Nov 21, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Research Centers, Institutes, and Special Facilities


The University maintains a number of research centers and institutes that focus on a variety of subjects relevant to advanced scholarly investigation of special interest to the faculty and the public. The research and activities of these special units greatly enhance the undergraduate and graduate program offerings at the University.

The University also hosts scholarly and professional organizations such as the American Philosophical Association, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, and the Urban Affairs Association.


Agricultural Experiment Station

The Experiment Station serves as the research arm for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Projects, both fundamental and applied, address many aspects of agriculture and life science, including biotechnology, production agriculture, wildlife conservation, land use, and natural resource management. Experiment station research contributes to increased and efficient production, improved marketing of agricultural products, and preservation of our natural environment. A majority of the professors in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources have appointments in the station.

Students find many opportunities to work on independent study projects that introduce them to biological, economic, and engineering technology research in the agricultural and related disciplines.

For additional information, please visit: ag.udel.edu/research/agexperimentalstation.htm

Applied Science & Engineering Laboratories

For additional information, please visit: www.asel.udel.edu/.

Art Conservation Laboratories at Winterthur

The Art Conservation Department at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware is housed in Old College. This building is on the historic register and houses two history of technology studios, a photographic materials and conservation laboratory, and administrative offices. Material Culture Preservation undergraduate students work primarily at the Newark campus and have access to objects from the University Museums, that contain archaeological and ethnographic materials, a diversity of Western European medieval to contemporary works, a large collection of gems and minerals, and the Paul R. Jones Collection of African Art.

In the Crowninshield Research Building of the Winterthur Museum & Country Estate (15 miles north of the University of Delaware) there are 26 conservation studios, laboratories, examination rooms, and workshops used by faculty and students in our graduate programs. The Winterthur Scientific Research and Analysis Laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. Our students have regular access to Winterthur’s internationally recognized collections-nearly 100,000 American decorative art objects housed in 180 period room settings and an associated exhibition building-as well as a comprehensive American material culture research library.

For additional information, please visit: www.artcons.udel.edu/faculty-and-facilities/facilities.

Avian Biosciences Center

The Avian Biosciences Center is a multi-disciplinary unit housed within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Center’s programs are focused on protecting poultry health by developing strategies for disease surveillance, diagnosis, and control; applying knowledge from avian genomics to diagnose and control poultry diseases and improve the efficiency of poultry production; developing innovative approaches to ensure poultry production is compatible with our environment; and integrating advances in food science into innovative technologies that ensure the safety of poultry products.

For additional information, visit the Center’s website at http://ag.udel.edu/abc/index.html or contact the director, Dr. Jack Gelb at jgelb@udel.edu.

Bartol Research Institute

The Bartol Research Institute is a research center within the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The primary function of the Institute is to carry out forefront scientific research, with a primary focus in physics, astronomy and space sciences.

Research areas in which Bartol is especially active include cosmic rays, the interplanetary medium, planetary magnetic fields, condensed matter physics, stellar physics, nuclear theory, elementary particle theory, particle astrophysics and cosmology. In addition to its laboratories on the Newark campus of the University, Bartol operates experimental facilities in Antarctica, Greenland and northern Canada.

For additional information, please see www.bartol.udel.edu.

Biomolecular Interaction Technologies Center (BITC)

Located at the University of Delaware, BITC funds research by faculty, researchers and students from UD and other institutions. Staff at UD provide administrative functions, including grant administration, technology transfer, contract negotiation and intellectual property licensing. Center management consists of a director and an administrative coordinator.  The mission is to:

  • Provide advanced methods for the analysis of biomolecular interactions.
  • Transfer technologies through training, consultation and collaboration.
  • Provide an environment in which academic and industrial researchers can interact.

For additional information, please visit http://bitc.engr.udel.edu/

Elbert N. and Ann V. Carvel Research and Education Center

The facility’s staff is responsible for conducting Cooperative Extension and Research Programs aimed at improving the quality of life through the transfer of research-based information to the consumer.

For additional information, please visit: ag.udel.edu/rec/.

Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI)

The Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI) is a multi-institutional research center at the University of Delaware, established in 2009 by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

CCEI is one of many Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) and one of very few externally funded centers on heterogeneous catalysis. The center builds upon the long tradition of novel catalytic research in the Center for Catalytic Science and Technology (CCST) at the University of Delaware and extends its expertise to a team of faculty and scientific staff that brings together the expertise and synergism necessary to tackle the challenges and complexities of heterogeneous catalysis.  It’s a collaboration of over 20 principal investigators and approximately 40 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from 12 institutions nationwide.

Our mission is to develop innovative heterogeneous catalytic technologies to transform lignocellulosic (non-food based) biomass materials into fuels, chemicals, and advanced materials.  The cornerstone of CCEI research lies in advancing catalysis and its integration into processes that deliver innovative technologies for the conversion of biomass feedstock, specifically carbohydrates and smaller oxygenated molecules.

CCEI offers a vibrant and exciting environment that educates and stimulates the next generation of engineers and scientists needed in heterogeneous catalysis and reactors, biorefineries, and renewable energy sectors.

For additional information, visit ccei.udel.edu

Center for Applied Coastal Research

The Center for Applied Coastal Research (CACR) was established in 1989 within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The CACR offers one of the world’s foremost graduate programs in coastal and ocean engineering providing research and educational opportunities at the master’s and doctorate levels. The Center uses state-of-the-art research equipment and numerical models to study coastal and nearshore problems of societal significance. Center participants provide a wide range of expertise and include faculty members from Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Physical Ocean Science and Engineering Program in the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment.

For additional information, please visit www.coastal.udel.edu.

Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research (CADSR)

The Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research (CADSR), part of the College of Education and Public Policy, functions in three basic ways:

  • as a subcontractor to University faculty and professional staff members who hold research contracts;
  • as a prime contractor to other units of the University, to federal, state, and local government agencies, and to private firms; and
  • as an archive of numerous local and national databases.

CADSR’s substantive areas of expertise include demography, health, transportation, economic impact, and geographic information systems.

CADSR is organized to provide the following types of services: (1) sample and questionnaire design, (2) data collection and survey management, (3) coding, editing, and data entry, (4) CATI and web surveys and, (5) archive and dissemination. Together these services form a complete package that can be offered in part or as a whole to the client.

For additional information, please see www.cadsr.udel.edu.

Center for Archaeological Research

The Center for Archaeological Research is part of the Department of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences. With its focus on the prehistoric and historic archaeology of the Middle Atlantic states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, the center provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in archaeological fieldwork and laboratory analysis through field schools and sponsored research programs. Research activities of the center have been sponsored by a number of state and federal agencies. Current sites under study range from a 10,000-year-old Paleo-Indian hunting camp in Southern Delaware to a 3,000-year-old Woodland period hamlet in central Delaware, to a mid-17th century plantation on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, to mid-19th century tenant farms in Northern Delaware. Opportunities for multi-disciplinary research are available and include applications of remote sensing in archaeology (Center for Remote Sensing) and paleoenvironmental studies (Department of Geological Sciences).

For additional information, please e-mail jcuster@udel.edu.

Center for Autonomous and Robotics Systems (CARS)

The Center for Autonomous and Robotic Systems (CARS) facilitates research efforts toward improving the community’s quality of life and safety, as well as the sustainability of its natural resources.  The way this goal is pursued in the Center is through innovative and collaborative research on robotic and other cyber-physical systems that can interact physically with their environment as well as cognitively with humans. 

For additional information, please see https://robotics.engr.udel.edu/

Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology (CBCB)

The Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology (CBCB) is an interdisciplinary, cross-campus and inter-institutional initiative for the Delaware research and education community. It is built on the Bioinformatics core at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI) and the bioinformatics infrastructure of the Protein Information Resource (PIR). The CBCB provides both computing infrastructure and cyber-knowledgeable personnel with significant hardware, software, and professional support for computational and data management needs. The computing infrastructure includes a High-Performance Computer Cluster, a Database Server Cluster, and an immersive 3-D Visualization Studio. The PIR is a public bioinformatics resource that provides integrated databases and analytical tools to support genomics, proteomics, and systems biology research. The PIR websites are freely accessible by researchers worldwide with over 30 million hits per month from over 100,000 unique sites.

CBCB objectives include:

  • Foster cutting-edge, interdisciplinary, cross-campus and inter-institutional research in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology synergistic to UD strategic research areas, including Systems Biology, Energy and Environmental Studies, and Translational Medicine
  • Support the growth and development of existing graduate programs: PhD program in Bioinformatics Data Science, Master of Science (MS) (Thesis and Non-thesis options), Professional Science Master (PSM), On-campus Certificate in Bioinformatics, and On-line Certificate in Applied Bioinformatics
  • Provide scientific expertise and core infrastructure support in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology for the Delaware research and education community

With strong computational and engineering programs, full biological disciplines from health sciences to agriculture and marine studies, as well as state-of-the-art facilities for bioinformatics at the CBCB, the University of Delaware provides a rich environment for educational programs in bioinformatics and systems biology. The CBCB graduate programs build upon the research and educational strength from departments across the Colleges of Engineering (CoE), Arts & Sciences (CAS), Agriculture & Natural Resources (CANR), Earth, Ocean & Environment (CEOE), and Health Sciences (CHS).

For additional information, please visit: http://bioinformatics.udel.edu/.

Center for Biomanufacturing Science and Technology

The Center for Biomanufacturing Science and Technology brings together faculty at the University of Delaware that tackle a wide array of problems and fundamental challenges in areas including: cell culture processes and bioreactors; high-end and scalable purification processes; product formulation and stability; drug delivery; manufacturing; and analytical technologies, instrumentation, and algorithms to support all of these areas. The Center supports cutting edge research facilities on campus, educational activities including seminars, workshops and short courses, as well as industrial research consortia.

