10:16 a.m., July 17, 2009----UD in the News provides a roundup of recent news items about the University of Delaware, its faculty, students, staff and alumni.

Tricia Wachtendorf, assistant professor of sociology and associate director of the Disaster Research Center, was quoted in a July 17 New Scientist magazine story about crowd behavior, noting that most large gatherings behave sensibly with panic uncommon and only occurring under special circumstances.

Michela Taufer, assistant professor of computer and information sciences, was cited in a July 16 VIV Magazine Web site posting about the Docking@Home project, in which volunteers donate idle time on their computers for use in scientific calculations. In a photograph accompanying the story, UD students Kevin Kreiser and Trilce Estrada were pictured with Taufer. The work also was highlighted in the July 11 issue of the Greek journal Kathimerini.

James Butkiewicz, professor of economics, was quoted in a July 16 News Journal story about a rise in optimism in the midst of the economic downturn. While noting that there are still difficult times ahead, Butkiewicz told the News Journal, "I think the worst is over. I think there was a real panic atmosphere at the end of last year. I think the big crash is over. And in that regard, people might be feeling a little more positive."

Edward Ratledge, director of the Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research, was quoted in a July 16 News Journal story about the declining number of millionaires in Delaware.

UD was cited in a July 15 story in The New York Times, as it was one stop on the Tour d'Admission bicycle trip to campuses across Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware by a “peloton” of high school guidance counselors.

Willett Kempton, professor of marine policy, was cited in a July 15 Yale Environment 360 and Guardian (UK) story about green energy, and specifically how to store excess electricity. The story cited his work on vehicle-to-grid energy.

Jack Gingrich, research scientist in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, and students were cited in a July 14 Fox 5 Atlanta story about mosquito repellents.

Judith Herrman, associate professor of nursing, was quoted in a July 14 News Journal story about teenagers and sex. "We've adultified the teen years so much, they don't get to grow up. Teens may look like us, but they don't cognitively function like us. They don't have the cognitive controls yet,” she told the newspaper.

Laurence Seidman and Kenneth Lewis, both Chaplin Tyler Professors of Economics, were cited in a July 14 business column by Joseph N. DiStefano of the Philadelphia Inquirer concerning the most effective way to stimulate the economy.

UD programs were cited in a July 14 Philadelphia Inquirer story about summer research programs at colleges and universities in the region.

Charles Elson, Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair and director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, was quoted in a July 12 USA Today story about federal pay czar Kenneth Feinberg, who is mulling employee bonuses sought by American International Group. Elson also was quoted in a July 9 story in The New York Times concerning legal problems at Beazer Homes USA and commented for a July 8 National Public Radio Morning Edition story on corporate boards.

Jeff Pearlman, a UD alumnus, is author of the new book The Rocket That Fell to Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality that was reviewed in the July 12 Philadelphia Inquirer.

Cathy Ciolek, associate director of the Neurologic and Older Adult Physical Therapy Clinic, was quoted in a July 10 American Physical Therapy Association press release about the use of walkers and canes to prevent falls among the elderly. "We see many patients use borrowed canes, walkers, and crutches without adjusting the fit and height appropriately, which can cause discomfort and result in further injury," she said.

Peter Weil, associate professor of anthropology, was cited in a July 6 USA Today Drive On story about car color choices. Citing a DuPont press release, the story quoted Weil as saying, “Some colors are indicators that a person is doing well. Silver, for example, has been associated with high status, especially during the post 9-11 economic boom. The popularity of silver began to wane, though, about two years ago.”

Gerald Kauffman, director of the Water Resources Agency at the University of Delaware, was quoted in the June issue of the EPA Non-Point Source News-Notes about the success of the Christina River Basin restoration project. “We have made considerable progress over the past few years, but we still have a long way to go,” Kauffman said. “If we can establish sustainable funding to support our ongoing restoration efforts, I think we can feasibly restore at least 50 percent of the basin's impaired streams by 2020.”