The University of Delaware is committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, research and service. From its roots as a private academy in 1743, the institution today is a research-intensive, technologically advanced university with global impact.

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UD's College of Earth, Ocean and Environment uses robotics currently operated by the National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF) to study the depths of the ocean. 

These expeditions ranged from the East Pacific Rise to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The vehicles include the Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin, the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Jason  and the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Sentry.

Robotics help solve Deep Sea Mysteries

One hundred years ago today, University of Delaware Professor Raymond Kirkbride led eight students to France for an academic year to promote cross-cultural understanding and peace. It was the first for-credit study-abroad program in the United States and became a model for global education around the world. A century later, UD continues to be a national leader and innovator in global education, with unique programs like World Scholars and a growing community of international students on campus.
Watch this video to learn more about how UD is celebrating and expanding Professor Kirkbride’s bold vision.

July 7, 1923: The Day UD Changed the World

Coastal cities of the future need creative climate change adaptation tools today. University of Delaware disaster researcher A.R. Siders believes managed retreat— the purposeful movement of people, buildings and other assets from areas vulnerable to hazards—can be a powerful tool for expanding the range of possible solutions to cope with rising sea levels, flooding and other climate change effects when used proactively or in combination with other measures. 

Read more: 
https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2021/june/managed-retreat-ar-siders-coastal-cities-future-climate-change

Managed retreat—a powerful tool for future climate change adaptation

The mission of the Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research is to support and advance research, education, and clinical training in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. We are interested in supporting researchers in conducting clinical and translational research to improve the timeliness and accuracy of the diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, person-centered clinical care, and quality of life for patients across the continuum from typical aging to dementia and families. We combine clinical, academic, and research experience in medicine, neuropsychology, physiology, and engineering from the University of Delaware and ChristianaCare Health System.

Learn more about DECCAR: https://sites.udel.edu/memory-research/

The Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research

University of Delaware students created a listening device for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to become composers of their favorite childhood songs. The students reached out to Autism Delaware and visited the Sensory Room at the Route 9 Library and Innovation Center to pilot the listening device, developed by UD researchers Daniel Stevens, a professor of music theory in the School of Music within the College of Arts and Sciences, Matthew Mauriello, assistant professor of computer and information sciences in the College of Engineering.

They applied for and were awarded $50,000 from the Maggie E. Neumann Health Sciences Research Fund to advance their research. The fund specifically targets interdisciplinary research and innovation that aims to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

For more information on the project, email asdmusic.ud@gmail.com

Children with autism become composers using listening device

What you plant in your backyard or community can have a significant impact on the ecosystem. In this video, University of Delaware researcher Doug Tallamy shares one simple action we can all take to better support birds and other wildlife. Tallamy, an expert on the science of plant-insect interactions, is the T.A. Baker Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UD. He is also a New York Times’ bestselling author of such works as Bringing Nature Home, Nature’s Best Hope and The Nature of Oaks.

Plan for the Planet: Doug Tallamy

Vita Nova is UD's student-operated fine-dining restaurant, offering an award-winning lunch buffet Monday through Friday and an elegant five-course meal. Vita Nova serves as a learning laboratory for students in the University of Delaware Lerner College of Business & Economics Department of Hospitality and Sport Business Management.

Each student gets a diverse educational experience by rotating through 17 different positions both in the dining room and in the kitchen. Students gain invaluable culinary, service and management experience in this learning lab.
https://lerner.udel.edu/centers/vita-nova-restaurant/

Uniquely UD: Vita Nova Restaurant

new-clues-about-how-earthquakes-work

New clues about how earthquakes work

Professor, Earth Science

Plate Tectonics

Rheology

Mantle Geochemistry

Peridotites

 University of Delaware researcher Jessica Warren helped uncover evidence that sections of fast-moving underwater faults may act like “brakes,” controlling the occurrence of big earthquake events on transform faults. Warren can discuss what the findings, released today in the journal Science, mean for earthquake science and future  modeling.

Situated along a stretch of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, between Indonesia and Central America, the Gofar transform fault is one of the fastest moving faults on Earth — cruising along the seafloor at about 140 millimeters per year. This is over four times faster than the San Andreas fault is moving in California.

