RHODE ISLAND - Poetry Why - The University of Rhode Island
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RHODE ISLAND
UNIVERSITY OF
SPRING 2021
MAGAZINE
Why Poetry
Now?
VOICE.
CONNECTION.
SOLACE.
MEANING.
Aperture
EDWARDS IN BLOOM
Edwards Hall is one of URI’s most iconic buildings.
Positioned on the Quadrangle at the corner of Upper
College Road, Edwards was built in 1928 of the same
rough, squared, ashlar granite as some of the earlier
buildings on the Quad. Named for URI’s third president,
Howard Edwards, the building’s auditorium has served as
a lecture hall, been home to URI Theatre, and hosted
movies, concerts, guest speakers, University ceremonies,
and lecture series.
The building underwent a $1.5 million restoration
in 2010, which earned URI a 2012 Rhody Award for
Historic Preservation. During the restoration, workers
uncovered a set of murals by Providence artist Gino
Conti as part of the Works Projects Administration
program, which provided jobs to boost the economy
during the 1930s and 1940s. In near perfect
condition, the murals were removed and restored.
In 2018, Edwards was one of 17 structures
on the Kingston Campus named to the
National Register of Historic Places. This
distinction recognizes the URI Historic
District for its contributions to the
history of education, architecture,
and landscape architecture. •
PHOTO: NORA LEWIS
10 SPRING 2021 UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 11
Inside
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE • VOL. 3, NO. 2 • SPRING 2021
F E AT U R E S
CURRENTS
8
IN BRIEF
URI news to keep you
in the know.
9
GO RHODY
URI athletic director Thorr
Bjorn on adapting to college
athletics during COVID.
NET WORK
10 46
BIG IDEAS. BOLD CLASS NOTES
PLANS. URI alumni are amazing!
Meet recipients of the Ryan Catch up with your classmates
and Verrecchia Scholarships. and get to know the newest and
longest-standing members of
11 the Rhody family.
36
RHODY SCHOLARS THE EVOLUTION OF NURSING
51
Grad student Lauren Machado’s
YOUR STORIES As URI’s College of Nursing marks its 75th year and COVID keeps nurses in the spotlight,
winning business plan puts
we look at the changing profession through the stories of URI’s nursing alumni.
sustainable fashion forward. The legacy of the late Leo
DiMaio Jr. as told by the late
12 Daniel Price Jr. ’73.
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
52
URI experts are quoted in the
media frequently. Here are a few NICHE
of them that bear repeating. A Q&A with inventor, author,
techie—and Oscar and Emmy
13 Award winner—Tom Ohanian,
Ryan Kleinert ’12
M.B.A. ’14
LESSON PLAN
Lila Bovenzi ’22
The new URI Online program
55
offers accessible education for
working students. CLOSE UP
Meet Rachel Gomes,
14 M.E.S.M. ’20, the Kingston
Fire Department’s first 16 22 28
WHY I TEACH PRESIDENT DOOLEY’S LEGACY SOMETHING TO TWEET ABOUT POETRY’S MOMENT
female firefighter cleared
Communication studies for primary duty. URI has changed in major ways during Meet some of URI’s student, faculty, From the presidential inauguration
professor Kathleen Torrens
the 12 years of David M. Dooley's staff, and alumni birders—and find out to the Super Bowl, poetry is everywhere—
wants her students to become
56 presidency. We take a closer look at 10 how they got hooked. and URI is no exception.
citizen-participants.
CAPTION THIS of the most important changes.
15 Stroll down Memory Lane,
check out last issue’s winners,
QUAD ANGLES
and send your best caption
English proffessor Travis for this issue! Left, Nicholas Larghi ’09 captured this image of a giant sphinx moth
Williams on what Shakespeare drinking nectar from a ghost orchid in Big Cypress National Preserve
can teach us about pandemic in Florida's Everglades. His story and photos were published in
survival. Orchid Digest. Read Larghi’s Class Note on page 50.
2 SPRING 2021 COVER ILLUSTRATION: MASON MCMILLEN UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 3
PHOTOS: NICHOLAS LARGHI; JOE GIBLIN; NORA LEWIS; COURTESY RYAN KLEINERT; LILA BOVENZI
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Thank You, University of Rhode Island.
David M. Dooley became the University of Rhode Island’s 11th president
in 2009. As he prepares to retire this year, President Dooley
expresses his gratitude for the people of URI.
