For the Record
provides information about recent professional activities of University
of Delaware faculty, staff, students and alumni.
Recent announcements include the following:
Appointments
Adam Davey is the new associate dean for research in the
College of Health Sciences (CHS). He is tasked with growing the core
infrastructures that support the college’s research enterprise,
including models of best practice, to obtain center and training grants
as well as career development. With the recent growth in the breadth of
the CHS portfolio, including a major cardiovascular health grant, UD is an ideal situation for Davey.
“I’m looking forward to developing a concrete strategy to ensure that
all CHS faculty have access to high quality mentorship and guidance,”
said Davey, who was previously a professor and founding chair in the
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Temple University. “I’d
also like to contribute to the academic climate in terms of helping
researchers learn about new methods, skills and techniques.”
On campus since the beginning of July, Davey’s immediate plans
include growing the college’s biostatistical and population health
expertise. “I see my role as the Zamboni driver between periods of a
hockey game,” joked Davey. “I want researchers to have smooth conditions
— make the process as easy as possible.”
He wants young faculty, graduate students and undergraduates involved
early and often in burgeoning research areas. “Think about the
opportunities coming out of growing interest in areas like personalized
medicine and machine learning and informatics, to name a few. We not
only need talented young researchers, but we also must make special
efforts to bring underrepresented groups into the research enterprise as
early in their careers as possible.”
A developmental psychologist by training, Davey has a personal focus
on human aging research, in particular, the epidemiology of the second
century of life. While at the University of Georgia, he headed the Data
Management and Analysis Core of the Georgia Centenarian Study,
the first population study of people who reached the age of 100. The
experience gave Davey an opportunity to work with people across many
disciplines — genetics, neuropathology, cognitive functioning, family
wellbeing — a dialogue that’s sorely needed in health care.
“Successful health care comes out of coordination between all
disciplines,” Davey said. “Communication is at the center of any
successful enterprise and yet there is no mechanism in the current
health care reimbursement system for that kind of synchronization.”
Barret Michalec has been named associate dean of
interdisciplinary initiatives and interprofessional education in the
College of Health Sciences. Michalec comes to CHS with experience in
interdisciplinary curriculum, programs and committees — both at UD and
externally. He has collaborated in interprofessional education research
alongside many disciplines, including medicine, nursing and psychology.
“This position provides a unique opportunity to not only assess and
expand current interdisciplinary programs and courses within CHS, but
also develop new innovative projects, curricula and modules that can
advance health professions education and faculty development,” said
Michalec. “We can further strengthen connections with clinical and
community partners in and around the University.”
A key directive of this position is designing and implementing
interprofessional education initiatives aimed at health professionals,
both undergraduate and graduate. An associate professor in the
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Michalec will retain
teaching and research responsibilities in the College of Arts and
Sciences.
“We are very excited to have Barret join our team and bring his
expertise to our interdisciplinary research and interprofessional
education,” said Kathleen Matt, dean of the College of Health Sciences.
“Part of our goal to define ‘a new direction in health care,’ and that’s
built on the broad base of a comprehensive university.”
To submit information for inclusion in For the Record, write to publicaffairs@udel.edu.
This information previously appeared in a UDaily article.
