Officer Nadine Cordivano of the University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD) was awarded UDPD’s 2025 Officer of the Year at the Rotary Club of Newark Police Honoree Program. This award recognizes a police officer who embodies the motto “service above self” and who goes above and beyond to make the community a better place. Cordivano has shown exemplary service and commitment to the safety and well-being of the UD community. Over the past year, she was recognized for her outstanding efforts in several investigations that resulted in arrests and also in helping a suicidal subject. In addition, she has been recognized for her efforts in assisting her squad in two critical incidents. Chief of Police Patrick Ogden said, “Officer Cordivano consistently demonstrates professionalism and dedication both in the field and within the agency. Her contributions have made a lasting impact on our department and the people we serve.”

The 2025 REEF@UD Demo Day showcased nine bold student ventures tackling environmental challenges through entrepreneurship—from sustainable tourism to nutrient runoff mitigation and eco-friendly consumer goods. As the culminating event of the semester, Demo Day highlighted the students’ creativity, drive, and commitment to making a positive impact. Assistant Professor of Social and Eco-entrepreneurship and Faculty Director for REEF@UD Tomé Salgueiro praised the fellows as "bold, imaginative thinkers" already shaping the future of environmental innovation. A panel of expert judges awarded $5,000 in prize funding, with environmental studies major Alana Hill, Class of 2025, earning first place for Island Dream, an eco-friendly cleaning product line, followed by environmental studies major Evan McArdle, Class of 2025, and entrepreneurship major Errik Onyekwere, Class of 2026, in second and third place, respectively.

A team of University of Delaware students won a top prize in a competition to design a technological solution to tackle agricultural challenges farmers face. The UD Salty Blue Hens on May 8 were awarded a Judges Choice Impact Award—a $2,500 prize sponsored by Google.org—in the 2025 Farm Robotics Challenge. The team built a robot and drone system automating soil salinity and moisture analysis. The technology uses a drone with a gamma-ray sensor to map soil variability in terms of radioactive isotopes and then directs a ground robot to strategically deploy a soil probe across the field. The goal is to monitor saltwater intrusion while reducing the need for manual labor, increasing the efficiency of soil mapping, and supporting precision agriculture (a type of agriculture that uses various technologies in farming) for smaller and mid-sized coastal farms. More than 20 college teams from across the country and internationally competed this year. The 2025 Farm Robotics Challenge is hosted by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems with support from technology partner Farm-ng.

Cora Firkin, who is graduating from the Department of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences with her doctorate this spring, was recently selected as this year’s SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators) Adapted Physical Education/Activity Graduate Student of the Year and was awarded the National Doctoral Scholar Award Honorable Mention Co-Recipient from the American Kinesiology Association (AKA). Firkin has been conducting research with Professor Iva Obrusnikova in the Health and Disability Laboratory since 2018. As a graduate from the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology in 2019 with her honors Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Firkin reflected, “This is the full circle moment of earning my degrees at UD to being recognized at the national level for my scholarly work in exercise science and adapted physical activity. These awards and my time at UD have given me a deeper understanding of community needs with a stronger desire to listen and respond with purpose, aiming to ensure individuals with disabilities are empowered to achieve active lifestyles within our communities.”

Elise Corbin, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was named a 2025 VISTA NextGen Superstar! Corbin was recognized for her work in research, mentorship and education, all while balancing life as a parent and even woodworking in her spare time. Learn more about Corbin in VISTA's bio. 

Three master of public health (MPH) in epidemiology program students, Annaliese Pena, Peyton Free and Palma Bauman, were inducted into UD's new Delta Omega Chapter, Epsilon Zeta, on May 13 in a ceremony in the Health Sciences Complex Atrium. The chapter was established after the University’s Public Health Program was recently accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Delta Omega is a public health honor society founded in 1924 to promote public health graduate studies and recognize outstanding achievement in the field. 

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