“Geologically speaking, it's like looking at a moving Acela train next to a SEPTA train on the tracks,” said Warren, a professor of earth sciences at UD.

Researchers know that the Gofar transform fault line has experienced a magnitude 6 earthquake about every five to six years over the last three decades. It’s been studied extensively, as these earthquakes occur at the same places along the fault and at the same intensity, time after time.

What’s been unknown, until now, is why parts of this fault experience many small microshocks leading up to a main earthquake rupture, then shut down, while other parts of the fault are quiet before the big event and then experience many aftershocks.

Now, a multi-institutional team of researchers, including UD’s Warren, reports that sections of the fault without large magnitude earthquakes actually act like brakes in a fast-moving car, controlling the occurrence of big earthquake events on transform faults. This finding is in contrast with currently accepted models of earthquake behavior.

The team includes researchers from UD, Indiana University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, the U.S. Geological Survey, Boston College, Western Washington University, the University of New Hampshire and McGill University.

In the study, the researchers analyzed two zones along the Gofar transform fault they say have stopped about 15 magnitude 6 earthquakes over the past 30 years. The study findings will inform globally what’s known about how faults and earthquakes behave, at sea and on land. Warren's contributions include leading the initial field research at sea in 2019 on the R/V Atlantis and interpreting results throughout the project, with a focus on connecting the earthquake observations to how rocks in the fault fracture and distort during an earthquake. 

Why were you studying the Gofar transform fault, in particular? Warren: Geoscientists want to understand faults and earthquakes because they are obviously a big hazard on land. The rocks that make up the seafloor are simpler than those found on land, providing a more controlled space to study earthquakes, despite the challenges of doing research underwater.

If you want to understand how faults build up stress and then release it (and where), the Gofar transform fault is amazing, because it experiences earthquakes at reliable intervals of five to six years. This is a lot more regular than any other fault. In 2019, I led a research cruise on the R/V Atlantis that deployed 51 seismometers two miles down on the seafloor to detect these small events. We were able to compare the results of our measurements from 2019 to 2020 to an experiment conducted by my colleague Jeff McGuire on the same fault in 2008. The similarities in the two datasets brought us to the realization that fault sections without large magnitude earthquakes control the overall occurrence of big events on transform faults. When we had that observation in 2008, that might have been a one-off, but getting back this new data and seeing such similar behavior was a new insight into what's happening in the fault.

 How does that tell you about how earthquakes occur on land?  Warren: On land, people spend a lot of time looking at how rainwater and groundwater move in a fault system, and how that influences the behavior of the fault. In the oceans, we have an unlimited amount of water. Once the rock cracks, the water is going to get in there. Being able to look at how a fault changes through the earthquake cycle — which we've now measured most of on this one fault — can help us understand what is universal about how faults work, and how rock friction works. And one of the big players is water. That's why the rock samples that my lab works on matter. 

Fault structure is another thing that we've been trying to understand. We know from on land that some parts of a fault are linear, while other parts have lots of strands and maybe contain more fractures and that, if you start putting water in the picture, this can limit or change how water moves into the system. Now, we have these very high-resolution maps of the seafloor, where we can see, for the first time, where the fault itself is. One of the next things we want to understand is how fluid gets into the fault, and then how friction in a fault changes when water is there.

Why is this important? Warren: The next step is to translate the understanding that we've gained from this specific fault to understanding how faults behave in general. This is the longer path to really understanding earthquake hazards. It's not going to change our hazard models tomorrow, but hopefully it will in the decades to come.

To reach Warren directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu. 

ud-experts-break-down-the-2026-world-cup

UD experts break down the 2026 World Cup

Professor, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology

Chronic Ankle Instability

Repetitive Head Impacts

Recovery Assessment

Professor, Sport Management

Coaching

Sports as a Diplomatic Tool

International Sports Governance

U.S. Sports Model

Olympics

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Happiness

Consumer Behavior

Social Psychology

Behavioral Decision Making

Kindness

As the world gears up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, experts from the University of Delaware are available to provide timely insight on the science, business, and human impact behind the global tournament.

