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5 Reasons Why Experts Should Drive Your Content Marketing Strategy
It’s a fact: buyers today don’t want to be prospected, demoed, or closed. Whether it’s a procurement officer on the other end of the phone, a prospect reviewing a product online, or a journalist assessing the credibility of a potential spokesperson, “buyers” today expect a more authentic, reliable and practical experience when getting to know an organization, product or service. That’s why understanding how your expertise fits into the buyer’s journey to attract attention, drive interactions and earn trust is becoming critical to success. For marketers today the purchase process has increased in complexity. Today, audiences advance through a process known as the buyer’s journey” – the research and decision-making process that customers go through which progresses from awareness to evaluation and ultimately purchase. The Shift to Expertise Marketing In the early days of marketing and sales, organizations practiced a features oriented “buy what I have” approach; however, these traditional product-oriented marketing approaches are failing to yield the benefits they once did. Audiences have become far more sophisticated. Research clearly shows that expert content is setting the bar for relevance, credibility and attractiveness for every stage of the buyer journey. Here’s 5 major trends you need to know plus some helpful tips to help you deal with this reality. #1 – Buyers Have Shifted into Self-Serve Mode When Researching Purchases Approximately 67% of the buyer’s journey is complete prior to contacting a vendor (Source: Sirius Decisions) The research continues to show that many buyers would sooner help themselves to content rather than speak to a salesperson, especially in the early stage of the buyer journey. Audiences are increasingly venturing online to doing more of their own research to validate the buying decision. And they are digging deeper into content and are looking to see the people you have on board to support their decision-making. Tip: Remember that people buy from people. Think about how you can create a more human user experience by giving your experts and their content more profile on your website to drive engagement and build trust. It’s time to go beyond simple headshots and biographies to develop a richer amount of supporting information that feeds your website and search engines. #2- The Buyer Journey is More Collaborative & Non-Linear Than Ever Its clear that the traditional linear sales funnel has disappeared. In B2B markets, buyers now engage with an average of 11.4 pieces of content prior to making a purchase (Source: Forrester Research). They are now more likely to bounce around in a variety of sites. Tip: Evaluate the touchpoints you provide with expert content across your websites and how they interact at various buyer stages, from initial search to content to the connection process. In the end are you making it easy for buyers to engage with the content your experts have to offer? #3 – Experts are a Top Source of Influence in Purchase Behavior Research by the Information Technology Sales and Marketing Association (ITSMA) has consistently ranked subject-matter experts as a top source of information influencing purchase behavior in B2B, higher consideration purchases. In this new model, buyers validate the purchase decision by seeking out reliable information from trusted sources. Decisions such as what lawyer to choose; what IT platform to invest in or where to study for graduate school can be very positively influenced by expert content. Tip: Ensure you have engaging expert content available online to support buyers across all stages of the buyer journey. Remember they may be looking for additional validation as well as education. #4 – The Buying Process is More Inclusive than Ever with Multiple Personas Playing a Part In addition to consulting industry peers on social media channels, buyers work with colleagues inside their organizations when making purchase decisions. Marketers and salespeople cannot be content with focusing on key decision makers. If you aren’t known company-wide this will present challenges. Tip: Marketers must reach the broader buying group in an organization, which means making larger amounts of expert content with messages targeted to specific personas. Weaving experts into the discussion and engaging more departments within a buyer’s organization will help wield influence on the final buying decision. #5 – Feeding the Search Engines The Right Content Matters More Than Ever According to a Google/Millward Brown study, 71% of business purchases begin with a non-branded search. These generic queries, are from people looking for product first, not for a specific brand or organization name. Huge improvements in organic search rank are possible once when your content is optimized to support the customer at all phases of the buyer journey. Expert content, in the form of articles, infographics, or videos, not only strengthens the trust relationship with your buyer, but also reinforces your value and expertise with search engines. you pay a little more attention to the information structure on your website and add assets such as multimedia content to expert profiles. Search engines continue to reward well developed expert content that has personal attribution with higher trust and authority rankings as it views this content as more relevant. Tip: Start with some tests using Google and Bing to assess how your experts are surfacing on key topics. Also do some searches on the names of your experts to see what position they surface at organically. Where possible add videos, photos, audio, books and social content that you can add to their profiles. Also ensure that the information is properly tagged to allow search engines to properly index this content. About ExpertFile ExpertFile is changing the way organizations tap into the power of their experts to drive valuable inquiries, accelerate revenue growth, and enhance their brand reputation. Used by leading corporate, higher education and healthcare clients worldwide, our award-winning platform helps teams structure, manage and promote their expert content while our search engine features experts on over 50,000+ topics. Learn more at: www.expertfile.com/getstarted.
