study investigates the role of satisfaction variables as predictors of institutional recommendation for over 45,000 international students at 96 different institutions globally. Ammigan is also the coauthor – with Noel Shadowen, postdoctoral researcher at UD’s Center for Training, Evaluation and Community Collaboration; Ariel Williamson of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nancy Guerra of the University of California at Irvine; and Matthew Drexler, assistant director for student engagement at UD’s Office of International Students and Scholars --  of “Understanding the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms among international students: Implications for university support offices,” published in the same edition of the Journal of International Students. International students often experience significant challenges and difficulties adjusting to their new campus and university environment abroad. This study examines the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in a sample of international students enrolled in a mid-size U.S. university.

Presentations

Heinz-Uwe Haus, professor of theatre, recently presented his newest book, Heinz-Uwe Haus on Culture and Politics (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle, UK), in Cyprus with readings in Larnaca and Nicosia. The events were organized by the Intercultural Group of the International Society for the Study of European Ideas (ISSEI). The critic Odile Popescu writes, "The way that Haus merges philosophy, history and theatre studies -- and is able to analyze theory and practice as a dialectical unit -- is rare.... Useful for theatre makers and scholars, this book can also aid a larger conversation with the audience. Haus' observations reveal an identity of concern and a difference of perspective which opens the way for confrontation and discussion." (Lumina Lina, An XXIII/Nr.4, New York, 2018, p.114)

Honors

David Kim, assistant professor of English, has been awarded a $50,000 Whiting Foundation fellowship to create a yearlong project in the public humanities. “Alice Dunbar-Nelson: A Vision for Wilmington” will aim to restore the legacy of an African American woman of letters who lived in Wilmington and will include adult reading groups, K-12 curriculum workshops and the creation of a website and public art. The collaborative, community engagement project will be a partnership among UD, which houses Dunbar-Nelson’s papers, and area nonprofits including the Christina Cultural Arts Center, Creative Vision Factory and Delaware Historical Society. The fellowship is one of seven awarded for 2019 by the Whiting Public Engagement Program, which supports public engagement by humanities faculty.

Jennifer Horney, professor and founding director of the epidemiology program in the College of Health Sciences, has been appointed to the Board of Scientific Counselors of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by Alex Azar, U.S. secretary of health and human services. The board provides advice and guidance to the HHS secretary and CDC director on strategies and goals for the CDC’s public health preparedness and response programs and research. The board also conducts peer reviews of scientific programs and research proposals. Horney also serves as core faculty at the UD Disaster Research Center. Her research focuses on measuring the health impacts of disasters, including natural disasters and emerging infectious diseases. She also conducts interdisciplinary research to link disaster outcomes to planning and other actions communities take to prepare, respond and recover.

UD Catering and the Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware won honors at the fourth annual Nutritious Newark Cook-Off, held by UD’s College of Health Sciences on Feb. 21 in the Audion and Atrium of the Tower at STAR. UD Catering was honored for best presentation, and the Courtyard team -- Mark Chopko, executive chef, and Jeff Brittingham, executive sous chef, assisted by Melissa Driggs, director of sales, and Joseph Foti, banquest beverage manager -- was honored for most creative dish: “Thai Noodle and Veggie Salad with a Peanut Dressing.” More than 500 attendees voted to determine the winners.


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