Noteworthy

Widener University’s ROTC program celebrated its 2026 Commissioning Ceremony in Lathem Hall on Friday, May 15 with nine cadets taking the oath of office as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

Six Widener students were among the cadets commissioned. The group of nine that was celebrated hailed from three area institutions  -- Widener, Neumann and West Chester Universities – and all trained through the Dauntless Battalion at Widener. Three additional cadets, who studied at Villanova University and trained with the Dauntless Battalion, will commission in a separate ceremony at their home university later this month.

All the cadets engaged in the hands-on, intense military training that has prepared them for successful careers. Family members who attended the commissioning at Widener pinned the new rank to the officers’ dress uniforms, and each one shared a silver dollar with the individual they selected to give them their first salute – a military tradition.

The officers who earned their undergraduate degrees from Widener, and the military careers for which they prepared, included:

•    Bradyn C. Erb, mechanical engineering – cyber
•    Anna F. Greydanus, nursing – nursing corps
•    Rhett C. Klinger, mechanical engineering – corps of engineers
•    Connor R. Phillips, criminal justice – air defense artillery
•    Liam R. Reilly, finance – infantry
•    Robert G. Watkins, criminal justice – infantry

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Mario Terenas, who enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman in 1990, was the ceremony speaker. Terenas served 32 years and concluded his military career as the division command sergeant major of the 10th Mount Infantry in 2023. He shared four key pieces of advice with the new officers:

Don’t be average – “Our country does not deserve to have average soldiers in its military.”

Look in the mirror every day – “What you see of yourself and what others see of you need to match.”

Do not walk past the problem – “Don’t look the other way and say, ‘that’s somebody else’s problem.’ Don’t walk past a piece of trash and not pick it up. Don’t walk past the standard that’s not being adhered to and not stand up and say, ‘hey you’re not doing the right thing.’”

Be humble in victory and magnanimous in defeat – “For every victory somebody is feeling the sting of defeat and that’s not what the United States Army or military is about. We don’t gloat in victory.” 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/rotc-dauntless-battalion-commissions-2026-officers

Widener University annually recognizes two longstanding employees for their hard work and commitment to the university with the William David Eckard Jr. Award for Distinguished Service. This year President Stacey Robertson presented the awards to Executive Director for University Systems Erica Austin and Campus Safety Lt. Vontel Green.

The Eckard Award was established by William David Eckard III, longtime vice president of administration and finance at Widener University and a 1966 graduate of Pennsylvania Military College. He and his family created the award in memory of his father to help promote and reward excellence at Widener. The honor is given to two employees who have worked for Widener on a full-time basis for at least 10 years and who have consistently demonstrated an outstanding level of service.

Austin joined the Widener community in 2003. Throughout her career at Widener, she has earned the reputation of a campus leader and trusted problem solver who can make sense of complicated systems and data. She is someone who moves important initiatives forward. Her work touches nearly every corner of the university and she is dependable, generous with her time and respected for her quiet strength.

“In every setting, Erica brings an exceptional combination of intelligence, precision, and calm, steady judgment,” Robertson said. “She is a treasured colleague whose contributions have made Widener stronger in countless ways.”

Green began with the Office of Campus Safety in 2011 and has progressed through the ranks of officer, corporal and sergeant to reach lieutenant. Her deep knowledge of the campus, combined with her approachable and positive nature, make her an invaluable leader and positive presence in the Widener community. Beyond her day-to-day duties, Green goes above and beyond to lift team morale. She transforms the dispatch office for holidays year round, celebrates staff birthdays and anniversaries and contributes to Widener’s true sense of belonging through her many thoughtful gestures.

“She exemplifies our commitment to customer service and our mission to care for everyone we serve,” Robertson said. “Most importantly, Vontel continually expresses how meaningful it is to engage with students, especially during Campus Safety tabling events. She sees every interaction as an opportunity to build trust, share knowledge, and support student well being.”

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/two-employees-honored-esteemed-distinguished-service-award

Widener University is pleased to announce that Rebecca Ross, director of the Office of Student Accessibility Services, has been honored with the 2026 Julie E. Wollman Endowed Award for Inclusion and Belonging. 

