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

Recent appointments, publications, presentations and honors include the following:

Appointments

Roderick L. Carey, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, has been appointed as the CEHD Faculty Scholar. This endowed position seeks to recruit and retain outstanding young scholars in the field of human development and family sciences. Carey’s interdisciplinary research seeks to make sense of the school experiences of Black and Latinx adolescents in urban contexts, drawing upon critical theories, sociological tools and constructs from developmental and social psychology. 

Publications

Heinz-Uwe Haus, professor of theatre, reviewed in the October issue (4/2024) of the German literary magazine Alternante  (Munich) the novel Clash of times by Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe (Bod, Warszawa, 2023), the well-known German-British theatre researcher, who is a gifted storyteller, too. "His distinctly non-postmodern quality challenges the mindset of Gen Z—not that the characters feel so much as the reader. The cumulative effect isn’t necessarily a fully fleshed-out character but a fully emotional experience. Meyer-Dinkgraefe knows the importance of drawing readers into a scene. to see what has gone unseen, unspoken. The reader discovers unnerving whispers: every day maybe the last, relationships may end, or at least prove less fulfilling than hoped, and the future seems more uncertain than ever," Haus writes. In the same issue, Haus pre-publishes “Actor's gibberish” on Brecht's Arturo Ui, Goethe's Faust I and Shakespeare's Richard III from his forthcoming book in German Gestus und Gesten - lyrische Probennotizen. The example refers to productions with UD's PTTP, NYU's Broadway Studio and the National Theater of Athens (Greece).

Elizabeth Soslau, professor in CEHD’s School of Education, has published a new book titled When You're the New Teacher: 28 Strategies to Align Your Good Intentions with Your Teaching Practices. Soslau provides strategies for teachers to increase student agency in the classroom and build strong relationships among colleagues, students, families and communities. Soslau also shows how these relationships help teachers create contexts for deep learning, reflection and student-centered instruction.

The University’s Partnership for Healthy Communities (PHC) recently shared its Year in Review for 2024. This edition highlights collective achievements from the partnership that contribute toward advancing health equity through impactful initiatives and collaborations over the past year, including new team leaders, a revitalized PHC Steering Committee, an enhanced website experience and improved communication strategies. “Of course, some things have not changed,” said Jennifer Horney, director of PHC and founding director and professor of the Epidemiology Program. “This includes our commitment to envisioning healthy, thriving communities for all Delawareans through service learning, scholarship and research.” 

Presentations

Christopher Nichols, associate professor of clarinet, has recently performed and adjudicated internationally with appearances in Ireland, Costa Rica and Italy. Along with Christine Delbeau, professor of piano, he was invited to perform a recital of works by Irish composers at International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest 2024 in Dublin, Ireland, in August 2024. In Costa Rica, he performed Krommer’s Double Concerto in E-flat major, Op. 35 twice with clarinetist Jorge Rodríguez Villalobos and the combined concert bands of the Heredia and Alajuela provinces under the direction of Jordan Kinsey in August 2024. Most recently, he served as an invited adjudicator for the 20th International Clarinet Competition “Saverio Mercadante” in Noci (Bari), Italy, for both junior and senior levels of the competition.

Honors

Beth Mineo, director of the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Center for Disabilities Studies and associate professor in CEHD’s School of Education, received the 31st annual Mary Custis Straughn ("Custie") Award from the Delaware State Council for Persons with Disabilities at the council’s annual partnership event and award ceremony on Oct. 23, 2024, in Dover, Delaware. The Custie Award recognizes recipients for major achievements that have manifestly improved the lives or prospects of Delaware citizens with disabilities or the families of such individuals, such as exemplary service, advocacy and public policy formation. In addition to her impactful research, teaching and service, Mineo is highly engaged in policy issues, particularly as they relate to access to assistive technology, accessible instructional materials and special education/developmental disabilities services.

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS) will honor Doug Tallamy, T.A. Baker Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, at its 121st Honorary Medals Dinner on Oct. 30. Tallamy will receive the George Robert White Medal of Honor, MHS’ highest honor, “for eminent service in the field of horticulture.” He will deliver the keynote speech. Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. He is also a New York Times bestselling author. His books include Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard, The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees and Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. A strong advocate of planting native plants, Tallamy co-founded Homegrown National Park, an initiative to encourage people to plant native plants and remove invasive ones where they live.

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