People on the Move is a rundown of recent hirings, promotions, appointments and other notable movements by professionals in the state. If you’re interested in submitting an entry, please contact news@delawarebusinesstimes.com.
Borst, in her eighth year of teaching, advocates for more equitable learning systems. She started by recognizing needed changes within her own classroom then sought out professional learning to further her knowledge.
Analyzing the demographics of her own classes, she realized that the students on her roster for college preparatory classes were more likely to be Black or Hispanic, multilanguage learners and have lower grade-point averages. Those in her Advanced Placement and dual enrollment rosters were more likely to be white with higher grade-point averages and to have been previously enrolled in honors or AP courses. When she asked her college preparatory students about higher-level courses she found two similar responses: students either didn’t know the options existed or felt they couldn’t take the courses.
“Not only was I saddened by my students’ lack of confidence in their abilities, but I was also astounded by my students’ lack of knowledge about honors and AP-level courses,” Borst said. “No student, regardless of the barriers they face in society, should ever have to worry about hurdles in the classroom. Just as redlining denied Black and other communities of color access to homeownership for decades, gatekeeping currently denies Black and other underserved students access to the ownership of their education.”
Borst inherits from outgoing State Teacher of the Year Cory Hafer the responsibility of representing all teachers in Delaware. She will address community groups, business leaders, legislators, and educational organizations to inform the public about the status of Delaware schools. She also will become Delaware’s candidate in the National Teacher of the Year Program, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers sponsored by the Voya Foundation.
By action of the General Assembly, she will receive a $5,000 grant to use for the educational benefit of her students, as well as two personal grants totaling an additional $5,000. The remaining 19 school district/charter honorees each will receive a personal grant of $2,000. All 20 teachers also received gifts from Wilmington University, Advantech Incorporated and their district superintendents or the Delaware Charter Network.
Becker Morgan Group Associate Principal and Civil Engineer Christopher Duke, PE, PTOE, LEED AP has been named president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Delaware (ACEC Delaware). 
ACEC is a non-profit, self-governing organization representing thousands of engineers, architects, and land surveyors across Delaware, advocating for policies that support the growth and success of the engineering industry. Through its work, ACEC Delaware promotes the interests of its members, fosters professional excellence, and provides a voice for the engineering community in the State.
As President, Chris will guide the organization’s mission to advance the business of engineers and their clients, advocate legislatively on behalf of the organization’s members, and ensure that Delaware remains a place for innovative and sustainable infrastructure development.
Morris Nichols announced that bankruptcy and restructuring attorney Matthew O. Talmo has been named partner.
“It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Matt on this wonderful accomplishment and welcome him as a new partner,” Bill Lafferty, chair of the firm’s executive committee, said.
Talmo’s practice focuses on business reorganization and restructuring. In his eight years at the firm, he has been involved in complex chapter 11 proceedings and reorganization matters, representing various parties in interest, including debtors, official and ad hoc committees, asset purchasers, debtor-in-possession (DIP) lenders, and creditors.
In the past year, Talmo’s contributions to Morris Nichols’ bankruptcy practice included representing chapter 11 debtors across a number of industries, including biotechnology and retail, as well as numerous bankruptcy litigation matters.
For the past two years, Talmo has been included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for his bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights / insolvency and reorganization law work.
Talmo joined Morris Nichols in 2016, after graduating cum laude from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. During law school, he participated in the Myerowitz Moot Court Competition and served on the moot court board. He was also a Certified Student Lawyer at the University of Maryland’s Appellate Advocacy Clinic, where he represented clients in direct appeals of their criminal convictions. Talmo earned his BA in political science, with a minor in history, from the University of Delaware in 2012.
Bayhealth Cancer Institute welcomed hematologist and oncologist Dr. Sheeba Habeeb Ba Aqeel to its team, serving Kent and Sussex Counties. Bayhealth Primary Care in Milford also announced the addition of Dr. Paulina McCabe, who joins Dr. Lauren Parmer, Dr. Jonathan Simon, and Erika Porter, FNP-BC, and is now accepting new primary care patients.
Dr. Ba Aqeel treats a variety of cancers and diseases of the blood and is passionate about partnering with her patients to establish individualized and comprehensive treatment plans. She comes to Bayhealth from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York, where she completed her hematology and oncology fellowship and was chief administrative fellow.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ba Aqeel to our team of hematology and medical oncology specialists here at the Bayhealth Cancer Institute,” said Iftekhar A. Khan, MD, chief, Oncology Services and medical director, Medical Oncology at Bayhealth. “She brings with her a wide range of experience with many different types of cancers and blood diseases that will undoubtedly provide the best care to our patients.”
Dr. Ba Aqeel earned her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees in her native country of India at Deccan College of Medical Sciences, NTR University of Health Science. She went on to complete her internal medicine residency at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois. She is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.
“Dr. McCabe was a standout resident physician here at Bayhealth and in our community, and we’re thrilled that she’s now a permanent addition to our team,” Bayhealth Vice President, Physician Services and Clinical Integration Lawrence Ward, MD, MPH, FACP, said. “Her personable manner and dedication to helping people live healthier lives will be an asset to our local communities.”
Dr. McCabe has a medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PCOM), where she was active in outreach initiatives such as the PCOM Student-Run Clinic and PCOM Health Support Program that provided health services to under-resourced groups. During her medical school rotation at Bayhealth she was awarded the Undergraduate Medical Education’s Most Exceptional Student Award in 2020. She also received the award for Outstanding Service as Class Representative 2021-2022 during her Bayhealth residency.
