Former U.S. Representative Michael Castle recently became the latest Delaware politician to donate records from his time in office to the University of Delaware’s library. Castle officially signed over his Congressional papers to the UD Library Special Collections February 17th.
DFM News sat down with UD Librarian L. Rebecca Johnson Melvin, coordinator of the Special Collections manuscripts unit, to discuss what the library does with the papers, how they’ll be used, and the school’s goal of becoming a hub for political scholarship.

Recent federal court rulings have given momentum to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers plans to deepen a nearly 103 mile stretch of the Delaware River from 40 to 45 feet. Meanwhile, one party trying to stop the dredging project, the State of Delaware, has thrown in the towel. But not everyone is ready to quit. “We’re willing to take this the whole way, as far as we can go,” said the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s Maya van Rossum. Some lawmakers like U.S. Representative Rob Andrews (D-NJ) agree with van Rossum. “The idea of a mountain of mud being deposited on the Jersey side of the Delaware River is an environmental and fiscal nightmare for us,” said Andrews. “So [New Jersey] is making the right decision by contesting this in court.”

Governor Jack Markell discusses how ideas developed in one state can help provide solutions to similar issues in other states and nationally.  Markell and other governors have the opportunity to exchange such ideas at the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington D.C. this weekend. Share this:

DOVER– A partnership between Delaware State University and Photon Machines, Inc. may lead to a new diagnostic test for ovarian and other forms of cancer. Currently, there are very few noninvasive tests to determine if a woman has ovarian cancer and most of them do not have a high level of accuracy.

The machine created through the partnership would allow doctors to determine if a person has cancer through a simple blood test. They would then be able to report their finding to the patient within a matter of minutes.

The agreement between DSU and the company announced Wednesday is the university’s first ever transfer of intellectual property.

The following video was included along with Governor Russ Peterson’s autobiographical book Rebel with a Conscience, and is being presented here in honor of his passing, February 21, 2011. Share this:

As a reporter and news director in the 1960s, Sid Shaw covered Governor Russell W. Peterson. In 1971, Shaw joined Governor Peterson’s staff, working closely with Peterson as a senior adviser. “Russell W. Peterson was extraordinary in so many ways,” writes Shaw, “that he cannot be easily categorized. He could focus on an issue with great clarity, working tirelessly to achieve his self-imposed goals and bringing a visionary perspective to improvements in government that he believed would have a positive effect on the lives of Delaware citizens. With his passing on Monday, his accomplishments as governor and world citizen are being extolled in Delaware and beyond.”

Accolades are pouring in for Russell W. Peterson, the former Delaware governor whose lifetime of passionate advocacy for vulnerable populations, in human society and in nature, elevated him to a stature even greater than the sum of his countless accomplishments.

Gov. Peterson, age 94, died Monday night at home with his wife of 15 years, June Jenkins Peterson. On Tuesday Governor Jack Markell ordered national and state flags to be lowered to half staff in honor of “a true legend.”

WILMINGTON – Dr. Kevin Churchwell doesn’t hesitate to answer when asked if taking over as Chief Executive Officer for Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children after Tom Ferry, who served in that post for 31 years, is a daunting task.

“That would be a ‘yes’ to that question,” said Dr. Churchwell, who took over as CEO on December 1st of last year. “Tom’s [left] really big shoes to fill. He’s just done a really fantastic job in leading this institution. It’s just an honor to be here to hopefully to continue on his legacy.”

Dr. Churchwell sat down with DFM News’ Tom Byrne this week to discuss his first few months on the job – what he’s learned, his priorities, and what challenges A.I. du Pont Children’s Hospital faces.

Dr. Kevin Churchwell sat down with DFM News’ Tom Byrne this week to discuss his first months on the job – his priorities, what he’s learned, and what challenges A.I. du Pont Children’s Hospital faces. Share this:

Ask an educator what “STEM” stands for, and the answer comes quickly. It’s an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Ask an educator what STEM education is, and …

“To some degree it depends on who you ask,” says Dr. Nancy Brickhouse, interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Delaware.
Former Senator Ted Kaufman (D), a former DuPont engineer, will take on the question of how to teach STEM in Delaware’s schools as co-chair of the new Delaware STEM Education Council, which convenes next month. The council was created by Governor Jack Markell to guide the development of STEM programs in Delaware’s public schools.