Category Archives: News

CRR receives UD’s highest honor

03 Thursday Oct 2019

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CRR Stuart Binder-Macleod, a professor in the University of Delaware’s No. 1–nationally ranked physical therapy program, has received the institution’s highest faculty honor—the prestigious Francis Alison Faculty Award—for 2019.

The annual award recognizes faculty who best exemplify the qualities of “scholar-schoolmaster” embodied by the Rev. Dr. Francis Alison, the founder of the school that eventually became UD. The honor includes a $10,000 prize, and all recipients are inducted into the Alison Society, which promotes academic excellence on campus.

During his 31 years at the University of Delaware, Binder-Macleod helped make UD’s physical therapy program among the best in the nation and he has been running out on Creek Road throughout these same years.

Hearty congratulations!

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Newark’s own elite “tinman” competes in Doha

29 Sunday Sep 2019

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photo of Sam Parsons competing in Doha, Qatar, among the world’s best

Sam Parsons competes in Doha, Qatar, among the world’s best in one of the 5,000m semifinals.

Newark, Del., native Sam Parsons, son of CRR George Parsons and CRR Christina Parsons, has had quite a running year in 2019, capped off by his competing (for Germany) in the World Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Doha, Qatar.

Competing in the 5,000m race as the German national 3,000m champion (he has dual citizenship), Parsons did not qualify for the final, but he managed to run the 24th best time (13:38.53) at this distance in the semifinals among the world’s elite middle-distance runners, finishing 13th in the second semi, just 13 seconds off of a qualifying time.

With regard to the younger Parsons’ experience at the World Championships, his father noted, “He was [just] happy to be here.” About his son’s finishing 24th overall in an attempt to qualify for the finals, the proud elder Parsons said, “I’ll take it!”

photo of Sam Parsons making eye contact with an Ethiopian competitor

Sam Parsons makes eye contact with a rather surprised Ethiopian competitor at the World Championships in Doha.

On Sept. 8, as a run-up to his trip to Doha, Parsons ran a personal best road mile in the prestigious and nationally televised Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City. He led the professional field at the half-mile post (by a wide margin) and collected a $1,000 bonus for having done so, as he had done in 2018 in the same race. Though other runners caught and passed him later in the race, placing him 10th overall, he ran a 3:55.0, smashing his previous best by nearly three seconds and trailing the winner by less than four seconds.

Parsons’ other notable personal bests this calendar year include:

  • 1,500m: 3:37.46 (Portland, Ore., Track Festival, June 9, 2019)
  • 3,000m: 7:44 (IAAF Diamond League, Lucern, July 9, 2019)
  • 5,000m: 13:22 (Payton Jordan Invitational, Palo Alto, May 2, 2019)

Parsons runs for the Boulder, Colo.–based Tinman Elite professional running team. Prior to a successful collegiate running career at North Carolina State, he ran cross country and track in high school locally for The Tatnall School.

 

Another more recent honoree

13 Saturday Jul 2019

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photo of Barret MichalecCRR Barret Michalec, associate dean of Interprofessional Education for the College of Health Sciences and associate professor of sociology at the University of Delaware, was named one of five Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation’s 2019 Macy Faculty Scholars nationwide. The Scholars program, open to educators in medicine and nursing schools, aims to identify innovators in medicine and nursing education and give them the resources to establish new programs at their respective institutions. Michalec was selected from more than 70 applicants for the prestigious award.

As a Macy Scholar, Michalec will spotlight the value of teaching empathy in an interprofessional education setting through his new program, Interprofessional Training in Empathy, Affect and Mindfulness (I-TEAM).

Michalec was the top finisher in the 2018 edition of the “Wring Out the Old, Ring in the New” trail run.

Congratulations from Creek Road Runners.

Two CRRs receive high honors

22 Wednesday May 2019

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photo of Flora PoindexterCRR Flora Poindexter has received one of the University of Delaware’s highest honors, the Excellence in Teaching Award. Poindexter, a senior instructor in languages, literatures and cultures, is one of only four to receive this award at UD in 2019.

Of her craft, Poindexter says, “Teaching is a true passion for me. I enjoy watching my students discover the French language and francophone culture. I try to make my classes as enriching as possible and I am constantly looking for new ways of teaching to different interests and learning styles. As an educator, my own learning is a crucial part of my practice.”

In addition to being a great French teacher, Poindexter likes to run longer distances, including half and full marathons.

photo of Roberta GolinkoffCRR Roberta Golinkoff, one of the earliest members of Creek Road Runners, was also honored by the University of Delaware with the inaugural Faculty Excellence in Scholarly Community Engagement Award. Golinkoff, the Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Chair in the School of Education, was one of two individuals to be so honored.

A pioneer in research in young children’s learning, Golinkoff says, “It is amazingly gratifying to be recognized for my attempts to improve the lives of children and families around the world! The University has been a tremendous support for my efforts.”

Creek Road Runners congratulates both of them on their achievements!

Farquhar fascinated by another’s speed

23 Tuesday Apr 2019

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photo of Bill FarquharPretty fast in his own right at age 50, University of Delaware professor and CRR Bill Farquhar has followed his kinesiology and applied physiology research into the realm of a world-class septuagenarian runner.

On April 15, Gene Dykes, at age 71, became a record-breaker in his age group at the Boston Marathon again this year, clocking an absurd 2:58:50. Back in December, he had ran an even faster marathon—2:54 and change.

CRR Bill Farquhar (left) observes Gene Dykes pushing himself to exhaustion on the treadmill during a research session (UD photo).

Funded with grants from NIH and the American Heart Association, Farquhar and his colleagues at UD and the Mayo Clinic began physically investigating Dykes to find out how he’s managing to run this fast at his age. Their findings were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

One basic assessment from treadmill sessions is that Dykes has an abnormally high VO2 max, a measure of the facility with which the body processes oxygen during exercise. “Most people get to 75, 80, 85 percent of that physiological ceiling. He seems to be chugging along 90 percent the whole way,” Farquhar said. “He is able to get closer to and hold his max. Most people get closer and fatigue.”

Farquhar now has a good personal target goal for a couple decades down the road.

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> For the technical stuff, see NEJM article