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

Recent presentations, awards and publications include the following:

Presentations

Trevor A. Dawes, vice provost for libraries and museums and May Morris University Librarian, was the invited featured speaker at the 2023 Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO) Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Nov. 3. In his talk, “Building an Inclusive Hybrid Organizational Culture,” Dawes shared information about some of the organizational culture and climate work he and the team at the Library, Museums and Press have been focused on for the last several years and how some of this work can be applied in any library setting whether in person, remote or hybrid.

Matthew Trevett-Smith, director of the Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning, will deliver one workshop and a separate presentation at the POD Network 2023 Annual Conference. Trevett-Smith has been an engaged member of the professional association for more than a decade. The theme of this year’s conference is “Envisioning the Future: Developing Equitable Opportunities for Success.” Trevett-Smith shared, “This important theme of equity emphasizes the role that centers like ours have across higher education institutions. I’m honored to be able to share how CTAL has helped UD address persistent equity gaps in educational outcomes and highlight our multi-faceted approach to improve equity and excellence, including increasing access and affordability, leveraging digital technology, and broadening adoption of high-impact learning experiences.” In line with this theme and in support of new professionals in his field, Trevett-Smith is part of a multi-institution team delivering a pre-conference workshop titled “Navigating Early Career Landscapes for Educational Developers.” In addition, Trevett-Smith will co-present a session titled “Educational Development and the Equity/Excellence Imperative.”

Sharon Dudley-Brown, Beatrice Gaynor and Caren Coffy-McCormick — all in the College of Health Science’s School of Nursing — presented at the Fall Continuing Education (CE) Conference hosted by the Delaware Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (DCNP) on Saturday, Oct. 28. The DCNP is a nurse practitioner organization affiliated with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, which certifies both family nurse practitioners and adult geriatric nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners are required to take 100 CE hours every five years, with 25 of them being in advanced pharmacology. The conference provided seven CE hours, most of which were in pharmacology. Dudley-Brown led a presentation regarding pharmacology and its tie-in to inflammatory bowel disease. Gaynor spoke about pharmacology and the nurse practitioner role in medical aesthetics. Coffy-McCormick provided updates on antipsychotics and bipolar disorder. The conference was designed to encourage nurse practitioners and nurse practitioner students to think deeply when prescribing medicine, ensuring the best quality of care for their patients. 

“This is a unique focus for a conference that provides an update on pharmacology within nurse practitioners' unique fields of practice,” Gaynor said. “Nurse practitioners focus on the whole patient, while this conference will spotlight opportunities to strategically factor in pharmacology further when addressing the needs of patients.” 

On Saturday, Nov. 4, Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women's Studies and professor of humanities, delivered a paper at an international online conference organized in the UK by the Victorian Popular Fiction Association. Called "Ouida Study Day," this interdisciplinary event brought together scholars to consider the work and legacy of the bestselling 19th-century British woman novelist who published as "Ouida" (1839-1908). Stetz's paper, titled “'And to Ouida with His Love': Max Beerbohm and 'Literary Ladies,'" explored how gender issues shape literary reception, focusing on More, an 1899 volume of essays by the writer and visual artist Max Beerbohm that was dedicated to "Ouida" and contained an influential evaluation of her fiction. Stetz was also the chair of the "Ouida's Aestheticism" panel at the same conference. 

Awards

Jennifer Peticacis, who graduated from the School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences in 2021, recently won the DAISY Award. The international honor from the Daisy Foundation allows patients, families and co-workers to express gratitude to nurses for providing compassionate care. Peticacis, a labor and delivery nurse at ChristianaCare, was nominated for the award by a patient’s husband after his wife was admitted for severe preeclampsia. 

According to ChristianaCare, in the application, the nominator wrote: “Jenn was fantastic in making sure my wife was cared for and doing well. Thank you for allowing my wife and I to have a pleasant experience in a moment where we weren’t sure what to expect.”

Peticacis called it a great honor to be recognized. 

“At times, as nurses, we forget that this is a patient’s big experience, and they’re going to remember it forever,” Peticacis said. “So, it means a lot to me that this family appreciated the role I played in their story and that they’ll remember what can be a scary and anxiety-inducing experience in a positive way. We don’t do it for recognition, but when we get that positive feedback and see our positive impact as nurses, it makes a difference.” 

Elizabeth Speakman, senior associate dean for the School of Nursing, said it’s wonderful to see a UD-educated nurse recognized so early in her career. 

“We are so proud of Jenn,” Speakman said. “She truly exemplifies what we hope all our graduates become — the nurse who, during a patient's most challenging moment, provides excellent and compassionate care.” 