Taking ACT-ion for Quality Improvement
“Learning is a journey. It is continuous,” said nurse Hellen Okoth, MSN, CCRN, RN-BC, of the Transitional Surgical Unit. She was one of the learners on that journey through ChristianaCare’s professional development program Achieving Competency Today (ACT). ACT, a 12-week graduate-level program dedicated to health care improvement, will celebrate its 40th session in 2025. Some 1,000 caregivers have graduated from ACT and have tested some 140 innovative project ideas since the program’s launch in 2003. On April 9, three ACT teams presented their quality improvement projects at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center on ChristianaCare’s Newark campus. Interdisciplinary, experiential learning programs like ACT create a rich and dynamic learning environment,” said Tabassum Salam, M.D., MBA, FACP, chief learning officer for ChristianaCare. “The emphasis on continuous improvement and real-world applications of the educational content sets our ACT graduates up for lifelong learning and repeated application of these new skills.” The ACT course is a collaborative experience that brings together learners from diverse disciplines to tackle real-world health care challenges. Participants learn from health system leaders and gain a broad perspective on health care through coursework. They work in teams to complete problem-solving projects from start to finish using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PCDA) model of continuous improvement. Facilitators, who are experts in improvement science and team effectiveness, guide the teams through the process, ensuring that each project is meticulously planned and executed. ChristianaCare offers many professional development opportunities. Click here for careers and benefits. “The hands-on projects in ACT enable learners to innovate and test out solutions in settings that directly benefit patients, leading to better outcomes and a higher quality of care,” Salam said. The three most recent teams presented improvement research that has the potential to expand beyond their pilot stage to other areas of the health system. ‘Hush! For the Love of Health’ In “Hush! For the Love of Health,” an interdisciplinary team worked to reduce noise levels on the Cardiovascular Critical Care Unit (CVCCC) at Christiana Hospital. Their goal was to decrease ambient noise levels by 10 decibels during the study period. Intensive care units often experience noise levels that can exceed 80 decibels. A quiet environment is 30 to 40 decibels. Members of the “Hush” project found creative ways to reduce noise on an intensive care unit. Ambient noise refers to all sounds present in the background, which research shows can interfere with communication, concentration and comfort. In a hospital setting, these sounds may include alarms, conversations, announcement and pages and carts moving by. The team looked for opportunities to safely reduce the number of alarms sounding. By collaborating with Philips technology company to lower alarm volumes and eliminate redundant alarms, they reduced the number of alarms sounding from 10,000 to 3,000 daily and successfully decreased noise levels by 13 decibels, exceeding their goal. “It’s good for patients to have a quiet environment and it fights alarm fatigue for caregivers,” said Dylan Norris, a pre-medical student from the University of Delaware and participant in the ACT course. ‘Show Up and Show Out’ Reducing the no-show rate among patients in primary care practices improves health outcomes and conserves resources. In “Show Up and Show Out: Boosting Patient Attendance in Primary Care,” the project team aimed to reduce the incidence of no-show appointments at the Wilmington Adult Medicine (WAM) practice by 10%. The “Show Up and Show Out” project team used personalized communication outreach to patients to encourage keeping their primary care appointments. “Our literature review showed that personal relationships with providers are one thing that can encourage people to attend appointments,” said team member Christi Karawan, MS, BSN, CCRN-CSC. The key to their problem-solving strategy was using a secure messaging platform for automatic appointment reminders specifically for WAM that were personalized with the provider’s name and thanking the patients for letting WAM be a part of their healthcare team. Other steps on the road to success were signage around the practice encouraging patients to update their contact information and calls from office assistants and medical assistants to unconfirmed patients the day prior to their appointments. The team achieved a 9.5% reduction in no-shows, just shy of their goal, over a two-week period. An office assistant who participated in the pilot said, “Outreach has been helpful not only in getting people in but in getting people to reschedule or cancel. We can catch it before it becomes a no-show.” ‘Magnetic Efficiency’ To address delays in patient transport from MRI testing at Newark campus, an ACT team created a new communication workflow to directly connect patient escort dispatch to the MRI charge technician. The ACT team aimed to decrease patient wait times following MRI completion for stretcher transport back to patients rooms by 25% — and “a bold goal,” said one colleague — during the study period. The “Magnetic Efficiency” team identified a new workflow to get patients back to their hospital rooms faster after MRI testing. Using Vocera wearable communications tools, the team created a thread for direct communication between Escort Dispatch caregivers and MRI charge technicians. Also, when an Escort transporter dropped off a patient for an MRI, the transporter asked MRI staff if any patients were ready to go back to their rooms. These changes in communication and empowerment consolidated transports and led to a 17% reduction in wait time during the two-week pilot. “We don’t want people to work harder,” said team member Tim Kane, BSN, RN. “We wanted to avoid preventable delays.” Both teams expressed satisfaction and improved communication with the new process and they expressed interest in continuing the process after the pilot ended. Future forward The ACT course has a rich history, originating from a specific initiative piloted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with ChristianaCare among the early adopters along with Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Through the years, ChristianaCare ACT team members have seen their projects live on both as permanent changes throughout the health system and, more personally, in their professional growth. “I was able to enhance my creativity, organizational and problem-solving skills,” said Starr Lumpkin, a staff assistant who was on the “Hush” team. “This was a pivotal journey for me.” ChristianaCare is growing its program to develop a pipeline for the next generation of health professionals, said Safety and Quality Education Specialist Claire Rudolph, MSM, CPHQ. “We have a varied group of learners and facilitators who are making an impact on health care quality, cost and safety.” Dylan Norris was the first participant from a new partnership with the University of Delaware for pre-med students to get quality improvement experience. “I have learned so much about what goes into a quality improvement project. Buy-in from the stakeholders is key in implementing any new project successfully,” she said. “I have also learned about the importance of the initial research that goes into creating a new project and how much pre-planning goes into it.” Closing the event, Clinical Effectiveness Officer Christian Coletti, M.D., MHCDS, FACEP, FACP, called on the ACT graduates to use their newfound “superpowers” — “vision, seeing the future, catching something before it breaks. “It’s not a glitch in the matrix,” he said. “You are the most important people at the bedside – hearing the alarms going off or the stretchers piling up. Work to identify problems and move toward solutions in your own microenvironments. Pass on your powers with reckless abandon.”
