For the Record provides information about recent professional activities and honors of University of Delaware faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Recent presentations, honors and achievements include the following:

Presentations

The College of Health Sciences’ Department of Physical Therapy was well represented at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting, held Feb. 23-25,in San Diego, California. This conference is filled with a huge exhibit hall, hundreds of educational sessions and the opportunity for attendees to learn about the latest evidence. UD presentations were led by Darcy Reisman, chair and professor for the Department of Physical Therapy; Gregory Hicks, professor and associate vice president for clinical and translational research; Karin Gravare Silbernagel, professor and associate chair, as well as associate and assistant professors Ellen Wruble, Eric Stewart and Megan Sions. Additional presentations were hosted by more than a dozen Ph.D. students in the BIOMS program throughout the three-day conference. "The APTA's Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) is the premier physical therapy conference in the U.S.,” Reisman said. “This meeting brings the physical therapy profession together to hear about the latest in physical therapy science and practice. It also provides important opportunities for networking and collaboration across the profession."

Fran O’Malley, Scott Abbott and Grace Donohue led presentations at the Middle States Council for the Social Studies (MSCSS) annual conference on Feb. 24-25. MSCSS is recognized as the oldest social studies professional organization in the world, formed in 1903. Its early leaders were instrumental in creating the National Council for Social Studies, which is now the largest social studies professional organization in the world. O’Malley is the director of Delaware Center for Civics Education, a unit of the University’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA); he co-presented with Donohue, an Honors student in the 4+1 Master of Public Administration program and research assistant with IPA. O'Malley and Donohue provided elementary and middle school teachers with guided practice in the use of classroom mock trials using historical trials as case studies. The presentation incorporated the 1660 trial and execution of Mary Dyer, a Quaker posing a threat to the Puritan theocracy in Massachusetts Bay colony. Abbott, assistant director of Delaware Center for Civics Education and past president of the MSCSS, led a presentation that helped teachers and school administrators reflect on the purpose and benefits of a healthy integration of social studies along with other subjects. He also discussed recommendations for individual teachers, school administrators and district leaders to take action toward more effective integration. MSCSS is a regional affiliate of NCSS, which includes members primarily from the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The Institute for Public Administration is a research and public service center in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.

Honors

Dael Norwood, assistant professor of history, was recently awarded a George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon Fellowship for 2023-24. The fellowship will support work on his new book project, The Beginnings of the Businessman, a study of how and why the “businessman” emerged as a potent political and cultural identity in modern America.

Achievements

Several Blue Hens recently graduated from the 99th Delaware State Police and 95th Municipal Police Training Academy Class. Graduates include Trooper Alicia Evans, a former Univeristy of Delaware Police Department (UDPD) student cadet; Officer Sam Jester, the newest UD police officer; Trooper Ryan Jones, a former YoUDee mascot ; and Officer Mickey Henry, a former UD football lineman. Officer Jester won the Outstanding Proficiency in Police Firearms Award, and UD Chief Patrick Ogden had the honor of presenting Officer Henry with the Delaware Association of Chiefs of Police Outstanding Recruit Award.

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