UD in the News, Feb. 16, 2004

Ben Yagoda, professor of English, has an essay on the adjective in the Feb. 20 Chronicle of Higher Education.

James E. Newton, professor of Black American Studies, is quoted in the February-March 2004 edition of Diversity Inc. In a feature titled “Passing the Baton: The Next Generation of African-American Leaders,” Newton said, “We should be trying to create cadres of leadership in corporations who happen to be black and leadership in nonprofits more geared toward social services, and they should work in tandem.”

Charles Elson, Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair and director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, is quoted in a Feb. 16 story in The New York Times concerning the Delaware Court of Chancery battle between Hollinger International and its former chairperson Conrad Black. Actions by the company “suggest an executive who is interested in pursuing his personal objectives, not corporate objectives,” Elson said, adding the board of directors should have played a more active role in overseeing the corporation’s business. Elson also is quoted in a March-April Corporate Board Member magazine story about proposed Securities and Exchange Commission rules that would make it easier for dissident shareholders to nominate their own board members. He said, “My advice to board members is: Communicate with your institutional holders, listen to them, and be sensitive to their needs. It’s as simple as that.”

A Feb. 15 Wilmington News Journal story promotes the continuing Global Agenda lecture series developed by Ralph Begleiter, Rosenberg Professor of Communication. The story quotes Mark Huddleston, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

University of Delaware researchers who have joined the battle against prostate cancer are featured in a Feb. 14 Wilmington News Journal story. The UD team is led by Mary C. Farach-Carson, who says the scientists are looking at the interaction between prostate cancer cells and bone marrow cells.

Bahira Sherif-Trask, associate professor of individual and family studies, is quoted in a Feb. 14 Wilmington News Journal story concerning singles and online dating.

Valerie Hans, professor of criminal justice and an expert on jury trials, is quoted in a Feb. 14 Wilmington News Journal story about the Delaware Supreme Court overturning a death sentence. The court ruled that a jury’s recommendation must be respected.

Thomas Fernsler, also known as Dr. 13, is quoted in the Feb. 13 San Antonio Express-News story about superstitions among cowboys. He appeared on “Your Morning” on CN8, is featured in a story in the Salem (Oregon) Statesman Journal and is quoted in stories on the National Geographic web site and in the Greenville (S.C.) News. “What I’ve found is that 95 percent of all the people in this country are superstitious,” Fernsler told the Salem newspaper. “The other 5 percent are liars.”

Bernard Herman, Edward and Elizabeth Rosenberg Professor and director of the Center for American Material Culture Studies, is quoted in a Feb. 13 West Chester Daily Local story about the documentation of historical architecture. "These buildings provide a laboratory for learning," Herman said."These projects are all about understanding the structure, but also the planning and the process of documentation."

Leland Ware, Louis L. Redding Chair, is featured in a story in the Feb. 13 Wilmington News Journal.

UD’s Early Learning Center is featured in a story in the Feb. 13 Wilmington News Journal.

Sunil Agrawal, professor of mechanical engineering, is featured in the Feb. 12 EE Times for his work in creating small, flying robotic devices. “If we can provide a stable enough platform for a miniature camera, then we could fly flocklike formations of robotic birds, each sending its surveillance data back to a central point,” Agrawal told the EE Times.

The avian flu outbreak is being widely reported and the stories often note the work of the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, which maintains the UD Poultry Diagnostic Center in Lasher Laboratory at the Research and Education Center in Georgetown. George Malone, a UD Cooperative Extension Service specialist, is quoted in a Feb. 11 story in Agriculture Online News. "To prevent spread of the disease, producers are being extremely careful about who they let on their farms," Malone said, adding, “The best protection is biosecurity.” Mariano Salem, a senior scientist at the Research and Education Center, is quoted in a Feb. 10 Delaware State News story on the outbreak. He said the flu poses no threat to humans.

Robert F. Simons, professor of psychology, is quoted in a Feb. 8 story in The New York Times concerning the use of color to denote states as supporting one national political party or another. Simons is coauthor of a study on “The Emotional Significance of Color in Television Presentations” published in the journal Media Psychology and said it is difficult to link colors directly with how much people like or dislike something. "People still associate color with all sorts of things, red is hot, blue is cold. But when all is said and done, these are semantic associations that probably have little to do with color per se."

ALUMNI

Doug Gallagher, 1971 UD graduate and founder and chief executive officer of Gallagher Financial Systems, has announced as a Republican primary candidate to fill the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by Democrat Bob Graham.

Chris Miles, a 1993 UD engineering graduate, is president of the fast growing Miles Technologies firm, which designs software and provides computer services to small- and medium-size companies. He is featured in the Feb. 13 Philadelphia Inquirer.

Steve Querner, who holds a UD bachelor’s degree in business administration, has been named vice president of North American sales by ONStor, which provides electronic storage service solutions. Querner has held key management positions with Cisco and EMC.

Robert S. Walker, who holds a UD master’s degree and is chairperson and chief executive officer of The Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates, has been named to President George W. Bush’s new space advisory commission.

Robin A. Jess, a UD graduate and noted botanical illustrator, is featured in the Feb. 7 issue of the Courier Post. The Swedesboro, N.J., native has a special affection for the Pine Barrens and its plant life.

Matt Nagy, a star quarterback for the Fightin’ Blue Hens, is now leading the Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League. Nagy was named the AFL Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in an opening day 67-41 victory over the Dallas Desperados.

Mondeario Pinckney, former UD football player, is now a lineman with the Albany Conquest of the Arena Football 2 league.

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