Are test-optional colleges being straight with students when they say the absence of SAT and ACT scores on an application won’t affect a student’s chances of being admitted? “Colleges are not trying to trick or trap applicants,” says Robert Alexander, who oversees the admissions process at the University of Rochester, where he is a vice provost and the dean of enrollment management. “No one is trying to fool anyone into thinking, ‘I don’t have to submit a test score,’ when that test score is secretly make-or-break.” Much more important in any academic assessment, Alexander says, is and always has been the four years of academic performance detailed in an applicant’s high school transcript. He says most colleges, including Rochester, take a deep dive into the transcript to not only consider the student’s grade point average, but also the rigor of the high school and its curriculum and why the student selected certain courses. “Some students are limited by the opportunities offered at their schools,” Alexander says. “In that case, colleges look for what they have done to utilize their resources and push beyond those limitations.” The University of Rochester has a test-optional policy. The average standardized test score of incoming students has been trending upward, in part because the students who are most likely to submit their scores on their applications are those with strong scores. Alexander says prospective students and their families can use the average test scores at the college or university they’re considering as a barometer, but not the arbiter of whether a student will gain acceptance. “I think admissions officers are being as transparent as possible in telling students what they require,” Alexander says. Alexander is an expert in undergraduate admissions and enrollment management who speaks on the subjects to national audiences and whose work has been published in national publications. Click his profile to reach him.
What's Your Retirement Plan B?
Chances are, you have seen the ups and downs in the financial markets, which can really cause seniors a lot of anxiety when looking at those portfolio statements. Add to that the ripple effects of the Canada-U.S. trade war, and it’s more essential than ever to have a Plan B. The Trade War Is Personal The Canada-U.S. trade tensions may appear to be a political issue, but their repercussions are directly impacting kitchen tables across the country. Inflation is increasing the cost of everyday essentials, while investments—on which many retirees depend for income—are suffering. For those who cannot easily re-enter the workforce, this situation is more than just inconvenient. It’s stressful. Withdrawing investments during a market dip can permanently reduce your savings. Meanwhile, rising prices on everything from apples to arthritis medication stretch fixed incomes thinner than ever. This isn’t just about budgeting anymore —it's about building a wise financial safety net. Plan B Matters More in Retirement You’ve worked hard to reach this point. Retirement should be about freedom, not fear. However, having a backup plan is essential since there are limited ways to generate new income. Think of Plan B as your financial airbag — something you hope you never need, but you're grateful it's there when life encounters a bump. And let’s be honest: even the most well-padded retirement can use a little backup when the economy’s doing somersaults. The Simple Economics of Cashflow Managing your finances boils down to a straightforward equation: money in versus money out. Think of it as balancing a seesaw—on one side, you have your income (cash in), and on the other, your expenses (cash out). For seniors, especially those on a fixed income, keeping this balance is crucial. Boosting Your Income Even in retirement, there are ways to add a little extra to your “money in” side. This could be through part-time work, turning a hobby into a small business, or renting out unused space in your home. Every additional dollar earned can provide more breathing room in your budget. Another option for many Canadians, is right under their feet—their homes. Home equity can be a powerful tool, giving them access to funds without selling or downsizing. Here are some practical options you may want to consider: Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC): If you qualify, a HELOC offers flexible access to funds and charges interest only on the amount you use. It’s perfect for short-term needs or emergency access. Remember, you’ll need to make monthly payments and provide proof of income to qualify. Manulife One is a creative and customizable solution that combines your mortgage, income, and savings into a single account. It allows you to borrow against your home with greater flexibility. Payments are required but can be made within the available limit. Qualifying is similar to a HELOC. Reverse Mortgage: For homeowners aged 55 and older, a reverse mortgage allows you to access your home equity without the need for monthly payments. The loan is repaid when you sell or move, providing you with freedom and cash flow while remaining in your home. These tools can help ensure you're not forced to withdraw from investments during market downturns, letting your money recover while you stay comfortable. Trimming Your Expenses On the flip side, reducing your “money out” can be equally, if not more, effective. Perhaps you have subscriptions you no longer use for streaming services or mobile phone plans. Or you find you are purchasing too many items at the store because you aren’t preparing a list. Or you are dining out multiple times a week. Remember, every dollar you don’t spend is a dollar saved. Let’s unpack this a bit more, looking at this from a tax perspective Understanding the After-Tax Advantage of Cost Reduction For seniors supplementing their income with part-time work, it’s crucial to recognize that reducing expenses can be more impactful than earning additional income, primarily due to the effects of taxation. For example, let’s consider part-time income at a marginal tax rate of 30%. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • To have an extra $100 in your pocket after taxes, you’d need to earn approximately $142.86 before taxes. This is because 30% of $142.86 is $42.86, leaving you with $100 after tax. • Conversely, if you reduce your expenses by $100, you effectively save the full amount. There’s no tax on money you don’t spend. Why This Matters: Every dollar saved is equivalent to more than a dollar earned when considering taxes. This means that focusing on cost-saving measures can be a more efficient strategy for improving your financial situation than seeking additional taxable income. 3 Major Strategies to Help You Cut Costs Budgeting: Prioritize identifying and eliminating unnecessary expenses. Regularly review subscriptions, dining habits, and utility plans to find areas where you can cut back. Smart Shopping: Utilize discounts, loyalty programs, and bulk purchasing options to reduce spending on essentials. Tax Planning: Be aware of how additional income might affect your tax bracket and eligibility for income-tested benefits. Sometimes, earning more can inadvertently reduce certain government benefits. Saving Smart – Some Tips to Get Started Your Plan B doesn’t have to focus solely on earning more income or borrowing. Sometimes, the best backup plan begins with cutting the extras. Think of it as being retro cool — just like you were before it became trendy. Tip #1: Rethink Dining Out - A Once-A-Week Treat, Not a Routine I love to dine out. It’s great to leave the cooking to someone else, especially after a busy day. But this is also one of the fastest ways to drain your budget. In Toronto, the average cost of a casual dinner for two with wine is around $90–$120. Opt for a more upscale spot? You’re likely looking at $150+ after tax and tip. Savings Tips • Cutting out one dinner per week could save approximately $400–$500/month or $5,000–$6,000/year. • Think about hosting a monthly dinner with friends at home where everyone brings a dish. You’ll still enjoy social time—but for a fraction of the cost. Or maybe try organizing a game night. Perhaps it’s euchre or cribbage, or maybe charades they all have something in common (they don’t require a monthly fee). Organize a potluck to bring people together. Twister might be off the table (unless your chiropractor is on standby), but laughter and connection are always in season. • Also think about how you can share resources. From ride-shares to splitting bulk grocery purchases with a neighbor, the old-school approach of sharing is making a comeback. It’s like carpooling, but with avocados and streaming passwords. Tip #2 Review Your Subscriptions - What are you Really Using? Have you already binge-watched all the episodes of your favourite shows, but you are still paying for streaming services you haven’t used in months? Then it’s time to cancel some subscriptions. According to the Convergence Consulting Group The average Canadian household now spends $70–$90/month on streaming and digital services (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Spotify, etc.). Many people are paying too much for mobile. According to the CRTC, the average Canadian pays $64/month for mobile service. Seniors who negotiate can often reduce this to $35–$45/month—a 30–40% savings. Savings Tips: • Audit Your Subscriptions: Write down every monthly and yearly subscription you have. Even cutting or optimizing 2 or 3 could save $30–$50/month. • Cancel subscriptions you don’t use often. You can always resubscribe later. Instead of paying for four platforms and using a few, consider rotating through them one at a time. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can catch up on your favorites. Many streaming platforms also offer free trials or cheaper, ad-supported versions. • Call Your Mobile Phone & Internet Carrier Once a Year. Most people don’t realize how much loyalty can cost them. New customers often get much better deals than long-standing ones. When you call, here are some questions to ask: “Am I on the best plan for my usage?” “Are there any promotions I qualify for?” “Can I get a loyalty discount?” “Do you offer special discounts for seniors?” Keep in mind there are also senior-specific mobile plans from carriers like Zoomer Wireless, Public Mobile, or SpeakOut. • Don’t be shy about taking your business elsewhere. Carriers don’t want to lose subscribers and have special offers designed to make you want to stay. You’d be surprised how quickly they "find" a discount. Savings Tip #3: Don’t Throw Out Those Flyers and Coupons With inflation pushing up grocery prices, shopping smart matters more than ever. According to Statistics Canada, the average Canadian household now spends $1,065/month on groceries. So, it may be time to pay attention to those grocery store flyers you used to throw out. While Canadian data on potential savings is limited, US studies show that flyers and couponing can reduce costs by 10–25% for groceries and other household items if used consistently. Savings Tips: • Use apps like Flipp or visit sites like Smart Canuks to find online flyers you may have missed. • Sign up for loyalty cards to access extra discounts. One of the most popular savings programs, PC Optimum, offers frequent discounts and helps you collect points at Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws. Also, remember to swipe loyalty cards at the pump; many gas retailers offer discounts that can add up. • Consider shopping at stores like Walmart, which have pricing-matching policies for identical items you find advertised elsewhere. Saving Tip #4: Cut the “Daily Habits” That Add Up Remember, it’s not just the big expenses—it’s the daily ones that sneak up on you. Let’s look at a few “seemingly small” indulgences as examples: • 3 Starbucks Grande Lattes ($6.45 + tax) x 3 days/week = $1,137/year • Take-Out Lunch (for $12 + Tax) x 3 days/week = $2,115/year That’s over $3,000/year in “small” daily purchases! Savings Tips: • Prepare Meals in Advance: Cooking larger portions and planning for leftovers can minimize the temptation of ordering takeout. Planning meals and shopping with a list can prevent impulse purchases and reduce food waste. • Embrace the Home Café Trend: Investing in a quality coffee maker and brewing your own coffee can add joy to your day but also reduce your costs. • Set a Food Budget: Establishing a clear budget for dining out and groceries helps you track expenses and make more mindful spending decisions. Try allocating specific amounts to avoid overspending. Saving Tip #5: Leverage Senior Discounts if you are 60+ From transit to museums to groceries and drugstores, there are dozens of businesses that offer 10–20% off for seniors—but they don’t always advertise it. Many stores also have a set day of the week for seniors' discounts. Consider this: A $50 weekly purchase with 20% off saves $10—over $500/year. Savings Tips: • Shoppers Drug Mart has a 20% Seniors Day on Thursdays (for those 65+) • Rexall offers a 20% discount on Tuesdays • Many major retailers (e.g., Canadian Tire, Sobeys) offer senior discounts that vary by location—ask at checkout. Cineplex has special pricing for seniors plus seasonal promos like $5 Tuesdays if you want to take the grandkids with you. Saving Tip #6: Mind Your Utilities and Insurance Reviewing these bills once a year can result in hundreds of dollars saved. Consider switching to time-of-use electricity plans, which are offered in most areas. Check to see when cheaper rates are offered during off-peak hours, and look at using appliances such as your clothes dryer on off-peak hours. You can also lower your insurance premiums by looking at options such as raising your deductible (if you’re comfortable with the risk). Also, look at rates offered by providers for “pay as you drive” insurance, especially if you aren’t using your car a lot. Also, if you are not bundling your home and auto insurance, you may be missing out on some savings. Saving Tip #7: Buy & Sell Online Many items we need can be found for a fraction of the cost used on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. And remember, buying a used item also saves on tax. Many retirees have extra furniture, tools, collectibles, or tech they don’t need. It's now easier than ever to declutter and turn these unused items into extra cash. It’s All About Small Changes and Big Rewards Recessions are hard on everyone, but especially on those living on fixed incomes. The good news is that there are plenty of smart, manageable ways to reduce expenses without giving up all the good things in life. By becoming a more conscious consumer and checking in on your spending habits once or twice a year, you can save thousands of dollars annually—money that can be redirected toward travel, gifts for grandkids, or, if nothing else, it just may calm your nerves. Another Tip: Don’t Wait — Timing Matters If this trade war continues, housing values may dip, which means the equity you can access could shrink. Getting your Plan B in place now ensures you lock in flexibility and peace of mind before things tighten up. Remember, it’s easier to get approved for a HELOC or reverse mortgage when you don’t urgently need it. It's better to set it up and keep it on standby than to wait until it’s too late. Talk It Out Stress develops in silence. Speak to family and friends about your concerns. They may not have all the answers, but they’ll provide emotional support — and possibly assist with paperwork or technical hurdles. If you have senior loved ones, check in and ask how they’re feeling about rising costs and uncertainty. These conversations go a long way and might even lead to better solutions. This trade war isn’t solely about economics. It involves peace of mind, dignity, and stability in retirement. While it may not be the type of Plan B that preoccupies the younger generation, it is equally important — perhaps even more so. So, take a breath. Make a plan. Get creative with your budget, and look at ways to save. Tap into your home equity if necessary, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. With the right Plan B, you can face the future with confidence — and perhaps even enjoy a little fun along the way. Here's a handy checklist to help you get started. Quick Wins Checklist ❏ Cancel one unused subscription ❏ Call your mobile carrier for a better deal ❏ Bring lunch instead of dining out 1x/week ❏ Use a coupon or flyer on your next grocery trip ❏ Look for a senior discount before you pay ❏ Brew your coffee at home 3 days this week ❏ Research potential discounts on your car insurance (bundling or pay-as-you-drive options) ❏ Use your clothes dryer or other appliances during off-peak hours to save on electricity Don’t Retire … Re-Wire! Sue
In new book, entomologist shows homeowners how to make changes in their yards
They asked, he answered. In his new book, "How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard," nationally known University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy addresses the most common questions he receives from homeowners looking to do their part to impact the food web, boost biodiversity and replace invasive plants with native ones. “Change is afoot!” Tallamy writes in the book, which was released today, April 8. “The cultural change from an adversarial relationship with nature to a collaborative one is starting to happen, and it gives me hope about the future of diversity and thus our own future.” Tallamy, TA Baker Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, wrote “How Can I Help” to tackle questions he’s received over email and during talks he has given around the U.S. “I get the same questions over and over again,” Tallamy said. “They fall into easily arranged categories: Questions about oaks, questions about ecology, questions about invasive plants. The book almost wrote itself in that sense.” Some of those common questions include: • Why should I care about the food web? • How should I choose the right native plants for my property? • What is the greatest threat to oaks? • How do we prioritize which invasive species to get rid of? • Are bug zappers hurting insect populations? • Is it better to have fewer plants of lots of species or more plants of fewer species? • Is it good to feed the birds? Tallamy is available for interviews to discuss "How Can I Help" or other relevant topics. To reach him directly, visit his profile and click on the "connect" button.