W orking with the people of the
University of Rhode Island has
been the highlight of my career. URI’s
Nevertheless, there are many reasons
to be hopeful. For example, I’m proud of
the new pathways this university contin-
students, faculty, staff, alumni, political ues to create for accessing the best of what
leaders, and friends have all contributed higher education has to offer: hope, dis-
to the achievements and excellence that covery, and the pursuit of knowledge.
now characterize our university. There URI Online, for example, highlighted in
have been many challenges over the years, “A New Way—and Good Reasons—to
but the determination, perseverance, and Go Back to School,” represents new
dedication of the URI community have opportunities for people of all ages and
propelled URI to its current status as a backgrounds to access URI’s affordable
premier public research university. and high-quality education programs.
In these pages, there are many stories I am grateful for all I have experienced
that relate to our current experiences as during my academic career. In fact, I
we continue adapting to life during a pan- often note that I went to college in the
demic. “From Assistant to Expert: Rede- 1970s—and never left. As I write this final
fining Nursing” brings into focus the URI Magazine message to you, our Rhody
importance of nurses in roles ranging community, I want to express my deep
“Working with from patient care to leadership during appreciation for the care and support you
the people of the times of crisis. As we commemorate the extended to Lynn and me from the day
75th anniversary of URI’s nursing pro- you welcomed us to Kingston. We will
University of gram at a time in history when nurses never forget the University of Rhode
Rhode Island has have become the face of frontline workers, Island and the special community at its
been the highlight we highlight the URI nurses in communi- heart. Thank you.
of my career.” ties around the globe and in every facet
of health care who are touching—and
—David M. Dooley saving—countless lives.
Throughout the pandemic, URI has
continued to expand its commitment to David M. Dooley
the arts and the cultural experiences that President, University of Rhode Island
connect us as humans. When Amanda
Gorman confidently stepped into the
inaugural spotlight to share her poem,
“The Hill We Climb,” generations of peo-
ple were reminded of the power of poetry
and its ability to connect us on an emo-
tional level. “Why Poetry Now?” explores
this artistic expression and how many
of us are finding comfort in reading, COASTAL COLORS Kristina Cinquegrana Petrilli ’07 is a self-described lover of color. The sunrises and sunsets
along Rhode Island’s coast are among her favorite subjects. “Dusk on the Rocks,” Petrilli says,
writing, and reciting poetry during these Kristina Cinquegrana Petrilli ’07
was created in many layers over several months in her makeshift kitchen-corner studio.
difficult times. “Dusk on the Rocks,” 2021 Having her studio space “where all the action takes place in our home,” says this busy
11” x 14” acrylic on canvas mom of two, “has given me the opportunity to add color to my paintings in small
increments of time, which is so limited these days.” She adds, “I began with multiple
Visit uri.edu/artsci/fineartsalumni
washes over the sky, then the water, horizon line, and finally the shapes and shadows
for more about Kristina Petrilli
of the rocks. I use my palette knife to bring texture and angles—the unexpected streaks
and other URI alumni artists.