For additional information, please visit http://sites.udel.edu/cbst/

Center for Biomechanical Engineering Research (CBER)

The Center for Biomechanical Engineering Research, CBER, is an interdisciplinary center whose mission is to provide engineering science and clinical technology to reduce the impact of disease on the everyday life of individuals. It was created to provide an appropriate forum and infrastructure to promote the interaction of biomedical researchers from the university, industry, and the medical community. CBER hosts the annual Biomechanics Research Symposium and sponsors undergraduate research in the general area of Biomechanics and biomedical engineering. In addition, the Center has recently begun working with biomedical industries and entrepreneurs to design and develop clinical and educational technologies and help bring them toward commercialization. 

CBER builds on a history of interaction between the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Physical Therapy, the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Biomedical Engineering and clinical facilities. CBER researchers have access to an array of computer hardware and software, a variety of mechanical testing equipment, a complete machine shop, as well as biomechanics laboratories for cell and tissue engineering, motion analysis, and electromyography. The research is diverse, spanning from basic discovery to clinical mechanistic studies, with the ultimate goal of benefiting human health.

For more information, please see www.cber.udel.edu.

Center for Carbon-free Power Integration (CCPI)

The Center for Carbon-free Power Integration (CCPI) conducts research and publishes widely in peer review publications and law journals on offshore and coastal wind power, transmission planning, and storage to support large-scale carbon-free power systems. The CCPI is the leading teaching and research institution in the United States on offshore wind power (www.ceoe.udel.edu/windpower) and on grid-integrated vehicles (GIV) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electric storage (www.udel.edu/v2g). CCPI has researchers with appointments in four UD colleges-Earth, Ocean and Environment; Engineering; Business; and Agriculture and Natural Resources-and conducts leading-edge research in renewable energy including Mechanical Engineering of wind turbines; Meteorology; Public Policy; Composites; Business; Economics, and Finance; Bio-corrosion; Geophysical and Geotechnical Aspects of Offshore Wind, Marine Spatial Planning and Ornithology.

CCPI’s mission is to undertake scientific research, educate the next generation of students, actively engage industry, policy makers and the public, and facilitate use of power from carbon-free geophysical flows. CCPI focuses on large sources of carbon-free power (surface wind, geostrophic winds, and ocean currents) as alternatives to energy sources that emit carbon dioxide (CO2), which causes the oceans to become more acidic, and is the greatest greenhouse gas contributor toward climate change. The center’s focus is on electricity and transportation because they account for the largest fractions of human CO2 production. CCPI also focuses on the co-benefits of offshore wind power, including reduction in health impacts and life-cycle environmental effects of energy production, economic development and job creation, price stability, and energy independence.

Graduate student research assistants and undergraduate researchers work closely with CCPI faculty researchers and benefit from UD’s 2MW coastal wind turbine (www.ceoe.udel.edu/Lewesturbine), a CCPI focal point. CCPI also seeks out opportunities for students through partnerships such as one with the National Wind Technology Center in Boulder. CCPI is actively engaged in knowledge transfer to government, industry and the public. Its Director has served on a National Academy of Science offshore wind work group planning committee, its Research Director presently serves on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Outer Continental Shelf (OSCS) Scientific Committee and CCPI researchers have advised a number of state governments on offshore wind including Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Michigan.

Professor Jeremy Firestone is the Director of CCPI and Professor Willett Kempton is the Research Director.

For additional information, contact Jeremy Firestone, Director, at (302) 831-0028 (jf@udel.edu) or visit www.carbonfree.udel.edu.

Center for Catalytic Science and Technology (CCST)

The mission of the CCST is to educate graduate and undergraduate students in the science and engineering practice of catalysis, and to generate new knowledge in catalysis by promoting interdisciplinary collaborations between faculty of different departments, industry, and government laboratories. Enabling sustainability through catalysis and electrocatalysis technology is currently central to our research efforts in CO2 utilization, biomass conversion, and pollution abatement.

The center has extensive laboratory facilities that are shared by students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars from industry and other universities. The center’s faculty also work towards disseminating knowledge of state-of-the-art catalysis research through short courses, textbook preparation, research publications, seminars, and presentations at technical meetings. Students working under the auspices of the CCST may complete research for the master’s or Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Materials Science and Engineering.

For additional information, please see www.che.udel.edu/ccst.

Center for Climate and Land-Surface Change

The Center for Climate and Land-Surface Change is an interdisciplinary research center designed to foster collaboration between scientists at the University of Delaware who focus on climate and/or land surface processes. The Center affirms the University’s commitment to developing research that seeks to answers questions about our changing planet. NASA, NOAA, NSF, State agencies, and local municipalities have funded research within the Center or within its predecessor the Center for Climatic Research.

From the outset, one of the main themes of research in the Center has been the role of water in climatology and land-surface processes. The work of John R. Mather and C.W. Thornthwaite, which began at the C.W. Thornthwaite Associates’ Laboratory of Climatology, initially set the stage for Center-directed research. Emphasis on water in its many and varied forms remains dominant, with research on precipitation (global, arctic, and tropical), atmospheric processes (vapor transport and atmospheric modeling), the cryosphere (glaciers, permafrost, sea ice, snow cover, and snowfall), vegetation, land-surface hydrology, and water policy.

For additional information, please see www.udel.edu/Geography/CCR.

Center for Community Research and Service (CCRS)

The Center for Community Research and Service (CCRS), part of the College of Arts & Sciences, provides education, usable knowledge, training, and services to help organizations and communities promote social and economic opportunity. CCRS is an integral part of the education of undergraduate and graduate students in the College, especially the students in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. Students assigned to the Center either work directly with faculty and staff in conducting research and providing training and services or are placed in nonprofit or government agencies.

CCRS conducts applied research and evaluation projects in a range of areas, including local and community-based development, housing and homelessness, poverty and hunger, crime and family violence, urban and neighborhood planning and governance, media and communities, family/community relationships, management of and leadership in nonprofit organizations, organizational strategic planning and analysis, and the design, implementation and evaluation of social service and community health programs. Students can also be involved in CCRS training courses, including the Nonprofit Management Certificate course and other workshops and seminars for nonprofit managers and community leaders. Some of the Center’s major service programs are the Nonprofit Resource Library, KIDS COUNT/FAMILIES COUNT in Delaware, Public Allies Delaware, and the Blueprint Communities Delaware Program.

For additional information, please see www.ccrs.udel.edu.

Center for Composite Materials (UD-CCM)

Founded in 1974, the UD Center for Composite Materials (UD-CCM) is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary research center of excellence with a three-fold mission:

  • To Educate Scientists and Engineers: More than 100 graduate and undergraduate students and more than 100 researchers and staff members working at UDCCM are currently affiliated with the College of Engineering. Students at all levels are active participants in UD-CCM’s interdisciplinary research teams. Students have the opportunity to interact with visiting students, faculty, and researchers from industry, government agencies, and universities throughout the world. In addition to a solid grounding in the fundamentals, students are exposed to practical insights into real-world engineering problems. Both graduate and undergraduate students gain valuable experience in documenting their work in conference proceedings, journals, and even patents. UD-CCM has a unique collaboration with the University’s Undergraduate Research Program that promotes cross-disciplinary education. Students may participate through the University’s Science and Engineering Scholars Program, CCM’s summer internship program, or employment as an undergraduate research assistant during the academic year. More than 2,000 students have been associated with UD-CCM, and many are now teaching at more than 30 universities worldwide. While UD-CCM plays an active role in education, degrees are earned through the academic programs of the various affiliated colleges, not through UD-CCM. Students should consult the departments in which they are interested for information on degree programs and application requirements.
  • To Conduct Basic and Applied Research: Since 1986, UD-CCM’s programs and initiatives have been designated Centers of Excellence eight times by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Defense (DoD). In addition to its traditional core competencies in materials and synthesis, mechanics and design, processing science, and durability, UD-CCM’s current emphasis is on composite materials behavior under high rates, multifunctional composite materials balancing electromagnetic and structural properties, advanced organic fibers, polymers and sizings, tunable-stiffness materials, thermoplastic prepreg methods, composite process model development and integration into design, nanocomposites for structural health monitoring and high performance polyurethanes/polyureas.
  • To Develop and Transition Technology to the Composites Community: CCM’s 34,000-square-foot Composites Manufacturing Science Laboratory houses state-of-the-art laboratories for polymer synthesis, chemical and thermal analysis, materials characterization from nano-scale to full-scale composite structures, processing, nondestructive inspection, and computation. The lab provides opportunities for interdisciplinary research teams to create work cells that combine simulations, sensors, and controls of existing processes as well as the creation of new ones. An additional 24,000 square feet of space is available in our off-site Application and Technology Transfer Laboratory. UD-CCM’s Industrial Consortium, long a Center hallmark, is a group of some 57 companies supporting UD-CCM’s effort in transferring composites science and technology to the private and public sectors. Small, medium and large companies benefit from new ideas and new technologies. These same companies seek to employ the next-generation of engineering graduates.

For additional information, please visit www.ccm.udel.edu, send a request to info-ccm@udel.edu, or call (302) 831-8149.

Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS)

The Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS) is an interdisciplinary research, training and service center that is part of the College of Education and Human Development. CDS focuses on improving the quality, quantity, and range of public and private services and supports available locally, nationally and globally for children, youth, and adults with disabilities and their families. The Center is one of a national network of 67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service.

CDS increases the capacity of individuals, agencies, and organizations to provide quality services; contributes to the knowledge base; promotes systemic improvements in policy and service delivery; and builds collaborative relationships with other organizations that enable people with disabilities to achieve their personal goals of greater independence, productivity, and participation in their communities.

