For the Record, Sept. 26, 2025

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

Recent publications, presentations, honors and appointments include the following:

Publications

Rudi Matthee, John and Dorothy Munroe Distinguished Professor of History, published "The Military in the Safavid Period," in David Parrott and Gábor Ágoston, eds., The Cambridge History of War, Volume III: War and the Early Modern World, pp. 283-308.

James Bridgeforth, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development's (CEHD) School of Education, published "Navigating Democracy in Divided Times," a report analyzing the experiences of 10 California school board members, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Alabama. EdSource reported on this research in its September 2025 article "Political tensions and tech shifts complicate roles on school boards, study shows." Bridgeforth specializes in educational leadership and studies community voices in education policy and governance.

Lynsey Gibbons, associate professor in CEHD's School of Education, published "The Missing Middle? General and Special Educators' Views of Effective Mathematics Instruction" with coauthors J. Cohen and N. Jones in AERA Open. Education Week reported on this research in its August 2025 article "How Should We Teach Math? General and Special Ed. Researchers Don't Agree." Gibbons specializes in mathematics education and studies teacher learning.

Jarett D. Haley, assistant professor in CEHD's School of Education, published "'At the end of the day, they just wanted their money. They didn't care about my education': Undergraduate Black men's interactions with dismissive and discriminatory student affairs staff members" in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Haley's research centers on understanding undergraduate and graduate students' experiences in student affairs and other cocurricular higher education contexts.

Myae Han, professor in CEHD's Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, published "Emerging and evolving issues and perspectives in early childhood research: Editor's note" in the International Journal of Early Childhood Education. Han's research focuses on the relationship between play and early literacy and professional development for early childhood teachers, among other areas.

Joshua Wilson, associate professor in the School of Education, published "AI-Integrated scaffolding to enhance agency and creativity in K-12 English language learners: A systematic review" with coauthor M. Li in "Accessibility and Inclusion in Education: Enabling Digital Technologies," a special issue of Information. Wilson's research focuses on ways to improve the teaching and learning of writing, especially through automated writing evaluation systems.

Heinz-Uwe Haus, professor emeritus in the Department of Theatre and Dance, published in the recent issue of the Greek-Cypriot literary magazine Anef (92/25, Nicosia) an essay, titled "Interaction between national and pan-European identity - status and perspective." The author focuses on the EU's community of values set down in the treaties: the respect of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect of human rights. These values are shared by the Member States typified by pluralism, nondiscrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between men and women. "But naturally they have specific national identities and histories and this 'Europe of Values' does not mean that borders should be abolished", Haus summarizes. "It is clear that the nation is still the vital framework of political reference for most Europeans. The unique feature is that they all derive their heritage from the same sources: Athens, Rome, Jerusalem, Byzantium, Wittenberg, the Enlightenment - and the horrors of the dictatorships of the 20th century are experiences that binds them forever together. In view of the globalist and imperialist threats, the EU institutions would be well advised to reassure themselves of the determination of the peoples and states of the Union to assert themselves."

Presentations

On Sept. 3, 2025, Troy Mix, associate director of the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), presented at the Economic Forecast Luncheon hosted by the Greater Georgetown Chamber of Commerce in Georgetown, Delaware. His presentation, "Beyond Prediction: Preparing for Future Economies," spoke to the importance of "shifting from prediction to preparation" regarding societal uncertainties, especially when navigating economic forecasts. Mix discussed varying challenges, including the ongoing demographic dilemma seen through the declining fertility rate in the U.S. and housing and labor force concerns. Mix offered three plausible futures that may emerge as solutions to current societal challenges. Read the presentation here.

Myae Han, professor in CEHD's Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, gave a presidential invited talk titled "The Future of Early Childhood Education: What and Who are we missing?" at the International Conference of the Korean Society for Early Childhood Education at Soonchunhyang University, South Korea in September 2025.

Rebecca Wilson, program coordinator for human services and human relations administration in CEHD, and Joshua Wilson, associate professor in the School of Education, gave an invited presentation titled "Bringing AI into the classroom: Real-world tips and tools for preparing undergraduate human services students" for the National Organization for Human Services in August 2025.

Honors

Heidi Beck, interim co-director of CEHD's Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood and director of New Directions Early Head Start (NDEHS), was honored at Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center's inaugural Hilltop Heroes Gala on Sept. 20, 2025, in Wilmington, Delaware. The event honored individuals who have had a tremendous impact on the Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center community. Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Martha Buell, CEHD Interim Dean Rena Hallam, CEHD Department of Human Development and Family Sciences Chair Jason Hustedt and Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences Laura Lessard joined Beck at the event, along with several colleagues from NDEHS.

Jessica E. Sowa, professor at the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration and senior faculty fellow at the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), received the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) 2025 Outstanding Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Book Award for her book, Volunteer Management: A Strategic Approach. This book, coauthored by Jaclyn S. Piatak, "advances research on volunteer management by combining the organizational and volunteer perspectives, provides a guide for volunteer administrators and coordinators, and serves well as a text for courses in volunteer management, nonprofit management and human resource management." It has now won two awards, with the 2025 Academy of Management Public and Nonprofit Division (AOM-PNP) Book Award being the first honor recognized earlier this year. Sowa's research focuses on organizational effectiveness, leadership and human resource management in government and nonprofit organizations.

Keith Goossen, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, is among eight experts recently nominated by Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer to serve on the Delaware Nuclear Energy Feasibility Task Force. The group will study whether nuclear energy, specifically small modular reactors, could help deliver reliable, affordable and clean power for the state. Goossen's research spans optics, electronics and energy systems. He leads the Mid-Atlantic Industrial Assessment Center, which trains students in energy efficiency and conducts energy audits for industrial and nonprofit facilities. Drawing on his technical expertise and leadership in energy innovation, he will help the task force evaluate advanced technologies and practical energy solutions.

The third annual Governor's Award for Excellence in Civics Education ceremony occurred at William Penn High School in New Castle, Delaware, on Friday, Sept.5, 2025. This award series is coordinated bytScott Abbott, assistant director of the Delaware Center for Civics Education (DCCE) in the Institute for Public Administration. This award recognizes three teachers and one school annually, celebrating their exceptional contributions to civics instruction and engagement in Delaware, exemplifying excellence in teaching civics inside and outside the classroom and demonstrating leadership, advocacy and commitment to lifelong learning. This year's Governor's Award for Excellence in Civics Education-School Award was presented to William Penn High School in the Colonial School District and is represented by civics teacher Christina Horstmann (a previous awardee of the teacher award) and Nicholas Baker, supervisor of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for the Colonial School District. Schools chosen for this award excel at advancing the mission of civics education. The 2025 Governor's Award for Excellence in Civics Education- Teacher Awardees are Shae Parks, alumna of the University of Delaware and current social studies teacher at Milford High School; Chanell Rogers, former teacher at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School and current dean at Lancashire Elementary; and Elizabeth Bear, teacher at Cab Calloway School of the Arts.

Appointments

Reidel Vichot, a doctoral candidate in the public policy and administration program in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration and public administration fellow at the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), was recently appointed to thenAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Students and New Administration Professionals Section (SNAPS) Board. While completing his Master of Public Administration degree, Vichot served as a Legislative Fellow for the Delaware General Assembly. He has also served as a grants coordinator for the Latin American Community Center. His work and studies at IPA have informed his professional development prowess, providing him with research expertise, community building and leadership skills necessary to serve on the SNAPS Board.

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