of color and texture make me smile.” Petrilli earned her B.F.A. from URI. She is a senior
digital content strategist at URI and runs a freelance marketing and design business. •
4 SPRING 2021 PHOTO: NORA LEWIS UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 5
Feedback
Write to us: urimag@uri.edu
Ditching Syringes
I just read the article about plastics (fall
2020). I am a small animal veterinarian
Field Trips
I just finished Stephen Hopkins’ hilarious
piece, “Field Ornithology and My Life of
On both of my experiences there, we
studied PAR Pond (actually a reservoir),
Civil Rights
Activism at URI
The latest issue of URI Magazine sug-
in Beverly, Mass. We Crime,” in the fall 2020 issue. Fortunately, which was part of the cooling waterways gested that civil rights activism at URI
Visit us and comment at uri.edu/magazine
have switched over other URI students in the early 1970s had for the P and R reactors prior to water started in 1966. In fact, there was sig-
to vacutainer use much more positive experiences at the release to the Savannah River proper. nificant activity prior to that, including
for 90 percent of Savannah River Ecology Lab (SREL), One of my fellow grad students, Torgny organizing for voter registration bus
From the Editor Love for URI’s Library our blood sam- which, as I recall, was operated by the Vigerstad, M.S. ’74, Ph.D. ’80, actually did rides to the South and sit-ins at the
Thank you for the many, many Education Program pling. This saves
so many syringes
University of Georgia. Professors Stan
Cobb and Bob Shoop made multiple field
his dissertation research in PAR Pond. In
December 1971, as we checked in at the
capitol building in Providence for fair
comments and letters you shared housing. Not to mention demonstra-
This past weekend, a granddaughter of as well as plastic trips to the SREL with undergrad and AEC administration building to pick up
in response to the last issue. Your tions in Wakefield because barber
one of my cousins asked me about my cases for them. I teach grad students. Much of the terrain and our badges for the field trip led by Profes-
feedback matters, not just to us shops would not cut the hair of the
library career for a class that she is taking this to anyone that comes through water available for study was in the sor Cobb, many short-haired government
(although it does make our day to African exchange students, read that
involving career planning. When I my practice as a student intern, but it 310-square-mile property of the U.S. employees came out of their offices to
hear from you), but to other read- Black. There was a small but active
responded, I referred her to a video that is still not widespread at all throughout Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and behold a couple of the long-haired guys
ers, because it tells us which stories NSM (Northern Student Movement)
Assumption University (formerly the field. nuclear materials for bombs were pro- in our group—but I don't think they ever
mean the most to you. group on campus, which morphed
Assumption College) posted this summer. —Nancy Crowley ’88 duced in the reactors onsite. Thus, access suspected us of bank robbery.
Speaking of which, the number into a small but vocal SDS (Students
It includes an interview that an employee to the facility was not a given, leading to —Dave Bengtson, M.S. ’74, Ph.D. ’82
of stories out there of URI folks and for a Democratic Society) group (SDS
of the alumni fund office conducted with the attendant “nature sanctuary” feel of Professor Emeritus, URI Department of
their incredible lives, work, creativity, represented something quite different
and resilience is truly astounding.
me in late May. The interview details what Thank God for Liberals the place. Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences at that time). URI should be aware of
my library career has meant to me. The
We can share only a tiny fraction in This (excerpted) note was in response to and proud of this history. In reading
former Graduate Library School at URI
these pages, but we hope you find another reader’s note in the fall 2020 issue the article, it would seem that those
something here that inspires you in
played a vital role in launching the won-
of the magazine: Keeper of Her Culture earlier efforts were not as lasting as
derful career that I have enjoyed for more
some way. ( … ) Thank God for political liberals, Wow, what a great article (“Keeper of Her Culture,” fall 2020) about a real life one could hope, but they were very
than 40 years. If anyone wishes to see it,
One that you might find inspir- who still have some ability to care about story. When I was at URI in the early 1960s, I worked for a lady at the Student real and should be remembered.
the video is available here: https://vimeo.
ing—I did—is the short story and empathize with the plights of others. Union who was from Kenyon. I remember her telling me about Usquepaugh and —Nada Chandler ’64
com/423418117. Thank you so much for
below of a shared moment around everything. The liberal philosophy of life and educa- other Native American areas. After I got out of the Navy in 1966, I worked for
a COVID vaccine. It shows how —Larry Spongberg, M.L.S. ’74 tion that broadens students’ awareness of two years at the Great Swamp Wildlife Management area in West Kingston.
interconnected we all truly are—an the commonalities and needs of humanity Coming originally from Bristol, I was interested in King Philip and the tragic Scout Team
Larry Spongberg, aka Larry the Librarian,
important thing to remember in
recently retired after 40 years as a librarian
needs be enabled to flourish for the bene- war. This article brought back these memories, but sadly I learned how little I Spotlight
these days when, for so many of us, fit of the entire human community. know of this culture. Thanks for the work of URI and Leah Hopkins ’20.
at Assumption University in Worcester, —Matthew Perry ’63 I was reading through
human connection is a rare and America is not Amerika, nor is it Stepford.
Massachusetts. your recent article about
precious thing. —Cheryl A. Madden ’02 club sports (my roommate
— Barbara Caron, Editor-in-Chief was on the sailing team) and
The University of Rhode Island Magazine is Corrections loved the article (summer 2020).
published by the University of Rhode Island.
