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Expert Perspective: Race and Representation Take Center Stage in Texas’ Democratic U.S. Senate Primary

As Texas Democrats head toward a competitive 2026 U.S. Senate primary, conversations about race and representation are playing a visible role in the campaign. In a recent Spectrum News segment, Baylor University political analyst Dr. Mia Moody discusses how racial identity, voter perceptions, and candidate messaging are influencing the dynamics of the race. Mia Moody, Ph.D., is a professor and former chair of the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media in the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences. She is a nationally recognized expert on mass media and image repair, intersectionality, critical race theory, and the media framing of women and people of color. View her profile The story explores how candidates are navigating issues of representation within a diverse Democratic electorate, and how those discussions could impact turnout and coalition-building ahead of the primary. Watch the full report for expert insight into how race is shaping one of Texas’ most closely watched political contests. The full story is available below:

The Secret to Happiness? Feeling Loved.

After more than 50 years studying close relationships, University of Rochester psychologist Harry Reis has reached a deceptively simple conclusion: Happy people feel loved. That conclusion became the jumping-off point for a new book Reis co-wrote, “How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most” (Harper 2026), which blends decades of research on happiness and human connection. In it, Reis and his co-author, Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside, outline five research-backed mindsets that strengthen connection: sharing authentically, listening to people, practicing radical curiosity, approaching others with an open heart, and recognizing human complexity. The book was recently featured in The New York Times, which noted that the authors contend giving and receiving love function together like a seesaw: You lift a person up with the weight of your curiosity and attentiveness — and they do the same in turn. “The other side is very important also,” Reis told The Times. “To be sharing what’s important to you, to be sharing what you’re concerned about, so it can really become a two-way street.” Reis, who leads groundbreaking research on close relationships, is available to discuss: • The science of feeling loved vs. being loved • How digital distraction undermines connection • AI companionship and its psychological limits • Practical ways to build stronger, more resilient relationships • The link between love, happiness, and health Journalists writing about love and relationships can contact Reis by clicking on his profile.

A future in pharmacy, made possible by support and mentorship

A freshman chemistry major from Hinesville, Georgia, Geovanii Pacheco already has his sights set on a career in pharmacy. His ambition is rooted not just in a love for science, but in personal experience. Growing up, his family spent countless hours navigating prescriptions and insurance coverage for his older brother, Devin, who has autism. During those moments, one pharmacist consistently stood out. This was someone who advocated for his family, helped them through paperwork and made sure Devin got the medication he needed. “It really resonated with me,” Pacheco said. “As a pharmacist, I’d like to embody what she did for us, for others as well.” That goal brought Pacheco to Georgia Southern University where he is now supported by the National Science Foundation’s S-STEM Scholarship Program Award. This is a nearly $2 million grant designed to support Pell-eligible students pursuing degrees in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, physics or sustainability science. For Pacheco, the program has been nothing short of life-changing. “I can say that I’m not going to college with any financial stress,” he said. “I have no money coming out-of-pocket.” Administered through Georgia Southern’s College of Science and Mathematics, the federally funded program provides last-dollar scholarships that cover remaining costs after Pell Grants and other aid are applied. In addition to financial support, the program pairs students with dedicated faculty mentors and offers structured programming aimed at retention, professional development and long-term success. Sara Gremillion, Ph.D., professor of biology and principal investigator on the grant, said the goal is to ensure that students don’t just enroll in college, but that they also thrive once they arrive. “They may not have a strong expectation about what to expect in college,” said Gremillion. “This program not only removes financial barriers, but it also surrounds students with the support they need to navigate college and plan for their future.” Pacheco has felt that impact from day one. Thanks to the program, he moved into his residence hall a week early to attend a one-week Basebamp program to jump start his college experience. There, he met fellow scholarship recipients and connected with his faculty mentor before classes even began. His mentor, Shainaz Landge, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, has helped connect Pacheco with opportunities from joining the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society to learning about upcoming pre-pharmacy organizations and undergraduate research. “Students such as Geovanii serve as prime examples of the fulfillment derived from mentorship and teaching,” said Landge. “Their growth and engagement highlight the critical role that effective mentorship plays in fostering both academic development.” That blend of mentorship and financial support is exactly what the grant was designed to provide. Over five years, the program will serve dozens of students in eligible majors such as chemistry, biology, biomedical science, biochemistry, physics, mathematics, sustainability science and geoscience. Each student receives individualized scholarship support, up to $15,000 per year, based on need, along with a faculty mentor who stays with them throughout their undergraduate journey. For Pacheco and his family, the scholarship brought immediate relief. He vividly remembers opening the acceptance email with his mother and scrolling down to see the financial aid details. “She was tickled, let me tell you,” he said. “It lifted so much stress off her shoulders. It was life-changing.” Applications to be part of the next cohort of COSM S-STEM Scholars are open until Feb. 1, 2026. Eligibility requirements, necessary documentation and other information can be found at this webpage. Looking to know more about Georgia Southern University or the National Science Foundation’s S-STEM Scholarship Program Award? Simply contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.

FAU ‘Shark-Repellent’ Method Can Reform Fisheries by Curbing Bycatch

Study Snapshot: Shark bycatch is a major global problem, with millions of sharks caught unintentionally each year in fisheries targeting tuna, swordfish and other species. Even in U.S. waters, sharks are frequently caught on longlines, and many are discarded dead. Because sharks grow and reproduce slowly, these high bycatch rates threaten already vulnerable populations and disrupt marine ecosystems. Researchers at FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science have developed a patent-pending zinc-and-graphite device to address the problem. The metals generate a small electric field that repels sharks from baited hooks while leaving target species unaffected. In Florida field trials, the device reduced shark bycatch by more than 60%. Inexpensive, scalable and practical for fishers, this technology has the potential to dramatically reduce bycatch and support more sustainable fisheries. For decades, sharks have been the unintended victims of longline fisheries aimed at tuna and swordfish. Rising accidental catches have contributed to population declines and created serious challenges for both conservation and commercial fishing. And the impacts go beyond the sharks themselves – every time a shark takes the bait, hooks are lost to target species, gear gets damaged, costs climb, and crews face added risks when handling or releasing the animals. Although some gear modifications can reduce bycatch, they often also cut into catches of valuable species, making it hard to protect sharks without putting fisheries at a disadvantage. To tackle this challenge, researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science have developed an innovative, patent-pending shark deterrent. The device works by pairing zinc and graphite in seawater. The zinc reacts with the graphite to produce a small electric field in the surrounding seawater through a galvanic chemical reaction. This electric field can be detected by the sharks, repelling them from the bait without affecting target fish. To test the efficacy of the zinc/graphite treatment at deterring elasmobranch species, longline fishing gear was deployed to target demersal sharks (live and hunt near the sea floor) off the Florida panhandle and Massachusetts, and pelagic sharks (live and hunt in open water) in the Gulf of America. The results of the field trials, published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, delivered striking results. In Florida, the zinc/graphite treatment reduced the catch of coastal sharks on demersal longlines by 62% to 70% compared to untreated hooks. The effect was particularly strong for Atlantic sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) and blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus), two common coastal species. “Sharks have an incredible ability to sense even the smallest electric fields, and our tests show that this new approach can be used to keep them away from baited hooks,” said Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D., senior author, inventor and a professor in the FAU Department of Biological Sciences. “At the same time, important target species like tuna and swordfish are completely unaffected. What makes this approach so exciting is its practicality – zinc and graphite are inexpensive, widely available, and already familiar to fishers because zinc is commonly used to prevent corrosion on boats. This means it could be adopted quickly and cost-effectively, providing a real solution to reduce shark bycatch while supporting sustainable fisheries.” Importantly, the treatment did not reduce catches of commercially important fish species. Preliminary pelagic trials suggest swordfish and yellowfin tuna were caught at similar or slightly higher rates on treated hooks, showing the approach could protect sharks without hurting the catch of target species. The study also outlines practical considerations for real-world use. Because the electric field is strongest close to the hook, each line would need its own zinc-graphite device. The zinc anode slowly wears down, but it’s cheap and easy to swap out. Shark bycatch is a widespread and pressing problem, both in the United States and around the world. Globally, millions of sharks are caught unintentionally every year in fisheries targeting other species, and some estimates suggest tens of millions fall victim to bycatch annually. In U.S. waters, despite strict regulations, sharks are still caught incidentally on longlines and other gear. Because sharks reproduce slowly and have long lifespans, these high bycatch rates can push populations toward dangerously low levels. The scope of shark bycatch, from small coastal fisheries to large international fleets, makes it a global conservation challenge with serious ecological consequences. “Our approach could be scaled up to pelagic longline fisheries, where millions of sharks are caught as bycatch annually,” said Kajiura. “Even a 60% to 70% reduction in shark bycatch, like that observed in Florida demersal trials, could have a dramatic impact on global shark populations. The zinc/graphite treatment offers a practical, affordable and environmentally responsible tool for reducing shark bycatch while maintaining commercial catch rates.” Study co-authors are FAU graduate students Tanner H. Anderson and Kieran T. Smith; co-inventor on the patent application; Cheston T. Peterson, a Ph.D. student at Florida State University; Bryan A. Keller, Ph.D., a foreign affairs specialist at NOAA Fisheries; and Dean Grubbs, Ph.D., a full research faculty and associate director of research at FSU. This research was supported by the Florida SeaGrant awarded to Kajiura and Grubbs. The patent-pending device works by pairing zinc and graphite in seawater, creating an electric field that can be detected by the sharks, repelling them from the bait without affecting target fish.

How AI can improve poor leadership writing and boost productivity

Poor written communication from leaders can create the kind of confusion it intended to avoid. University of Delaware career expert Jill Gugino Panté suggests using AI to sharpen emails, clarify expectations and reduce unnecessary calls. Getting through to employees with strong messaging can boost productivity by saving time and reducing unwanted meetings, she says. Panté, director of UD's Lerner Career Services Center, says that good leadership writing should be direct and outcome-driven, with no fluff, and offered the following advice for improvement. ✅ Don’t bury the lead. Start with what decision needs to be made, what action is required, and the deadline. If your writing doesn’t reduce ambiguity, it’s going to add to it. Vague communication can create interpretation gaps which, in turn, can create more meetings. When ownership isn’t defined, decisions aren’t documented, or outcomes aren’t clear, teams default to “Let’s hop on a call.” Meetings then become the fallback for unclear thinking. ✅ Generative AI can be a powerful clarity tool if it’s used intentionally. When used well, it can sharpen your ask and structure communication for action. The key is prompting it to refine your message, not just polish it. Leaders can use prompts like: • “Rewrite this message so the action, owner, deadline, and success metrics are explicitly stated" • “What assumptions or ambiguities exist in this message?” ✅ Good writing can replace unnecessary meetings. If communication is not direct, outcome-driven, and structured for action, it will cost you time somewhere else. Here are some practical actions that leaders can make in their writing: • Start with the Ask - Be explicit about what decision or action is needed. Don’t make people search for it. • Define Outcomes - Clarify deliverables, timelines, budgets and state what success looks like. • Clarify Ownership - Identify who is responsible for the request. • Document Decisions - Write down what has been decided and reiterate next steps, owners, and deadlines. To connect with Panté directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested media can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Scientist’s cat, again, helps discover new virus

Pepper, the pet cat who made headlines last year for his role in the discovery of the first jeilongvirus found in the U.S., is at it again. This time, his hunting prowess contributed to the identification of a new strain of orthoreovirus. John Lednicky, Ph.D., Pepper’s owner and a University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions virologist, took Pepper’s catch — a dead Everglades short-tailed shrew — into the lab for testing as part of his ongoing work to understand transmission of the mule deerpox virus. Testing revealed the shrew had a previously unidentified strain of orthoreovirus. Viruses in this genus are known to infect humans, white-tailed deer, bats and other mammals. While orthoreoviruses’ effects on humans are not yet well understood, there have been rare reports of the virus being associated with cases of encephalitis, meningitis and gastroenteritis in children. “The bottom line is we need to pay attention to orthoreoviruses, and know how to rapidly detect them,” said Lednicky, a research professor in the PHHP Department of Environmental and Global Health and a member of UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute. The UF team published the complete genomic coding sequences for the virus they named “Gainesville shrew mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 strain UF-1” in the journal Microbiology Resource Announcements. “There are many different mammalian orthoreoviruses and not enough is known about this recently identified virus to be concerned,” said the paper’s lead author Emily DeRuyter, a UF Ph.D. candidate in One Health. “Mammalian orthoreoviruses were originally considered to be ‘orphan’ viruses, present in mammals including humans, but not associated with diseases. More recently, they have been implicated in respiratory, central nervous system and gastrointestinal diseases.” The Lednicky lab’s jeilongvirus and orthoreovirus discoveries come on the heels of the team publishing their discovery of two other novel viruses found in farmed white-tailed deer. Given the propensity of viruses to constantly evolve, paired with the team’s sophisticated lab techniques, finding new viruses isn’t entirely surprising, Lednicky said. “I’m not the first one to say this, but essentially, if you look, you’ll find, and that’s why we keep finding all these new viruses,” Lednicky said. Like influenza virus, two different types of orthoreovirus can infect a host cell, causing the viruses’ genes to mix and match, in essence, creating a brand new virus, Lednicky said. In 2019, Lednicky and colleagues isolated the first orthoreovirus found in a deer. That strain’s genes were nearly identical to an orthoreovirus found in farmed mink in China and a deathly ill lion in Japan. How in the world, the scientific community wondered, could the same hybrid virus appear in a farmed deer in Florida and two species of carnivores across the globe? Some experts speculated that components of the animals’ feed could have come from the same manufacturer. With so many unanswered questions about orthoreoviruses and their modes of transmission, prevalence in human and animal hosts and just how sick they could make us, more research is needed, DeRuyter and Lednicky said. Next steps would include serology and immunology studies to understand the threat Gainesville shrew mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 strain UF-1 may hold for humans, wildlife and pets. For readers concerned about Pepper’s health, rest assured. He has shown no signs of illness from his outdoor adventures and will likely continue to contribute to scientific discovery through specimen collection.    “This was an opportunistic study,” Lednicky said. “If you come across a dead animal, why not test it instead of just burying it? There is a lot of information that can be gained.”

