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

Recent appointments,publications, presentations and honors include the following:

Appointments

Jennifer Horney, professor, founding director of the Department of Epidemiology, and core faculty at UD’s Disaster Research Center, has been named to the Board of the Delaware Academy of Medicine within the Delaware Public Health Association. The Board of the Delaware Academy of Medicine works to enhance the well-being of communities through education, the promotion of public health and research. Horney was selected to join the board for her interdisciplinary research experience, as the board seeks to add members with expertise in population health. Horney has also provided technical assistance to public health agencies in the U.S. and globally around disasters, emerging infectious disease outbreaks and pandemic planning and response.

Elizabeth Soslau, professor in CEHD’s School of Education, was appointed as president of Need in Deed’s board. Need in Deed is an organization that supports teaching and learning in Philadelphia’s public school classrooms in grades 3-8. The organization supports educators in prioritizing student voices, helping students advocate for change and connecting the classroom with the community. 

Publications

Katherin Rogers, professor in the Department of Philosophy, has had several recent publications, including her book Christianity and Western Theism: Classical Approaches to the Hard Questions (Routledge). Publications also include “Anselm on Painters, Craftsmen and the Proslogion Argument” in The St. Anselm Journal, “Divine Simplicity: Anselm’s Neoplatonic Approach” in Ontology of Divinity, “Perfect Being Theology and Classical Trinitarianism” in On Classical Trinitarianism, “Boethius on Human Freedom and Divine Foreknowledge” in Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy and “Freedom and Foreknowledge: A Case Study in Progress in Theology” in Progress in Theology.

Matthew Cohen, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders (CSCD); Alyssa Lanzi, assistant professor of CSCD; Christopher Martens, associate professor of kinesiology and applied physiology; and Mindy Meyers and Kimberly Van Buren, speech-language pathologists in UD’s Speech-Language-Hearing-Clinic, recently published a study on the Brain-WISE program in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. The research, titled “A Non-Randomized Pilot Trial of Brain-WISE: A Group-Based Program for Brain Health and Dementia Risk Reduction in Community Settings,” aims to address modifiable risk factors for dementia through Brain-WISE, a low-intensity, group-based intervention to improve brain health in community settings.

Rachel Gilbert, an early childhood education student in CEHD’s Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, published a children’s book titled Last in the Box: A Crayon’s Journey.

Presentations

Brian Matthews, a second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student, spoke on a STEM panel in May at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Matthews spoke to high school students about the importance of physical therapy and patient care on the panel organized by the Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science, which is supported by the Army Educational Outreach Program. “Guiding individuals is not only a passion of mine, but a necessity,” said Matthews. “I had the opportunity to discuss the PT field and showcase it as a possible career path for ninth graders as they begin to prepare for college.”

The Department of Economics, in collaboration with the Women in Economics Club, hosted the 2025 Hutchinson Lecture: The Future of Tax Reform and Tax Compliance on April 17. The event marked the return of the Hutchinson Lecture series, first established in 1990 to honor Professor Harry D. Hutchinson and bring leading scholars and policymakers to campus to inspire and engage students. The lecture featured Natasha Sarin, professor of law at Yale Law School and former deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Treasury. In a 35-minute presentation followed by a Q&A session, Sarin provided a sobering look at the challenges facing the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the broader implications for tax reform. The lecture drew an audience of more than 60 attendees, primarily undergraduates, as well as graduate students and faculty.

In April 2025, Troy Mix and Sarah Marshall represented the University of Delaware at the Consortium of University Public Service Organizations (CUPSO) annual conference hosted by Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Mix, lead policy scientist and associate director of the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, presented on transitioning IPA’s public service work for local governments from a fee-for-service model to a technical assistance model during a lightning talk session on “Creative Approaches to Organizational Challenges.” Marshall, IPA associate policy scientist, presented a poster titled “Managing Chaos Amid Change” that highlighted IPA’s work in the following areas: connecting local governments to funding through the Grant Assistance Program, preparing leaders to navigate change in the Department of Labor Leadership Academy, repairing family and school relationships through the Special Education Partnership for the Amicable Resolution of Conflict, and convening conversations and leading actions through efforts in the Health and Aging Policy Team. Marshall also moderated a lightning talk titled “Stories to Inspire,” with panelists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee. 

Honors

Lauren P. Bailes, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) School of Education, was selected as an Annenberg Institute EdResearch for Action Writing Fellow. The EdResearch Writers Fellowship is a first-of-its-kind program that aims to help education researchers better communicate their research to a practitioner audience, increasing the reach and impact of their work. Bailes’ scholarship focuses on the ways in which organizational, social-cognitive and leadership theory unite to promote the success of school leaders and K-12 students. 

Stephanie Smith Budhai, assistant professor in CEHD’s School of Education, was selected to join the Association for Educational Communications Technology (AECT) Center of Excellence for Publishing Advisory Board. AECT is an international organization that values diversity of thought, culture and people whose activities are directed toward improving learning. Its members include instructional designers, researchers, professors and teachers, educational technologists and other professionals united by a passion for improving teaching and learning with technology.

Jessica E. Sowa, professor at the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration and senior faculty fellow at the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), received the 2025 Academy of Management Public and Nonprofit Division (AOM-PNP) Book Award. The AOM-PNP Book Award recognizes books that significantly contribute to management theory or practice while addressing issues specific to public and nonprofit sectors. The winning authors receive a commemorative plaque and a monetary prize. Dr. Sowa's book, co-authored by Jaclyn S. Piatak, Volunteer Management: A Strategic Approach, stood out among 13 exceptional nominations, collectively earning the committee's recognition for its outstanding contribution to the field. Her research focuses on organizational effectiveness, leadership, and human resource management in government and nonprofit organizations. 

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