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

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

Presentations

On March 10, 2026, Sheng Lu, professor and graduate director of Fashion and Apparel Studies, and Emilie Delaye, a graduate instructor in the same department, presented their research titled "Navigating the Tariff Impacts and Apparel Sourcing Landscape in 2026" at the Fair Labor Association (FLA) annual meeting held in Washington, D.C. In their presentation, Lu and Delaye discussed the latest developments in U.S. apparel sourcing amid rising tariffs and how today’s college students are responding to these changes in their shopping behaviors and expectations of brands and retailers. The event was attended by more than 120 representatives from leading fashion brands, retailers and academic institutions. Delaye is also a member of the FLA student committee (2025-2026).

On Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28, 2026, Fran O’Malley, director of UD’s Delaware Center for Civics Education (DCCE), and Scott Abbott, DCCE assistant director, presented several sessions as part of the Middle States Council for the Social Studies annual conference, held in Newark, Delaware. Abbott coordinated the Hockessin School field excursion, during which O’Malley led the model lesson “From Runaround to Remedy,” based on the historical Bulah family’s contributions to the integration of Delaware schools. O’Malley later presented again alongside Erin DeMagistris and Kaitlyn Pytleski, UD undergraduate students majoring in elementary education and teaching, for a session titled “Teaching 250: Lessons that Look Back and Project Forward.” Abbott presented a poster titled “Revolution Revisited: Using Primary Sources to Teach the Declaration’s Legacy,” and he also spoke on the “NCSS Call to Action Panel: Empowering Delaware Educators for the Future.”  

On Friday, March 6, Scott Abbott, assistant director of the Delaware Center for Civics Education, moderated the panel discussion, “It’s Elementary: Civics and Literacy,” at the 2026 National Civics Symposium, hosted at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., by the Civics Education Research Lab and Center for Civic Education.

Publications

Heinz-Uwe Haus, professor emeritus of theatre and dance, published (in Lumina Lina, New York, Nr. 1, January-March 2026 ) an essay under his pseudonym Jean Bodin entitled "The Tragedy of Love", which deals with the "Women's drama" in Goethe's drama Faust 1, the most famous tragedy in the German language. Main focus is the conflict between individual desire and societal morality. Gretchen's encounter with Faust marks a dramatic turning point in her life. It gives way to a deep, but socially unacceptable, love. The conflict between her religious upbringing and her passion for Faust leads to a tragic turn of events culminating in infanticide and imprisonment. Gretchen's development from an innocent girl to a tragic figure is a core aspect of any interpretation. Her initial reserve and virtuous nature are fundamentally shaken by her encounter with Faust. "Gretchen is the other side of Faust; she is the misery of the world, concentrated in a real, fatal, inescapable destiny. 'Heinrich, I'm horrified by you!' are Gretchen's last words." (Haus) - Further lyrical and graphic contributions on the Faust theme can be found in the following reissued book by the author:  Loreley, Edition Lulu, Raleigh, NC, new edition 2025; the booklet is a collection of dramaturgical notes, gestural interpretations and poems in preparation for rehearsals of a production of Goethe’s play.

Appointments

Scott Abbott, Delaware Center for Civics Education assistant director, was elected for a two-year term as recording secretary of the Middle States Council for the State Social Studies (MSCSS), the nation's oldest professional organization dedicated exclusively to social studies education. MSCSS is a regional affiliated council of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) with more than 5,000 members located primarily in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. MSCSS champions social studies as a core discipline from K–12 through higher education. Through its network of elementary, secondary and university-level affiliates, the organization provides leadership, advocacy and support for professionals across all aspects of the social studies field. Abbott has served on the MSCSS Board of Directors for 13 years, including as president from 2018 to 2020.

Honors

The College of Engineering’s Chelsea Davis has been named the 47th Robert L. Patrick Fellow of the Adhesion Society, an honor recognizing sustained, significant contributions to the field of adhesion. Davis, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, was selected “for her outstanding contributions to the mechanics of soft interfaces through innovative experiments and novel visualization techniques, and for sustained service to the Adhesion Society.” The fourth woman to receive the honor, she was formally inducted on Feb. 8, 2026, at the Adhesion Society’s 2026 annual meeting in Savannah, Georgia. Each year, the meeting brings together about 200 researchers from a wide range of disciplines to explore the science of surfaces and interfaces. Davis also served as program chair for the 2025 meeting, organizing the full program.

On March 5, 2026, Nicole Minni, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and graphics specialist at the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), was recognized with the Visionary Award presented by the Delaware ACE Women’s Network (DAWN). DAWN is the Delaware Chapter of the American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network. The Visionary Award honors women who exhibit exceptional leadership, innovation and a strong commitment to their communities and careers. Minni was nominated by UD members of the DAWN Executive Committee, Secretary Joy Jordan, Past-President Kathy Murphy, Sarah Marshall and Alaina Robinson.Minni was selected as the 2026 UD Visionary for her passion for using GIS to improve Delaware communities and for her commitment to teaching GIS to adults and youth. Recent projects highlighting food insecurity and disaster management issues throughout Sussex County are small examples of her impact on Delaware. Minni accepted this award at the annual DAWN Leadership Summit held at Wilmington University in New Castle, Delaware. At the summit, UD President Laura Carlson joined Colleen Perry Keith, president of Goldey-Beacom College, to provide insights on college leadership during the morning panel session. Alisa Moldavanova, associate professor, masters studies director in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration and past recipient of the DAWN Visionary Award, led two sessions titled “Leadership as Public Service: Balancing Impact with Personal Resilience.”

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