The work of UD doctoral
student in chemical and
biomolecular engineering Amanda Kate Gurnon may
ultimately help save astronauts
as well as troops in
the field. Gurnon's research
involves testing the
performance of shear
thickening fluids (STFs), which, when incorporated into ballistic
textiles such as Kevlar, demonstrate increased protection and
puncture resistance. Gurnon is part of a collaboration between
the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France and the NIST
(National Institute of Standards and Technology) Center for
Neutron Research in Gaithersburg, MD and was instrumental
in the successful design of new analysis methods using small
angle neutron scattering (SANS). "The scientific collaborative
relationships I have with researchers in France and Germany have changed the course of my graduate research at UD,
exposing me to new scientific questions and allowing me to
grow both personally and professionally while working with
some of the world's experts in my field." Read more about Gurnon's research on UDaily. Ling-Yin Liang
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Photo by Kathy Atkinson |
Doctoral student
in biomechanics
and movement
science Ling-Yin
Liang recently
returned from
several months
at the National
Cheng Kung University in Taiwan where she collaborated with
Professor Jia-Jin Jason Chen in a special brain imaging study
examining children with autism. With existing evidence
suggesting that the prefrontal cortex area of the brain may be
functioning abnormally in those with autism spectrum disorders,
Liang's dissertation research uses the fNIRS (functional Near
Infrared Spectroscopy) imaging technology to learn more
about the brain activity known as default mode network
(DMN). It is hoped that a better understanding of DMN could
lead to earlier identification, and help therapists and health
care providers plan interventions for children diagnosed with
autism. Liang is currently initiating a parallel study at UD.
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Photo by Evan Krape |
Recent doctoral alumnus in physics and astronomy James Dalessio is the creator of a software program called Maestro that is helping astronomers study stars in a new way, automatically processing the hundreds of gigabytes of images produced during observation runs of the Whole Earth Telescope (WET), a worldwide network of observatories. Administered by a UD team including Dalessio and led by UD's Judi Provencal, the WET coordinated springtime observations of over 30 telescopes located in all corners of the world, from Delaware and Texas, to Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Europe, Australia, China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. The observations were primarily of a newly discovered type of star, the extremely low-mass white dwarf. First used by the UD team at WET headquarters at Mount Cuba Astronomical Observatory in Greenville, Del., astronomers all over the world are beginning to adopt Maestro. Read more about Maestro and the Whole Earth Telescope on UDaily.
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Photo by Evan Krape |
Craig Lee is a doctoral student
in art history who was
recently awarded an Ailsa
Mellon Bruce Predoctoral
Fellowship from the Center
for Advanced Study in the
Visual Arts at the National
Gallery of Art. While his research
focuses primarily on
modern American architecture,
the grant will support Lee's architectural research in South Africa in 2014. "South Africa presents a unique case study since
its colonial past, vast and varied landscape, diverse indigenous
and immigrant population, and difficult history of racial segregation
and struggle share a similar correspondence with those
of the United States. Also, since the history of modern architecture
rarely includes Africa as part of the discourse, I hope to
build a more synthetic understanding of modern architecture
and its global movement." This particular fellowship is intended to support a research travel experience beyond the candidate's major field, not for the advancement of a dissertation.
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UD doctoral student in school psychology Chunyan Yang conducts an interview study on school climate in
Guangzhou, China (Photo by Ming Yue) |
Chunyan Yang, doctoral student in school psychology, is
working with researchers at South China Normal University
and Soai University (Japan) on two different cross-cultural
studies: examining differences between the U.S. and China in
students' and teachers' perceptions of school climate and
conduct problems;
and differences
between China and
Japan in students'
self-esteem, guilt and
shame. "The international
comparative
research on school
climate will help foster
the current growth of
school psychology in
my home country
China," said yang. "It
also provides school
psychologists in the
U.S. with new insights
regarding school
climate promotion
and school discipline." In 2011, she helped organize an international symposium at South China Normal University on mental health programs in China, Japan and the U.S., and also served as the translator. Another symposium is planned for 2014.
Historic preservation alumna Allison Rice (center) participating in a panel discussion at the History Meeting House in Warsaw. Photo courtesy of Allison Rice |
Recent historic preservation alumna Allison Rice led a 10-day study-abroad trip to Poland this spring with eight fellow graduate students from the School of Public Policy and Administration's public administration, historic preservation and urban affairs and public policy programs, examining post-World War II cultural revitalization and architectural preservation in Warsaw and Kraków. "The topics we studied have great relevance for how we commemorate negative American events like the Japanese containment camps during WWII, the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, and more. How the Poles rebuilt their cities and their identities after WWII and communism, respecting the past while forming a new identity for the future, is a lesson that American preservationists, planners and policymakers are still trying to grapple with." Read more on UDaily about the study abroad trip Rice coordinated.
