University of Delaware researchers switched the innovation engine into full throttle in 2017, producing discoveries and inventions, winning major grants, inking new partnerships and preparing graduate and undergraduate students for a future of exploration. Here, we spotlight just a few of the year’s big moments.
UD, ARGONNE SIGN PACT
A new partnership between the University of Delaware and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory will enhance the ability of these powerhouses to work together on any number of areas, with the focus on materials science to start.
Researchers met at UD in October to discuss opportunities ranging from potential materials for use in quantum computation, to novel catalysts for converting greenhouse gases into commodity chemicals. Joint projects begin this year.
Argonne National Laboratory Director Paul Kearns (left) and UD President Dennis Assanis shake hands on a new partnership.
Powerful Partners in Veteran Care
Designated a “military friendly” school, UD has collaborated on research with the Department of Defense and military for years. A new agreement signed in June 2017 with the Wilmington Veterans Affairs Medical Center aims to enhance veteran care.
“Working with the VA, we will advance innovative medical research, improve patient care and prepare the next generation of health experts to care for our veterans,” UD President Dennis Assanis said.
“To have the prowess of this University side by side with us—faculty and staff providers at VA putting our veterans first—not only here and now but also looking at research opportunities to improve what we do, is extremely exciting,” said Wilmington VA Director Vincent Kane.
U.S. veteran Brandon Bristor, graduate student in urban affairs and public policy, honors the fallen.
Innovation in Action
Patents are being issued to UD inventors, their technologies are being licensed, research agreements are being initiated and startup companies are launching.
As just one example, BASF’s new Velondis seed treatments contain a natural microbe, identified and patented at UD, that helps plants fight fungal disease.
Professors Janine Sherrier and Harsh Bais (below) are lead inventors on the patent, which the University has licensed exclusively to BASF. The biofungicides will be labeled initially for use with soybeans this spring.
New Business Incubator
Delaware Innovation Space Inc.—a new incubator for growing science-based business—has been established through a partnership of UD, the state and DuPont. Located at DuPont’s Experimental Station in Wilmington, it offers entrepreneurs lab and office space.
Learn more at research.udel.edu
MORE STORIES
At Sea in the Arctic
What’s it like to do research in the Arctic? What ‘s it like to be on a ship for 4 to 6 weeks off Greenland? How do you work and sleep with 24 hours of daylight? Oceanographer Andreas Muenchow gives us a glimpse into his world.
The Quiet Revolution
Trevor A. Dawes learned how libraries can change people’s lives when he was a college student. Now, he’s leading the charge to make the UD Library, Museums and Press an even greater force for good.
The hidden lives within a portrait
A 1746 portrait would launch a global journey into 18th-century life and present the past in a way never done before. The portrait was of Anne Shippen Willing, and what she wore would lead historian Zara Anishanslin on a journey to the far corners of the world—and launch a bold new way of looking at the past.
Filling a Real Demand for Simulated Care
Nursing instructor Amy Cowperthwait and her students are inventing products with a common goal: teaching compassionate patient care. Cowperthwait’s startup links students, engineers, business experts on quest to teach challenging medical procedures.
Suit Me Up for Mars
When astronauts make the “Journey to Mars,” NASA wants every protective measure available in place. The space agency contracted with ILC Dover to develop a new spacesuit, and ILC enlisted several materials experts at the University of Delaware to work on a suit that can handle whatever space might throw at them.
A NIIMBL Approach To Making Modern Medicines
Biopharmaceuticals have emerged recently and are having a revolutionary impact on vexing diseases such as cancer. The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), headquartered at the University of Delaware, is at the forefront of making medicines more accessible to Americans.
Exploring the Red Planet
NASA wants to put humans on Mars by the early 2030s. University of Delaware researchers are helping to develop spacesuits for that mammoth expedition. Yet Mars is shrouded in mystery for many of us. So what do you know about Mars? Let’s test your knowledge.
1969 – The Morning News: Man Steps onto Moon
Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong took the first moon step at 10:56 p.m., Delaware time, just six hours and 39 minutes after he and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. fulfilled the age-old dream of landing on the moon. This was a major milestone in the new era of space exploration. We invite you to explore this interactive experience and relive the excitement of the first moon landing.
News Briefs
Learn how UD researchers are sharpening that competitive edge, fighting brain cancer, giving credit where credit is due, partners in disaster research and UD-NUVVE collaboration
Partnerships in progress
Multiple partnerships took wing in the past year to ensure UD’s scholarly efforts have the broadest and most sustained impact. Learn about the collaborations that ensure a UD world-class educational experience while serving as a major force for economic development.
Honors
Eight UD professors recently received the National Science Foundation’s highly competitive CAREER Award, which is given to scientists and engineers who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through their outstanding research and teaching.