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

Recent grants, presentations, publications and service include the following:

Grants

The Delaware Center for Civics Education (DCCE), housed within UD’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA), serves as a key local partner in Delaware's Literacy for We the People project, which recently secured significant federal funding to advance evidence-based literacy instruction integrated with civics and history. This funding was awarded to the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) in the form of an $8.7 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. EIR is an initiative offering highly competitive federal grants that support evidence-based solutions to persistent education challenges, as part of a $256 million national investment. This investment will fund 24 new EIR projects in fiscal year 2025. Through this program, 10 awards were presented to state education agencies, marking the most significant number of state-led awards in its history. DDOE will coordinate nationally with the Center for Civic Education in Washington, D.C., and collaborate with its longstanding local partners at DCCE.

Presentations

Margaret D. Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women's Studies and professor of humanities, was an invited online participant in a hybrid research seminar sponsored by the British Comparative Literature Association. The seminar, which took place on Dec. 11, 2025, with an in-person component held on the campus of the University of Essex, UK, was organized around the topic "Literature, History, Translation" and considered questions of the relationship of state politics to official policies regarding the publication of works in translation. On Jan. 9, 2026, she was also a presenter in Toronto, Canada, at the Modern Language Association's annual convention. There, she was the invited respondent for a session on "Oscar Wilde, French by Sympathy?" that was organized by the international Oscar Wilde Society (based in the UK).

On Jan. 14, 2026, Julie Lopez, academic programs coordinator and Accelerate U-Delaware adviser in the English Language Institute (ELI), and Maria-Jose Riera, special academic programs manager and student adviser in the ELI, co-presented at UD's Advising Summit on "Connecting International Students to University Success." In the presentation, they shared insights on how university advisers can most effectively help international students transition to life at the University. 

On Nov, 21-22, 2025, Wakako Yamasaki and Eui Jung Kim, academic development specialists in the English Language Institute, delivered a presentation at TESOL Virtual Convention titled “Teaching Present Perfect: Bridging Cultural and Linguistic Gaps.” 

Cheryl Ernst, director of the English Language Institute and associate professor, recently presented on the topic of soft diplomacy at several fall conferences: “How English Language Programs Facilitate Soft Diplomacy,” 2025 EnglishUSA Conference, Washington, D.C.; “Beyond Grammar: English Language Programs Building Skills that Facilitate Soft Diplomacy,” Center for Leadership and Diversity Conference,sixth annual International Conference, Toronto, Canada; and “English Language Programs as Facilitators of Soft Diplomacy,” NAFSA Bi-Regional (VIII & X) Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Thomas Kaminski and Thomas Buckley, both professors of kinesiology and applied physiology in the College of Health Sciences, made keynote presentations at the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association meeting in Philadelphia in January. Kaminski gave the the James L. Thornton Keynote Address, which centered around his 45-plus years of experience as a professor, clinician and scholar, including his ongoing research to reduce concussions in youth soccer players. He also talked about the future of athletic training and ways to move the profession forward. Second-year athletic training master’s student Angelo Sisofo, who leads the EATA Student Leadership Delegation, moderated Kaminski’s lecture. Buckley was the keynote speaker for the Marjorie A. King Research to Reality Lecture, giving a presentation entitled “Concussion and Subsequent Musculoskeletal Injury: What are the Risks and What Can We Do About It?” “This presentation allowed me to share our work, which connects two key sports injury problems: concussions and musculoskeletal injuries,” said Buckley. “Athletes face roughly double the risk of post-concussion musculoskeletal injuries, and this presentation linked research with clinical practice by describing approaches athletic trainers could use to reduce this injury risk.”

Roderick L. Carey, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and CEHD Faculty Scholar, participated in a podcast episode of “The Teacher’s Forum” titled “Gender and the Education Gap: Dr. Charlotte Jacobs and Dr. Roderick Carey on Boys, Girls, and Student Belonging” in January 2026. Carey’s interdisciplinary research seeks to make sense of the school experiences of Black and Latinx adolescents in urban contexts, drawing upon critical theories, sociological tools and constructs from developmental and social psychology.

