Delaware Environmental Institute

09/04/2026

Meet Nusrat Mohana! 🗺️ 🕊️

Nusrat conducted research in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware. A human geographer, her work rethinks displacement, vulnerability, and climate change by centering the lived experiences of vulnerable communities. She examines how climate precarity is always shaped by structures of power, asking not only who is vulnerable, but whose vulnerability is allowed to be seen. She also brings this interdisciplinary lens to questions of environmental justice across contexts where displacement, gender, and ecological crisis converge.

Read more about Nusrat's work: denin.udel.edu/news/nusrat-mohana-climate-displacement/

09/02/2026

Does AI help or hurt us as we build towards a greener future? 🌱💬

Today’s AI boom offers incredible opportunities for education, but at a steep cost to our planet. We’re bringing together researchers and community experts to learn more about sustainable technology advancement and break down how Blue Hens can use AI responsibly!

Join us for a panel discussion and Q&A on 9/17 at 3PM in the Perkins Student Center's Collins Room!

Submit questions for our panelists here: https://forms.gle/5SwSgeSzNxBVEPNp9

08/24/2026

This summer, DENIN supported 18 undergraduate interns across four environmental research projects! 🌎 👏

Our students gained hands-on experience in the lab, out in the field, and within local communities affected by today's environmental challenges. Many of our interns presented their work on coastal resilience, environmental restoration, and community service at research showcases across the state.

Congratulations to all of our interns on an summer of hard work!

08/19/2026

Meet Idowu Kunlere! 🏦 🌏

As a Energy and Environmental Policy PhD candidate advised by Assistant Professor Kalim Shah, Kunlere researched global decarbonization efforts such as the Voluntary Carbon Market. His work builds a roadmap for corporate investors and market regulators to establish a more effective flow of crucial financial aid for environmental action projects throughout the Global South. As a DENIN Fellow, Kunlere has shared his findings with students and stakeholders throughout his home country of Nigeria, ensuring his community will benefit from a reformed, equitable market.

Read more about Kunlere's work: https://denin.udel.edu/news/idowu-kunlere-carbon-market-research/

08/18/2026

SAVE THE DATE!
On September 17th, DENIN will host a panel of UD and community experts to talk about the environmental costs of the AI boom, from energy and water demands to hidden ecological threats.

This conversation will be driven by student concerns and includes a live Q&A! 🌿💬 Stay tuned for more information.

07/31/2026

Meet Emma Korein!

As a Marine Policy PhD candidate, Emma studied community engagement in offshore wind energy development. Advised by Marine Science & Policy professor Jeremy Firestone, she’s conducted dozens of interviews and analyzed hundreds of responses across the Northeastern seaboard to better understand community perceptions of offshore wind, from the fairness of the decision-making to the technology’s benefits and burdens. Her work ensures local knowledge and lived experiences are accounted for in developers’ decision-making. With her findings, she aims to help build energy governance structures that meaningfully recognize and engage communities and result in fair outcomes in the renewable energy transition.

Read more about Emma's work: denin.udel.edu/news/emma-korein-offshore-wind-research/

07/29/2026

What does it take to turn your science into engaging stories?

Summer interns on DENIN’s coastal resilience projects recently toured the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science with Director of Interpretation Robbie Mueller, who explored how the museum’s science communications have evolved. Our students learned how institutions engage audiences on modern environmental issues and got a glimpse into the museum’s vast collections. Thank you to the folks at DelMNS for welcoming us and sharing your work!

07/28/2026

Happy World Nature Conservation Day!

Protecting Delaware’s ecosystems requires innovative solutions. At UD’s Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes, researchers recently installed a living shoreline along the boat basin, funded by our DEEDS Project. This nature-based approach helps improve water quality, strengthen coastal resilience, and create habitat for local wildlife.

Read more: https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2026/july/living-shoreline-lewes-campus-oysters/

07/20/2026

Read more about our DEEDS living shoreline project in Lewes!

Researchers install a living shoreline on UD's Lewes Campus to help infrastructure and ecosystem

07/10/2026

Three professors were recently selected for the Delaware Environmental Institute 2026 Faculty Fellows cohort, having pitched projects that foster environmental innovations, providing improved knowledge and resources to state residents and industries. The newly-selected UD professors include Cristina Archer, McKay Jenkins and Kelsey Malloy.

“I envision the University of Delaware as a leader in the progression toward a more climate-resilient, sustainable society,” says Malloy, assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences. “I applied to be a Fellow as an opportunity to challenge myself and other UD faculty to broaden perspectives on how climate information can be used for society’s benefit.”

“When you put together a bunch of experts in various fields and truly make the effort of going beyond what is normal to each, only then can you get an interdisciplinary team and really impactful research,” says Archer, director of the Center for Research in Wind at UD. “I think DENIN understands this very well, and that this approach takes time and resources that are not easy to access with normal funding channels.”

Read the full story here: https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2026/june/denin-faculty-fellows-environmental-solutions-innovation/