Epidemiologist: Winter Olympics fortunate to dodge norovirus outbreak

Finland's Olympic women's hockey team overcame a norovirus scare last week, but they couldn't get past Team USA, who shut them out 5-0 Saturday in Milan. The University of Delaware's Jennifer Horney can discuss the difficult-to-contain virus, which also hit the Winter Games in 2018. - Horney, a professor of epidemiology at UD, said that the outbreak –  which forced Finland to cancel its first game after 13 players had either been infected or quarantined – is not surprising. Norovirus spreads rapidly in crowded environments through direct contact with surfaces or airborne droplets. - It is difficult to limit the spread of norovirus, as witnessed by the major outbreak that spread at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. - Consideration is often given for the potential of these types of outbreaks being intentional, which requires public health to work closely with law enforcement. To reach Horney directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested journalists can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

New Study Finds Most Patients Can Safely Continue Weight Loss and Diabetes Drugs Before Gynecologic Surgery

Most patients taking popular weight loss and diabetes medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy can safely continue them before gynecologic surgery, according to a new journal article from ChristianaCare published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. The review found that serious anesthesia risks linked to these drugs are uncommon for most patients and can usually be managed through individualized planning rather than stopping the medication. The paper is the first to take a focused look at glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, commonly called GLP-1 drugs, in gynecologic surgery. These medications were first approved to treat diabetes and are now widely used to support weight loss and metabolic health, which refers to how the body processes sugar and energy. “Our study shows that the evidence does not support routinely stopping these medications before surgery and that the actual risk is low for most patients,” said Michelle Pacis, M.D., MPH, senior author of the study and a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon at ChristianaCare. Why these medications raised concerns GLP-1 drugs work in part by slowing how quickly the stomach empties. This helps patients feel full longer, but it also raises concerns for surgery. Doctors worry that food remaining in the stomach could increase the risk of aspiration, when stomach contents enter the lungs during anesthesia. Because of this, early recommendations often advised stopping GLP-1 medications before surgery. The ChristianaCare review found that this approach was largely based on caution rather than strong evidence. The authors reviewed data from multiple studies, including large patient groups, that examined outcomes in people taking GLP-1 drugs during procedures. While some studies showed higher amounts of stomach contents, aspiration events were rare and occurred at rates similar to patients who were not taking the medications. New guidance reflects a change in thinking Recent national guidance from several medical societies now recommends a more tailored approach. Most patients can continue GLP-1 medications before surgery. For patients with higher risk factors, such as significant stomach symptoms or known delayed digestion, simple precautions can reduce risk. These precautions may include a clear liquid diet for 24 hours before surgery or closer monitoring during anesthesia. A clear liquid diet includes fluids like water, broth and clear juices. “This shift recognizes both the benefits of these medications and the importance of patient-specific decision making,” Pacis said. Why this matters for gynecologic surgery Many gynecologic surgeries require patients to be positioned in ways that can affect breathing and circulation. At the same time, many patients needing these procedures also have obesity or diabetes, which can increase surgical risk. GLP-1 medications can improve blood sugar control and support weight loss, helping patients enter surgery in better overall health and enhance recovery. Stopping these drugs without a clear reason may work against those benefits. Practical steps to support patient safety The study outlines several strategies care teams can use when patients remain on GLP-1 medications. These include thoughtful anesthesia planning, careful monitoring of heart and lung function, and, in select cases, the use of ultrasound to check stomach contents before surgery. “The goal is not to ignore risk, but to manage it wisely,” Pacis said. “For many patients, continuing these medications supports safer surgery and better recovery.” The authors note that more research is needed, particularly studies focused specifically on gynecologic surgery. Still, the findings offer clarity for patients and clinicians navigating a rapidly changing area of care. “This review helps bring evidence and balance to an issue that has caused a lot of confusion,” Pacis said. “It supports keeping patients on therapies that benefit their health whenever it is safe to do so.”