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LSU astrophysicist weighs in on potential release of UFO records

Dr. Eric Burns is a leading researcher in high-energy astrophysics, he studies neutron star mergers and gamma-ray bursts and helped lead the first multimessenger discovery of a binary neutron star merger. "Given the vast size of the universe, most scientists think life beyond Earth likely exists, and we are actively searching for it. However, there is no credible evidence that extraterrestrials have visited Earth or made contact with humanity. Previous government reviews of UFO reports have not produced convincing proof of alien technology. Astronomers are terrible at keeping secrets — if even one of us had solid evidence of aliens, the entire world would know by lunchtime. I strongly support transparency and look forward to the release of additional information, but extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

Delaware Statewide Collaboration Expands Physician Pipeline with First‑of‑Its‑Kind Clinical Campus — Expert Commentary Available

Delaware is taking a major step to strengthen its health care workforce. ChristianaCare, Bayhealth and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) have announced the Delaware Collaborative Clinical Campus, a first‑in‑the‑region initiative that will expand medical student training opportunities, increase residency placements and build a more sustainable pipeline of physicians committed to caring for Delawareans. This collaboration positions Delaware to attract, train and retain the clinicians our communities depend on — ensuring a stronger, more resilient health care workforce. Brian Levine, M.D., chief academic officer and designated institutional official for ChristianaCare is available for interviews to discuss: What the new clinical campus means for Delaware’s health care future How this collaboration strengthens the physician pipeline The impact on training, recruitment and long‑term retention of physicians in the state

Avian Flu: LSU Expert Available

LSU expert Dr. Rebecca Christofferson is available to speak with media about the first avian flu outbreaks of the season, including what’s driving the spread, potential risks to the public and what people should know as cases emerge across the country.

Discovery pinpoints potential Achilles’ Heel in HIV, opening new frontier in drug development

Scientists have long known that detecting HIV early is crucial in slowing and treating the virus. During the acute stage of infection, a single human cell can produce as many as 10,000 new HIV particles. A discovery led by the University of Delaware's Juan Perilla offers hope: A new drug target early in the virus's life cycle that could save millions of lives. In the surprising discovery, published Feb. 18 in Nature, Perilla and collaborators in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, have revealed a previously unknown role for the viral protein integrase. Scientists already knew that integrase helps HIV insert itself into human DNA. But this new study provides the first direct evidence that integrase plays a critical structural role earlier on in HIV’s life cycle — when the virus matures into an infectious force. Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), the research team – which also included UD doctoral student Juan S. Rey – found that integrase proteins form gluey filaments that line the inside of the capsid. Each segment of the filament slots neatly into the capsid’s hexagon-shaped tiles, while gripping tightly to HIV’s RNA genome. This zipper-like arrangement organizes and packs the virus, preparing it to hijack a cell and start making copies of itself. “Integrase plays a structural role inside the HIV capsid — nobody expected that,” Perilla said. “This protein forms filaments that anchor the RNA to the capsid. Without these filaments, the virus is non-infective.” Seeing inside HIV is no small feat. The capsid is only about 120 nanometers wide —roughly 1/800th the thickness of a human hair. It is incredibly small, fragile, densely packed and constantly changing, Perilla said. To reveal its hidden architecture, the researchers relied on deep collaboration and a combination of sophisticated microscopy, molecular modeling and experimentation. Read more about the science behind the study here. “The thing with HIV is that people are chronically living with it,” Perilla said. “Treatments are effective, but patients always need new therapeutics. We want to help develop the next generation of inhibitors and hope to have a significant contribution.” To reach Perilla directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile page. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.

School District Faces an Impossible Choice in Fight Over Mascot Name

Education Professor Alan Singer was interviewed by Newsday about the Connetquot School District on Long Island being threatened with funding cuts if it does not reinstate its old mascot name, the Thunderbirds. The name change to T-Birds was made in 2022 to comply with the state’s ban on Native American mascots and other imagery in public schools.