CDS supports an interdisciplinary 18-credit undergraduate minor in disabilities studies. CDS also offers opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students to work with faculty and staff on service and research projects.

For additional information, please see www.udel.edu/cds.

Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies (CDAS)

The Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies (CDAS) was established at the University of Delaware in 1991 to facilitate collaborative research and publishing among social and behavioral science faculty, professional staff, and students in the field of substance abuse. Administered by the University’s Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, the center is funded primarily through sponsored research grants and contracts. CDAS has offices in Newark, DE and the Miami, FL area.

The principal mission of CDAS is the production, dissemination, and utilization of scientific knowledge in three broad areas:

  • The etiology, patterns and consequences and prevention and treatment of drug and alcohol abuse;
  • The epidemiology of HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted infections, and the prevention of such infections among high-risk populations;
  • The prevalence and patterns of health-risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults.

Other CDAS objectives include:

  • Training graduate and undergraduate students in substance abuse research and associated quantitative and qualitative methods;
  • Serving as a substance abuse research information repository for students and colleagues seeking statistical and ethnographic data for secondary analysis;
  • Providing technical assistance to colleagues and local agency personnel seeking federal grant support for prevention and treatment programs; and
  • Sponsoring lecture and colloquia series, workshops, and conferences for members of the University community, the substance abuse and AIDS fields, and the public at large.

CDAS has conducted a series of major national studies of drug treatment for individuals involved with the criminal justice system over the past 20 years. In spring 2009, CDAS became one of nine research centers nationally that will be leading research on implementing new policies and practices for assessing and treating substance abusers within the criminal justice system. Other ongoing epidemiological, etiological and evaluation studies include youth substance abuse in Delaware and the nation, studies of drug court and parole clients, and long term panel studies of treatment clients. In Delaware, CDAS directs the activities of the State Epidemiological Work Group for substance abuse.

CDAS researchers in Miami have been funded by the National Institutes of Health to conduct studies of the abuse of prescription drugs and their diversion to the illegal marketplace. In addition, with funding from Denver Health and Hospital Authority and the support of the Food and Drug Administration, since 2002, CDAS has been conducting quarterly surveys of the illegal sales of prescription narcotics in more than 300 jurisdictions across the United States. CDAS also has major AIDS prevention initiatives in Florida, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The focus of these initiatives is the development and evaluation of culturally specific HIV prevention programs for hard-to-reach and under-served populations.

For additional information please see http://www.udel.edu/cdas/.

Center for Economic Education & Entrepreneurship

The ultimate goal of the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware is to continue to provide educators with high quality programs and workshops that increase the knowledge and understanding of economics and entrepreneurship in all curriculums for grades K - 12.

For additional information, please visit: www.udel.edu/ceee/index.html.

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP)

Telephone: (302) 831-8405
http://ceep.udel.edu
Faculty Listing: http://ceep.udel.edu/people

The Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP), jointly part of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering, conducts interdisciplinary research and supports graduate and undergraduate study on the interlocking issues of energy, environment, and development. Work in CEEP is guided by theories of political economy and technology, environment, and society. Research programs currently organized in CEEP include sustainable development, environmental justice, global environmental change, energy efficiency and renewable energy applications, water conservation and management, and comparative energy and environmental policy.

With the support of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Business and Economics, CEEP administers interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate programs in Energy and Environmental Policy (ENEP) . This unique center offers bachelor, master, and Ph.D. degrees that combine study in the social sciences, engineering, and the natural sciences to address core problems in energy-environment-society relations. CEEP is composed of an internationally diverse faculty and professional staff, with backgrounds in a variety of disciplines including political science, economics, geography, philosophy, environmental studies, and engineering. In conjunction with its research program, nine Center faculty work closely with graduate and undergraduate students, supervising internships, theses and dissertations. Graduate areas of specialization supported at the master’s and doctoral levels include: technology, environment and society, energy sustainability, water sustainability, environmental justice, sustainable development, and global dimensions of energy and environmental policy. Students in the Undergraduate program can choose from three areas of concentration: energy, economics and public policy; energy, environment and society; or energy, science and technology.

CEEP faculty and staff have editorial responsibility for an annual book series entitled Energy and Environmental Policy and the journal WIREs, are contributing authors to the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and serve as advisors to such organizations as the Chinese State Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental Forum of the National Assembly of South Korea, the India Renewable Energy Development Agency, and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. CEEP also provides technical assistance to international, federal, state and local institutions. CEEP has over thirty signed research and exchange agreements with European, Latin American, African, and Asian universities and research institutes.

For additional information please see http://ceep.udel.edu/.

Center for Environmental Genomics

The Center for Environmental Genomics brings together people interested in the application of genomic-related technology to solving basic and applied problems in the environment. Here “genomic” is used broadly to include bioinformatics, proteomics, and other “omic” sciences. The Center facilitates interactions and collaborations between members now using genomic-based technology and others who have active programs in ecology or the environmental sciences. The Center fosters synergies and interactions among faculty and scientists who might not otherwise collaborate.

Goals

  • Recruit graduate students
  • Increase the visibility of an important research area
  • Attract university, state, and federal funds for center activities
  • Enhance the role of environmental scientists in the decision making process of the University
  • Foster international collaborations and student exchange

For additional information, please visit: www.ceoe.udel.edu/CEG/.

Center for Excellence and Equity in Teacher Preparation (CEETP)

The Center for Excellence and Equity in Teacher Preparation (CEETP) within the College of Education and Human Development provides support services for students and faculty in the educator preparation programs at the University of Delaware. DCTE is the home of the Education Resource Center, Office of Certification and Accreditation, Office of Clinical Studies, and Alternative Routes to Certification (ARTC).

ARTC is externally funded and provides an alternative pathway to teacher certification in Delaware. Through ARTC, qualified individuals complete certification requirements while they are employed as full-time teachers. This pathway to certification brings individuals who have bachelor’s degrees or 30 college credits in a content area into teaching in fields where the state is experiencing teacher shortages (e.g., mathematics, science, world languages).

The Professional Development Center for Education (PDCE) works closely with preK-12 teachers and administrators to help them meet the challenges of educating 21st century learners.  The experienced staff provides professional development services customized to meet the needs of participating schools and districts in the core subjects of English language arts, math, science and social studies, and instructional practices (e.g., project-based learning and social learning.)  PDCE has recently merged with the Delaware Academy for School Leadership and expanded professional development services for school leaders. The center provides professional development and coaching services to assistant principals, principals, central office personnel and superintendents. Signature Programs for PDCE include the following:
 

  • K-12 Math & Science Partnership, a partnership with the Delaware Mathematics Coalition, the Department of Education, and the University’s Department of Mathematical Sciences to help educators in the state’s public and charter schools learn how to teach differently to engage their students in math and science in new and more effective ways.
  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Project (STEM), a partnership with the university’s Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (ISE) Laboratory to help high school math and science teachers develop interdisciplinary lesson plans that meet the Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core State Standards.
  • Delaware Writing Project, a project to enhance Delaware K-12 teachers’ knowledge and instructional practices in the teaching of writing in ways consistent with the Common Core State Standards in English language arts.
  • Responsive Classroom, a program that incorporates the students’ social and emotional growth into their academic learning, stemming from the notion that children learn best through social interaction and when they are explicitly taught social and emotional skills along with their academic lessons.
  • Executive Leadership Program, a partnership with the Department of Education to provide a professional learning experience for aspiring superintendents.
  • UDEL Principal Preparation Program, an approved alternative routes to certification program to prepare assistant principals and principals for Delaware schools.
  • ASPIRE, an aspiring school leadership program to prepare teacher leaders to transition to the role of assistant principals.
  • STEP-UP, a program that provides assistant principals with opportunities to participate in instructional leadership activities as they transition to the role of principal.
  • Performance Evaluation for teachers, specialists and administrators, a partnership with school districts, charter schools and the Department of Education to provide professional development and coaching on the content and processes of a district or state performance evaluation system. Professional development and coaching includes goal setting, conferencing strategies, observation techniques,  and improvement planning.
  • Succession Planning, planning a pipeline of leaders who have the skills, knowledge and dispositions to step into leadership roles in the school and district. The work focuses on teacher leadership, assistant principals, principals, central office personnel, assistant superintendents, and superintendents.
  • 21st Century Early Learning Experience, partnerships with school districts to plan and facilitate extra time programs for PK-1 students.
  • School Improvement, partnerships that include conducting the Comprehensive School Review Process, the development of school success and focus school plans, customized improvement planning with school leadership teams, coaching, and target professional development for teachers and leaders.

For additional information. please visit https://www.ceetp.udel.edu/

Center for Fuel Cells and Batteries (CFCB)

The Center for Fuel Cells and Batteries promotes basic and applied research pertaining to fuel cells, batteries, and electrochemical capacitors to improve their performance, durability, affordability, and acceptance. Novel materials, architectures, and operating strategies are investigated as well as enabling commercialization with technology transfer to industry. The CFCB is committed to development and demonstration projects with a public-outreach component to educate the community about the benefits of fuel cell and battery technologies. The Center provides an interdisciplinary platform and infrastructure to facilitate fuel cell and battery research activity between researchers at the university, and between the university and industry. CFCB faculty pursue research on all aspects of fuel cells and battery research. An example of a current demonstration and outreach project is the UD Fuel Cell Bus Program whose goal is to research, build, and demonstrate a fleet of fuel cell buses within the University’s student bus service.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.cfcb.udel.edu/

Center for Historic Architecture and Design (CHAD)

The Center for Historic Architecture and Design (CHAD) addresses issues related to historic preservation through an integrated, interdisciplinary program of research and public service focusing on historic architecture and landscapes; design issues of the built environment and material culture; documentation of historic properties and computer applications to documentation; research on the physical properties of cultural and historic materials; historic preservation planning and policy at national, state, and local levels; and advocacy for historic resources. CHAD supports graduate study in historic preservation at both the master and doctoral levels through the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy and in conjunction with other co-sponsoring departments and programs. CHAD is affiliated with the Laboratory for the Analysis of Cultural and Historic Materials.