The award was made possible as part of a $100,000 gift to the university by Wollman, the immediate past president of Widener, and her husband Dan L. King. It annually recognizes an employee who engages in advocacy and efforts in support of inclusion and belonging, demonstrates an exceptionally high level of commitment to those principles, and works to enhance the success of underrepresented groups at the university. 

Ross joined the Widener staff in 2015 as assistant director of the Student Accessibility Services. She was promoted to director in 2018. The office provides services to students with learning, physical, sensory and psychological disabilities. It serves as a campus advocate to ensure all students have equal access to academic programs and other aspects of campus life. Through this work, Ross has helped remove barriers, expanded access and equipped faculty and staff with practical tools to support students. She is known for leading with care, excellence and accountability.

“Rebecca turns Widener’s values of belonging and inclusion into measurable, lasting improvements for students and colleagues,” said Micki Davis, vice president of inclusion and belonging. Davis announced the award May 5 at a university town hall meeting for faculty and staff.

Some of Ross’ accomplishments include:

• Delivering visible, structural belonging improvements by advancing the audit and expansion of all-gender bathrooms across multiple university buildings.

• Expanding resources through external funding by securing grant support for assistive technology and accessibility-related improvements.

• Strengthening well-being as a condition for belonging through her work co-chairing Widener’s JED Foundation partnership efforts, and helping coordinate initiatives that support student mental health and well-being.

• Building campus-wide learning for inclusive practices by co-facilitating Widener’s Center for Teaching and Learning Inclusion & Belonging Learning Circle experiences and creating shared resources and that have helped her colleagues translate learning into action.

“Rebecca’s leadership has moved inclusion and belonging from intention to action at Widener,” Davis said. “Because of her work, more people can access our spaces, our learning environments are becoming more inclusive, and our campus has stronger tools and partnerships to support student success and wellbeing.”

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-honors-recipient-wollman-award-inclusion-and-belonging

Students from the School of Business Administration were once again able to assist Delaware County residents in filing their taxes for free through the VITA Community Tax Clinic in partnership with Community Action Agency of Delaware County. 

11 students participated in this year’s clinic, through which they prepared or served as a secondary reviewer on nearly all returns that were processed through the clinic. In total, the students assisted in completing 334 tax returns and contributed 525 hours of service. Of the returns filed, nearly 40% were for local Chester residents. 

The program was full funded by a generous donation from The Elsie Foundation. Founded by Widener alumni Deb McCracken ’89 and her husband, Jamie McCracken ’87, The Elsie Foundation has a particular focus on giving back to Widener business students. 

“We greatly appreciate the foundation’s continued support in offering our students a meaningful experiential learning opportunity while delivering a service that makes a real difference in the community,” said John Reagan, assistant dean for the School of Business Administration. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-business-students-contribute-over-500-hours-annual-vita-community-tax-clinic
 

Widener University Delaware Law School student Amanpreet Kaur earned first place in the second annual Montgomery County Trial Advocacy Academy Mock Trial Competition, hosted by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele. Kaur topped a field of 20 second- and third year law students who spent weeks training with deputy and assistant district attorneys before trying a fictitious homicide case in the multi round competition.

Delaware Law was strongly represented throughout the event. Destyn Snyder joined Kaur among the finalists in the mock trial competition, and first year students Jude MacDonald and William Kleeman advanced to the final round of the opening statement competition.

The final mock trial was judged by First Assistant District Attorney Edward F. McCann Jr., with Steele and members of his leadership team serving on the jury. Winners received BARBRI bar preparation course credits in recognition of their achievement.

The competition capped a month of intensive weekend sessions focused on trial skills including openings, closings and cross examination, an experience that continues to showcase Delaware Law students’ growing strength in advocacy.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/delaware-law-student-wins-top-honor-montgomery-county-trial-advocacy-academy

Assistant Professor of Law Keeshea Turner Roberts participated at the inaugural Progressive Scholars Workshop hosted by the Society of American Law Teachers. Roberts presented her article “Racialized Procedure: Statutes of Limitations, Racial Time, and the Silencing of Black Harm.”  

The event, hosted in partnership with Boston University School of Law and the Penn State Dickinson Law Antiracist Development Institute, brought together early-career scholars whose work carries a particular focus on progressive legal frameworks.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/delaware-law-faculty-participates-inaugural-progressive-scholars-workshop
 

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Philadelphia section recently awarded two teams of Widener engineering students all three of its engineering project competition awards, after judging projects from five area colleges and universities.