Rethinking AI in the classroom: A literacy-first approach to generative technology

As schools nationwide navigate the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence, educators are searching for guidance that goes beyond fear, hype or quick fixes. Rachel Karchmer-Klein, associate professor of literacy education at the University of Delaware, is helping lead that conversation. Her latest book, Putting AI to Work in Disciplinary Literacy: Shifting Mindsets and Guiding Classroom Instruction, offers research-based strategies for integrating AI into secondary classrooms without sacrificing critical thinking or deep learning. Here is how she is approaching the complex topic.  Q: Your new book focuses on AI in disciplinary literacy. What is the central message? Karchmer-Klein: Rather than positioning AI as a shortcut or replacement for student thinking, the book emphasizes a literacy-first approach that helps students critically evaluate, interrogate, and apply AI-generated information. This is important because schools and universities are grappling with rapid AI adoption, often without clear guidance grounded in learning theory, literacy research, or classroom practice. Q: What inspired this research? Karchmer-Klein: The book grew directly out of my work with preservice teachers, practicing educators, and school leaders who were asking practical but complex questions about AI: How do we use it responsibly? How do we prevent over-reliance? How do we teach students to question what AI produces? I also saw a gap between public conversations about AI which often focused on fear or efficiency and what teachers actually need: research-informed strategies that support deep learning. My long-standing research in digital literacies provided a natural foundation for addressing these questions. Q: What are some of the key findings from your work? Karchmer-Klein: AI is most effective when it is embedded within strong instructional design and disciplinary literacy practices, not treated as a stand-alone tool. The research and classroom examples illustrate that AI can support student learning when it is used to prompt reasoning, reveal misconceptions, provide feedback for revision, and encourage multiple perspectives. Another important development is the emphasis on teaching students to evaluate AI outputs critically by recognizing bias, inaccuracies, and limitations, rather than assuming correctness. Q: How could this work impact schools, teacher education programs and the broader public? Karchmer-Klein: For educators, this work provides concrete, evidence-based literacy strategies coupled with AI in ways that strengthen, not dilute, student thinking. For teacher education programs and school districts, it offers a research-based framework for professional development and policy conversations around AI use. More broadly, the work speaks to a public concern about how emerging technologies are shaping learning, helping to reframe AI as something that requires human judgment, ethical consideration, and strong literacy skills to use well. ABOUT RACHEL KARCHMER-KLEIN Rachel Karchmer-Klein is an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware where she teaches courses in literacy and educational technology at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. She is a former elementary classroom teacher and reading specialist. Her research investigates relationships among literacy skills, digital tools, and teacher preparation, with particular emphasis on technology-infused instructional design. To speak with Karchmer-Klein further about AI in literacy education, critical evaluation of AI-generated content and teacher preparation in the era of generative AI, reach out to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Young magmas on the moon came from much shallower depths than previously thought, new study finds

New research on the rocks collected by China's Chang'e 5 mission is rewriting our understanding of how the moon cooled. Stephen Elardo, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Geological Sciences with the University of Florida, has found that lava on the near side of the moon likely came from a much shallower depth than previously thought, contradicting previous theories on how the moon produced lavas through time. These samples of basalt, an igneous rock made up of rapidly cooled lava, were collected from the near side of the moon by the Chang’e 5 mission and are the youngest samples collected on any lunar mission, making them an invaluable resource for those studying the geological history of the moon. In order to get an estimate of how deep within the moon the Chang’e 5 lava came from, the team conducted high-pressure and high-temperature experiments on a synthetic lava with an identical composition. Previous work from Chinese scientists has determined that the lava erupted about 2 billion years ago and remote sensing from orbit has showed it erupted in an area with very high abundances of potassium, thorium and uranium on the surface, all of which are radioactive and produce heat. Scientists believe that, in large amounts, these elements generate enough heat to keep the moon hot near the surface, slowing the cooling process over time. “Using our experimental results and thermal evolution calculations, we put together a simple model showing that an enrichment in radioactive elements would have kept the Moon's upper mantle hundreds of degrees hotter than it would have been otherwise, even at 2 billion years ago,” explained Elardo. These findings contradict the previous theory that the temperature of the moon’s outer portions was too low to support melting of the shallow interior by that time and may challenge the hypothesis about how the moon cooled. Prior to this study, the generally-accepted theory was that the moon cooled from the top down. It was presumed that the mantle closer to the surface cooled first as the surface of the moon gradually lost heat to space, and that younger lavas like the one collected by Chang’e 5 must have come from the deep mantle where the moon would still be hot. This theory was backed by data from seismometers placed during the Apollo moon landings, but these findings suggest that there were still pockets of shallow mantle hot enough to partially melt even late into the moon’s cooling process. “Lunar magmatism, which is the record of volcanic activity on the moon, gives us a direct window into the composition of the Moon's mantle, which is where magmas ultimately come from,” said Elardo. “We don't have any direct samples of the Moon's mantle like we do for Earth, so our window into the composition of the mantle comes indirectly from its lavas.” Establishing a detailed timeline of the moon’s evolution represents a critical step towards understanding how other celestial bodies form and grow. Processes like cooling and geological layer formation are key steps in the “life cycles” of other moons and small planets. As our closest neighbor in the solar system, the moon offers us our best chance of learning about these processes. “My hope is that this study will lead to more work in lunar geodynamics, which is a field that uses complex computer simulations to model how planetary interiors move, flow, and cool through time,” said Elardo. “This is an area, at least for the moon, where there's a lot of uncertainty, and my hope is that this study helps to give that community another important data point for future models.”

