Nov. 11: Science Cafe returns to Newark
November 4th, 2009
The Science, Ethics, and Public Policy Program (SEPP) at the University of Delaware will bring its Science Cafe program back to downtown Newark this fall, for more informal monthly discussions among scientists and community members.
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University hosts conference on ethics of climate change
November 3rd, 2009
Climate scientists, philosophers, economists, ethicists and students gathered at the University of Delaware's Clayton Hall on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31 to discuss the ways in which humans should respond to climate change, as part of a conference titled, "The Ethics of Climate Change: Intergenerational Justice and the Global Challenge."
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UD launches Delaware Environmental Institute
October 23rd, 2009
More than 200 people attended the official debut of the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) on Friday, Oct. 23, including a cadre of elementary and high school students who contributed posters on topics ranging from the benefits of trees to the problems associated with invasive species. The event featured remarks by Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, UD President Patrick Harker, Provost Tom Apple, DENIN Director Donald Sparks, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O'Mara, and Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator William Early. In addition, two prominent scientific speakers -- Francois Morel, a professor at Princeton University, and William Schlesinger, president of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies -- delivered technical talks focusing on environmental issues.
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3 days of sustainability events lead to DENIN launch Oct. 23
October 16th, 2009
The University of Delaware's Newark campus will host three days of sustainability-related events beginning Wednesday, Oct. 21, leading up to the official launch of the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) on Friday, Oct. 23.
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Oh, brother, it's true: Plants can recognize their siblings and now we know how
October 15th, 2009
Plants may not have eyes and ears, but they can recognize their siblings, and researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered how. The ID system lies in the roots and the chemical cues they secrete. The finding not only sheds light on the intriguing sensing system in plants, but also may have implications for agriculture and even home gardening. The study, which is reported in the scientific journal Communicative & Integrative Biology, was led by Harsh Bais, assistant professor of plant and soil sciences at the University of Delaware.
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Oct. 23: World-renowned environmental scientists to speak at DENIN opening
October 12th, 2009
Francois Morel, Albert G. Blanke Jr. Professor of Geosciences and and William H. Schlesinger, president of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, will present scientific talks during the official launch of the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) at the University of Delaware's Mitchell Hall in Newark, Del., on Friday, Oct. 23.
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Two engineering professors win Department of Defense EPSCoR research grants
October 9th, 2009
Two University of Delaware engineering professors -- Dennis Prather, Alumni Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Eleftherios Papoutsakis, the Eugene du Pont Chair of Chemical Engineering and a faculty fellow at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute -- have been awarded research grants from the U.S. Department of Defense's 2009 Defense Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR).
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Oct. 30-31: UD to host conference on 'Ethics of Climate Change'
October 8th, 2009
The University of Delaware will host a conference on "The Ethics of Climate Change: Intergenerational Justice and the Global Challenge" Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31, at the Clayton Hall Conference Center on the University's Newark campus.
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New Critical Zone Observatory seeks to answer climate change questions
September 28th, 2009
The University of Delaware, in collaboration with Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, Pa., has received a $4.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the Christina River Basin as a new Critical Zone Observatory for researching questions relating to climate change. Partners on the outreach effort include several other UD research centers and programs including the new Delaware Environmental Institute, the Delaware Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Water Resources Agency in the Institute for Public Administration.
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Sparks to lead Delaware Environmental Institute; launch set Oct. 23
September 21st, 2009
Donald L. Sparks, S. Hallock du Pont Chair in soil and environmental chemistry at the University of Delaware, has been appointed director of the Delaware Environmental Institute, which will be officially opened on Friday, Oct. 23, at the University's Newark campus.
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New X-ray technique illuminates reactivity of environmental contaminants
September 11th, 2009
Thanks to a new analytical method employed by researchers at the University of Delaware, scientists can now pinpoint, at the millisecond level, what happens as harmful environmental contaminants such as arsenic begin to react with soil and water under various conditions.
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Harsh Bais conducts novel research to root out how microbes affect rice plants
September 9th, 2009
With a three-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Bais is teaming up with researchers from the University of California Davis and Delaware State University to uncover the diversity and potential impacts of microbes that literally lie at the roots of rice, one of the world's most important food crops.
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EPSCoR annual meeting addresses environmental challenges
June 30th, 2009
The Delaware Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant program dedicated to improving Delaware's environment and economy through research and education, held its annual meeting on June 10 at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute in Newark.
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Center for Integrated Biological and Environmental Research (CIBER) Launches at Delaware State University
June 26th, 2009
The Center for Integrated Biological and Environmental Research (CIBER) celebrated its opening day on May 27 at Delaware State University, with leaders from its partner institutions in attendance. Located in the College of Agriculture and Related Sciences at Delaware State University, CIBER is a regional faculty network hub that includes Delaware State University, Wesley College, Delaware Technical & Community College and the University of Delaware.
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Undergraduate interns conduct real-world scientific research
June 25th, 2009
Fifty undergraduate students and their faculty mentors, representing the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical & Community College and Wesley College, gathered at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute in Newark on June 8 to begin their summer research.