The annual competition supports senior design engineering projects. 

Widener’s biomedical engineering team won honors for best oral presentation and best overall presentation. The team project, adivsed by Associate Professor Saeed Tiari, chair of biomedical engineering, was titled “Smart Prosthetic Sleeve for Temperature Control.” Students on the team included Kayleigh Armstrong, Yamen Jlilati, Akem Kpuyuf and Victoria Rebelo. 

The mechanical engineering team won the best poster award. The team project, advised by Assistant Professor Conor Marr and sponsored by Boeing and supported by Parker Lord, was titled “Design of an Isolator Fatigue Test Table.” The team included students Boston Blake, Nicholas Campanella, Jonathan Custer, Anthony Husbands, Lukas Nachimson and Michael Walker.

The awards were judged by industry professionals in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers who looked at the scope of the work, its applicability to industry and the students’ abilities to clearly present, explain and defend their designs. Widener students competed against nine other engineering student design teams out of the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Villanova University and Thomas Jefferson University.   

The competition began in the fall with a record number of proposals submitted to the society from multiple universities in the region Widener’s two teams were selected to receive a $600 award each to support development of their projects and were selected as finalists to attend the society banquet. They presented the culmination of their work at the society’s banquet on April 21 and won all three competition prizes.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-engineering-students-sweep-asme-philadelphia-project-competition-awards
 

Widener University has joined Scholars Network, a national workforce model designed to connect students, universities and healthcare employers to create direct, lower-debt pathways into high-need clinical careers.

“Higher education and healthcare are facing a shared challenge: how to prepare the next generation of clinicians without placing unsustainable financial burdens on students,” said Dr. Sam Maron, founder of Scholars Network. “This partnership with Widener University reflects a forward-thinking approach that connects education directly to employment, reduces student debt, and helps health systems build the workforce they urgently need. It’s a model designed not just to support students, but to strengthen the entire healthcare ecosystem.”

Students apply to work at a participating health system in the network and if accepted, receive generous student loan repayment support in exchange for a post-graduation work commitment. Participating healthcare providers in Pennsylvania are expanding and currently include Temple Health, Penn Medicine, Penn Highlands, WellSpan and The Guthrie Clinic.

Universities deliver academic and clinical training, while employers engage early by providing funding, mentorship and a direct line to employment. This alignment ensures students can pursue and complete their education with significantly less debt, while entering the workforce in roles that are already secured and aligned with health system needs.

“Widener is committed to preparing well-rounded and highly skilled healthcare professionals and is continually seeking strategies to minimize cost as a barrier to entry,” said Jane Oeffner, director of strategic clinical partnerships in the Office of the Provost at Widener. “By joining Scholars Network, we can offer students a more affordable path to a high-impact career, combined with meaningful connections to employers who are ready to invest in their success.”

Participating Widener programs include nursing, diagnostic medical sonography, radiologic technology, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physician assistant.

Widener’s participation comes at a time when institutions are seeking new, innovative ways to attract and retain students in healthcare fields while addressing workforce shortages. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-joins-scholars-network-connecting-students-clinical-careers-loan-repayment-support
 

Widener University Delaware Law School celebrates Associate Professor of Law Geeta Kohli, whose debut story collection, “The Indianness: Twelve Stories,” has been selected as the 2026 Juniper Prize winner in the fiction story collection category. The Juniper Prizes, awarded annually by the University of Massachusetts Press, honor outstanding works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction and include publication for each winning manuscript. The manuscript will be published in Spring 2027.

At Delaware Law, Kohli teaches contract and business law and serves as an affiliated faculty member of the Dignity Law Institute. Her scholarship centers on narrative justice, integrating marginalized perspectives into law, policy, and education. Her work appears in leading literary and law journals, with recent publications in Oregon Law Review, NYU Journal of Law & Business, and Michigan Quarterly Review.