Player Safety, Concussions and the Future of the Game  Tom Kaminski, professor of kinesiology and applied physiology, is a leading authority on player safety and head injuries. As the sole U.S. representative on FIFA’s Heading Expert Group, Kaminski is helping shape international guidelines around heading in soccer—particularly for youth athletes. He can speak to concussion risks, prevention strategies, and how evolving safety standards are influencing the modern game.

Joining him is Tom Buckley, who also specializes in concussion research and athlete health, offering additional perspective on injury trends and recovery in elite competition.

The Business of the World Cup: Tourism and Global Impact  Matt Robinson from UD’s Lerner College of Business and Economics explores how mega-events like the World Cup drive tourism, economic growth, and global connection. Robinson can discuss how host cities benefit, the long-term economic ripple effects, and how sports act as a powerful unifier across cultures.

Youth, Development and the Next Generation of Fans  Sara Goldstein brings expertise in adolescent development, offering insight into how traditions with family  shape youth identity, social development, and engagement with physical activity. Her perspective is especially relevant for younger audiences experiencing the World Cup through schools and community programs, including UD’s Lab School initiatives.

Inside the Game: Sports Analytics in Action  With the rise of data-driven performance, UD’s new Sports Performance Analytics major is preparing students to analyze gameplay at the highest level.

Martin Heintzelman, department chair, can connect media with program leaders and practitioners including Jack Davis and Christina Rasnake, who are helping students apply real-time analytics to global competitions like the World Cup.

The Science Beneath the Game: Playing Surfaces  World Cup matches are required to be played on natural grass—a costly and complex requirement, especially for indoor stadiums. Erik Ervin can discuss how turfgrass systems have evolved, the science behind maintaining elite playing surfaces, and the massive investment required to meet international standards.

Why Watching Together Matters  Amit Kumar studies the psychology of happiness and shared experiences. He can speak to why gathering to watch World Cup matches—whether in stadiums, bars, or living rooms—boosts well-being and strengthens social bonds, making the tournament as meaningful off the field as it is on it.

Connect with UD experts to explore every angle of the 2026 World Cup – from the pitch to the people. Email mediarelations@udel.edu to connect with these experts. 


survey-says-senior-leaders-are-using-ai-but-they-could-use-more-direction

Survey says: Senior leaders are using AI, but they could use more direction

Associate Professor, Management

Organizational Behavior

Team Charters

Leadership

Muliteaming

Team Resilience

 Over the years, study upon study has shown that senior leaders are slower to adapt to new technology – email, the Internet and social media – than younger employees. That’s not necessarily so with AI, according to the University of Delaware’s Saleem Mistry. Mistry, associate professor of management at UD's Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics, recently conducted a survey of more than 200 university alumni, 75% of which had more than 16 years of professional experience. He found that senior leaders are actively adopting AI to solve their biggest challenges. However, they are doing so largely without structured support or guidance. 

Here are four findings from Mistry's survey that shows how AI is actually being used at the top.

Senior Leaders Are Overwhelmingly Self-Taught Mistry said his most glaring finding is the gap between high AI adoption among senior leaders and the near-total absence of formal corporate support. Although a majority use these tools, they are almost entirely self-taught, which highlights visible opportunity that organizations aren’t really steering the AI conversation for leaders:

• High usage. 62% of all senior leaders surveyed use AI tools "regularly" or "occasionally" in their work.

• Training gap. Of those users, an overwhelming 80% report their organization provides "Never" or only "Sometimes" (mostly never) adequate training.

Mistry said this shows that leaders from VP level down are using tools like ChatGPT and Copilot informally to keep up with heavy workloads, without any real organizational guidance. The stakes are high. In the survey, a vice president of legal was using AI for compliance tasks and a manager of three was using it for performance reviews, both with no formal training. “These are senior leaders handling sensitive work while essentially figuring it out on their own,” Mistry said.

There is a clear ladder of AI use Leaders are not using AI randomly. There is a clear progression in how they use it, moving through three levels.