Joy Esboldt, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) School of Education,  co-facilitated the final session on “Leading for Equity” within the Governor’s Institute for School Leadership’s (GISL) Executive Leadership Academy for principal supervisors and school district leaders. GISL is a professional development partnership between the Delaware Governor’s Office, the Delaware Department of Education, CEHD’s School Success Center, local Delaware school districts and Delaware public schools. 

Teresa Hickok, assistant professor in CEHD’s School of Education and director of CEHD Associate Degree Programs, participated in an episode of “DAWN Rising,” the podcast for the Delaware Women’s Network within the American Council of Education. Titled "Ignite the Future: Spotlighting DAWN’s Rising Stars,” the episode features interviews with 2025 Rising Star winners (including Hickok), showcasing their professional journeys and commitment to higher education. Hickok teaches courses, advises students and supervises field experiences within the Wilmington elementary and middle school teacher education associate program and supports all CEHD associate programs, among other duties.

Jin Yao Kwan, assistant professor in CEHD’s Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, presented “Promoting Fathers' Communication with Their Infants through Enhanced Early Home Visitation Services: Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Dads Matter-HV” at the 2026 Society for Social Work and Research annual conference in January. Kwan’s research focuses on the development of adolescents, youth and young adults in underserved communities.

Abram J. Lyons, assistant professor in CEHD, presented "Welfare for the Settler: The Homestead Act of 1862," "Implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act: A Qualitative Study with System Involved Families and Caregivers," "Tribal and State Worker Needs on Indian Child Welfare Cases: Findings from a State Evaluation" and "Under-Examined Histories of U.S. Child Welfare: How Institutions and Policies Perpetuate Harm and Reinforce Social Inequality" at the 2026 Society for Social Work and Research annual conference in January. With a specialization in social work, Lyons’ research focuses on the impacts of racism and colonialism on Indigenous families and how Sovereignty-affirming policies can improve outcomes for Indigenous communities.

Raphael Travis, professor in CEHD and director of CEHD’s master’s of social work program, presented "’Music Has Always Been My Safety Plan’: A Qualitative Investigation of Music, Self-Management, and Recovery Among Young Adults Diagnosed with Serious Mental Illnesses” at the 2026 Society for Social Work and Research annual conference in January. Travis’ research examines the creative arts, especially hip-hop culture, as a source of health and well-being for individuals and communities.

Publications

Trevor A. Dawes, the vice provost for libraries and museums and May Morris University Librarian, was invited and wrote the foreword to the book, Leading in Libraries: Perspectives From Lived Experiences, edited by Mahalakshmi Kumaran (University of Saskatchewan) and Beth McNeil (Purdue University). Dawes notes, the book “addresses fundamental epistemic injustices that have shaped our field for generations and how some librarians work to dismantle them. The chapters in this volume help us navigate…with both humility and determination.” 

In January 2026, Nigel Caplan, professor in the English Language Institute, published as a coauthor a peer-reviewed journal article in Teaching and Teacher Education. The article resulted from research conducted by Bita Moradi, a Ph.D. candidate in the UD School of Education, whose dissertation committee Caplan serves on, and is titled “A mixed-methods study on the role of a professional development program in shifting teaching self-efficacy, confidence, practices, knowledge and need for support of K-12 educators teaching multilingual learners.” The article demonstrates the impact of coursework leading to certification as a Teacher of English learners on K-12 teachers in Delaware schools. The project is funded by a National Professional Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

In December 2025, Chad Davidson, academic development specialist in the English Language Institute, coauthored a peer-reviewed journal article in Language Teaching and Educational Research. The article, which was titled "Exploring Spontaneous Acts of Lightheartedness in EFL Classrooms: A Reflective Duoethnography," explores spontaneous acts of lightheartedness in language learning environments. The aim of this research is to introduce the concept into the literature and provide a first glimpse understanding of its impact in face-to-face and online English as a Foreign Language classes. 

In November 2025, Cheryl Ernst, director of the ELI, published a peer-reviewed chapter titled “English Language Programs as Facilitators of Soft Diplomacy” by STAR Scholars Press in the edited volume, Innovations in International Student Enrollment: Global Strategies, Digital Transformation, and Emerging Perspectives. The chapter presents a practitioner-oriented perspective on the role of English language programs (ELPs) in promoting students’ growth beyond English while enhancing their study-abroad experience by highlighting the soft diplomacy skills developed through ELPs.