She is the founder of the Narrative Justice Project, a nonprofit fiscally sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, fostering collaboration between artists and lawyers, and publishes “Defining Money,” a free weekly finance and business law newsletter, and “Justice Reads,” an online journal exploring literature, law, and voice. Kohli’s expertise in corporate social responsibility and feminist lawyering has earned national recognition, including features on CNBC and a TEDx Talk on financial awareness.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/delaware-laws-geeta-kohli-awarded-2026-juniper-prize-fiction

Widener President Stacey Robertson and Delaware Law Dean Todd Clark joined education and government leaders from around the state of Delaware today in announcing plans to relocate the Widener University Delaware Law School campus to the heart of the business and legal district in downtown Wilmington.

Widener University has taken ownership of the building at 1020 North French St., once known as Bracebridge II, downtown. The university is planning significant renovations to create a beautiful, modern educational space designed to prepare our Delaware Law students for the legal careers and courtrooms of the future. 

The current Delaware Law campus was recently listed for sale to help facilitate renovation costs. We anticipate moving into the downtown space during the 2027-28 academic year.  

The move will put Delaware Law students, faculty and staff into the epicenter of the First State legal community, known internationally for the strength of its courts and its hub for corporate law. The new campus will be close to Lawyers Row and in walking distance of the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, which houses state courts, the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building, which houses federal court, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In short, the school will be steps from the people and organizations that shape Delaware’s legal landscape.
The move will also put Delaware Law’s legal clinics, which provide no-cost, critical legal services across the region, into the heart of Wilmington’s business district.

“This new location will enable our clinics to reach those who need our services most, while fostering meaningful mentoring and community building partnerships with residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods,” Clark said. “Relocating to downtown Wilmington will also enable Delaware Law students to engage more deeply with the surrounding community. Through clinics, externships, pro bono work, and partnerships with courts, nonprofits, and civic organizations, our students will learn by serving—building relationships, addressing real world legal needs, and contributing meaningfully to the life of the city.”

Through this move, the Delaware Law School is playing a key role in The Bridge Project, an innovative educational ecosystem serving families and students birth through graduate school. This project is anchored by The Community Education Building on North French Street, which has served the needs of K-12 students for more than a decade by empowering families, fostering student success and supporting quality schools. Leaders there have partnered with the Longwood Foundation to extend this mission into higher education. 

“The University of Delaware and Delaware State University have also taken on space in the Community Education Building a block from our new law building,” Robertson said. “The presidents of those institutions joined us this morning in making the announcement. We are all excited by the opportunities for collaboration.” 

Watch a video about the move of Delaware Law School.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-university-announces-plans-relocate-delaware-law-school-campus
 

A group of 23 students, faculty and staff from the School of Business Administration attended the Phillies #CollegeSeries Business Analytics Night at Citizens Bank Park. The event provides a real-world learning experience focused on the growing role of data and analytics in professional sports. 

The event featured a moderated Q&A will members of the Phillies’ Business Analytics staff, as well as other industry professionals. The conversation covered topics including how analytics drives decision-making across the organization, along with reflections on their career journeys and preparations for the upcoming 2026 All-Star Game. Following the panel event, students stayed to enjoy a game between the Phillies and the Washington Nationals.

“This event reflects Widener’s commitment to connecting classroom learning with real-world applications and providing students with direct access to industry leaders in business analytics,” said Clinical Assistant Professor Vaughn Hopkins, who attended the event alongside students.  

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/school-business-administration-represents-widener-philadelphia-phillies-business-analytics-night
 

Five students from the School of Business Administration achieved placement in the Top 10 in Pennsylvania for the 2026 Microsoft Office specialist U.S. National Championship competition. The five students, who all placed for their proficiency in Microsoft Excel, were recognized with certificates from the School of Business Administration. 

Student winners: 

• 2nd place – Jack Csentis ‘29
• 4th place – Micah Hoover ‘28
• 7th place – Conner Shumacher ‘29
• 8th place – Julianna Krepelka ‘29
• 10th place – Benjamin Malaszczyk ‘29
   

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/five-school-business-students-place-top-10-microsoft-office-national-competition

Widener University Relations and one university administrator were honored recently with five “Cuppie” awards at the annual CUPRAP conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. CUPRAP, or the College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals, presents the awards for creative excellence in marketing and communications. The competition drew more than 400 entries this year from colleges and universities predominately located in the northeast.

