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Faculty from the University of Delaware’s renowned Disaster Research Center are available to comment on the back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela. These experts can discuss critical infrastructure failures, public health threats, emergency logistics and community-led response efforts in the region.
Available experts include:
From what I’ve seen, it looks like the earthquake occurred on the boundary of the Caribbean and South American plate. A strike-slip fault similar to the San Andreas. There have been a lot of nonductile reinforced concrete frame building collapses. There may be an effect of soil given that a lot of the damage has been near the coast.
Jennifer Horney (Professor of Epidemiology) Focus: Public health impacts, post-disaster waterborne/vector-borne disease outbreaks and the breakdown of healthcare delivery due to damaged roads and disrupted communication networks.
Tricia Wachtendorf (Co-director, Disaster Research Center) Focus: Disaster response logistics, community improvisation, neighbors as first responders and how to donate effectively to maximize impact.
Sarah DeYoung (Associate Professor, Sociology and Criminal Justice) Focus: Maternal and infant health/feeding in emergencies, pet and companion animal evacuations and community-level crisis decision-making.
To contact these experts directly and arrange an interview, visit their ExpertFile page and click on the contact button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.
Building material samples from the University of Delaware spent six months mounted outside of
the International Space Station, where the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit tested their limits.
Some returned with higher measured strength than identical samples stored on Earth.
The findings are a promising sign for the long-term goal of building infrastructure on the moon.
There are no lunar supply yards, and transporting building materials from Earth would be
prohibitively expensive. The solution may lie underfoot, in the form of lunar dust known as
regolith.
“Regolith is essentially a clay-like silicate material,” said Norman Wagner, Unidel Robert L.
Pigford Chair in Chemical Engineering. “It is one of the most abundant materials on both Earth
and the moon, which makes it interesting for construction.”
Wagner's laboratory develops geopolymers, a cement alternative that binds clays into a strong
solid through chemical reactions rather than high-temperature manufacturing. Their goal is to
use regolith with minimal additives to produce construction materials without energy-intensive
processing. The approach could contribute to more sustainable Earth-based construction, too.
To evaluate how geopolymers hold up in space, the UD team sent thin plates made from
commercially available simulated lunar and Martian regolith to the International Space Station
as part of NASA's MISSE-20 mission.
The findings, published in Advances in Space Research, showed the geopolymers did not
deteriorate, and in some cases were stronger after their time in orbit.
Lunar construction materials must not only survive space conditions, they also must be reliably
manufactured on-site. In a separate study in Acta Astronautica, Wagner's team used artificial
intelligence to tackle a practical challenge: not all lunar clays are the same. The researchers
developed a machine learning model that can predict how strong a geopolymer will be based on
the characteristics of the starting regolith and how it is processed.
Complementary work from the Wagner lab offers insight into how geopolymers behave while
being mixed, pumped and shaped before they harden. The researchers identified a key transition point, known as the critical gel point, at which the material shifts from a workable slurry into a solidifying structure. Mixing or shearing before that point did not affect how long the material took to harden or its final strength. This suggests that engineers may have flexibility in how they handle and process lunar construction materials, without compromising quality.
That work appears in a special issue of the Journal of Rheology focused on materials behavior
beyond Earth.
To speak with Wagner about his space expertise, reach out to mediarelations@udel.edu.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup captures attention across North America and around the world, University of Delaware experts are available to help media examine the larger stories connected to the tournament, from player safety and youth soccer to tourism, sports analytics, playing surfaces and the shared experience of watching the game.
University of Delaware's World Cup Experts Hub brings together faculty and specialists who can provide timely commentary on the health, business, social and scientific issues shaping one of the world’s most watched sporting events.
Featured Topics The Business of Youth Soccer Youth sports participation, community impact, the business of soccer and how a major global tournament can influence local programs, families and the next generation of players. Player Safety and Concussions Head injuries, concussion prevention, heading guidelines, athlete health and how evolving safety standards are changing the way soccer is played and taught. Tourism and Global Impact How mega-events drive tourism, economic activity, host-city visibility and broader cultural connection across countries, communities and fans. Youth Development and Fan Engagement How family traditions, school programs and shared sports experiences shape youth identity, social development and interest in physical activity. Sports Analytics in Action The rise of data-driven performance, real-time game analysis and how students and practitioners are applying analytics to elite global competition. The Science of Playing Surfaces Natural grass requirements, turfgrass systems, stadium preparation and the science behind maintaining world-class fields for international play. Why Watching Together Matters The psychology of shared experiences, happiness, social connection and why gathering for World Cup matches can be meaningful far beyond the final score. Media can visit the University of Delaware’s World Cup Experts Hub to explore available experts and connect directly with the right source for their story.
