For the Record, Aug. 21, 2026

For the Record provides information about recent professional activities and honors of University of Delaware faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Recent honors, presentations and publications include the following:

Honors

Four members of the UD community have been named fellows of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The four honorees are College of Engineering faculty members Kelvin Lee and Abraham Lenhoff and alumni Michael Betenbaugh and Michelle O'Malley. ACS fellows are recognized for outstanding contributions to science and the chemistry profession, as well as leadership and service to ACS. Lee and Lenhoff are professors in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, while Betenbaugh and O'Malley earned their doctorates in chemical engineering from UD in 1988 and 2009, respectively.

Presentations

Rudi Matthee, John and Dorothy Munroe Distinguished Professor of History, presented "Dutch Views on Safavid Iran," at the 15th Biennial Conference of Iranian Studies, Utrecht, The Netherlands, Aug. 6, 2026.

UD researchers Emmanuel Olamiriki, a Ph.D. student, and Munn Hafsah, a Ph.D. candidate, in the Climatology graduate program recently represented the University at the 2026 International Network on Offshore Renewable Energy (INORE) North American Symposium in Hoboken, New Jersey. The symposium brought together graduate students, researchers, industry professionals and technology leaders from around the world to exchange ideas and showcase advances in offshore renewable energy. Olamiriki and Hafsah conduct their research in the Clouds, Wind and Climate (CWC) Lab, led by Dana Veron, professor in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and their academic adviser. They spent the week presenting their research, participating in technical workshops, touring leading research facilities, and building connections with experts across academia, government, and industry. Both researchers were recognized for the quality of their research presentations. Olamiriki delivered an oral presentation and presented a research poster titled "Observation and Prediction of Horizontal Wind Gradients in the Delaware Coastal Environment." His research investigates how observations collected by autonomous surface vehicles, specifically Wave Gliders, can be incorporated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to improve offshore wind predictions. His presentation received the Best Presentation Runner-Up Award. Hafsah presented a research poster titled "Can WRF Configurations Reproduce Wind-Energy-Relevant Features of Offshore Low-Level Jets?" Her research evaluates how accurately different WRF model configurations reproduce offshore low-level jets - atmospheric phenomena that strongly influence offshore wind resources and wind turbine performance. Her poster received the Best Poster Runner-Up Award. Together, their research advances efforts to improve offshore wind forecasting and better understand the atmospheric processes that affect wind energy production. More accurate forecasts can help optimize wind farm operations, improve grid reliability, and support the continued expansion of offshore wind energy along the U.S. East Coast.

Publications

Heinz-Uwe Haus (aka Jean Bodin), professor eEmeritus in the Department of Theatre and Dance, published a volume of dramatic texts, titled Antilogou, with edition lulu, Raleigh, North Carolina, in Greek. The book includes "Rising from the Ashes," "The Nurse" (translated by Marianna Papastephanou), "The Hard Way Out" (translated by Kostas Hadjigeorgiou) and "The Murderer of Sleep" (translated by Giorgos Neophytou). It is his third publication of literary work in Greek.

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