The department won:

• Silver, for the branding refresh on admissions materials for Delaware Law School.
• Silver, for the family-focused blog post “Supporting your student through academic recovery,” created in partnership with author Lori Blount, associate provost for student success. 
• Silver, for the story “Widener dining serves up belonging with new dishes and experiences.”
•  Bronze, for our AI-powered website chatbot that helps prospective and current students, families and more find answers quickly.
• Bronze, for the alumni website redesign that enhances engagement, opportunity, and connection. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-wins-marketing-and-communications-awards

Delaware Law School is celebrating a major national victory as students Kylie Lovelace, Damon Edwards II and Jayden Velazquez captured first place at the 41st annual Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Moot Court Competition, held recently at Brooklyn Law School. 

In addition to the team’s overall win, Velazquez earned the competition’s top oralist award. The team’s success was strengthened by the guidance of coach and adjunct professor of law, Joshua W. Brownlie, whose leadership helped refine arguments and prepare the advocates for the rigor of national‑level competition.

The Jerome Prince competition honors the legacy of Dean Jerome Prince, a leading evidence scholar and author of “Richardson on Evidence,” and is recognized as one of the nation’s premier forums for evidence‑focused appellate advocacy. Hosted each spring by the Brooklyn Law School Moot Court Honor Society in Brooklyn Heights, New York,  the competition brings together teams from across the country to brief and argue a contemporary evidentiary issue before panels of distinguished judges and practitioners.

This victory marks the Moot Court Honor Society’s second national championship of the semester, following its first‑place finish at the Domenick L. Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition at Albany Law School. In this highly competitive environment, Delaware Law’s team excelled across all rounds, demonstrating exceptional command of evidentiary doctrine, written advocacy and oral argument. This national victory reinforces Delaware Law’s growing presence in appellate advocacy and highlights the talent, professionalism and collaborative spirit that define its students.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/delaware-law-students-capture-first-place-jerome-prince-memorial-evidence-competition

The Widener Anti-Sexual Violence Education program, known as WAVE, was recently awarded funding through the Pennsylvania It’s On Us campaign. 

The grant of nearly $40,000 is part of a $1.7 million statewide package intended to combat sexual assault through education and awareness, and help empower survivors.

“The It’s On Us PA campaign challenges all of us to confront the problem of sexual violence directly through awareness, prevention and support services for survivors. These efforts make a real difference in the lives of young people,” said Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Carrie Rowe.

It's On Us PA brings together college and university presidents, superintendents, administrators, teachers, students, families and community members to reframe the conversation around sexual violence and pledge to be part of the solution.

At Widener, this is the second consecutive year of receiving It’s On Us PA funding for comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming. Thanks to previous funding, WAVE implemented 128 interactive prevention workshops for more than 3300 participants in 2025, in addition to trainings for all incoming students. The new grant will allow Widener to refine first-year training experiences and provide more prevention education throughout the year. 

Earlier funding also supported workshops geared toward the LGBTQ+ community and a new, monthly support space for survivors and their loved ones led by the Delaware County Victim Assistance Center. It provided materials for 16 tabling events and targeted programming around Valentine’s Day, sexual assault awareness month, stalking awareness month and domestic violence awareness month, including a game dedication in partnership with the Pride football team. The new funding will allow Widener to expand and diversify these events and partnerships, including with guest speakers.

In addition, the funding will support a partnership between WAVE and the Office of Student Inclusion and Belonging, to offer tailored prevention workshops in partnership with multicultural and LGBTQ+ student groups.

“We are grateful to the commonwealth for its support and encouragement of the important and innovative work we’re doing at Widener,” said Jamie O’Leary, associate director of violence prevention education.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/its-us-campaign-supports-widener-anti-sexual-violence-education-program

Widener University Delaware Law School is proud to announce that Dean Todd J. Clark has been appointed to a national working group charged with examining the future of law school accreditation. The appointment, announced by the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators, places Clark among only three law school deans nationwide selected to serve on this influential body.

Clark is one of 15 leaders from across the judiciary, legal education and private practice selected to serve on the Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform, or CLEAR, working group. The group will study how accreditation standards can support innovation, expand access to legal education, and help address the nation’s justice gap while maintaining the rigorous preparation required of future lawyers.