John B. Bishop, professor emeritus in the College of Education and Human Development, recently received the President’s Award from the Association of College and University Counseling Centers Directors (AUCCCD) in recognition of his “dedication to AUCCCD and collegiate mental health” and for leading an effort to compile and publish a history of the organization. The AUCCCD organization previously presented Bishop with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his national leadership in the development and advancement of college and university counseling centers. His research has been published in numerous professional journals and book chapters, often with a major focus on the clinical and administrative aspects of mental health policies and practices in institutions of higher education. Bishop served as the director of the Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD) and associate vice president for Student Life at UD from 1976 to 2007. During that time, the CCSD received its initial accreditation from the International Association of Counseling Services and established a doctoral internship program in professional psychology that earned accreditation from the American Psychological Association. In addition, Bishop was instrumental in the establishment of the Student Services for Athletes Program and served as the principal investigator for multiple research grants received by the University from both the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to address binge drinking among college students. He also coordinated a master’s degree graduate program in Counseling in Higher Education from 1976 to 2012. Bishop has served as a consultant to colleges and universities across the country in matters pertaining to student mental health services.

The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) recently announced the UD IAEM Student Chapter as the IAEM-USA 2023 Student Chapter of the Year. The chapter was presented with the award on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the IAEM annual conference in Long Beach, California. The UD chapter, known as IAEM@UD, offers students already studying or interested in disaster and emergency management the opportunity for connection and collaboration across campus. Hosted by UD's Disaster Research Center (DRC), IAEM@UD provides networking opportunities, volunteer experience and skill development for aspiring scholars and practitioners in the field. The student chapter provides strong support for undergraduate and graduate students interested in disaster-related issues from programs across campus.

UDPD Sergeant Patrick McCloskey received the Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Delaware and Office of Highway Safety award during the law enforcement awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 2, in Dewey Beach. Over the past dozen years, McCloskey has significantly contributed to the reduction of impaired driving incidents in and around the University of Delaware campus. McCloskey serves on Delaware's Impaired Driving Prevention Task force, which is hosted by the Office of Highway Safety and tasked by the State of Delaware to address issues such as impaired driving enforcement, community engagement and proposed additions or amendments to Delaware law that have an impact on driving and drugged driving enforcement, among other areas. McCloskey is credentialed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and DRE Instructor. He was an instructor for the 2022 Delaware DRE School (Delaware's 6th DRE class) and assisted in teaching throughout the whole 72-hour course, as well as the field certification process for 13 students. McCloskey also assisted in teaching the NHTSA Standardized Field Sobriety Test course in the Delaware State Police Academy for recruits in March 2022.

Kelvin Fu, assistant professor in the College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, received an Award for Composites Excellence (ACE) in the Innovation in Green Composites Design category. Hosted by the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA), this award recognizes outstanding innovations for unique composite applications. Fu was recognized for his group’s Wood Universal Feedstock for Forming (WuFF). This material uses a similar approach as the Tailored Universal Feedstock for Forming (TuFF) materials developed at UD’s Center for Composite Materials (CCM), but uses wood as a reinforming material instead of short carbon fibers. Fu was presented with this award at the annual Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX), which took place Oct. 30-Nov. 2 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology (KAAP) placed #7 in an annual ranking conducted by the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK). The ranking reflects data collected on program faculty such as productivity, funding and employment, as well as program student data like admissions, student support, publications, and employment. A total of 89 kinesiology doctoral programs were invited to participate in this year’s ranking. "We are very pleased to remain highly ranked in the NAK doctoral program rankings," said David Edwards, chair of KAAP. "This is a reflection of the outstanding scientific contributions of our faculty and doctoral students."

The College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) was designated as a Delaware Health Hero through the 2023 Lt. Governor’s Wellness Challenge for its Shining the Light on You program. This recognition honors the individuals, organizations and institutions that help make healthy choices the easiest choices for their communities. Designed by Rena Hallam, DIEEC director and professor in CEHD’s Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, and Laura Lessard, associate professor in the College of Health Sciences’s Department of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences, Shining the Light on You is an innovative health and wellness program tailored for family child care educators.

Publication

Aytaged (Ayta) Sisay Zeleke, a doctoral student in the College of Education and Human Development’s Ed.D. program, has published “A Reflection on Using a Cognitive Strategy with Selected Struggling Readers to Create Equitable Reading Comprehension Opportunity” in the fall 2023 issue of Maryland TESOL Quarterly, as well as a commentary titled “Cracks in the System: Unearthing Part of the Mysteries Behind Ethiopia’s National Exam Catastrophe” in Addis Standard.

Leadership

Trevor A. Dawes, vice provost for libraries and museums and May Morris University Librarian, will serve as the 63rd president of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) effective January 2024, succeeding Susan Parker of the University of British Columbia. The president serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, along with the vice president/president-elect, the past president and the treasurer. Dawes has been serving as vice president since January 2023. The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Association and represents the interests of the 127 member libraries across the U.S. and Canada. 

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