Copyright pending, all rights reserved. In the fall 2020 story about Leah Hopkins I regularly read the magazine and love
Email: urimag@uri.edu ’20, “Keeper of Her Culture,” we incorrectly the work you guys put in. I wanted
= SOCIAL SNAP = Online: uri.edu/magazine stated that Pocasset Wampanoag sachem
Phone: 401.874.5895 to draw attention to a program I was
Queen Weetamoo was Hopkins’ ancestor.
“It is amazing In February, Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice Erica Estus ’96, Executive Editor: Michele A. Nota ’87, M.S. ’06,
Queen Weetamoo is one of Hopkins’
involved in all four years of my colle-
Pharm.D. ’00, posted to social media: “Happiness is spending a Vice President, URI Foundation & Alumni
knowing that I am heroes and a part of her cultural heritage, giate years at URI. I was a scout team
Friday night with my dad (retired pharmacist Ronald DiMatteo) Engagement
basketball practice player for the
helping to bring getting his first COVID vaccine. Bonus that he was vaccinated Editor-in-Chief: Barbara Caron but not a direct ancestor.
women’s basketball program.
by a URI pharmacy student who took my geriatric pharmacy Art Director: Kim Robertson In the Aperture section of the fall 2020
the world back elective course this past fall. A 75-year-old retired pharmacist Contributing Editors: issue, Jon Laustsen’s name was misspelled Most Division I programs use men
to ‘normal’—one and a 22-year-old future pharmacist with a whole lot of stories Annie Babineau, Dina M. Dionizio ’91,
Dave Lavallee ’79, M.P.A. ’87, Leslie Lowenstein,
near the end of the story. to practice against—like UConn,
to share—and a special Queens, N.Y., connection.” Duke, and BC. We wake up early,
vaccine at a time.” Lauren Eng, Pharm.D. '22, received her certification to immunize
Kate O’Malley, Marybeth Reilly-McGreen In the fall 2020 story about Chef Bruce
practice, get hurt, study plays, and
Contributing Designer: Cynthia McMillen Moffett ’87, we erroneously identified
—Lauren Eng, Pharm.D. '22 through the URI Pharm.D. curriculum and works as an intern at
Photographer: Nora Lewis the late U.S. Senator John Chafee as follow other teams so we can better
CVS Caremark. She loves administering vaccines. “So many play and prepare our athletes for
Illustrations: Anthony Russo ’74 “(D-R.I.).” This should have read,
people,” she says, “have said things to me like, ‘Once I am fully
Digital Design: Laurel McLaughlin ’92 “(R-R.I.),” as Senator Chafee’s party showtime. Not sure if an article has
vaccinated, I can’t wait to be reunited with my children and
grandchildren!’ It is amazing knowing that I am helping to bring Editorial Board: affiliation was Republican. been written, but I wanted to bring
Kelly Mahoney ’03, Executive Director, External some attention to those dedicated
the world back to ‘normal’—one vaccine at a time.” Relations and Communications; Our sincere apologies for these errors.
At right, retired pharmacist DiMatteo was Eng’s last vaccination of the day, so they had time Linda A. Acciardo ’77, Director, Communications players and the role they play in help-
Ronald DiMatteo receives to chat. “I’m from Astoria, Queens—born and raised,” says Eng, and Marketing; ing the college athletes prepare for
Austen Farrell, Chief Marketing Officer, URI
his COVID vaccine from “and Mr. DiMatteo went to St. John’s University for pharmacy,
Foundation & Alumni Engagement
success in the game. Go Rhody!
URI pharmacy student which is right near my high school. I loved meeting him in
The University follows the Centers for Disease Control
—Rick Branca ’14
Lauren Eng. person (we met him on Zoom last semester when I took Dr. Estus’ and Prevention, Rhode Island Department of Health,
geriatrics elective and he was so sweet!) and hearing about his and University COVID-19 guidelines; URI photography
time in Vietnam and hilarious pharmacy school stories.” • was taken following the guidance at the time.
6 SPRING 2021 PHOTOS: TOM MALLINSON; ERICA ESTUS; GETTY IMAGES UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 7
Currents
today.uri.edu
Get more
= GO RHODY =
news at
News Ticker Writing a Pandemic Playbook
URI’s director of athletics, Thorr Bjorn, looks back on a year of adjusting to day-to-day
= IN BRIEF = changes brought on by COVID-19, and looks ahead, determined to return to a
more familiar routine for URI’s student-athletes, coaches, and staff.
