News
Identifying Salt Patches and Marsh
UD researchers combine field data and machine learning algorithm to find salt patches on farmland tripled since 2011 in Delmarva. Three of the authors of this study, (left to right) Matthew Walter, Manan Sarupria and DSI resident faculty member Pinki Mondal, collected preliminary data on rapidly salinizing farm locations in the summer of 2022.
For the Record
DSI faculty council member Xiao Fang, professor of MIS, along with faculty members from the Lerner College’s Department of Accounting, have been awarded support from the American Fintech Council and UD’s Data Science Institute for their project, Leveraging Large Language Models to Simulate Consumer Behavior for Fintech Product Innovation.
For the Record
DSI affiliated faculty member Tim Webb, associate professor of hospitality business management, co-authored the award-winning paper for the Best Paper Award at the 2025 NENA-ICHRIE Conference. This recognition highlights their contribution to the field and strengthens UD’s presence in hospitality research.
A Game-Changing Tool
Using artificial intelligence (AI), DSI resident faculty member Austin Brockmeier and DSI affiliated faculty member Wei Qian, not pictured, were among University of Delaware researchers to develop a novel machine learning model that predicts an athlete’s risk of lower-extremity musculoskeletal (MKS) injury after concussion with 95% accuracy. A recent study published in Sports Medicine details the development of the AI model, which builds on previously published research showing that the risk of post-concussion injury doubles, regardless of the sport.
For the Record
DSI faculty council member Saleem Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment, is the author of a new book published by Oxford University Press entitled Sustainability: A Very Short Introduction.
Data-Driven Tools Development
University of Delaware researchers led by DSI affiliated faculty member Carolyn Voter, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and Earth sciences, are developing data-based tools for assessing extreme weather impacts at coastal military facilities. The research aims to produce a modeling toolbox that incorporates data such as changing rainfall patterns and rising sea levels to help the military identify and evaluate infrastructure needs. The toolbox will be used to screen six military installations, including Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Delaware, with a focus on infrastructure systems for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater management.
New Perspectives on Life Sciences
DSI affiliated faculty members Shawn Polson and Mark Blenner (not pictured) were among the researchers who explained their work during the University of Delaware’s first Synthetic Biology Symposium.
Recognizing Scientific Contributions
DSI affiliated faculty member Delphis Levia has been elected a 2024 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society.
How Old is Your Brain?
UD researchers, including DSI resident faculty member Austin Brockmeier, have found that measuring brain stiffness is a reliable way to predict brain age.
For the Record
DSI Faculty Council member Xiao Fang received the Internet and the Digital Economy Track Best Paper Award for his research, “Care for the Mind Amid Chronic Diseases: An Interpretable AI Approach Using IoT,” at the 2025 Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS).