For the Record, Jan. 9, 2026

For the Record provides information about recent professional activities and honors of University of Delaware faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Recent appointments, grants, publications and memorials include the following:

Appointments

The College of Engineering's Mark Blenner and Kevin Solomon are among seven new members appointed to the inaugural Early Career Researcher Editorial Board of Biotechnology and Bioengineering. The board will explore current and future directions in bioengineering, elevate emerging perspectives and foster collaboration. Solomon and Blenner are both Thomas and Kipp Gutshall Career Development Associate Professors in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Solomon studies how to engineer microbes and microbiomes to support sustainability, create advanced materials and improve health. Blenner's research broadly focuses on engineering biomolecular and cellular systems to produce fuels, chemicals, enzymes, medicines and biosensors.

Grants

Jessica Horton, professor in the Department of Art History, received a Dean F. Failey grant from the Decorative Arts Trust for the upcoming collaborative traveling exhibition "Pomo Baskets, Woven Futures". The exhibition will showcase the work of past and current Pomo weavers, many of whom have achieved international fame for their stunning beaded and feathered gift baskets. The trust received a record number of applications, and "Pomo Baskets, Woven Futures" is one of nine 2026 grant recipients. The exhibition is scheduled to open in Mechanical Hall Gallery in spring 2027.

Publications

Rachel Karchmer-Klein, associate professor of literacy education, published Putting AI to Work in Disciplinary Literacy: Shifting Mindsets and Guiding Classroom Instruction with Guilford Press in December 2025. The book examines how generative artificial intelligence can be integrated into secondary classroom instruction to support disciplinary reading, writing and problem solving without replacing student cognition. Grounded in digital literacies research and illustrated through classroom-based examples across content areas, the book advances theory by reframing AI integration as a literacy-centered practice while also emphasizing instructional approaches that help students critically evaluate and apply AI-generated information in preparation for college, careers and civic life. Karchmer-Klein's work underscores the importance of anchoring AI use in literacy research and ethical decision-making as its role in education continues to evolve.

In Memoriam

James C. Curtis, professor emeritus of history, passed away at his home on Dec. 22, 2025. He was 85. Dr. Curtis, who retired in 2004 after teaching at UD for 33 years, served as director of the University's Winterthur Program in Early American Culture for nearly 20 years.

Edward A. Nickerson, professor emeritus of English, died on Jan . 1, 2026, at the age of 100. Dr. Nickerson founded the journalism program at the University in 1970 and led it for 21 years. His former students held on online reunion with him last year to mark his 100th birthday.

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