• Tier 1 (The Drafters) This is the most common starting point. Leaders use AI to improve writing and communication. They draft emails, shape documents, and refine tone. As one Director of Product put it, it helps him "polish phrasing" and adjust tone and voice.

• Tier 2 (The Synthesizers) At this stage, leaders use AI to manage information overload. They summarize meetings, condense documents, and pull together research so they can keep up with large volumes of input. As one leader managing a team of 200 said, "Being a leader requires attention in a variety of areas. AI helps me manage the vast amounts of information I need to consume."

• Tier 3 (The Architects) Here, leaders move beyond writing and summarizing. They use AI to automate parts of their work. This includes building agents, creating custom GPTs, or designing tools that track work and performance. One leader managing 300 people said, "It will eliminate half or more of my overhead."

Managers and individual contributors use AI for different reasons People managers and individual contributors (IC) are using AI for very different reasons based on their roles.

• For people managers, their main challenge is scale. They are overloaded with communication and administration, so they use AI to reduce noise and keep up. They lean heavily on summarization and tone adjustment tools.

• For project leads and ICs, their focus is output. They use AI to produce work faster, including drafting content, building decks, writing code, or generating ideas. This difference reflects their jobs. One group is trying to keep up, the other is trying to produce more. It also shows that AI is not a single-use tool. Its value depends on the problem it is being used to solve.

This difference reflects their jobs. One group is trying to keep up, the other is trying to produce more. It also shows that AI is not a single-use tool. Its value depends on the problem it is being used to solve.

Resistance to AI is mostly intentional Among the 38 percent of leaders who do not use AI, resistance is usually not based on lack of awareness. It falls into three groups:

• The Ethical Objectors. Some avoid AI due to concerns about its broader impact.
• The Quality Skeptics. Some do not trust the output and feel it is not reliable enough for important work.
• The Blocked. Some are not allowed to use AI due to company policy.

Mistry concludes that there is a clear overall pattern: Leaders are using AI in practical ways, but mostly without structured support or guidance.

“If it feels like you are figuring this out as you go without much help from your organization, that is consistent with what most leaders are experiencing,” Mistry said.

To connect directly with Mistry and arrange an interview, visit his profile page and click on the "connect" button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu. 

gritty-like-his-city-how-the-philadelphia-flyers-mascot-went-from-punchline-to-sensation

Gritty like his city: How the Philadelphia Flyers' mascot went from punchline to sensation

 How did Gritty, the fluffy, orange, menacing whatchamacallit that backs the Philadelphia Flyers, go from a punchline when he was rolled out in 2018 to one of sports' most well-known and beloved mascots? The University of Delaware's Matt Robinson took a shot, and scored, with some answers.

Robinson, a professor of sport management at UD's Lerner College of Business & Economics, said Gritty embodies the tough attitude that Philadelphia is known for. Also, some of his bizarre features and personality traits go straight to the heart of the demeanor and history of the Flyers, who are currently battling their way through the NHL playoffs. Those are among the ingredients that go into marketing and launching a successful mascot. 

Robinson can discuss the following: • Why some mascots take off and others flop. After his launch, Gritty was ridiculed as a concept on late night TV and "Saturday Night Live." But he was still garnering billions of views on social media and millions in earned media for the franchise.  The Flyers kept pushing the concept despite its early unpopularity, which led to his eventual success. "Any public relations is good public relations," Robinson said.

• Mascots need to be authentic. Gritty embodies the team he represents and the city that team plays in. Robinson noted Philadelphia's "grit" and love of players who play hard, like the Broad Street Bullies – the nasty group of Flyers' players who led the team to two Stanley Cup wins in the 1970s. 

• The best mascots transcend sports. Robinson pointed to the film and character "Rocky," whose statue sits in the front of the city's Art Museum, as well as the city's reputation as one with a bit of an edge. "We're the ones who threw snowballs at Santa Claus," Robinson said, referring to the infamous 1968 incident when Philadelphia Eagles fans pelted Kris Kringle from the stands.

• Players and coaches come and go, but the mascot stays the same. Mascots can be part of ticket sales and community engagement in the offseason, when players may not be in the city or moving to another via free agency.

