Expert Q&A

Gratitude and giving thanks has benefits for both the giver and the receiver. It makes both parties feel good, and provides a real-life human connection at a time when those are hard to come by. "Investing in doing is a better route to social connection than spending on having," says Amit Kumar of the University of Delaware. He has a number of ways to achieve happiness during the holidays. To contact Kumar directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the contact button. Interested reporters can also send an email to mediarelations@udel.edu.

AI note taking tools have become the new meeting assistant. They can summarize discussions as well as pull out key action items or decisions from the meeting. These tools can allow everyone to participate in the discussion as well as increase accuracy and accountability. Notes and next steps can be shared instantly for review and help ensure everyone is on the same page. It can eliminate confusion that often happens when people walk away with different interpretations of what was decided. Regular users of AI note taking tools tend to stand out to leaders because they show up better prepared, organized and detail oriented. Managers value people who take initiative and work smarter to drive projects and initiatives forward.AI note taking can be a huge time saver but it works best when used intentionally. Like any AI generated content, notes should be reviewed and edited for accuracy before sharing with others. Context and tone can get lost in automation so the AI notes should be used in conjunction with your own insight and knowledge of the meeting/discussion.

Intimate partner violence is a serious and widespread issue that affects millions of individuals every year. Angela Hattery, professor of women and gender studies at the University of Delaware and co-director of its Center for the Study & Prevention of Gender-Based Violence, can discuss the early signs of intimate partner violence. "When we think about the warning signs, especially for progressing to lethal violence, the absolute top early warning sign is strangulation,” Hattery recently noted to The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom focused on women and LGBTQ+ people.

People in recovery from opioid use disorder often struggle with decisions to tell others about their past substance use, treatment, and/or recovery. Although disclosures that go well can lead to social support that is helpful for recovery, disclosures that go poorly can lead to stigma that can harm recovery.

Jill Gugino Panté, director of the Lerner Career Services Center at the University of Delaware, says boredom at work could definitely be a sign that you are not interested in what you’re doing and/or the direction of the department/ company. She added the following:There is nothing more UN-motivating than not believing in what you’re doing and who you’re doing it for. This lack of motivation or shared sense of purpose could easily turn into boredom because employees will revert to doing the basic tasks expected of them. They will go through the motions of completing their work and avoiding contributing creative or innovative ideas. For employees who find themselves in this position, some self-reflection is in order. Do a likes and dislikes inventory of your job responsibilities, company, supervisor and co-workers. Turn that “likes” column into the blueprint of creating a new path for yourself.

According to Philip Gable, professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Delaware, there are emotional and psychological rewards to giving a gift to someone. It extends beyond mere material exchange, says Gable, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Delaware. The happiness derived from giving takes various forms, from a personal investment of time to a budget-conscious monetary contribution. It transcends mere obligation.

In a recent study funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, University of Delaware associate research professor Leigh McLean and her co-authors found a strong connection between teachers’ math and science anxiety and the respective math and science anxiety of their low socioeconomic status (SES) students. When a teacher was more anxious in these content areas, their low-SES students were also more anxious; and, when teachers were less anxious, so were their low-SES students.

The real concern will be the number of mutations on Pirola's spike protein and the recent approval of the boosters that target the current dominant variant, Omicron. We don’t know how effective that booster – which just became available after Sept. 12, 2023 – will be.