Lauren Covington, assistant professor of nursing, received the 2025 Suzanne Feetham Nurse Scientist Family Research Award from the Eastern Nursing Research Society. The award recognizes outstanding contributions through a program of family research and scholarship. Covington’s research focuses on sleep and health outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged families. She’s also leading efforts to address pediatric sleep and health inequities through the mentorship of budding nurse scientists and Delaware school nurses. "This award aligns with my mission to improve sleep health in families facing significant challenges. My experience as a pediatric ICU nurse in Baltimore exposed me to the struggles families face in securing sleep for themselves and their children. Through my research, I’ve explored how structural inequities—like housing instability and food insecurity—contribute to family sleep, and I’ve worked to develop solutions that address these inequities,” said Covington. “As I accept this award, I feel a deep responsibility to continue this work, advocate for those who are often overlooked, and collaborate toward solutions that address health inequities.

Yawo Baah and Sarah Hutnick, academic advisers in University Studies, were both recognized April 2, 2025, at the NACADA Region 1 and Region 2 conference, held in Buffalo, New York.  Baah was awarded the NACADA Region 2 Excellence in Advising–New Adviser Award, and Hutnick received a Certificate of Merit for the NACADA Region 2 Excellence in Advising–New Adviser. Both awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of students and who have served as an adviser for a period of at least one but no more than three years.

Freda Patterson, associate dean of research in the College of Health Sciences, has been named an Alumni Distinguished Professor. Her appointment became effective April 1, 2025. Patterson, a professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences, has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed articles and currently serves as principal investigator or co-investigator on several federally funded projects. Her research focuses on sleep health, cardiovascular disease, and tobacco dependence. “I’m grateful to my colleagues and mentors who have been a part of this journey,” Patterson said. "This appointment reflects the collaborative spirit of our college and the impactful research and scholarship we strive to advance together." Patterson now joins our two other distinguished professors in CHS: Associate Vice President for Clinical and Translation Research and Physical Therapy Professor Gregory Hicks, who was appointed Distinguished Professor of Health Sciences in 2022, and Kinesiology and Applied Physiology Professor and Chair Dave Edwards, who was named the Unidel Katherine L. Esterly Chair in Health Sciences in 2023.

Publications

In recognition of her long record of scholarship on Japanese military sexual slavery during World War II, Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women's Studies and professor of humanities, was asked to write the "Foreword" to a new volume on this subject. Countering History Denialism: The Assault on Truth About 'Comfort Women,' edited by Pyong Gap Min, has just been published by World Scientific, a Singapore-based firm. In her "Foreword," Stetz refutes recent claims that the (often underage ) Asian girls and women who were forcibly recruited and confined to military brothels, where they were raped and beaten, were "voluntary prostitutes" and had signed contracts agreeing to such abuse. 

Saleem Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment, is the author of a new book published by Oxford University Press entitled Sustainability: A Very Short Introduction. The book has received endorsements from two members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Thomas Dietz and William Clark, as well as Tyler prize-winning sustainability scientist Johan Rockstrom. Ali holds joint appointments in UD’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, was appointed to the United Nations Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste and is a National Geographic Explorer. The book can be purchased on the Oxford University Press website and other booksellers, including an electronic edition under $10. Read a Q&A with Ali on the many aspects of sustainability.

Doug Tallamy, TA Baker Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has published his latest book, How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard, in which he tackles questions he has received over the years from gardeners, homeowners and others. How Can I Help aims to address the global biodiversity crisis—the interconnected decline of the variety of animals, insects and plants—by sharing how people can help nature right at home. The renowned entomologist and conservationist lays out the answers to important questions such as “why should I care about the food web?” and “what is the greatest threat to oaks?” Tallamy is a three-time New York Times bestselling author.

Heinz-Uwe Haus, professor emeritus in the Department of Theatre and Dance, who works as a literary author under the pseudonym Jean Bodin, published five poems from his unpublished collection "American poetry" in Gracious Light, New York, Nr. 2/2025.

Presentations

Rudi Matthee, John and Dorothy Munroe Distinguished Professor of History, presented “A History of Alcohol in the Muslim Middle East,” at the Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program, Harvard University, April 3, 2025.

Trevor A. Dawes, vice provost for libraries and museums and May Morris University Librarian, was one of the co-leaders of a discussion titled, “Democratizing Leadership at Academic Libraries: Strategies for Administrators of Color,” at the 2025 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 3, 2025. The discussion focused on the lived experience of academic library administrators of color and promoted democracy in leadership. The organizers–Dawes, Jeeyhun Davis from American University and Mihoko Hosoi from Penn State University –are all administrators of color, and have experience navigating equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) pushback, forming critical alliances and advocating for equity across their organizations.

Elizabeth Speakman, chief nurse administrator and senior associate dean of the School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences, traveled to Capitol Hill last week to meet with the Delaware delegation. Speakman recently met with legislators and staff members Sens. Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester and Congresswoman Sarah McBride, representing Delaware as a State Grassroots Liaison for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. “Together, we discussed AACN’s federal priorities, which are crucial to enhancing the nation's health through high-quality nursing care,” said Speakman. “We emphasized the importance of strengthening the nursing workforce, expanding access to education and ensuring nurses are equipped to meet the evolving needs of patients in every setting. I was honored to advocate for UD students and faculty, as well as for the future of nursing nationwide.” School of Nursing sophomores Isabella Leonardo and Keira Allison and first-year student Grace Kilroy joined Speakman and participated in the AACN Student Policy Summit. Blunt Rochester also invited Speakman to take part in the Workforce Roundtable Discussion on April 11, 2025.

Nancy Getchell, professor of kinesiology and applied physiology in the College of Health Sciences, gave the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport Lecture, part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, at the 2025 SHAPE America National Convention and Expo in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 4, 2025. Established in 2006, the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport Lecture offers in-depth coverage of a research topic and provides an opportunity to formally recognize individuals who have made outstanding research contributions. Getchell’s presentation focused on her research into motor development, beginning with her early work on the development of coordination and control using a dynamic systems lens and continuing through her current research, which utilizes functional near-infrared spectroscopy to examine brain-body connections in motor development and learning. Getchell’s research offers valuable implications for educators, clinicians and parents focused on promoting healthy motor development in children and adults with and without disabilities.“This recognition is both humbling and inspiring, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a tradition of impactful scholarship in motor development that advances research and elevates the future of physical education, health and human performance,” said Getchell.

Service

Jeremy Firestone, professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy, was recently appointed to the National Academies Committee on the Impacts on Shipping and Commercial, Tribal and Recreational Fisheries from Development of Renewable Energy on the West Coast. The committee will document the historic and current uses of areas that could be considered for renewable energy development by conducting a literature review and gathering information through public meetings. The study will explore the potential impacts of offshore renewable energy development on maritime traffic and fisheries.

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