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

Recent appointments, publications and presentations include the following:

Appointments

Suzanne L. Burton, professor of music education in the School of Music, has been reappointed to the Delaware State Arts Council by Gov. Matthew Meyer. The Delaware State Arts Council is an advisory body to the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA), a state agency committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in Delaware: "We envision a future where every person and community in Delaware has access to, and appreciation for, the diversity, richness, and transformative power of the arts."

Publications

Heinz-Uwe Haus, professor emeritus in the Department of Theatre and Dance, recently published an article, "The EU between Federal State and Confederation of States," in COMENIUS, Journal of Euro-American Civilization, New York (Vol.12, Nr. 1, 2025). The concept of a “United States of Europe” predates the European Union and the European Communities. George Washington used it as early as the end of the 18th Century, and it appeared in the German SPD's Heidelberg Program in 1925. However, it is most often attributed to Winston Churchill, who used it in his famous Zurich speech in 1946. Contrary to what is often claimed, however, Churchill did not envisage a federal constitution like that of the United States of America, but rather a union similar to the British Commonwealth. Since the founding of the European Communities, however, the term has often been used in the sense of a European federal state. He thus referred to a counter-model to de Gaulle's “Europe of nations.” One thing is certain: European integration can only succeed as unity in diversity and must be more than the sum of its nation states.More recently, numerous politicians of the EU have grappled with actual challenges for future alternatives. All interpretations of dual legitimacy point out, with good reason, that we are dealing here with a kind of ‘mixtum compositum’ – not a state, not an international organization, but an idiosyncratic intermediate entity.

Stephanie Smith Budhai, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) School of Education, has published a new book titled Critical AI in K-12 classrooms: A practical guide for cultivating justice and joy with coauthor Marie K. Heath of Loyola University Maryland. Budhai and Heath were recently featured in “Teaching Students to Think Critically About AI,” an article published by Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, as well as an episode of the Harvard EdCast. Budhai's interdisciplinary research focuses on technology, equity and civic engagement across K-16 settings, and she teaches within the School of Education’s M.Ed. in educational technology program. 

Annie Johnson, associate University librarian for research, teaching and technolog, is the coauthor with Alicia Pucci of  “The Benefits of Working with a University Press to Establish a Library Publishing Program: Case Studies from Temple University and the University of Delaware,” a chapter in Library Publishing: How to Launch, Enhance and Sustain Your Program, edited by Jonathan Grunert. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2025.

Presentations

On Oct. 28, 2025, Sheng Lu, professor and graduate director of Fashion and Apparel Studies, presented virtually to the Fall 2025 Board Convening and Stakeholder Conference hosted by the Fair Labor Association in Berlin, Germany. In his presentation titled "Tariffs and Implications for Apparel Sourcing," Lu shared his latest research on how tariffs affect U.S. fashion companies’ financial performance, supply chain, sourcing practices and pricing strategies.

Dominique Baker, associate professor in CEHD’s School of Education and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, gave a talk on “The Student Loan Crisis: Policy, Burden, and Borrower Well-Being” on Oct. 29, 2025, at the University of Wisconsin with colleagues Fenaba R. Addo of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Daniel A. Collier of the University of Memphis. Baker’s research in educational policy focuses on student financial aid, admissions policies and other policies related to inclusive and equitable campus climates in higher education.

Shelly McCoy, associate University librarian for public services and space planning, presented as part of a panel (online), “Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities for Library Leaders” at the 2025 Sino-Foreign University Library Annual Conference (China), Oct. 23, 2025.

In Memoriam

Henry Gibbons Ruark Jr., professor emeritus of English and noted poet, died Oct. 19, 2025. He retired in 2006 after teaching at UD for 38 years.

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