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

Recent presentations, awards and publications include the following:

Presentations

Sheng Lu, professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, presented his research at the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) Washington Trade Symposium held on July 17 on Capitol Hill and USFIA Board of Directors meeting on July 18 in Washington, D.C. During the presentations, Lu shared findings from the latest survey study he conducted in collaboration with USFIA regarding U.S. fashion companies’ evolving sourcing, supply chain and sustainability strategies. Other speakers and attendees included executives from leading U.S. fashion companies and senior U.S. trade officials.

Jon Cox, associate professor of art and design and interim director of the Delaware Teachers Institute in New Castle County (DTI), and Eric Rise, associate professor of criminal justice and chair of the DTI Steering Committee, joined five Delaware K-12 teachers for this year’s Yale National Initiative program for public school educators. This year’s DTI cohort included Holly Bryk and Kariann Flynn from the Red Clay School District, along with new participants Yavet Respes, Alyssa Lucadamo and Josefa Castelli from the Brandywine School District. The group took part in seminars and developed curriculum for their home schools during the intensive two-week session held at the Yale campus. DTI is an educational partnership between the University of Delaware and five New Castle County school districts: Christina, Colonial, New Castle County Vocational-Technical, Appoquinimink and Red Clay Consolidated, and is currently working with the Brandywine School District to formalize a partnership. The Institute offers seminars on subjects that teachers request in the humanities and sciences and that best fit contemporary needs among the student population.

Thomas M. Powers, associate professor of philosophy, presented "Deontological Ethics in Artificial Intelligence" at the 2024 Conference of the International Association of Computing and Philosophy, held at the University of Oregon, Eugene, from July 8-10. Powers also organized and chaired a session on Minds and Machines at the conference. He has been a member of the executive board of IACAP since 2016.

Shuai Wang, an assistant professor of meteorology and climate science in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, recently presented to residents of Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, at a workshop hosted by the International Monetary Fund. Wang served as a technical assistant at the workshop provided by the International Monetary Fund. 

Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women's Studies and professor of humanities, was an invited participant in an online poetry reading that was held on July 11 and sponsored by Unleash Creatives, publisher of On Rules: An Anthology. She was asked to read two of her poems, both of which had appeared in that anthology this past spring: "The Lesson" and "Independence." In addition, another of her poems, "The Girl Who Pitied Herself," was published on July 17 by Sad Girl Diaries: An Online Literary Magazine.

Awards

Iva Obrusnikova, professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences and director of the Health and Disability Lab, was awarded the 2024 Hollis Fait Scholarly Award from the National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPEID). This lifetime achievement award is given annually to a highly active scholarship mentor serving on editorial boards and contributing to advancements in research for lifelong disabilities. Obrusnikova’s research focuses primarily on promoting physical activity and inclusion for those facing intellectual and developmental disabilities by understanding the variables involved in their physical function and independence to foster positive health behavior change. In the past, Obrusnikova led an innovative project to integrate therapy dogs as a method in improving social behaviors and physical activity for individuals with developmental disabilities, and now explores opportunities to implement the use of artificial intelligence. 

Mary Webb, a doctoral student in the Nutrition Science PhD Program in the College of Health Sciences, has been awarded an R36 Dissertation Award from the National Institutes of Health. She’s the first CHS student to be awarded an R36 grant. The competitive research grant will support Webb’s doctoral work for the next two years as she researches phthalates — common chemicals found in plastics, personal care products and household goods — and how prenatal exposure to these chemicals impacts childhood weight status. Webb, who’s working with Melissa Melough, assistant professor of health behavior and nutrition sciences, will also explore maternal dietary strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of phthalates. 

Publications

Lori Birrell, director of special collections and museums, contributed a book chapter to the recently published monography Critical Library Leadership: Managing Self and Others in Today’s Academic Library. Edited by Kristin Henrich and Cinthya Ippoliti, her chapter offers insights into working with non-academic campus units in support of library and museum work. 

To submit information for inclusion in For the Record, write to ocm@udel.edu and include “For the Record” in the subject line.