CHAD also maintains an extensive collection of research and documentary materials for more than 4,000 historic sites and structures in the United States. The collection includes measured drawings, photographs, and narrative histories, as well as resources for buildings research and a study collection of architectural materials. The collection is open for research and reference to students, the preservation community, and the general public.

CHAD is academically affiliated with the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, and co-sponsored by the departments of Art Conservation, Art History, Geography, and History as well as the Museum Studies Program and the Winterthur Program in Early American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. CHAD is a founding member of the Center for Material Culture Studies which promotes the dynamic collaboration of individuals, programs, and departments engaged in the documentation, interpretation, and preservation of the objects and images that have shaped American life. For more information, please visit http://www.udel.edu/CHAD/.

Center for Hybrid, Active and Responsive Materials (CHARM)

The Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (CHARM) at the University of Delaware (UD) is one of eleven Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) funded by the National Science Foundation in 2020. Nineteen of these centers are located at research institutions across the United States (U.S.) and are an important part of our nation’s materials science enterprise with a focus on fundamental research. MRSECs serve as hubs for national and international collaboration in research and industry partnerships and are critical developers of educational and outreach content for the materials community. At UD, CHARM brings together interdisciplinary integration and infrastructure development to drive cross-cutting materials innovation in the areas of Peptide Active Materials (PAMs) and Hybrid Quantum Materials with Emergent Terahertz Functionalities (HQ-METs). CHARM supports research partnerships between UD, University of Pennsylvania, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and outreach collaborations with two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Delaware State University and Claflin University) and TeenSHARP, a local organization empowering students of color to pursue undergraduate studies at top institutions around the U.S. Using its materials science platform, the CHARM team is committed to training a new generation of innovators through impactful diversity and education initiatives. 

For additional information, please see https://mrsec.udel.edu/

Center for Information and Communication Sciences

The Center for Information and Communications Sciences (CICS) is a research center spanning the College of Engineering and the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Delaware. The CICS conducts basic and applied research for sponsors in the National Security sector, facilitating research interactions between associated faculty, industry, and federal and state government agencies. The center also provides graduate and undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in research projects.

For additional information, please visit: cics.udel.edu/

Center for Innovative Bridge Engineering (CIBrE)

The Center for Innovative Bridge Engineering was established at the University of Delaware in 2000 to serve as a resource for the world’s highway and railroad bridge community through education, research, and technology transfer. The Center helps to educate bridge engineers for careers in industry, government, and academia; organizes multidisciplinary research teams to address bridge infrastructure renewal; and transfers technology to bridge owners through papers, reports, workshops, seminars, and lab demonstrations. CIBrE research covers a broad range of topics, including design and analysis, advanced materials, health monitoring, advanced sensors, bridge management, hydraulics and scour, geotechnical engineering, and bridge security.

For additional information, please visit www.ce.udel.edu/cibre.

Center for Managed Ecosystems

The mission of the Center for Managed Ecosystems is to improve the ability of urban, suburban, and agricultural landscapes to support the plants, animals, and physical conditions essential to the long-term productivity of the ecosystems on which humans depend. We do this because recent research has shown that human land-use in the U.S. has fragmented and degraded ecosystems in ways that threaten most of our plant and animal species with extinction. If this process is allowed to proceed unchecked, the impact on the productivity and stability of the ecosystems that sustain us will be compromised. Current landscaping paradigms needlessly exclude biodiversity from agricultural and urban/suburban landscapes. Redesigning human-dominated ecosystems to increase the carrying capacity for biodiversity, and thus increase ecosystem productivity and sustainability, without conflict with humans, is the central goal of the Center for Managed ecosystems.

For additional information, visit the Center’s website at ag.udel.edu/cme/ or contact the director, Dr. Doug Tallamy at dtallamy@udel.edu.

Center for Material Culture Studies (CMCS)

The Center for Material Culture Studies (CMCS) helps to integrate and enhance the University’s rich resources for the creation, study, and conservation of material culture. It promotes the learning from and the teaching about all things people make and the ways people have acted upon the physical and visible world. Through the CMCS, students and teachers examine material objects as living artifacts, as texts and contexts, to better imagine, interpret, and appreciate the world we inhabit. To do so, the CMCS administers a popular undergraduate minor in material culture studies, which includes field experience and a funded internship program. Faculty affiliated with the Center represent a broad spectrum of departments and programs across the university, and the CMCS regularly coordinates activities with regional cultural institutions to share resources, to promote collaborative research and teaching, and to foster new opportunities and motivation for public engagement in the humanities. It thus contributes to national and international efforts in the documentation, interpretation, preservation, and teaching of material culture.

For additional information, please contact Deborah C. Andrews, Director, CMCS, at dandrews@udel.edu or visit the CMCS website at http://www.materialculture.udel.edu.

Center for Molecular and Engineering Thermodynamics (CMET)

The Center for Molecular and Engineering Thermodynamics, CMET, a research unit within the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering with Center faculty and students also in the physics, materials science and engineering, and chemistry and biochemistry departments, serves as a focal point stimulating collaborative experimental and theoretical research and encouraging the development of new educational materials, textbooks, monographs, and regular and short courses, in all areas of thermodynamics, and also maintains state-of-the-art laboratories.

Research at the Center is conducted by the faculty, their undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scientists. Students are deeply involved in the Center research, which is being carried out with the support of industrial and governmental grants and contracts. Current projects involve studies of applied and statistical thermodynamics, quantum and computational chemistry including the use of supercomputers and clusters of parallel computers, separation processes, polymer physics, interfacial phenomena, rheology, molecular and meso-scale simulation, molecular engineering of biomaterials, bio-inspired materials via self-assembly, the thermodynamic properties of polymeric materials and proteins, and the structure and phase behavior of complex fluids and surfactants. The Center’s close interactions with industry include ongoing projects with companies of all sizes in the pharmaceutical, consumer, energy, specialty chemicals, and advanced materials sectors.

The Center’s laboratory facilities provide students access to and training in the operation of modern equipment including supercomputers, laser light, x-ray and neutron scattering, various spectroscopic techniques, light microscopy, micromanipulation, rheological characterization, and a wide variety of equipment for the measurement of phase equilibria.

Other activities of the Center include cooperative research projects with scientists and engineers in industry and government laboratories, and an active seminar series of leading researchers from industry and academia from around the world.

Through their involvement in research for their thesis projects, graduate students associated with the Center for Molecular and Engineering Thermodynamics earn either a Master’s or Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering, chemistry or physics.

For additional information, please see www.che.udel.edu/cmet.

Center for Neutron Science

The Center for Neutron Science at the University of Delaware is a cooperative agreement between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) to explore and develop new areas of neutron scattering science, with emphasis on strengths in complex fluids, macromolecular science, and condensed matter physics. This partnership will enhance the small angle neutron scattering (SANS) capabilities of the United States, and thereby, make them available to a large scientific user community. It also help train the next generation of neutron scientists and engineers for careers in support of the national nanotechnology initiative. SANS is a powerful probe of molecular and nanoscale structure, supramolecular order and dynamics, and can be used to monitor chemical and field-induced transformations. Because the technique requires a high-flux neutron source, SANS measurements are carried out at large national facilities, of which there are only four in the US. This cooperative agreement builds on the world-recognized expertise in SANS in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Delaware and their long-standing scientific collaborations with the US’ premier neutron scattering facility NCNR at NIST.

For additional information, please visit: www.cns.che.udel.edu/.

Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI)

The Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI) brings a fresh focus to the global problem of plastics waste as an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences. We are developing a comprehensive polymer plastics waste (PPW) upgrading strategy that combines fundamental discoveries in catalytic technology and chemical functionalization with innovations in polymer design and additive manufacturing and is enabled by the leveraging of computational, data science, characterization, and systems design tools. We target these scientific pursuits toward the transformation of complex PPW streams into high-value fuels, lubricants, monomers, and functional polymers.

For additional information, please see https://cpi.udel.edu/

Center for Public Horticulture

The Center for Public Horticulture is based within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and links the resources and expertise of UD faculty with public horticultural professionals and public gardens nationwide. Through this partnership, the Center’s vision is to develop educational programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and existing professionals in the field, as well as produce and disseminate original, interdisciplinary research that will forge new partnerships, enhance the skills of industry leaders, and set the standard for public horticulture practices of the future.

For additional information, visit the Center’s website at http://www.publichorticulture.udel.edu or contact the director, Dr. Robert Lyons at rlyons@udel.edu.

Center for Remote Sensing

The Center for Remote Sensing serves as a focal point for basic and applied research on remote sensing of the physical and biological properties of the oceans and the coastal zone. The Center employs about a dozen faculty, staff, graduate students, and visiting scientists.  The Center specializes in interdisciplinary research and training, with emphasis on coastal processes, marine resources, and ocean-atmosphere coupling. Research vessels, aircraft, and satellites equipped with multispectral, infrared, and microwave sensors are used for gathering data. Advanced computer systems are employed to analyze and enhance the satellite imagery.

In addition to course work, graduate students prepare theses or dissertations on satellite oceanography, global climate change, local impact of sea-level rise, optical physics of coastal waters, wetland productivity and health, pollutant drift and dispersion, coastal environmental indicators, and application of remote sensing and GIS to coastal resource management. This research is supported by federal and state agencies as well as commercial firms and private foundations.