Adil Bentahar, associate professor in the English Language Institute, has recently published several articles. In December 2025, he coauthored a peer-reviewed journal article in ELT Journal. The article was titled "Moroccan EFL teachers’ experiences with the 2023 Al-Haouz earthquake." Its quantitative findings highlight teachers’ dual roles as educators and emotional caregivers and underscore the urgency of integrating trauma-sensitive practices and social-emotional learning (SEL) principles into national teacher preparation and crisis recovery plans. The study contributes to growing discussions on teacher well-being, autonomy and resilience in disaster-affected educational contexts. In November 2025, he published a peer-reviewed journal article in the TESOL Journal. The article, which was titled "Using Integrative Extended Reading: An Innovative Approach to Improve Reading Engagement among Multilingual Learners of English,” examined the benefits of extended reading, as an approach that can improve reading proficiency for less motivated students who may find it challenging to engage actively with traditional extensive reading activity. The article ends with specific considerations for effective reading instruction in the language classroom worldwide. Also in November 2025, Bentahar published a coauthored peer-reviewed journal article in Policy Futures in Education. The article, which was titled "Experiencing the “Spread Policy” of English: An Instance of a U.S.-funded Program," qualitatively examined the experiences of a group of Moroccan participants (students, teachers, and administrators) in the English Access Microscholarship Program (Access), specifically focusing on what they recalled as the main cultural elements imparted by the program through its contents and activities, and their reactions to these elements. The authors argue that sociocultural awareness is needed on the part of not only the audiences of programs such as Access but also English language policy makers, teachers, and learners around the non-Anglophone world in general. Additionally in November 2025, Bentahar published a peer-reviewed journal article in The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language [TESL-EJ]. The article, which was titled "Exploring Instructors’ attitudes toward Extensive Reading in language Programs," presents the results of a mixed-methods study documenting the attitudes of instructors representing the University and College Intensive English Program (UCIEP) consortium’s 66 members toward extensive reading. This research supports the view that ER should be a required component of reading-writing instruction in language programs, and strategically designed professional development can help educate and change the views of instructors new to language programs and/or new to ER.

The Institute for Public Administration (IPA), a research and public service center within the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, has published a policy brief titled “Examining Evacuation Planning of Vulnerable Residents in Coastal Sussex County.” This policy brief was authored by Julia O’Hanlon, lead policy scientist (IPA), Nicole Minni, associate policy scientist (IPA), and Danielle Swallow, coastal hazards specialist at Delaware Sea Grant. The project received funding and support from the Sustainable Coastal Community Initiative. Examining Delaware’s fastest-growing demographic, older adults ages 65 and above, this brief outlines how the increase in that population poses both opportunities and notable challenges in Sussex County, Delaware, particularly related to emergency response and coastal evacuation. IPA and Delaware Sea Grant hope to continue engaging with local stakeholders in Sussex County to discuss evacuation planning with community members, state agencies and emergency responders. Learn more about interdisciplinary efforts to bridge aging in place and emergency preparedness efforts on the Delaware Equitable Planning for Local Adaptation Needs (DE-PLANs) hub site.

Joy Esboldt, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) School of Education, published “Racialized Change or Nominal Absorption? Racial Equity Discourses in District-wide Professional Development” in Urban Education. Esboldt’s research examines how teachers, leaders and organizations learn about race, power and equity within local and sociopolitical contexts.

Cheryl Ernst, director of the English Language Institute and associate professor, published “English Language Programs as Facilitators of Soft Diplomacy in Innovations in International Enrollment: Global Strategies for Higher Education Growth” as part of the AIRC series on enrollment management published by AIRC and STAR Scholars Press.

Service

Marlon I. Brown, who earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in 2008 from the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, was elected to serve as the district representative of District II for the National Council of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). For the next three years, Brown will collaborate with leaders in government and academia who are working to address notable challenges facing public service and governance in the state of Michigan, where he currently serves as director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. 

To submit information for inclusion in For the Record, write to ocm@udel.edu and include “For the Record” in the subject line.