William Shafarman, professor of materials science and engineering and director of the Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC), was named an honorary doctor of the faculty of science and technology at Uppsala University in Sweden on Jan. 31, 2025, during that university’s Winter Conferment Ceremony. The honorary doctorate originated at Uppsala in 1839, when the Swedish romantic poet P D A Atterbom, professor of aesthetics and modern literature, as conferring officer, had an honorary degree awarded to an individual. The title is conferred upon individuals who have done outstanding academic work or in some other way promoted research at the university. As Sweden is a small country, the distinction is national in scope, according to the university’s website. Shafarman has had a variety of collaborations with Uppsala University over the years and presented on the work of IEC in a public lecture there on Jan. 30. His research group investigates materials, processing and characterization of compound semiconductors for their application in thin-film solar cells and related optoelectronic applications. The team’s primary objective is to explore the complex relationships between processing, materials properties, device design and electronic characteristics of solar cells to effectively transfer these laboratory results to large-scale solar cell manufacturing. IEC is the world’s oldest solar research facility, credited with significant advances in solar technology, developing new leaders in solar research and industry, and helping to expand renewable energy possibilities for the future.

At the March 20, 2025, meeting of the Newark Morning Rotary Club, Bill Sullivan, managing director of the Courtyard by Marriott, Newark – University of Delaware, an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Hospitality and Sport Business Management in the Lerner College, and a UD alumnus, was presented the “Key to the City Award” for his service to the community. Newark Mayor Jerry Clifton made the presentation.

In March, University of Delaware Management Information Systems (MIS) professors Jiaheng Xie and Xiao Fang, from the Department of Accounting and MIS in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, along with their coauthors Xiaohang Zhao and Xiang Liu—both alumni of the Financial Services Analytics doctoral program—received the Internet and the Digital Economy Track Best Paper Award for their research, "Care for the Mind Amid Chronic Diseases: An Interpretable AI Approach Using IoT," at the 2025 Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). HICSS is recognized as the longest-standing working scientific conference in information technology management.

The John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at UD hosted its fourth annual event, "From Boom to Backlash: Guiding Directors in a Shifting ESG Landscape," on Feb. 13, 2025. Nearly 100 corporate leaders, legal experts and students gathered to discuss the evolving challenges and responsibilities of directors in the ever-changing environmental, social and governance (ESG) landscape. As part of the event, the center hosted a student writing competition, inviting participants to submit papers summarizing key discussions, highlighting major themes and proposing open questions for future debate. The competition winners were UD Lerner undergraduate students Lucas Troutner, Class of 2027, a finance major; Brooke Burkhardt, Class of 2026, a finance major; and Anna Goldkamp, Class of 2027, a finance and financial planning double major. Each student received a $500 cash prize. Read the full story here.

In February 2025, the University of Delaware’s Club Management Association of America (CMAA) Student Chapter earned the prestigious "Small Student Chapter of the Year" award at the CMAA World Conference and Club Business Expo. The award recognizes the chapter’s exceptional achievements from August 2023 to April 2024, underscoring their dedication and success while setting a high standard for student chapters nationwide. As part of this honor, the chapter received five complimentary conference registrations to attend either the CMAA World Conference or the National Student Education Conference, providing valuable networking and educational opportunities. The chapter will also be recognized during the World Conference, celebrating their outstanding accomplishments on a national stage. Additionally, Shannon Hunt, Class of 2025 and president of the UD CMAA Student Chapter, has been awarded the Joe Perdue Scholarship, a prestigious honor in the club management community. Hunt is a hospitality business management major with a minor in beverage management. Joe Perdue was a former club manager and mentor who significantly advanced CMAA’s education and certification programs. This scholarship recognizes students passionate about furthering their careers in the club industry and honors Perdue’s contributions by providing financial support to student members pursuing professional aspirations in club management.

This past fall, Lerner College students put their sales skills to the test in six sales-focused competitions. Among them, junior entrepreneurship and marketing double major McKinley Lynn stood out, placing second in the Lerner Sales Competition and ranking in the top 1% of thousands of competitors in the national RNMKRS competition. His success underscores the dedication and skill development fostered by these competitions, preparing students to excel in sales and entrepreneurship. Read the full article to learn more. 

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