The Center has conducted coastal and ocean studies in various parts of the world and has provided training to more than 300 scientists and students from the U.S. and 23 foreign countries. The Center was recognized by NASA as a Center for Excellence in the application of remote sensing to regional and global environmental assessment of coastal/marine resources.

For additional details, call Dr. X.H. Yan, Co-Director, at (302) 831-3694, or visit http://www.udel.edu/CRS/

Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP)

For additional information, please see https://www.cresp.udel.edu/

Center for Research in Soft matter & Polymers (CRiSP)

Established in the Spring of 2019 as a research unit within the College of Engineering of the University of Delaware, the Center for Research in Soft matter & Polymers (CRiSP) serves to collaboratively advance transformative polymers and soft materials research by leveraging the burgeoning excellence of UD faculty, students, staff, and outside partnerships in this fast-growing and highly interdisciplinary field. CRiSP’s research impact areas include human health (tissue engineering; drug delivery), sustainability/energy (renewable materials; membranes; self-healing systems; coatings/mechanics), and protection and personal care (composites; colloids). The center has strengths in materials synthesis, computation, characterization, instrumentation development, processing, technology development, and industrial collaboration. CRiSP is home to world-recognized faculty in polymers and soft materials (including National Academy Members, journal editors, scientific society presidents, national award winners, national advisory board members), and leverages a close proximity to global leaders in the chemical industry, national laboratories, and government agencies.

For additional information, visit the Center’s website at https://sites.udel.edu/udcrisp or contact Kristi Halberg at khalberg@udel.edu.

Center for Research Use in Education (CRUE)

For additional information, please see https://crue.cehd.udel.edu/

Center for Spintronics and Biodetection

Center for Spintronics and Biodetection conducts research on the frontiers of the second-generation spintronics involving electron spin transport, pure spin currents, coherent spin dynamics, and spin-dependent noise phenomena in multi-layered nanostructures consisting of ferromagnets, metals, insulators, and semiconductors. In addition, spintronic devices are also investigated as elements of sensors for biomolecules (nucleic acids and proteins). CSB research facilities are located at the University of Delaware and Brown University, while its funding comes from the Department of Energy and the State of Delaware.

For additional information, please visit: wiki.physics.udel.edu/csb/Main_Page.

Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning (CTAL)

The Center for Teaching & Assessment of Learning (CTAL) is a university-wide unit that supports the campus community of educators by fostering high quality teaching, learning, and assessment practices. CTAL supports all faculty full-time and part-time, administrators, graduate students, and staff in their instructional activities and provides a range of services to ensure academic career success.

Its primary functions are to: enhance the visibility and recognition for effective teaching and assessment resulting in significant student learning; provide opportunities for enriching teaching experience and improving teaching practice for all faculty and graduate students who teach; promote faculty reflective dialogues in a collegial, supportive, and inclusive environment; support faculty and departments in the integration and assessment of University-wide General Education initiatives; offer grant opportunities that further the University’s academic signature programs and strategic initiatives; support the pedagogical and professional development of graduate students who contribute to the University’s teaching mission; consult with faculty and departments in designing curricula that directly reflect intended student learning outcomes; and document educational effectiveness through the collection of assessment data.

CTAL is located in 212 Gore Hall, phone 302-831-2027, Email: CTAL-info@udel.edu. Further information is available at http://www.ctal.udel.edu.

Center for the Study of Pollutants in the Environment

The Center for the Study of Pollutants in the Environment is a multi-institutional consortium of scientists and engineers working to further the understanding of processes affecting the fate and effects of pollutants in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Significant gaps in the ability to predict the fate and effects of metals in both aquatic and terrestrial systems continue to hamper appropriate risk assessments and cost-effective risk management. In these situations, decisions include many assumptions and the application of safety factors. The focus of the Center is on developing appropriate information so that regulatory decisions will be based on sound scientific principles.

For additional information, please visit http://sites.udel.edu/cspe.

Center for Translational Cancer Research

Translational cancer research defines a means of transferring basic discoveries in the laboratory into new clinical interventions for the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, or prevention of cancer with a direct benefit to the patient. This idea forms the basis of our “Discovery to Recovery” motto. We aim to foster the immediate translation of results from ongoing clinical trials into improved patient treatment planning and health decision making. We also seek to implement a cultural transformation of the cancer research endeavor into one composed of multidisciplinary teams organized around a common purpose.

For additional information, please visit: www.udel.edu/ctcr/.

Collaborative for Data Driven Action (CDDA)

For additional information, please see https://www.cehd.udel.edu/dera/

Computer Architecture and Parallel Systems Lab (CAPSL)

At the Computer Architecture and Parallel Systems Laboratory (CAPSL), our main research interests include highperformance parallel computing architecture, system software, parallel programming, and tools for both traditional supercomputers as well as high-performance embedded systems. We are also specialized in mapping applications to a number of areas including bioinformatics.

For additional information, please visit: www.capsl.udel.edu/.

Cooperative Extension System

Delaware Cooperative Extension System is part of a nationwide system whose mission is to connect the public with university knowledge, research and resources to address youth, family, community, and agricultural needs. In so doing, Cooperative Extension enables people to improve their lives and communities by developing learning partnerships that put knowledge to work. Cooperative Extension serves as an educational resource to the people of Delaware for extending research results and advances in technology and is administered through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

A major thrust of the Cooperative Extension system is to target programs to address critical issues that relate to youth, family, community, and agricultural needs. The accelerating expansion of technology, the deteriorating situation in portions of the agricultural sector, and the dynamic social conditions faced by many Americans, rural and metropolitan, require Extension to reassess priorities and continuously adapt programs and activities to meet needs.

Undergraduate students have opportunities to apply for Extension’s summer intern program and thereby be designated as an Extension Scholar. As an Extension Scholar, students gain practical experience in dealing with and in providing information to the public on a wide variety of areas including agriculture, community/economic development, family and consumer sciences, food and nutrition, 4-H youth development, horticulture, and water and soil quality.

For additional information, please go to http://ag.udel.edu/extension.

Delaware Asteroseismic Research Center (DARC)

The Delaware Asteroseismology Research Center’s mission is to promote and facilitate the study of stellar seismology. To accomplish this goal, DARC takes the lead in organizing an international cooperative observing network distributed in longitude around the globe and coordinated from a single site. Our goal is to continuously monitor stars of interest for periods of two weeks to 1 month.

For additional information, please visit: www.physics.udel.edu/darc/darc.html.

Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI)

The Delaware Biotechnology Institute is a multidisciplinary academic unit of the University devoted to the discovery and application of new knowledge in the life sciences. The Institute provides support and leadership for statewide partnerships that involve institutions of higher education, state government, industry and the medical community. The Institute is actively engaged in STEM K-12 outreach activities in the region.

The Institute is engaged in research covering a range of areas important to Delaware including agriculture, marine ecosystems, human health, and biomaterials. The Delaware Biotechnology Institute provides opportunities for both fundamental and applied research, as well as collaboration with business entities to commercialize the results of research.

The Institute provides graduate and undergraduate students with research experience and access to high quality, professionally-managed research instrumentation. The Institute collaborates in developing new interdisciplinary research experiences and life science education programs at the graduate and undergraduate level. Delaware Biotechnology Institute serves as a bridge linking academia and the public and private sectors to facilitate internships for students.

In the application of new knowledge, the Institute acts as a focal point for science and technology-based economic development, supporting and attracting new life science enterprises thereby creating new high quality jobs.

For additional information, please visit our website at www.dbi.udel.edu.

Delaware Center for Musculoskeletal Research (COBRE)

The Delaware Center for Musculoskeletal Research (DCMR) supports basic and preclinical research on the center theme of musculoskeletal health - from the level fo the joints to the actions of key cells and molecules - with emphasis on understanding the mechanisms by which physical and biological cues influence tissue structure and normal function and dysfunction, and identifying potential therapeutic interventions.   We aim to:

  • Accelerate fundamental musculoskeletal research by supporting synergistic and multidisciplinary research projects.
  • Galvanize capabilities for musculoskeletal research by establishing a Multiscale Assessments Research Core.
  • Amplify the impact of musculoskeletal research through faculty mentoring, expansion, and retention.

For additional information, please see https://sites.udel.edu/engr-dcmr/

Delaware Center for Transportation (DCT)

The Delaware Center for Transportation (DCT), part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, provides a university-wide multidisciplinary program of transportation-related research, educational, and instructional activities. DCT identifies research and training opportunities with state and federal agencies as well as private organizations. The mission of DCT is to improve the movement of people, goods and ideas and to be viewed as a valuable resource for transportation-related issues and challenges within the state, the mid-Atlantic region and beyond.

For additional information, please visit http://www.ce.udel.edu/dct/.

Delaware Education Research & Development Center

The Delaware Education Research & Development Center is part of the College of Education and Human Development. The Center conducts high quality research, program evaluation, and policy analysis. Since 1993, the Center has served as a bridge from the university to schools, human service providers, policymakers, and the wider community. DERDC develops each project in partnership with clients, which include educational institutions, non-profit groups, foundations, and local, state and federal government agencies, drawing upon a variety of research and evaluation models and methods to help clients clarify and meet the specific needs of their projects.

For additional information, e-mail jbuttram@udel.edu; call (302) 831-4434 or see www.rdc.udel.edu.

Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN)

The Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) seeks to provide solutions to pressing environmental challenges by supporting collaborations that integrate science, engineering, social science and policy. DENIN initiates interdisciplinary research projects and supports interdisciplinary academic programs, including student internships and fellowships. Drawing on the expertise of its 200 affiliated faculty, the Institute focuses on research in biogeosciences, water quality, climate, land use, environmental monitoring and forecasting, and human impacts. DENIN provides academic, government and industrial partners broad access to experts from multiple disciplines in a joint effort to advance environmental science, promote environmental education, and devise innovative strategies for environmental preservation, remediation and resilience.

For additional information, please visit denin.udel.edu

Delaware Geological Survey

The Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) is a science-based, public-service driven Delaware state agency at the University of Delaware (UD) that conducts geologic and hydrologic research, service, and exploration for the benefit of the citizens of the First State. The mission of the DGS is to provide objective earth science information, advice, and service to its stakeholders-the citizens, policy makers, industries, and educational institutions of Delaware. DGS research and service activities are focused on five areas: (1) geology, (2) hydrology, (3) natural hazards, (4) the state geospatial framework, and (5) information dissemination. These efforts impact a wide variety of issues ranging from water resources, agriculture, environmental protection, and energy and mineral resources to economic development, land-use planning, emergency management, public health, and recreation. As our responsibilities have continued to grow over the years, we have maintained a dedication to ensuring our program priorities are aligned with the greatest needs of Delaware’s citizens.

A geologic survey of Delaware was originally authorized in 1837 for a period of four years under the direction of James C. Booth, State Geologist. A permanent state geological survey was established by the Delaware General Assembly in 1951 and is funded by direct state appropriation. The 1951 statute founding the Survey contains its fundamental charges: study the geology of Delaware, investigate mineral and water resources, advise state government, and provide the results of its studies to the citizens and agencies of Delaware through publication and consultation. Additional responsibilities have been assigned over the years as the varied applications of the Survey’s basic mission were recognized: notable among these are spatial data coordination, direct support for emergency planning, response, and recovery, and involvement in water-supply planning.

The DGS has a unique position both as a University research and service unit and as a state agency. Financial, personnel, and other administrative matters are managed by the University. The DGS budget is funded by an annual direct appropriation from the State of Delaware with related reporting responsibilities to both the Office of the Governor and the Delaware General Assembly. The DGS provides objective, factual information for the benefit of our stakeholders, impacting public policy decisions as well as solutions for individuals, business, and industry. In addition, we contribute to the educational mission of the University through collaboration with faculty and students on research projects of value to Delawareans. Solidifying that relationship, the DGS became formally affiliated within the University’s growing College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment in July, 2008. Most DGS scientists have secondary faculty appointments in the College’s Department of Geological Sciences.

Scientific excellence is the foundation of the organization. The ability of the DGS to maintain a reputation for conducting objective, quality scientific research is in large part the result of the recruitment and retention of talented people, excellent resources and equipment, and the location of the unit at a University with an established reputation for academic and research excellence. The unit’s strong scientific reputation is reflected in the peer-reviewed publication record of DGS staff and the number of invitations to serve in leadership and organizational roles for regional and national professional organizations.

The DGS consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to ensuring that Delaware’s citizens benefit from a service-oriented technical organization that addresses critical quality-of-life issues in geology and hydrology. Its close ties with other State agencies, extensive advisement of decision-makers, and regular interactions with the Delaware public ensure that the Survey’s work program is aligned with stakeholder needs. The non-regulatory nature of its state-agency responsibilities provides independence that lends objectivity to its scientific findings.

The DGS recognizes the importance of evolving in a digital information age to keep pace with constantly changing needs for managing and disseminating earth science information. The organization has a strong foundation of GIS, database management and technological infrastructure and is actively engaged in new opportunities that will allow it to achieve the goal of being a leader in web-based dissemination of digital geologic, hydrologic, and geospatial data of value to its stakeholders.

The DGS greatly values its place as member of the University of Delaware community and is dedicated to capitalizing on a unique university role. Delaware is unique among East Coast states in the location of a state geological survey on the campus of the state’s premier research university. This enables the Survey to provide unique practical experiences to University of Delaware students that are mutually beneficial to the Survey’s research and service responsibilities and to the University’s educational mission.

For additional information, contact the Survey at (302) 831-2833, by email at delgeosurvey@udel.edu, or on the web at www.dgs.udel.edu.

Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC)

For additional information, please see https://www.dieec.udel.edu/

Delaware Sea Grant College Program

In 1966, Congress established the National Sea Grant College Program. The term “Sea Grant” was chosen to emphasize the parallel between this new program, focusing on the nation’s marine resources, and the Land Grant program, which was created more than a century earlier to develop our agricultural resources. Today, there are Sea Grant programs in every coastal state and in Puerto Rico. Programs work individually and in partnership regionally and nationally to address major marine challenges.

Since then, DESG’s goal has been to promote the wise use, conservation, and management of marine and coastal resources through high-quality research, education, and outreach activities that benefit the public and the environment.

The University of Delaware received its first Sea Grant funding, for oyster research, in 1968. Two years later, marine research and education activities expanded dramatically at the University of Delaware with the founding of the College of Marine Studies - an all-graduate institution. In 1976, in recognition of its academic excellence and a strong foundation of statewide support, the University of Delaware was named the nation’s ninth Sea Grant College, and the administration of the new program was assigned to the UD College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment to reflect the broadening of its scope.

Currently, Delaware Sea Grant is conducting research in priority areas ranging from seafood safety to coastal hazards, preparing the next generation of environmental leaders through hands-on research and educational activities, and sharing trustworthy information on coastal topics with people from all walks of life.

The Delaware Sea Grant College Program is funded by the National Sea Grant College Program in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce; the State of Delaware; and the University of Delaware.

The program is administered with input and guidance from our Sea Grant Advisory Council, whose members hail from marine-oriented business and industry, resource management and engineering firms, state government, public interest groups, the pre-college educational sector, and the media. We are committed to excellence in marine research, education, and public service and look forward to addressing new coastal problems and opportunities for the benefit of Delawareans and the environment.

For additional information, please visit: www.deseagrant.org/.

Delaware Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)

The Delaware Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) is a statewide small business assistance program headquartered at the University of Delaware in the Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships. The SBTDC is the primary small business assistance agency for the state of Delaware. The mission of the SBTDC is to create value for Delaware by engaging, challenging, and guiding businesses to grow, prosper, and achieve their goals. Additionally, SBTDC offers specialized assistance in helping businesses sell their goods and services to federal, state, and local governments, as well as SBIR/STTR research grant assistance and other business advisory services for technology- and knowledge-based businesses.

The Small Business Act of 1980 authorized the creation of an SBDC program in every state and territory of the United States, and the SBTDC is part of a national network of over 1,200 centers. In Delaware, there are service centers conveniently located in each of the three counties. The program is a partnership with the University of Delaware, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Delaware Economic Development Office.

For additional information visit www.delawaresbdc.org or call 302-831-0770.

Delaware Space Grant Program

This program is funded by NASA in order to train students and researchers in the state of Delaware in the areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and geography.

By means of this training, the state of Delaware aims to help in contributing to the technically literate workforce which NASA will need in the years ahead.

A primary goal of Delaware Space Grant is to provide academic-year scholarship and fellowship opportunities to undergraduates and graduates who attend colleges in the Consortium. The Grant strongly encourages students at the Consortium colleges and universities to consider applying for these funds at the appropriate time of year.

Funds are also provided for research infrastructure which will assist in the training of students and post-doctoral fellows in a variety of NASA-related fields. The program supports internships in industry and at NASA centers, both during the summer, and also during the academic year. Funding is also provided for a significant number of programs which are aimed at professional development of pre-college teachers.

For additional information, please visit: www.delspace.org/.

Delaware Water Resources Center (DWRC)

The Delaware Water Resources Center (DWRC), established in 1965, is part of a network of 54 Water Resources Research Institutes throughout the nation. The U.S. Geological Survey provides oversight of the nation’s Water Resources Centers through the National Institute of Water Resources.

The DWRC has three goals: to support research that will provide solutions to Delaware’s priority water problems; to promote the training and education of future water scientists, engineers, and policy makers; and to disseminate research results to water managers and the public.

Faculty in agriculture, engineering, marine and earth studies, and the physical and social sciences conduct research on water supply, water quality control and management, and water resources planning. Grants are awarded to faculty on a competitive basis each year to support undergraduate internships and graduate student assistantships. A national competitive grants research program is also available.

For additional information, please see http://ag.udel.edu/dwrc/ or contact the director of the DWRC, Dr. Tom Sims, jtsims@udel.edu.

Disaster Research Center (DRC)

The Disaster Research Center (DRC) is an interdisciplinary research unit in the UD Research Office. The center was established at Ohio State University in 1963 and was moved to the University of Delaware in 1985. The Center was elevated to a college center in 2006 and then a University-wide center in 2007. DRC is recognized as the first research center in the world devoted to the study of disasters from the perspective of the social sciences. The Center conducts research on group, organizational, and community preparedness for, response to, mitigation of, and recovery from natural and technological disasters and other community-wide crises. Our findings are geared towards creating both academic and practical knowledge development in the field of disasters. Researchers at DRC have conducted over 600 field studies since the Center’s inception, traveling to communities throughout the United States and to a number of foreign countries in order to carry out systematic studies on a broad range of disaster types. Among other hazards, we have examined the societal impacts of hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hazardous chemical incidents, plane crashes, and civil disturbances.

