“I am honored to receive the Torch Award and am grateful to those who nominated me,” said Biddle. “It was an honor to serve the Women’s Caucus and participate in the UD Advance team, particularly as we went through the crisis of the COVID pandemic and faced challenges with shrinking budgets and remote work plans. I still think there is a better way to structure the academy for the success and sanity of working moms and women everywhere and look forward to continuing to champion women in this space.”

Biddle joined the University of Delaware in 2010 and has distinguished herself as a leading researcher in microbial ecology of the marine environment. She teaches courses on microbiology and molecular aspects of ocean organisms, and her mentorship extends beyond the classroom. She serves as faculty adviser to the Society for Women in Marine Science student group, fostering community and advocacy for women in STEM fields.

Her leadership within the Women’s Caucus has been transformative. From 2021 to 2024, she served on the board, including two years as Chair. During her time on the board, she mobilized the Caucus mailing list to preserve employee fitness class benefits during the merger with Student Recreation, ensuring continued access to wellness resources for faculty and staff. Her initiatives and advocacy have had a lasting impact on women across the university.

Colleagues note that Biddle’s work exemplifies the spirit of the Torch Award: combining scholarship, service, and advocacy to create meaningful change. Her efforts through UD Advance and the Women’s Caucus have strengthened equity initiatives and provided support during times of institutional challenge.

About the Torch Award

The Torch Award, presented annually by the University of Delaware Women’s Caucus, recognizes an individual who has “carried the torch for women’s equality” at UD. The torch recalls the lighting of a torch in Seneca Falls, New York, on Sept. 29, 1977, which began a relay to Houston, Texas, the site of the first National Women’s Conference, symbolically charting a course between the first Women’s Rights Convention of 1848 and the modern movement for women’s liberation.

The Women’s Caucus has chosen the torch as a symbol of both past and present efforts to achieve equality and to improve the quality of employment for women at UD. We recognize the remarkable progress the university has made, express our deep gratitude for the policies and opportunities created through decades of advocacy, and remain committed to continuing the work toward full equity.