Three UD faculty won awards from the Fulbright Program, the flagship international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. State Department and designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."
PATRICK GAFFNEY, professor of marine biosciences, contributed to field and seminar courses in marine biology at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) in New Zealand this past spring. Now he is developing collaborative field courses with colleagues in VUW's School of Biological Sciences that will lead to new opportunities for UD students. A specialist in oyster genetics, Gaffney also worked with VUW shellfish biologists and aquaculturists on aspects of shellfish breeding and production.
JACK PULEO, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is concerned about rising sea levels. Experts estimate that global sea levels will rise nearly five feet in the next century, increasing shoreline erosion and costing the U.S. an estimated $130 million annually on beach nourishment alone. This fall, at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom, Puleo is deploying sensors he developed to capture comprehensive data on sand transport for improving erosion models.
S. ISMAT SHAH, professor of materials science and engineering, is developing research collaborations at Baku State University (BSU) in the Republic of Azerbaijan. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of nanoscale materials, with a focus on energy applications. His expertise in thin-film photovoltaics, or solar cells made from plastics, is of special interest to scientists in BSU's Nano Center because solar power is an untapped resource in Eastern Europe, a region with abundant sunshine.