Although its main focus has been on disasters and other community crises in the United States, DRC personnel have frequently worked closely with members of the international hazards research community. DRC maintains ongoing contact with researchers throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, Mexico, Japan, and Australia, some of whom have been visiting research associates at the Center for periods of up to a year. In recent years, DRC has also organized several multinational research conferences focusing on disaster issues in Central America, Southern Asia, Europe, Japan, and Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Graduate and undergraduate training are also integral components of DRC’s mission. DRC graduate students work closely with faculty on all facets of funded research projects from grant writing to final reports. Many students have the opportunity to author or co-author publications in scholarly journals on topics related to these research projects and to use DRC data for their masters theses and doctoral dissertations. Our graduates are well respected in the field and have gone on to work in a number of related institutions including: higher education, government agencies, NGOs, and as private sector consultants. DRC undergraduates are also integrated into research projects. With mentoring from graduate researchers, these students are exposed to research techniques such as literature reviews, database creation, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and professional writing. Undergraduates are expected to actively contribute to projects.

Further, DRC is also a site for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, “Hazards, Disasters, and Society: Training the Future Generations of Social Science Researchers,” providing 10 undergraduate students each summer with hands-on research training to enhance their understanding of the social science aspects of disasters. DRC faculty also support the Emergency and Environmental Management Concentration for Sociology majors.

In addition to maintaining its own databases on disaster topics, DRC serves as a repository for materials produced by other agencies and researchers. DRC’s specialized Resource Collection, which contains the world’s most complete collection on the social and behavioral aspects of disasters and now numbering more than 55,000 items, is open to scholars, students, and professionals involved in emergency management research. The Center has its own book, monograph, and report series with over 500 publications.

For additional information about DRC projects, publications, staff or history, please visit the website at http://www.udel.edu/DRC.

Early Learning Center

The UD Early Learning Centers located in Newark and Wilmington provide nationally accredited early care and education programs and services for more than 250 children from birth through age nine and their families, thereby creating high quality, data-rich sites for observation, clinical placement and research by UD students and faculty. The Centers actively participate in academic, research and professional development activities to inform and enhance practice in the field of early care and education in collaboration with UD faculty, state, national, and international initiatives.

The nationally accredited Early Learning Center Newark was established as a university-wide research and clinical center in 2004 and serves 240 children and their families annually. The children range in age from birth through nine years, and are served 11 hours per day year-round; 30% of these families fall within the federal definition of a family living in poverty and 20% of the enrollment is reserved for children with disabilities. The racial and economic diversity of the families reflects the diversity of the state.

The Early Learning Center Wilmington became a University program in 2007 to add an urban component to the clinical and research capacity of the Centers in partnership with the Southbridge Neighborhood House Inc. and New Directions Early Head Start. The Wilmington site serves 32 children from six weeks to age three and their families in a 10-hour per day year-round program; 100% of these families fall within the definition of a household in poverty.

For additional information on the UD Early Learning Centers, please see www.udel.edu/elc, or contact Peg Bradley, Director, at pbradley@udel.edu.

Exelon Trading Center

The primary objective of the Exelon Trading Center is to increase the quality of the academic experience within the Lerner College by allowing our students to experience real time hands-on professional applications of the industry, and empowering our faculty with high-tech teaching tools. This discovery-based learning facility allows the Lerner College to stay abreast of the fast-paced world of financial markets. We offer our students a real world experience that provides them with a unique skill set. Students in Finance, Economics, HRIM, Accounting, MIS, and other classes use the center to put theory into practice. Workshops teach students the basics of working with sophisticated financial software. Professional training courses and executive education classes are also conducted in the center. When the trading center is not used for classes and workshops, it is available for students to complete research and assignments.

The Exelon Trading Center is a 2,200 square foot educational trading facility designed to replicate the trading floors in investment banks, brokerage houses, and hedge funds on Wall Street. We incorporate the same computer hardware, software, networks, and market data feeds that are found in every financial institution throughout the world. The center contains sixteen classroom workstations, four research room workstations, an instructor podium, and real-time feeds to two tickers and four LCD displays.

For additional information, please visit: www.lerner.udel.edu/centers/etc.

Halophyte Biotechnology Center

The Mission of this Center is to improve salt-tolerant crops for use in salt-afflicted agroecosystems using biotechnology. Develop varieties of plants for saline wetlands restoration that will drive high productivity ecosystems without continual human input. Disseminate knowledge about using salt-tolerant plant varieties to develop sustainable agriculture in areas of the world where soils are salinized or only saline water is available for irrigation and to solve wetland restoration problems. Exchange information on the performance of varieties of salt-tolerant plants under various types of agroecosystems (ie. rainfed, irrigated, tidal) and wetland restoration sites.

For additional information, please visit: www.ceoe.udel.edu/Halophyte/.

History Media Center

The History Media Center is a multimedia resource facility servicing the University of Delaware Department of History. Since 1970, the Center has provided history faculty, graduate students, and history education students with the use of, and instruction in, electronic media for teaching and research through the creative application of technology. The Center’s resources encompass a number of teaching collections including slides, maps, transparencies, videos, DVDs, music CDs, audio cassettes, and educational software. Technical equipment is available to produce multimedia lectures including computers, laptops, data projectors, scanners, video and audio players, digital cameras and recorders, and 35mm cameras.

The Center houses a collection of over 190,000 slides, covering images in American, European, and World history, of which more than 12,000 circulate each year. An easy-to-use database lets patrons search for slides using key words, time period, or geographic location. The World history slide collection is available in digital format and the Center’s staff is currently digitizing slides from the European history slide collection. History Media Center staff assist users with the selection of video programs from over 700 videotapes and DVDs including academic films, documentaries, international films, special purpose videos, and feature films.

The Center’s staff also provide other services for the History department including graphic design and desktop publishing; photography and digital imagery; slide scanning; development of multimedia slide shows; assistance with equipment and media scheduling and maintenance; assistance with Sakai and webpage design, coordination of book orders with faculty and the University Bookstore, and general computer and software technical assistance.

For more information, please see www.udel.edu/History/hmc.

Industrial Assessment Center (IAC)

The IAC is charged with the assessment and improvement of energy efficiency of small to medium sized businesses in the Mid-Atlantic region. The IAC program is intended to train young engineers to better understand how the role of energy efficiency and renewable energy can play in manufacturing and industrial processes. Participating students gain practical experience and hands-on training in energy engineering.

Contact: Keith Goossen (302) 831-0590 - goossen@udel.edu

For additional information, please visit:  https://sites.udel.edu/iac/

Institute for Global Studies

The Institute for Global Studies (IGS) is the principal administrative unit dedicated to the internationalization of the University of Delaware community. IGS promotes and supports faculty and staff participation in international teaching, research, service, grant development, and other professional activities. The Institute promotes and supports student involvement in international issues by developing and managing university study abroad programs, sponsoring speakers and lectures on international issues and themes, and working with academic units to further international education on campus. The Institute also provides academic units with direct support in the development of institutional agreements to help develop global linkages and collaborative activities.

Some of the Institute’s ongoing activities include:

  • over 80 study abroad programs to more than 40 countries annually;
  • undergraduate and graduate exchange programs with numerous institutions overseas;
  • the IGS Global Exchange (IGS-Globex) program, supporting faculty to develop high-impact projects and activities that are global in nature;
  • managing over 180 University of Delaware agreements with colleges and universities around the world;
  • developing and administering grants from multiple funding agencies;
  • conducting ongoing research regarding the status and scope of international activities at the University of Delaware; and
  • working with academic departments and colleges to increase the number of curricular offerings with international content and to expand education abroad opportunities.

As a service to the State of Delaware and the local community, the Institute also works closely with local public and civic organizations, as well as the private sector, to help nurture a community of citizens that is aware of, and responsive to, the opportunities and challenges of today’s interdependent world.

For additonal information, please contact IGS at Elliott Hall, 26 East Main Street, (302) 831-2852, or visit the IGS website at www.udel.edu/global.

Institute for Public Administration (IPA)

Established in 1973, The Institute for Public Administration (IPA) is a public service, education, and research center that links the resource capacities of the University of Delaware with the complex public policy and management needs of governments and related nonprofit and private organizations. IPA provides direct staff assistance, research, policy analysis, training, and forums while contributing to the scholarly body of knowledge. Program areas include civic education, comprehensive planning, conflict resolution, education management, health policy, leadership development, state and local management, transportation policy, and water resources. IPA supports and enhances the educational experiences of students through the effective integration of applied research, professional development opportunities, and internships.

More than 25 graduate research assistants work for IPA on a wide range of significant research and public service projects. IPA also provides research opportunities to undergraduate students interested in public policy through its Public Service Fellows Program. In addition, IPA manages the Internship Program for the School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy. Under this program, graduate students have completed internships in government, nonprofit, and private agencies. IPA also manages the Legislative Fellows Program, which is co-sponsored by the Delaware General Assembly and the University of Delaware. This program offers competitively selected graduate students and senior-level undergraduate students the opportunity to work directly with legislators in addressing critical issues facing the state. In recent years, Fellows have conducted nonpartisan, in-depth research on complex public policy issues as diverse as land-use planning, electric utility deregulation, credit fraud and identity theft, and education reform.

IPA’s main office is on the University’s Newark campus in 180 Graham Hall. Dr. Jerome Lewis is the director of IPA.

For additional information on IPA or its programs, call (302) 831-8971 or visit the website at www.ipa.udel.edu.

Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education (ITUE)

The Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education (ITUE) is committed to continuous improvement of undergraduate education through faculty development and course design. ITUE actively promotes the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills in our students. To meet these goals, ITUE advocates effective use of instructional technology combined with active learning strategies, including problem-based learning. Undergraduate students at UD benefit directly from the reform activities of ITUE, an internationally recognized leader in bringing problem-based learning to the undergraduate curriculum.

ITUE Faculty Fellowships are awarded annually. During an intensive three-day session or distributed semester-long series, Faculty Fellows receive hands-on experience in employing active learning and web-based approaches. In addition, Fellows receive small grants to help facilitate their course transformations. Additional follow-up sessions are scheduled throughout the academic year.