  • Mascots offer an attachment point for fans that is not sport related. Kids respond to  mascots and, from there, connection with the team, players and the sport can grow.    

 
To contact Robinson directly for an interview, visit his profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu. 

hantavirus-cruise-ship-outbreak-epidemiologist-discusses-causes-and-challenges

Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak: Epidemiologist discusses causes and challenges

Professor and Director, Epidemiology

Epidemiology

epidemic

COVID-19

Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response

Rapid Assessment

Applied Epidemiology

Outbreak Investigations

Disaster Epidemiology

Coronavirus

Pandemic

 A deadly outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship currently stuck off Cape Verde, Africa, has put the virus on the national radar for the first time since 1993. University of Delaware epidemiologist Jennifer Horney can talk about the potential for a larger outbreak and the challenges associated with responding to the emergency.

There have been nearly 1,000 cases of hantavirus in the U.S. since surveillance began in 1993. That year, an outbreak of the severe respiratory disease in the four corners area of the U.S. Southwest was linked to domestic exposure to rodents, Horney said.

Horney can discuss the following points in reference to the Dutch vessel M/V Hondius, which has seen three people die since departing from Argentina on April 1.

• The response to this global public health emergency will be challenging given the cuts to U.S. public health and extensive leadership turnover at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 
• Climate change and global transit likely contributed to the new cases, as rodent populations thrive during certain weather conditions.

 
• When humans inhale rodent feces, urine or saliva, often when dust is aerosolized through cleaning, they can become infected. While symptoms may develop up to two months after exposure, the disease has a mortality rate of up to 50%.

To reach Horney 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. 

how-the-class-of-2026-can-keep-resumes-out-of-the-digital-black-hole

How the Class of 2026 can keep resumes out of the digital black hole

Director, Lerner College Career Services Center

Job Search

Linkedin

Recruitment

Hiring

Resume

Salary Negotiation

Mentoring

 Students set to graduate this May are entering a job market where the rules of engagement are being rewritten in real-time. AI is both friend and foe, and ghosting has become the norm. University of Delaware career expert Jill Panté shares how college students can navigate these challenges in a rapidly shifting economy.

Panté, director of the Lerner Career Services Center at UD, can apply her expertise to the following:

The AI recruitment gap  • How to prevent resumes from falling into the "digital black hole" of automated tracking systems.
• Current recruitment in 2026 is heavily filtered by AI. If resumes don't mirror the language of the job description, a human might never even see it. 
• In 2026, AI is the gatekeeper. Students who aren’t using AI for assistance are working twice as hard for half the results. However, the goal is to use it as a co-pilot, not an autopilot.

Beat the bots (tailor your content) • Use tools like Resume Worded or Generative AI like Microsoft Co-Pilot or Gemini to see how resumes stack up against specific job postings.
• It is better to send five highly tailored, thoughtful applications than 50 generic ones that get auto-rejected by an algorithm.
• Use AI to run a mock interview based on the job description and company.

The "hidden” job market • If a "job search" consists solely of clicking "Easy Apply" on LinkedIn for six hours a day, it’s not searching; it’s just doom-scrolling with a resume. Roughly 80% of your time should be spent talking to humans. The other 20% should be spent on applications and research.
• Find the recruiter or a department head on LinkedIn. Send a brief (2-3 sentence) note reiterating your interest.
• Leverage alumni networks through LinkedIn.

Narrative branding • Especially for Gen Z: Hiring managers don't just want to know what you did; they want to know the impact you made.
• Instead of saying "Responsible for social media,” say "Increased engagement by 40% over 3 months by implementing a new video strategy."
• Always lead with results (LinkedIn, resume, Interviews) to showcase the value you bring.

Workforce anxiety  • Managing the mental toll of the modern, high-speed job search and the professional "ghosting" epidemic.
• Establish a personal "Board of Directors" to provide a balance of support, accountability and feedback.
• Maintain momentum by volunteering, attending local networking events and learning new skills on platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Coursera.

To reach Jill Panté directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the “contact” button.



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