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Climate change research trailblazer elected to prestigious list of AAAS Fellows

Apr 26, 2024

1 min


University of Delaware professor Rodrigo Vargas has been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) — one of the largest scientific societies in the world and publisher of the Science family of journals.


The new class of AAAS Fellows includes 502 scientists, engineers and innovators across 24 disciplines, who are being honored for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.


Vargas, professor of ecosystem ecology and environmental change in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, is recognized "for distinguished contributions to carbon dynamics across the terrestrial-aquatic interface, development of environmental networks, novel data analysis tools and his leadership in creating a more diverse scientific workforce."


Deborah Allen, who retired from UD in 2019 as a professor of biological sciences, was also names as a fellow. She was cited “for transformational contributions to STEM education nationally and internationally, particularly for developments in problem-based learning and faculty development.”


Vargas is an ecosystem ecologist who studies how nature-based solutions can help address global environmental change in both terrestrial and coastal ecosystems, Vargas uses a variety of research methods, including data mining, machine learning, remote sensing, measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes and modeling techniques for forecasting applications.

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How should journalists cover politics when democracy is at stake

Political coverage often centers on the president, but according to the University of Delaware’s Dannagal Young, journalists can sometimes provide more meaningful coverage by focusing more on democracy and less on the commander in chief’s every movement. Young calls this approach “democracy-centered reporting.” Instead of treating every presidential announcement or provocative statement as the central event, democracy-centered reporting asks how political actions affect democratic institutions, constitutional principles and Americans’ ability to exercise their rights as citizens, Young says. Young, professor of communication and director of UD’s Center for Political Communication, says “access journalism” has an important role, but an overreliance on access can also make political leaders the organizing principle of coverage. In moments when executive power is expanding, she argues, journalists should consider whether their coverage is inadvertently amplifying the power they are trying to scrutinize. Young can discuss: • How journalists can cover presidents without making the president the center of every story • The benefits and risks of access journalism • How coverage of political conflict affects public understanding of democracy To arrange an interview with Young, visit her profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

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