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EPSCoR sponsors biotechnology summer camp at Delaware Tech
June 26th, 2009
45 middle school students spent the week of June 21 at Delaware Technical & Community College's Stanton Campus for a biotechnology summer camp sponsored by Delaware EPSCoR.
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Changing climate may make 'super weed' even more powerful
June 3rd, 2009
Researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered a new reason why the tall, tasseled reed Phragmites australis is one of the most invasive plants in the United States.
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Article about Science Cafe by KELLY HOUSEN | spark
May 20th, 2009
Kelly Housen of spark, a weekly news magazine in Delaware, interviews Science, Ethics and Public Policy Program Director Tom Powers about Science Cafe, which began in the spring of 2009 and will continue in the fall of 2009.
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Longwood to display Bio-Imaging Center photos until May 22
April 22nd, 2009
Photographs of pollen taken at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute's Bio-Imaging Center will be on display at Longwood Gardens until Friday, May 22.
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Internationally popular Science Cafe comes to Newark
April 10th, 2009
The University of Delaware Science Cafe kicks off a series of informal monthly discussions among scientists and community members on Wednesday, April 22, with a talk titled "Life Under the Ice in Antarctica" by Adam Marsh, associate professor of marine and earth studies.
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EPSCoR seed grants awarded to environmental researchers
March 5th, 2009
With a focus on environmental issues important to the state, the Delaware National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) office has awarded five seed grants to investigators whose projects aim to solve environmental problems in Delaware. Recipients include Karl Booksh, professor in the University of Delaware's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Matthew Ginder-Vogel, post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences; Holly Michael, assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences; Thomas McKenna of the Delaware Geological Survey; and John Rabolt, professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
"All five projects feature multi-disciplinary collaboration," said Donald L. Sparks, S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Plant and Soil Sciences and EPSCoR principal investigator. "Several also involve inter-institutional partnerships. All of the projects aim to improve Delaware's environment through discovery research."
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National Synchrotron Light Source Users Win Numerous Awards
April 24th, 2009
NSLS users, including Matthew Ginder-Vogel (last story at the bottom of the article), have won numerous awards in the past year. Ginder-Vogel is a recipient of an EPSCoR seed grant.
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Delaware teachers participate in biotechnology weekend workshop
March 3rd, 2009
Fifteen Delaware public school teachers met at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute and the University of Delaware's Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes Feb. 20-22 for a "biotechnology weekend." Sponsored by Delaware's National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) outreach program and the DuPont Office of Education, the three-day workshop was offered to middle and high school teachers (grades 6-12). The workshop provided teachers with new instructional methods, such as hands-on laboratories and exposure to the latest cutting-edge research applications. Instructors, including seasoned teachers and scientists in the field, also addressed the historical roots of biotechnology and its current applications in human health and agriculture.
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UD alumnus wins Presidential Early Career Award
January 13th, 2009
University of Delaware alumnus David McNear has won the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor the federal government gives to scientists and engineers beginning their independent research careers. McNear earned his doctorate in 2006 and was a postdoctoral associate from 2006-07 in the University of Delaware environmental soil chemistry research group headed by Donald L. Sparks, S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Plant and Soil Sciences.
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Five Questions with Enriqueta Barrera: On scientific funding, the perfect proposal, and the future of research
February 11th, 2009
Enriqueta Barrera is a Program Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation where she is responsible for the Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry Program as well as the Critical Zone Observatories. In the Geochemical Society's newsletter Geochemical News, Barrera answers five key questions about her work at NSF. This information will be of particular interest to researchers seeking NSF funding.
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Environmental sensors meeting talks available online
January 27th, 2009
Copies of talks from the environmental sensors meeting are now available.
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Environmental Sensors Workshop unites geoscientists
January 22nd, 2009
The Environmental Sensors Workshop, held Jan. 9 at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, brought together the leaders of major monitoring and sensing initiatives across the state to describe their organizations' current capabilities, discuss emerging needs and explore partnerships.
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DBI researchers win grant for cutting-edge technology enhancement to BioScope II
January 7th, 2009
Kirk Czymmek, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Delaware, and associate scientist Elizabeth Adams, researchers in the Bio-Imaging Center at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, have won a grant for a new technology add-on to the facility's BioScope II.
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Delaware NSF EPSCoR co-sponsors Delaware estuary summit
January 7th, 2009
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary will host the third Delaware Estuary Science and Environmental Summit from Jan. 11-14 at the Grand Hotel in Cape May, N.J. The summit follows close on the heels of the Partnership's State of the Estuary Report, which serves as a health assessment of the tidal Delaware River watershed and many of its signature species. The University of Delaware's Delaware Sea Grant Program and the Delaware EPSCOR Program are among the event sponsors.
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Geomicrobiologist Chan studies communities of bacteria
January 5th, 2009
Clara Chan will join the College of Marine and Earth Studies (CMES) this month as an assistant professor of geological sciences.
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Murray Johnston wins award for aerosol research
December 5th, 2008
Murray V. Johnston, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been selected to receive the Benjamin Y. H. Liu Award from the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR). The award recognizes outstanding contributions to aerosol instrumentation and experimental techniques that have significantly advanced the science and technology of aerosols.