Need a tourism expert? Connect with Florida Atlantic today

Tourism is a cornerstone of both Florida’s and America’s economy. In Florida alone, visitor spending exceeds $100 billion annually and supports roughly one in every ten jobs statewide, making it one of the state’s largest industries. The ripple effect extends far beyond hotels and attractions, fueling restaurants, retail, transportation, construction, real estate, and public tax revenues that help fund infrastructure and services. Nationally, tourism contributes hundreds of billions to U.S. GDP each year and serves as a key indicator of consumer confidence and economic momentum. When travel demand rises or falls, it signals broader shifts in spending behavior, business investment, and workforce stability , which is why tourism remains a critical economic beat for journalists. Peter Ricci is Clinical Associate Professor & Director, Hospitality Management Programs at Florida Atlantic University. He is a hospitality industry veteran with over 20 years of managerial experience in segments including: food service, lodging, incentive travel, and destination marketing and is considered an expert in food service, lodging, incentive travel, and destination marketing. View his profile Peter offers research-based insight into visitor trends, workforce dynamics, and destination strategy. His expertise helps media connect travel patterns to economic impact, providing clear analysis of how tourism shapes Florida’s economy and influences broader industry trends across the United States. Recent media coverage: South Florida Sun Sentinel Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, cited the openings of the 801-room Omni Hotel next to the county convention center in Fort Lauderdale, the revamped Pier Sixty-Six Resort nearby and a variety of high-profile events as reasons for promising visitor traffic this year. “South Florida should expect to have a relatively strong 2026 with major events in the area [PGA Tournament, Formula 1, et al] and the Southern White House of Mar-a-Lago enhancing higher average daily rates in The Palm Beaches,” he said by email. “Broward is perfectly positioned to capture demand both to its south and north and I expect that hotels and restaurants will have a good year ahead,” he added. Newsweek "The tariffs, staffing shortage, perception of it being difficult to emigrate to the USA, and any possible anti-USA sentiment all go into the 'ingredients of the soup' as I call it," Peter Ricci, Director of Florida Atlantic University's Hospitality and Tourism program, told Newsweek. South Florida Sun Sentinel This is actually a complicated process behind the scenes, said Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. “Restaurant profit margins are slim, so training and development are often not a part of the process,” he said. “Also, one must recognize that restaurant front-of-house roles are somewhat high-turnover compared to other industries. With higher turnover, there is less likelihood for development of training, knowledge of all the systems (which can lead to dissatisfaction among guests), and a ‘new face’ every time regular guests return to the venue.” The Daytona Beach News-Journal When asked if Florida is experiencing a "restaurant apocalypse," Ricci said, "I don't see that as the case. I don't see it like a disaster, but I have seen more (restaurant) closures the past six months. The reasons include operating costs that are higher than ever in an industry with low (profit) margins to begin with." "Closures are being driven by rising rent, rising costs of labor, rising costs of goods (food, glassware, supplies, cleaning services, deep cleaning surcharges, et al.), and changing consumer habits." Orlando Sentinel Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and management program at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, said he has not heard of hoteliers suddenly losing foreign nationals from their staff. But it’s the confusion that is perplexing many. “I hear frustration and confusion of what changes will occur on a regular basis for owners, operators and managers,” Ricci said. “It’s more of the unknown that’s disconcerting than, ‘I’m now worried about losing workers in my hotel or restaurant.’”