A Smarter Bandage
By embedding nanosensors in the fibers
of a bandage, University of Rhode Island
CANNABIS STUDIES
Job growth in the therapeutic
cannabis industry is expected to create
“Health and well-being for
the student-athletes is A s he and his wife Cyndy went to
dinner in Brooklyn, N.Y., on
March 12, 2020, an eerie feeling washed
“In many cases, that is the reason
they’re here—why they chose Rhode
Island over another school,” Bjorn adds.
assistant professor Daniel Roxbury and
Mohammad Moein Safaee Ph.D. ’20, have
more than 500,000 jobs by 2022. URI’s new our number-one priority. over University of Rhode Island athletics “We have a responsibility to proceed in
created a continuous, noninvasive
online certificate program is providing the But we also promised our director Thorr Bjorn. the safest manner possible while remem-
workforce with specialized knowledge to A day earlier, the Atlantic 10 Men’s bering that we promised we would try to
way to detect and monitor an
help employees succeed. (Read more about student-athletes that we Basketball Championship was cancelled— provide that opportunity.”
infection in a wound.
URI’s online cannabis studies program and would try to give them a major decision, which Bjorn had been Providing opportunities to compete
other URI Online programs on page 13.)
opportunities to compete part of as chair of the league’s athletic led the Atlantic 10 to an unprecedented
this year.” director’s committee. The restaurant decision. Plans came together for abbrevi-
—Thorr Bjorn the Bjorns stepped into was sparsely ated seasons for all fall teams to have
populated, a real-time preview of the championship seasons. A similar decision
ADVISING CONGRESS months ahead. was made by CAA Football, meaning that
Assistant Professor Daniel Roxbury and URI nursing professor Mary Sullivan has Just 24 hours earlier, the couple had between January and April 2021, every
Mohammed Moein Safaee, Ph.D. ’20, been tapped to be an advisor to the U.S. gone to dinner at a packed, bustling city athletic team at Rhode Island would be
The “smart bandage” will be monitored demonstrate the smart bandage. Congress. In that role, she will share her restaurant, a scene that, today, feels like a in season.
by a wearable device, which will wirelessly expertise on the importance of nursing distant memory. “What’s been amazing is the work our
(optically) detect the signal from the carbon useful in those with diabetes, where the research and research funding. “People were talking about COVID, administrative staff and coaches have
nanotubes in the bandage. The signal can management of chronic wounds is routine.” and you kind of felt it was coming, but done to figure out policies and make sure
then be transmitted to a smartphone, or Testing has focused on small bandage
there were no masks, and the restaurant we are following through on everything,”
similar device, to automatically alert the samples, but the technology can be applied
we went to was busy,” Bjorn says. “The Bjorn says. “The ability to adjust to the
patient or a health-care provider. easily to much larger bandages. Roxbury
next night, it was a lot different. The curveballs has been incredible. It has
“The hope is that the device will diagnose noted the usefulness of the technology in
NEW HIGH-TECH restaurant was very spread out, and there been a challenging time that I don’t ever
an infection at an early stage, necessitating those larger sizes, since larger bandages can
fewer antibiotics and preventing drastic be more of a nuisance to remove and The Champlin Foundation awarded were maybe 10 people inside. It was an want to go through again, but my level
measures, such as limb amputation,” said reapply. “Our device won’t need to be $500,000 to URI to enhance student eerie feeling, totally eerie. We left to of pride is over the top. Gratitude isn’t
Roxbury. “We envision this being particularly removed to enable detection,” he said. learning through high-tech investments come home that Friday, and everything a strong enough word for the work that
in chemistry, engineering, marine and had changed.” has been done.”
environmental science, and photography. In the months that followed, the Today—January 19, 2021—Bjorn looks
COVID pandemic dominated everything. out his office window and sees the women’s
Removing and Destroying ‘Forever Chemicals’ .
College athletics became an uncertain
landscape wrought with fits and starts.
track and field team working out. Earlier in
the day, he popped out to Meade Stadium
URI hydrogeologist Thomas Boving products. Because they do not break It began with the cancellation of the bas- to watch the football team practice.