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"State of the Basin" report presented
December 5th, 2008
Gerald Kauffman, professor of watershed policy and director of the UD Institute of Public Administration's Water Resources Agency presented the "state of the basin" report, developed over the past three years by a multi-state research consortium led by the University of Delaware in collaboration with Cornell, Penn State, and Rutgers. The report stated that although the health of the Delaware River and Bay is improving on some fronts, a number of troubling trends remain.
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Center for Critical Zone Research welcomes first four graduate student fellows
November 24th, 2008
The University of Delaware's Center for Critical Zone Research (CCZR), an interdisciplinary environmental center, has welcomed its first four graduate student fellows this year--Dalton Abdala, Bryan Bzdek, Amy Gartman and Terry Meade.
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National Science Foundation Gives UD Grant
November 18th, 2008
In the UD Review, Jordan Allen writes, "The National Science Foundation awarded Delaware colleges a $15 million grant as a part of its Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, university and state officials announced on Nov. 7. The purpose of the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement grant is to promote understanding of environmental issues, as well as economic development in the state through competitive research."
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Maynard discusses perceptions of nanotechnology research, risk
November 17th, 2008
Internationally recognized research leader and lecturer Andrew Maynard, chief science adviser to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, clarified the public perception of research and risk surrounding nanotechnology at the "Environmental Nanoparticles: Science, Ethics, and Policy" conference held Nov. 10-11 at the University of Delaware.
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Scientists, engineers, ethicists and science policy experts gather at environmental nanoparticles conference
November 14th, 2008
The Center for Critical Zone Research (CCZR) and the Science, Ethics and Public Policy program (SEPP) co-sponsored a conference titled ?Environmental Nanoparticles: Science, Ethics and Policy? from November 10-11 at Clayton Hall. Leading experts in the areas of engineering, materials science, chemistry, soil science, physics, ethics and policy from academe, industry and government participated in the conference. Conference presentations addressed the characterization, reactivity, fate, and transport of nanoparticles, their impacts on human and environmental health, their usefulness in sensing and remediation and future policy directions.
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NSF awards UD, partners $15 million for environmental research, education
November 12th, 2008
The presidents of the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical & Community College and Wesley College joined with state officials at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute on Nov. 7 to announce that they had been awarded $15 million by the National Science Foundation as part of NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
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UD researchers show that plants can accumulate nanoparticles in tissues
November 11th, 2008
Researchers at the University of Delaware have provided what is believed to be the first experimental evidence that plants can take up nanoparticles and accumulate them in their tissues. The laboratory study, which involved pumpkin plants, indicates a possible pathway for nanoparticles to enter the food chain. The research also reveals a new experimental approach for studying nanoparticles and their potential impacts. Yan Jin, professor of soil physics in the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and John Xiao, professor of physics and astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences, led the study, working with colleagues Jung-youn Lee and Harsh Bais at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, a premier research center at the University of Delaware.
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Expanding Research
November 7th, 2008
WHYY's "Delaware Tonight" program covered the November 7 announcement of the EPSCoR grant, featuring researchers in Kirk Czymmek's lab at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute and comments by EPSCoR Director Steve Borleske, EPSCoR PI Donald Sparks and Venugopal Kalavacharla from Delaware State University.
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EPSCoR Announcement Broadcast on ABC
November 7th, 2008
ABC Channel 6 Action News mentioned the EPSCoR grant announcement on their 5:30 pm news show.
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EPSCoR Research Leader Yan Jin Named Soil Science Society of America Fellow
November 3rd, 2008
Yan Jin, professor of soil physics at the University of Delaware, has been named a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), the highest recognition bestowed upon SSSA members. Jin is an EPSCoR research leader known for her research in the measurement, modeling and interpretation of contaminant fate and transport in porous media. Her research focuses on the vadose zone, the mostly unsaturated zone between the soil surface and groundwater table.
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Bais Research Group Study Becomes Cover Story in Plant Physiology
October 17th, 2008
A study by Dr. Harsh Bais, Root Secreted Malic Acid Recruits Beneficial Soil Bacteria, determined that plants are smart enough to use positive feedback mechanisms to recruit friendly neighbors to deter pathogens and pests and to fight pathogens by boosting their own innate resistance. Co-authored with Thimmaraju Rudrappa and Kirk Czymmek of UD and Paul Pare from Texas Tech University, the paper was selected to be the cover story in the November issue of Plant Physiology.
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50 Delaware life science teachers attend sixth annual workshop
October 16th, 2008
Fifty high school and middle school science teachers who share a passion for science attended the sixth annual life science in-service day at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute on Friday, October 10. Conducted at the request of the Delaware Department of Education, the day featured workshops on microscopy, microbes, and the human nervous system; tours of DBI; and professional development and networking opportunities. Sponsors of the in-service day include Delaware's statewide Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), and DuPont.
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Delaware's EPSCoR program draws national and state leaders at third annual meeting
February 27th, 2008
Delaware's statewide Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) held its third annual meeting on February 15 at Delaware State University's MBNA Hall.
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