The University of Delaware Association of Retired Faculty resumed its quarterly meeting and luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 21, and expects to continue through the rest of the 2021-22 academic year after much of its programming was curtailed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

College of Health Sciences Prof. Susan Sheehy spoke to the group on Thursday and explained her work as director of the Veterans and College Athletes Together (VCAT) Project. The program connects UD athletes, some of whom are students in CHS, and military veterans who are seeking to improve their health in their civilian lives. The program, which began in 2019 and then was on hiatus during the periods of the pandemic, involved 12 weeks of workouts, wellness classes and sessions on financial literacy. Faculty from CHS and the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics taught classes.

“It’s kind of funny to see a little 100-pound female athlete match with a 300-pound infantryman, yet they get along and they trash talk each other, which is perfect,” Sheehy told UDaily for a story published in 2020. Sheehy is a nursing professor and a veteran of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. “There’s just a bond that occurred that I think the athletes were very pleased about and honestly they didn’t want to leave.”

UDARF holds quarterly luncheons with a speaker  and, once a semester, a discussion called, “My Intellectual Journey,” in which a faculty member shares their career experiences. While dates for events during the rest of 2021-22 are set, the format for each is pending because of the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic. Some will be held in person on campus, others might be held via Zoom.

Please check the UDARF events calendar for information.

Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021 (My Intellectual Journey series)

Speaker: Prof. Hal White, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Via Zoom or in person (Marriott Courtyard) – to be determined. Start: 3:45 p.m. (speaker is scheduled starting at 4 p.m.)

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021

Speaker: Maria Aristigueta, dean of the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. Via Zoom or in person (Star Tower Audion) – to be determined.