'Chemtrails' and other climate conspiracies: Florida Tech's expert sets the record straight
When Florida Today columnist Tim Walters wanted to 'clear the air' about a popular conspiracy theory, he connected with Michael Splitt, an assistant professor at Florida Institute of Technology's College of Aeronautics with a focus on meteorology. The "chemtrail" conspiracy follows the erroneous belief that condensation trails (contrails) that trail behind jets are actually being used on a large scale to manage radiation and combat global warming. In the column, Splitt argued against the conspiracy by explaining what might happen if that level of "climate engineering" was actually going on. I recently wrote a column about the “chemtrail” conspiracy theory, and to say it caused quite a stir would be a serious understatement. My motivation for writing the piece came because there is a bill being looked at by the Florida legislature to address concerns of people who think the skies are being seeded by commercial airplanes with poisonous, weather-manipulating substances. Some of those raising concerns claim there are vague amorphous operatives in the federal government leading this charge. I decided I’d try to find answers, and I did so by asking someone credible in the field of weather sciences. Answers from climate expert Can the climate be altered by humans? The idea of trying to manipulate weather is called “climate engineering.” There is a form of this called solar geoengineering. “We've been doing things like this for decades in terms of, for example, fog management products. People have used this kind of methodology of adding things to the air to help get rid of fog, like the ice fog problem in Salt Lake City. So, there are places where people try to manage a local cloud layer,” Splitt said. However, it’s not done to a scale that would impact the country or globe. That’s where conspiracy theorists take climate engineering a step too far. There are those who say commercial airliners are spraying other substances like aluminum and barium (and other metallic) nano particles to reflect the sun's heat to reduce global warming. Splitt said if this were real, it might have the opposite effect. “When you have more contrails, it actually ends up warming the planet. The cirrus clouds created by aircraft and their reflective power isn't as much as let's say, the warming impact from below, from infrared radiation, so they end up being warmer." March 20 - Florida Today In the full column, Splitt also takes on other common misconceptions such as, "Why do some contrails last longer than others?" And, "Are ‘chemtrails’ steering, strengthening storms?" It's a worthwhile read for those interested in meteorology or conspiracy theories. Are you curious or looking to know more about those chasing clouds? Michael Splitt is available to speak with media. Contact Adam Lowenstein, Director of Media Communications at Florida Institute of Technology, at adam@fit.edu to arrange an interview today.
Virtual reality training tool helps nurses learn patient-centered care
University of Delaware computer science students have developed a digital interface as a two-way system that can help nurse trainees build their communication skills and learn to provide patient-centered care across a variety of situations. This virtual reality training tool would enable users to rehearse their bedside manner with expectant mothers before ever encountering a pregnant patient in person. The digital platform was created by students in Assistant Professor Leila Barmaki’s Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, including senior Rana Tuncer, a computer science major, and sophomore Gael Lucero-Palacios. Lucero-Palacios said the training helps aspiring nurses practice more difficult and sensitive conversations they might have with patients. "Our tool is targeted to midwifery patients,” Lucero-Palacios said. “Learners can practice these conversations in a safe environment. It’s multilingual, too. We currently offer English or Turkish, and we’re working on a Spanish demo.” This type of judgement-free rehearsal environment has the potential to remove language barriers to care, with the ability to change the language capabilities of an avatar. For instance, the idea is that on one interface the “practitioner” could speak in one language, but it would be heard on the other interface in the patient’s native language. The patient avatar also can be customized to resemble different health stages and populations to provide learners a varied experience. Last December, Tuncer took the project on the road, piloting the virtual reality training program for faculty members in the Department of Midwifery at Ankara University in Ankara, Turkey. With technical support provided by Lucero-Palacios back in the United States, she was able to run a demo with the Ankara team, showcasing the UD-developed system’s interactive rehearsal environment’s capabilities. Last winter, University of Delaware senior Rana Tuncer (left), a computer science major, piloted the virtual reality training program for Neslihan Yilmaz Sezer (right), associate professor in the Department of Midwifery, Ankara University in Ankara, Turkey. Meanwhile, for Tuncer, Lucero-Palacios and the other students involved in the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, developing the VR training tool offered the opportunity to enhance their computer science, data science and artificial intelligence skills outside the classroom. “There were lots of interesting hurdles to overcome, like figuring out a lip-sync tool to match the words to the avatar’s mouth movements and figuring out server connections and how to get the languages to switch and translate properly,” Tuncer said. Lucero-Palacios was fascinated with developing text-to-speech capabilities and the ability to use technology to impact patient care. “If a nurse is well-equipped to answer difficult questions, then that helps the patient,” said Lucero-Palacios. The project is an ongoing research effort in the Barmaki lab that has involved many students. Significant developments occurred during the summer of 2024 when undergraduate researchers Tuncer and Lucero-Palacios contributed to the project through funding support from the National Science Foundation (NSF). However, work began before and continued well beyond that summer, involving many students over time. UD senior Gavin Caulfield provided foundational support to developing the program’s virtual environment and contributed to development of the text-to-speech/speech-to-text capabilities. CIS doctoral students Fahim Abrar and Behdokht Kiafar, along with Pinar Kullu, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab, used multimodal data collection and analytics to quantify the participant experience. “Interestingly, we found that participants showed more positive emotions in response to patient vulnerabilities and concerns,” said Kiafar. The work builds on previous research Barmaki, an assistant professor of computer and information sciences and resident faculty member in the Data Science Institute, completed with colleagues at New Jersey Institute of Technology and University of Central Florida in an NSF-funded project focused on empathy training for healthcare professionals using a virtual elderly patient. In the project, Barmaki employed machine learning tools to analyze a nursing trainee’s body language, gaze, verbal and nonverbal interactions to capture micro-expressions (facial expressions), and the presence or absence of empathy. “There is a huge gap in communication when it comes to caregivers working in geriatric care and maternal fetal medicine,” said Barmaki. “Both disciplines have high turnover and challenges with lack of caregiver attention to delicate situations.” UD senior Rana Tuncer (center) met with faculty members Neslihan Yilmaz Sezer (left) and Menekse Nazli Aker (right) of Ankara University in Ankara, Turkey, to educate them about the virtual reality training tool she and her student colleagues have developed to enhance patient-centered care skills for health care professionals. When these human-human interactions go wrong, for whatever reason, it can extend beyond a single patient visit. For instance, a pregnant woman who has a negative