To mark Earth Month, which continues through the end of April, four University of Delaware researchers explained how their work addresses some of the greatest challenges facing the planet.

Short videos spotlighting a relevant aspect of their research are linked below:

  • LaShanda Korley, director of UD's Center for Plastics Innovation and a 2023 U.S. Science Envoy, talks about pollution created by single-use plastics and how we can keep plastics from winding up in our landfills and oceans. Korley researches fundamental ways to re-engineer plastics, extending their life cycle indefinitely and demonstrating the value of the resources they represent.

  • A.R. Siders, core faculty member in UD's Disaster Research Center and Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy, explains how we can protect the infrastructure and people living along our coastlines from rising sea levels and flooding under climate change. Siders co-directs the Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub, which aims to bring together students, faculty and other stakeholders to develop and implement solutions for a more sustainable future through education, research and innovation.

  • Doug Tallamy, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology, highlights one simple action we can all take to help wildlife. Tallamy is a nationally known expert on the science of plant-insect interactions, with a passion for helping people create wildlife habitat right in their own backyards and communities.
     
  • Yushan Yan, professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the new Center for Clean Hydrogen, talks about the critical role hydrogen — the most abundant element on the planet — can play in the future of energy.