Featured Post from University of Delaware

Unveiling the Unseen: Exploring Salary Transparency and How it Contributes to the Gender Pay Gap

Jul 31, 2023

1 min

Dustin J. Sleesman


We have all heard about the gender pay gap, but do we truly understand the underlying factors that contribute to this inequality? A common proposal for reducing the pay gap between men and women is to increase pay transparency — letting job seekers know up front how much the job pays.


But does the way the information is presented have an impact? University of Delaware associate professor Dustin Sleesman's recent research sheds light on salary requests from male and female job seekers, and how those change based on the framing of the salary information.


Sleesman, affiliated with UD's Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics, studies the psychology of decision-making, including why people become committed to their decisions and how biases can influence them. Second, he focuses on negotiation and conflict resolution — and especially how they are affected by our thoughts and perceptions. Third, he studies team effectiveness, such as understanding how the motivation and personality of team members influence their interactions.


Connect with:
Dustin J. Sleesman

Dustin J. Sleesman

Associate Professor, Management

Dr. Sleesman studies the psychology of decision-making, negotiation and conflict resolution, as well as team effectiveness.

MotivationTeamwork DynamicsNegotiationDecision-MakingConflict Resolution

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from University of Delaware

1 min

NBA stars' leg injuries loom over the new season. What's the prognosis?

Over the past year, fans in multiple NBA cities watched in horror as their stars went down with major lower leg injuries. And even though players like Tyrese Haliburton (ankle), Jayson Tatum (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (knee) will be back at some point, it’s quite possible they will never return to their prior peak, says the University of Delaware’s Dr. Karin Gravare Silbernagel. Dr. Silbernagel, an associate professor of physical therapy at UD, studies tendon injuries in the ankle and knee in elite athletes, especially Achilles ruptures and ankle function. She was quoted in an ESPN story on this topic at the end of last season and can specifically address the stars' injuries and what it might mean for their careers. Her research shows that even after successful surgery, many players return to the court but not many among them return to peak explosiveness or durability. Dr. Silbernagel, whose research on ankle and knee injuries dates back to the early 2000s, can also talk about the larger pattern of lower leg injuries reshaping the NBA. She consults with professional sports teams relating to tendon injuries and is a consultant to the NFL's Musculoskeletal Committee. To connect with Dr. Silbernagel directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelatons@udel.edu.

1 min

Beneath the bed: The psychology behind America's fascination with monsters and why we love being scared

Have you ever wondered why we just can't get enough of the creatures hiding beneath our beds and lurking in the shadows? Whether it's watching a spine-tingling horror movie or telling ghost stories around the campfire, Americans have a long-standing love affair with all things spooky and scary. But what's driving this fascination? Persephone Braham is a Professor of Spanish & Latin American Studies at the University of Delaware and has those answers.  She can talk about monsters in a variety of ways including the following: Monsters are therapeutic. They act out our fears – and our fantasies. We love to hate monsters. They channel our anxieties and expose our desires. Monsters sneak into our dreams, stalk us in the dark and make us scream. Why do we love them? Have you hugged a monster today? Why do we need monsters? They keep us from crossing the line. Who believes in monsters? Anyone who considers themselves human. What are monsters, and why do we need them? From ghosts to vampires, every culture has its favorite monsters. Halloween scream: Why we like to play vampires. Who decides what a monster is? You do! Why do zombies want your brains? Monsters and eerie tales serve as representations of our internal anxieties and societal fears. They act as metaphors for the complex emotions and situations we encounter. Braham can give this context and more. She can be contacted by emailing mediarelations@udel.edu.

3 min

New path to combating global malnutrition found in soil

A new University of Delaware study has found that a naturally occurring soil microbe can boost protein-building amino acids in wheat. The finding by UD's Harsh Bais and others could pave the way for nutrient-rich staple crops — helping combat global malnutrition as fluctuations in weather reduce crop quality. In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, Bais and a team of researchers from UD, Stroud Water Research Center and the Rodale Institute investigated how a bacteria naturally found in the soil that is beneficial to human health can enhance the levels of the amino acid and antioxidant ergothioneine in spring wheat.  The researchers grew the spring wheat — one of the most widely consumed cereal crops — in a laboratory. After letting the seeds germinate and grow for seven days, they added a strain of bacteria called Streptomyces coelicolor M145 to the spring wheat roots. After combining the bacteria and the plant, they separated the plant’s leaves and roots. Then, they extracted the amino acid ergothioneine from the samples, working to determine how much protein was in the plant’s roots and shoots. They found that 10 days after S. coelicolor had been added to the spring wheat roots, the bacteria was able to inhabit spring wheat’s roots and shoots, producing ergothioneine, bypassing the plant’s innate defense mechanisms, and fortifying the spring wheat. Wheat roots were inoculated with the benign bacteria Streptomyces coelicolor. The image shows the presence of bacteria on the root hairs on day 5. “It’s unusual," Bais said. “Unless there is a mutual advantage for either the plant or the microbe.” The findings suggest that an alternative plant breeding approach could be utilized to associate plants with benign microbes to increase protein content in staple crops. All of our cereal crops are very low in protein. Think rice and breakfast cereals, common foods people eat, derived from these crops. “This approach of harnessing a natural association of microbes with plants may facilitate fortifying our staple crops, enhancing global nutritional security,” Bais said. Bais said he believes using microbes to transport nutrients depends on the microbes’ relationship with plants’ roots. He continues to work to catalyze the colonization of plant roots by beneficial microbes. "Establishing a partnership with the appropriate types of microbes or microbial consortia for plants represents a method of engineering the rhizosphere — the region of the soil near plant roots — to foster a more favorable environment for either microbial associations that stimulate plant growth traits or enhance nutrient availability, which is the path forward,” Bais said. Bais, a professor of plant biology who was named a UD Innovation Ambassador earlier this year, said plants’ “below-ground” traits, such as how nutrient-dense they are, have long been overlooked. “As far as food security, we will have significant challenges by 2050 when the world’s population doubles,” Bais said. “We incentivize our farmers for crop yield; we don’t incentivize them for growing nutrient-dense crops. Growing nutrient-dense plants will enable the population to be fed better and avoid any potential nutrient deficiencies.” The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Scientists have become more interested in soil bacteria as a means to solve issues with malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies. Alex Pipinos, the lead author and a UD Class of 2025 graduate with a master’s in microbiology, said environmental conditions are one factor diminishing protein content in plants. “Essentially, crops are becoming less nutrient-dense,” Pipinos said. “The more nutrients in crops, the more healthy humans can be.” Pipinos points to a strong link between soil microbes, plant health and human health. Ergothioneine, she said, has already been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. It’s also been shown to combat cognitive decline, with a strong link to healthy cognitive aging. “By enhancing ergothioneine in plants, we can improve human health,” Pipinos said. To reach Bais directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the contact button. Reporters can also contact UD's Media Relations Department.

View all posts
Powered by