health care experience might decide not to continue routine pregnancy care. Beyond the project’s potential to improve health care professional field readiness, Barmaki was keen to note the benefits of real-world workforce development for her students. “Perceptions still exist that computer scientists work in isolation with their computers and rarely interact, but this is not true,” Barmaki said, pointing to the multi-faceted team members involved in this project. “Teamwork is very important. We have a nice culture in our lab where people feel comfortable asking their peers or more established students for help.” Barmaki also pointed to the potential application of these types of training environments, enabled by virtual reality, artificial intelligence and natural language processing, beyond health care. With the framework in place, she said, the idea could be adapted for other types of training involving human-human interaction, say in education, cybersecurity, even in emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI). Keeping people at the center of any design or application of this work is critical, particularly as uses for AI continue to expand. “As data scientists, we see things as spreadsheets and numbers in our work, but it’s important to remember that the data is coming from humans,” Barmaki said. While this project leverages computer vision and AI as a teaching tool for nursing assistants, Barmaki explained this type of system can also be used to train AI and to enable more responsible technologies down the road. She gave the example of using AI to study empathic interactions between humans and to recognize empathy. “This is the most important area where I’m trying to close the loop, in terms of responsible AI or more empathy-enabled AI,” Barmaki said. “There is a whole area of research exploring ways to make AI more natural, but we can’t work in a vacuum; we must consider the human interactions to design a good AI system.” Asked whether she has concerns about the future of artificial intelligence, Barmaki was positive. “I believe AI holds great promise for the future, and, right now, its benefits outweigh the risks,” she said.
Measuring how teachers' emotions can impact student learning
University of Delaware professor Leigh McLean has developed a new tool for measuring teachers’ emotional expressions and studying how these expressions affect their students’ attitudes toward learning. McLean uses this tool to gather new data showing emotional transmission between teachers and their students in fourth-grade classrooms. McLean and co-author Nathan Jones of Boston University share the results of their use of the tool in a new article in Contemporary Educational Psychology. They found that teachers displayed far more positive emotions than negative ones. But they also found that some teachers showed high levels of negative emotions. In these cases, teachers’ expressions of negative emotions were associated with reduced student enjoyment of learning and engagement. These findings add to a compelling body of research highlighting the importance of teachers’ and students’ emotional experiences within the context of teaching and learning. “Anyone who has been in a classroom knows that it is an inherently emotional environment, but we still don’t fully understand exactly how emotions, and especially the teachers’ emotions, work to either support or detract from students’ learning,” said McLean, who studies teachers’ emotions and well-being in the College of Education and Human Development’s School of Education (SOE) and Center Research in Education and Social Policy. “This new tool, and these findings, help us understand these processes more precisely and point to how we might provide emotion-centered classroom supports.” Measuring teacher and student emotions McLean and Jones collected survey data and video-recorded classroom observations from 65 fourth-grade teachers and 805 students in a Southwestern U.S. state. The surveys asked participants to report their emotions and emotion-related experiences — like feelings of enjoyment, worry or boredom — as well as their teaching and learning behaviors in mathematics and English language arts (ELA). Using the new observational tool they developed — the Teacher Affect Coding System — McLean and Jones also assessed teachers’ vocal tones, body posturing, body movements and facial expressions during classroom instruction and categorized outward displays of emotion as positive, negative or neutral. For example, higher-pitched or lilting vocal tones were categorized as positive, while noticeably harsh or sad vocal tones were categorized as negative. Overall, McLean and Jones found that teachers spent most of their instructional time displaying outward positive emotions. Interestingly though, they did not find any associations between these positive emotions and students’ content-related emotions or learning attitudes in ELA or math. “This lack of association might be because outward positivity is the relative ‘norm’ for elementary school teachers, and our data seem to support that,” McLean said. “That’s not to say that teachers’ positivity isn’t important, though. Decades of research has shown us that when teachers are warm, responsive and supportive, and when they foster positive relationships with their students, students do better in almost every way. It could be that positivity works best when done in tandem with other important teacher behaviors or routines, or it could be that it is more relevant for different student outcomes.” However, they did find that a small subset of teachers — about 10% — displayed notable amounts of negative emotions, with some showing negativity during as much as 80% of their instructional time. The students of these teachers reported reduced enjoyment and engagement in their ELA classes and reduced engagement in their math classes. “We think that these teachers are struggling with their real-time emotion regulation skills,” McLean said. “Any teacher, even a very positive one, will tell you that managing a classroom of students is challenging, and staying positive through the frustrating times takes a lot of emotional regulation. Emotion regulation is a particularly important skill for teachers because children inherently look to the social cues of adults in their immediate environment to gauge their level of safety and comfort. When a teacher is dysregulated, their students pick up on this in ways that can detract from learning.” Recommendations for supporting teacher well-being Given the findings of their study, McLean and Jones make several recommendations for teacher preparation and professional learning programs. As a first step, they recommend that teacher preparation and professional learning programs share information about how negative emotions and experiences are a normal part of the teaching experience. As McLean said, “It’s okay to be frustrated!” However, it is also important to be aware that repeated outward displays of negative emotion can impact students. McLean and Jones also suggest that these programs provide specific training to teachers on skills such as mindfulness and emotion regulation to help teachers manage negative emotions while they’re teaching. “Logically, these findings and recommendations make complete sense,” said Steve Amendum, professor and director of CEHD’s SOE, which offers a K-8 teacher education program. “After working with many, many teachers, I often see teachers' enthusiasm or dislike for a particular activity or content area transfer to their students.” McLean and Jones, however, emphasize that supporting teacher well-being can’t just be up to the teachers. Assistant principals, principals and other educational leaders should prioritize teacher wellness across the school and district. If teachers’ negative emotions in the classroom result in part from challenging working conditions or insufficient resources, educational leaders and policymakers should consider system-wide changes and supports to foster teacher well-being. To learn more about CEHD research in social and emotional development, visit its research page. To arrange an interview with McLean, connect with her directly by clicking on the contact button found on her ExpertFile profile page.