For additional information, please contact George Watson (302) 831-0740; e-mail: ud-itue@udel.edu or visit www.udel.edu/inst.

Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC)

The Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC), established at the University of Delaware in 1972, is a laboratory devoted to research and development of thin-film photovoltaic solar cells and other photonic devices. IEC was designated a University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic Research and Education by the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 1992. Fundamental materials and device research is carried out in parallel with process engineering studies and analysis of film deposition processes. The broad scope of the research and development effort offers opportunity for study in the field of physics, chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering as well as collaboration with industrial groups seeking to manufacture and commercialize photovoltaics. IEC is a totally integrated laboratory in which materials and films are synthesized and characterized and electrical devices are fabricated and analyzed, offering the unique experience of correlating properties of completed devices with their fabrication processing all under one roof. Close collaboration between IEC staff and thin film photovoltaic industrial partners insures that the research is relevant to today’s technology and includes state-of-the-art process development.

The Institute is staffed by approximately 20 professional and support personnel as well as faculty, visiting scholars, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students. Professional staff members jointly supervise graduate students for Masters and Doctorate degrees in conjunction with the departments of Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics. The professional staff members also lecture in undergraduate and graduate level courses, supervise undergraduate student research projects, and are active in related professional organizations. In addition to these resources, students conducting research at IEC have the opportunity for internships at other laboratories such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Denver, CO and at industrial facilities.

For additional information, please see www.udel.edu/iec.

Institute of Soil and Environmental Quality (ISEQ)

The Institute of Soil and Environmental Quality (ISEQ), established in 2002, is a center of excellence for research, education, and outreach programs that provide science-based solutions to the many environmental problems involving our soil resources. The ISEQ has a three-fold mission:

To conduct basic and applied research on soil and environmental quality issues. Integral to this research is a rigorous, comprehensive graduate and undergraduate education program dedicated to training new soil and environmental scientists. Our research faculty emphasize interdisciplinary research between soil scientists and colleagues in agronomy, chemistry, engineering, marine and earth studies, hydrology, resource economics, and environmental policy. As part of this, the ISEQ supports graduate assistantships and an undergraduate internship program in soil and environmental science.

To serve as an unbiased scientific advisory body for state, regional, and national advisory and regulatory agencies, policymakers, and governmental leaders on issues related to soil and environmental quality. All scientists affiliated with the ISEQ serve on a Scientific Advisory Panel that responds to technical questions from the public and private sector on soil and environmental science issues.

To conduct public education and outreach programs designed to further public understanding of soil and environmental quality issues and thus foster effective citizen involvement in environmental policy-making. The ISEQ provides training programs and educational aids related to soil and environmental sciences for K-12 teachers. We also conduct and support environmental education activities, such as summer environmental camps and workshops, for youth, parents, and teachers.

For additional information, please see http://ag.udel.edu/iseq/ or contact the ISEQ director, Dr. Tom Sims, jtsims@udel.edu.

Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center

The mission of the College of Arts and Sciences’ Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center is to strengthen faculty research and creative activity, support interdisciplinary teaching and research collaborations and curriculum innovations, and enhance intellectual community and public engagement.

For additional information about current projects, grant opportunities, and a calendar of activities, see: http://www.udel.edu/ihrc/. Or contact: Dr. Ann Ardis aardis@artsci.udel.edu.

Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy

For 35 years, the Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy has conducted a broad range of research and policy studies on the management of ocean and coastal areas at local, regional, national and international levels. Housed in the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, the Mangone Center was the first Center of its kind created at an American university.

The Center’s current research work focuses on six major themes:

  1. Integrated coastal and ocean management around the world;
  2. United States national ocean and coastal policy;
  3. implementation of international ocean agreements;
  4. marine aquaculture policy;
  5. marine biotechnology policy; and
  6. regional marine ecosystem management.

In addition to its active research program, the Center organizes conferences and publications and serves as the editorial home to the international journal, Ocean & Coastal Management (12 issues each year); hosts visiting scholars; administers educational exchange programs (between the United States and Europe; among Canada, the United States and Mexico; between the United States and the Caribbean; and between the United States and Brazil); provides research opportunities for graduate students; provides policy focused internships for undergraduate students; and provides policy advice to a wide range of governmental and non-governmental entities, both domestic and international (examples include the World Bank, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission/UNESCO, the UN Environment Programme, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control).

The Center also hosts the International Coastal and Ocean Organization, the Secretariat for the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, which brings together leading ocean experts from governments, nongovernmental organizations, international entities, and the private sector, in multi-stakeholder global dialogues, policy analysis, and public outreach, aimed at advancing the interests of oceans (incorporating 72% of the Earth), coasts (the home of 50% of the world’s population), and islands (44 of the world’s nations are small island developing states which are especially dependent on the oceans).

For additional information, please contact Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Director, at (302) 831-8086 or visit http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/CMP/.

OCEANIC-The Ocean Information Center

The Ocean Information Center (OCEANIC) mission is to research existing and emerging hardware and software technologies. Priorities are to develop open and extensible solutions to real-world data modeling, computation, visualization, collaboration, storage and information mining opportunities for the ocean research community.

Current Projects:

  • University Oceanographic Laboratory Services (UNOLS) IT Development & Infrastructure
  • Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Infrastructure, Development and Support for the ORB Lab
  • International Research Ships Schedules & Information Project

Past Projects:

  • Global Observing System Information Center (GOSIC) prototyping and development (transferred to NOAA)
  • Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere/Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA/COARE) (transferred to NOAA)
  • World Ocean Circulation Experiment Data and Information Unit (WOCE DIU) - (transferred to NOAA)

For additional information, please visit: www.oceanic.udel.edu.

Office of Educational Technology (OET)

The Office of Educational Technology (OET) supports instructional and desktop computing, provides technological leadership to academic and teacher education programs, and offers contract- and grant-supported services for technology integration to partners in College of Education and Human Development initiatives, such as K-12 schools, non-profit groups and government agencies. OET sponsors the annual New Arc Academy for 4th to 8th grade students with a focus on math, science and technology.

For additional information, visit the web site at www.udel.edu/oet.

School Success Center (SSC)

For additional information, please see https://www.dasl.udel.edu/ and https://www.pdce.udel.edu/

Sociotechnical Systems Center (SSC)

The Sociotechnical Systems Center (SSC) is a collaborative and interdisciplinary community at the University of Delaware with shared research interests and goals in addressing complex sociotechnical systems challenges. The mission of SSC is to develop rigorous, system-based approaches aimed at addressing current challenges founded at the intersection of technological, social, and institutional dimensions.

University of Delaware Botanic Gardens

UD Botanic Gardens contributes to an understanding of the changing relationships between plants and people through education, extension, research, and community support.

For additional information, please visit: ag.udel.edu/udbg/index.htm.

University of Delaware Energy Institute (UDEI)

The Delaware Energy Institute (DEI), together with the University of Delaware and other partner institutions, aims to marshal science, engineering and public policy expertise in new and emerging energy technologies.  DEI pursues new solutions to challenges in energy sufficiency and sustainability - expanding our knowledge, shaping our future, and transforming our world.

More than 250 DIE-affiliated researchers are hard at work on advancing knowledge in energy policy, catalysts, solar power, and more.  Additionally, DEI counts multiple affiliated and partnering institutes, programs and initiatives to help advance its mission in renewable energy research.  Notable research areas include photovoltaics; catalysts for fuel production; lightweight composites for fuel-efficient vehicles and wind turbines; energy efficiency and conservation; energy and environmental policy; fuel cell science and technology; wind power; grid-integrated vehicle technology; energy storage; chemical reaction engineering, and more.

DEI strives to identify knowledge gaps, provide resources for our faculty and students, and build community partnerships that will strengthen our mission to serve not only as a focal point for energy at the University of Delaware, but the world.

For more information, visit dei.udel.edu  

University of Delaware Press

The University of Delaware Press publishes books in many scholarly fields and disciplines. These books reach a worldwide intellectual and academic community. Presently, its major strengths are in literary studies, art history and history, including the life and culture of Delaware and the Eastern Shore. The Press offers assistantships to qualified graduate students. These students work with the director to learn the day-to-day operations of a scholarly press, and can gain experience in various areas, assisting with editorial, marketing, web/social media, and administrative tasks. Students typically work 5-20 hours a week, depending on availability, and may represent the press at annual conventions and meetings of scholars and academics.

Interested students should contact Julia Oestreich, director, at 302-831-1149 or joestrei@udel.edu.

Water Resources Agency

The mission of the Water Resources Agency (WRA) is to provide water resources planning and policy assistance to governments in Delaware, the Delaware Valley, and along the Eastern Seaboard through the University’s land grant public service, education, and research role. Its goal is to be recognized as the best university water-resources planning and policy organization east of the Mississippi River.

For additional information, please visit: www.ipa.udel.edu/wra/.

John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance

The John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware’s mission is to foster education, thoughtful debate, and innovation in the field of corporate governance. Its programs provide forums for corporate board members, the legal community, the judiciary, academia and students, in which theories are created, ideas are advanced, and progressive changes come to life. Since its founding in 2000, the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance has helped influence the debate on some of the most important policy matters in corporate governance. Weinberg Center programs include academic symposiums, director education colleges, conferences, distinguished speaker series, research and comment letters and a blog and podcast series. The Weinberg Center is one of the longest standing corporate governance centers in academia, and its mission remains as relevant as ever in light of the constantly shifting dynamics in the US and global marketplace.

For additional information, please visit http://sites.udel.edu/wccg/ or contact the Center at contact the Center at (302) 831-6157.