Featured Post from University of Delaware

Experts share practical guidance for a healthier, happier holiday season

UD professors offer guidance on emotional health, meaningful joy and avoiding common seasonal pitfalls.

Nov 20, 2025

2 min

Amit Kumar

The holiday season is a time of tradition, connection and celebration – but it also brings its own set of challenges, from food safety concerns to emotional stress. University of Delaware experts are available to speak with reporters and provide practical, research-backed guidance to help audiences make the most of the season.


Avoid common food safety mistakes


Holiday meals are a centerpiece of celebration, but preparing them safely is essential. Diane Oliver, UD Health and Well-being Extension agent, has identified the top five mistakes people make when handling and preparing turkey – and how to avoid them. She can offer timely food safety tips to ensure families enjoy their meals without risk.


Protect your mental well-being


The holidays can stir up complex emotions as families come together. UD psychology professors Franssy Zablah and Zachary Meehan can provide expert insight into how to maintain mental wellness, manage stress, and set healthy boundaries during holiday gatherings.


Find genuine holiday joy


Beyond checklists and shopping, how do people actually experience lasting happiness during the holidays? Assistant professor Amit Kumar can share research-backed strategies on pursuing meaningful, authentic joy rather than fleeting holiday pressure.


Preserve your decorations for years to come


Family ornaments and decorations often carry sentimental value. Art conservation expert Debra Hess Norris can explain how to properly store and care for holiday decorations so they remain vibrant and intact year after year.


CaptionResizeWrap TextRemove


Connect with these experts


All of these University of Delaware experts are available for media interviews and commentary.

Reporters and editors interested in speaking with them can reach out to mediarelations@udel.edu for a quick response and support.






Connect with:
Amit Kumar

Amit Kumar

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Professor Kumar’s research focuses on the scientific study of happiness.

HappinessConsumer BehaviorSocial PsychologyBehavioral Decision MakingKindness

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from University of Delaware

1 min

The keys to holiday happiness: Gratitude, giving and genuine connection

The holiday ads insist that it’s the time for cheer, buying gifts and reconnecting with friends and family. Various factors – social media, remote work, politics – have made that more difficult than ever. There is hope: Research by the University of Delaware's Amit Kumar shows the path to genuine happiness this season. Kumar, assistant professor of marketing in UD's Lerner College of Business & Economics, offered the following three strategies. Gratitude: • 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." - Amit Kumar A shift in gift buying strategy: • Experiences can make for better gifts than trinkets, coats, jewelry or other items. There's a better chance of social connection if you're doing something rather than giving something. Type less, talk more: • It's important to keep in touch, but reconnecting during the holidays through a phone call or face-to-face interaction (virtually or in person) has a better chance of strengthening our bonds. More information on Kumar, who is also an assistant professor of psychological & brain sciences, can be found on his website. 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.

2 min

UD physicists track one of the most powerful solar flares in nearly two decades

A massive solar flare – possibly the strongest recorded in nearly 20 years – has unleashed a wave of charged particles toward Earth, sparking radio blackouts across parts of Africa and Europe and triggering measurable increases in radiation levels worldwide. At the University of Delaware, physicists Pierre-Simon Mangeard and John Clem are closely monitoring the event through UD’s neutron monitor network, a global system that tracks cosmic radiation from observatories in Newark, Greenland, Canada, Antarctica and Hawaii. “This is a significant event, still in progress,” said Mangeard. The physicists are seeing a roughly 65% increase in ground-level radiation, which is possibly the largest since 2006.  These elevated readings are known as a Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) – a rare occurrence caused by high-energy particles accelerated by solar flares that penetrate Earth’s magnetic field and reach the surface. The data being collected now will help researchers better understand how such bursts of solar activity impact Earth’s atmosphere, communications systems and even aviation safety. Clem and Mangeard’s work at UD’s Bartol Research Institute and Department of Physics and Astronomy contributes to global efforts to monitor and predict space weather events, including solar storms and coronal mass ejections. The team’s continuous, real-time data help scientists worldwide assess potential disruptions to satellites, power grids and high-altitude flights. As analysis of this flare continues, UD’s neutron monitor network will remain a key resource for understanding how space weather events ripple through our planet’s systems. Experts available for interviews: • Pierre-Simon Mangeard, research associate, Department of Physics and Astronomy • John Clem, associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy To contact Mangeard or Clem, email mediarelations@udel.edu.

2 min

Acing AI interviews: Career expert on strategies for job seekers

AI-conducted interviews are becoming a standard step in the hiring process, but many job seekers still aren’t sure how to handle them. University of Delaware career expert Jill Gugino Panté says candidates should treat these algorithm-driven interviews with the same seriousness as traditional ones and details how this can be done. Panté, director of UD’s Lerner College Career Services Center, can discuss what today’s AI interview platforms really measure – from confidence and tone to eye contact and facial expressions –  and how job seekers can stand out. She can also explain what recruiters are looking for in the AI-generated summaries that often determine who moves to the next round. Panté’s expert tips include: • Check equipment to make sure everything is working and the software is updated; turn off all notifications to avoid distractions and set up the space with good lighting, a neutral background. • Smile and maintain your energy, as some AI software will assess your tone and engagement. • Prepare as you would for any other interview - review the job description, research the organization, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when providing examples. • Be sure to look at the camera and not the screen. It might feel awkward but that’s technically where the "eye contact" will be. • Some platforms will allow you to review your recording before submitting. Use this opportunity to take notes about your body language, pacing and clarity. To contact Panté directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the connect button. Interested journalists can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

View all posts
Powered by