Myanmar’s earthquake crisis demands international humanitarian intervention - before it’s too late
We are at a crossroads. Will the international community intervene in Myanmar to save lives, or will it once again retreat into silence until it is too late? In the shadow of disaster, silence is complicity. The devastating earthquake that recently struck Myanmar, registering a magnitude of 7.7 and claiming over a thousand lives with the potential for fatalities to rise into the tens of thousands, is far more than a natural calamity - it is a preventable humanitarian catastrophe. The international community must confront a difficult question: How many more lives must be lost before the world steps in? As someone who has studied disaster governance for over two decades, I can say with a heavy heart that what we are witnessing in Myanmar is a textbook case of systemic failure - of national crisis management, of international humanitarian coordination and, most disturbingly, of disaster diplomacy. A Crisis Exacerbated by Inaction The situation on the ground is dire. Entire villages lie in ruins across Shan State and Mandalay. Liquefaction, caused by the shifting of tectonic plates, has turned many areas into unstable wetlands, with water seeping through the ground continuously. With countless bodies left unrecovered and proper sanitation systems overwhelmed, the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases looms large. In past disasters - be it Haiti in 2010, Nepal in 2015 or the Turkey-Syria earthquake of 2023 - we saw the tragic consequences of slow and politicised humanitarian responses. But Myanmar’s case is uniquely perilous. The country is not only facing a natural disaster but also the aftermath of years of civil conflict, military rule and geopolitical paralysis. The ruling junta’s statements and figures are unreliable at best and disinformation is hampering coordinated international support. When Aid Needs Armour The reality is that humanitarian intervention in Myanmar now requires more than blankets and bottled water - it needs boots on the ground. Given the multiplicity of armed rebel groups and the entrenched conflict dynamics, any aid convoy risks becoming a pawn in a larger power struggle. We need an international peacekeeping force, mandated strictly for humanitarian purposes, to ensure safe and unfettered access to affected populations. This must be a neutral, apolitical force, equipped to operate in a complex, high-risk environment - not to take sides, but to protect lives. Without such security guarantees, humanitarian agencies cannot function, and the crisis will evolve into famine, mass migration, and possibly regional instability across Southeast Asia. A Crisis of Leadership The United Nations, ASEAN, WHO and other key global institutions have yet again fallen short of timely action. The ineffectiveness of their response should prompt a critical reevaluation of their governance structures and crisis leadership models. The deeper issue is not just logistical - it’s moral. In the absence of strong, scientifically-informed and transparent leadership, international aid becomes another layer of dysfunction. We need a new generation of disaster governance professionals - leaders trained not only in logistics and law, but in negotiation, ethics and diplomacy. The Cost of Indifference Myanmar’s crisis will not remain confined within its borders. Already, we are seeing early signs of mass displacement towards India, Thailand and Bangladesh. If left unchecked, these flows will eventually extend to Europe, the UK and beyond, burdening an already overstretched global refugee system. The longer we delay, the greater the consequences - not just for Myanmar, but for the world. A Call for Science, Transparency and Regional Solidarity As academics and practitioners in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), we must hold ourselves to the highest standard of integrity. DRR in regions like South and Southeast Asia must be built on inclusive science, open data, regional collaboration and local knowledge. Taiwan and Singapore offer examples of how early warning systems and data transparency can save lives - why aren't we replicating these models more widely? If this disaster teaches us anything, it is that sovereignty cannot be used as a shield for inaction. A disaster of this magnitude transcends politics. It is a test of our global conscience.
How the Black Sea ceasefire could backfire for Ukraine
Washington is touting the proposed Black Sea ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, but there are signs that Russia could emerge from the deal with the upper hand. Hein Goemans, a political science professor at the University of Rochester whose research focuses on territorial disputes and what starts and ends wars, says the agreement “doesn’t really mean much.” “What matters is territorial divisions,” Goemans says. “I see this ceasefire deal as Russia trying to play the United States.” Goemans says the deal would be reasonable if the U.S. were willing to enforce it with sanctions if, or when, Russia reneges. “Ukraine should not believe this deal is in any way credible if the U.S. is not willing to commit to sanctions if Russia reneges, which it will,” Goemans says. He adds that the deal also favors Russia if other parts of it, like the repatriation of Ukrainian children, are not effected. “The chance that Russia would effectively help with the repatriation of Ukrainian abducted children is zero,” Goemans says. “It appears Russia has not compromised on any dimension.” Goemans recently shared similar thoughts with Newsweek, and is regularly tapped by news outlets around the world for his insights on the war in Ukraine and territorial disputes in hotspots across the globe. Reach Goemans by clicking on his profile.
