In the Spotlight - October 2026
Welcome to In the Spotlight, a series from the Department of Marketing and Communications designed to highlight the achievements, creativity, and leadership of DSU faculty and staff.
Whether it is earning an award, being published in a journal or magazine, presenting at a conference, securing research funding, completing a major project, or making a meaningful impact in the community, we want to share these moments with the DSU community and beyond. Editions will be released periodically throughout the year.
Click here to view the latest edition with photos included
Dr. Akash Dania, a professor of finance in the College of Business, has been recognized by Bloomberg for Education as one of 20 educators worldwide highlighted for their innovative approaches to preparing students for careers in the financial industry.
Featured in Bloomberg for Education’s Professors in the Spotlight, Dr. Dania was recognized for integrating the Bloomberg Terminal into his FIN 418 – Investments course, giving students hands-on experience with real-world
financial data, market analytics, and technology used by industry professionals.“Being recognized among 20 educators worldwide is a meaningful honor, but I am especially pleased that an instructional initiative developed and implemented here at Delaware State University is receiving recognition on a global platform,” Dr. Dania said. “It reflects what we can accomplish when strong academic instruction is combined with institutional investment in technology and experiential learning.”
Dr. Amy Habeger, professor and director of the Doctor of Social Work program in the Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, has received a Fulbright Specialist Award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Through the award, Dr. Habeger will spend six weeks at Christ University in India, where she will collaborate with social work faculty, deliver lectures to master’s students on research methods
and family therapy practice, mentor doctoral students, and participate in a social work conference. Dr. Habeger is among a group of highly qualified U.S. citizens selected annually for the Fulbright Specialist Program, which connects American educators and professionals with institutions worldwide to exchange knowledge, strengthen international partnerships, and advance educational collaboration.
Dr. Anton D. House, an assistant professor in the College of Humanities, Education and Social Services and historian for the Delaware African American Heritage and Culture Commission, has launched The Mid-Atlantic Oral History Project, a podcast on African American experiences with segregated education, desegregation, and history in Delaware.
The project builds on Dr. House’s work as a co-author of the National Park Service’s Historic Resource Study, Desegregation of
Delaware Public Schools, 1865–1978. Its first season features six oral-history interviews exploring segregated education, Black teachers and schools, desegregation, and the communities that helped expand educational opportunities throughout Delaware. Through the project, Dr. House aims to connect historical scholarship with public engagement while highlighting the important role of historically Black institutions like Delaware State University in preserving African American history and advancing educational opportunity.
Dr. LeAndrea Johnson, a graduate admissions and retention specialist in the School of Graduate, Adult and Extended Studies, received the 2026 Delaware ACE Women’s Network Rising Star Award on October 15 at Delaware Technical Community College’s Newark campus.
Dr. Johnson was among six women from Delaware colleges and universities recognized for their leadership, professional achievements, and commitment to serving their institutions
and communities. For more than 25 years, the Delaware ACE Women’s Network has supported the advancement of women in higher education through professional development, advocacy, education, research, and collaboration. The Rising Star Award recognizes emerging leaders whose contributions reflect the organization’s commitment to expanding leadership opportunities for women in higher education