The working group will evaluate accreditation frameworks and develop recommendations that promote high‑quality, cost‑effective and forward‑looking models of legal education. A key focus will be ensuring that state supreme courts—which ultimately license and regulate attorneys—have meaningful input into the standards shaping law school programs nationwide. A draft report is expected to be submitted to CLEAR by December.

The dean’s  appointment reflects his leadership in legal education and his commitment to expanding opportunity within the profession. His participation ensures that Delaware Law School will play a visible role in shaping national conversations about accreditation, licensure and the future of legal training.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/dean-todd-j-clark-appointed-national-law-school-accreditation-working-group

Assistant Professor Maria Luiza Pinho co-authored a recently published article in the International Business Review, a premier journal in the field. Pinho’s new work, “MNEs in crossfire: A critical review of global business-society tensions,” highlights tensions that multinational enterprises (MNEs) face when trying to balance their economic goals and the expectations placed on them by society.

The authors introduce the Responsible Global Business (RGB) framework which focuses on unifying previously fragmented strands of business-society research into a coherent alternative approach.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/management-faculty-publishes-new-article-international-business
 

Widener recently welcomed Timothy Renick, the founding executive director at the National Institute for Student Success, as the 2026 Beideman Visiting Scholar in conjunction with the university’s Student Success Summit.

Renick delivered the keynote address, “Transforming student outcomes through data and institutional change” in Alumni Auditorium. He gave a data-driven presentation about changes to policies and processes at Georgia State University, which is home to the institute, known as NISS. Since combining data and leadership to transform student outcomes at Georgia State University, NISS has partnered with 150 other colleges and universities – including Widener – to develop customized plans for similar successes.

The NISS partnership with Widener over the 2024-25 academic year led to a “playbook” of process and policy ideas designed to promote student retention, graduation rates and, ultimately, successful career outcomes.  

“Hopefully this can be instructive and inspirational for your purposes,” Renick said at the outset of his remarks, which chronicled changes at Georgia State University.

In addition, as the visiting scholar, Renick and representatives of the institute hosted multiple interactive, hands-on sessions attended by members of the Widener community. The sessions focused on leadership development and evidence-based practices that strengthen student outcomes. Topics included effective use of academic data, consistent and proactive student advising practices, intentional academic pathways for first-year student success, and student financial support.

Renick was named one of the most innovative people in higher education by Washington Monthly, was the recipient of the Award for National Leadership in Student Success Innovation and was awarded the McGraw Prize in Higher Education. In 2021, Fortune named him one of the world’s 50 greatest leaders. He has served as principal investigator for more than $60 million in grants to support the success of college students.

The Beideman Visiting Scholar Program brings world-class speakers and scholars to the Widener campus on an annual basis to stimulate discussions on current and pertinent theories and practices related to leadership development and the effective exercise of leadership. The program is made possible by a generous gift from Widener Board of Trustees Chair Paul Beideman and his wife Caroline Beideman.

“We were delighted to host Dr. Renick on the Chester campus,” said Paul Beideman. “He shared a lot of practical, research-based ideas for student success at Widener. This work really highlights how much it matters for students to feel welcome, supported and like they truly belong here.”

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/leader-national-institute-student-success-2026-beideman-visiting-scholar
 

Assistant Professor Sarah Everhart has published a new article, “State Siting of Renewable Energy: Preemptive Power Grab or Power Play?” in the Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum. The article examines how states are increasingly asserting authority over the siting of large‑scale wind and solar projects. Everhart analyzes recent legislative trends that shift decision‑making power from local governments to state agencies, a response to growing local restrictions and community opposition that have slowed renewable‑energy deployment.

At Delaware Law School, Everhart teaches environmental law and property. She also directs the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, where she guides students in addressing real‑world environmental and land‑use issues affecting communities across the region.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/delaware-law-professor-releases-new-article-exploring-state-control-renewable-energy-projects

Widener hosted a Mathematical Puzzle Programs (MaPP) math puzzle challenge event on campus for the third consecutive year. The event, designed for students grades 7-12, has grown to over 75 participants in 2026 with students competing in an interactive, team-based puzzle challenge.

Student participants were based in the University Center but needed to visit other areas on campus to find clues to solve their puzzles for a day of fun and teamwork. Widener students and faculty where there to help guide and encourage the teams to solve the case. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-hosts-math-puzzle-event-area-students