NATIONAL EXERCISE STANDARDS
and colleagues at EnChem down easily in the environment, ketball postseason and bled into the halt- “It feels far more normal going into the
URI's College of Health Sciences dean,
Engineering Inc. are testing a they find their way into human ing of spring sports in 2020. As weeks spring 2021 semester than it did starting
Gary Liguori, was chosen to edit and
proprietary new technology and animal tissues and can lead
revise the American College of Sports
passed, it became apparent that the fall the fall 2020 semester,” Bjorn says. “We
for quickly removing and to many serious diseases.
Medicine's exercise standards for
2020 season was not to be, at least not have proven we can do it with the basket-
destroying hazardous “Our approach to this everywhere. While the Power 5 confer- ball season, and now our student-athletes
implementation in the fall of 2021.
chemical compounds from problem is in two steps,” said ences proceeded with sports—particularly believe we are doing everything we can
soil and groundwater. If proven Boving. “First, we flush the football—the Atlantic 10 joined the to deliver on that promised opportunity.
effective, the technology could compounds out of the ground by majority of conferences around the coun- “This is not the new normal. It is a
soon be applied to cleaning up the pumping in a sugar molecule that has the try in postponement. temporary pain, and it has not been easy.
abundant per- and polyfluoroalkyl ability to remove PFAS from the soil and As athletic director Thorr Bjorn cheered “I ask, ‘Why?’ a lot. ‘Why is that the But we can get back to normal. We will
substances—collectively referred to as PFAS groundwater. Then we pump the solution OCEAN EXPLORATION on the men's basketball team against plan? Why are we doing that?’ I don’t get back, and we are doing it.” •
and “forever chemicals”—that contaminate out of the ground and hit it with a chemical Newly appointed oceanography UMass in early February, it was with a
want things done just because it is the —Shane Donaldson ’99
drinking water supplies serving about one- oxidation process to destroy the compounds.” professor Adam Soule will lead one mask, from an empty athletic director's
suite, in an arena with empty stands. easy way,” Bjorn says. “Health and well-
third of Americans. “We likely have the only technology for of the largest research initiatives in
being for the student-athletes is our
PFAS have been in use for more than 60 remediating PFAS that is working at this scale URI’s history. The $94 million Ocean
years and are found in common household at this time,” said Boving. “There are a lot of Exploration Cooperative Institute will
number-one priority. But we also prom-
goods like nonstick cookware, stain-proof other great ideas out there, but most are still guide the efforts of five research
ised our student-athletes that we would
carpets, and pizza boxes, as well as in being tested in the lab. We’re ahead of the institutions supporting ocean exploration try to give them opportunities to compete
firefighting foams and other industrial game, and we have high hopes.” and responsible resource management. this year.
8 SPRING 2021 PHOTOS: COURTESY NEGAR RAHMANI; MARKUS SPISKE PHOTO: DREW ADAMES UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 9
CURRENTS
= BIG IDEAS. BOLD PLANS. =
Attracting Excellence: Faces of URI
Background:
Jordan Furman plays the alto sax and competed at nationals for cheerleading. She was a top student
at her high school and applied to 10 colleges. Thanks to the Verrecchia Scholarship, she chose URI
and is a double major in accounting and communication studies.
What are the benefits of being a Verrecchia Scholar?
“I have access to a personal career coach, internship mentoring and placement, and regular expo-
sure to business leaders. In my first semester I participated in the Leadership Institute, which
helped me develop leadership skills and introduced me to people with similar interests. I am very = RHODY SCHOLARS =
happy about the easy assimilation into the URI community.”
What does the future hold?
Redefining
VERRECCHIA SCHOLAR
Furman is excited that a J-Term experience is part of her Verrecchia Scholarship. She is considering Sustainable Fashion
South Korea, where she was born, to study business analytics, or Belize to study communications.
Jordan Furman ’24 Once she graduates, she thinks she might pursue a career at one of the big four accounting firms in Graduate student Lauren Machado
Chadwick, N.J. forensic accounting or auditing. developed an innovative business
plan that won a national
"I believe there is no better investment than education. When we can provide access merchandising contest.
through scholarships, we attract outstanding students and we put them in the best
position to succeed and contribute to society."
—ALFRED J. VERRECCHIA ’67, M.B.A. ’72, HON. ’04
S ometimes an assigned project strikes
a chord that resonates deeply. For
Lauren Machado, creating a business plan
for a national merchandising contest did
just that.
As a first-year master’s student in tex-
Background: tiles, fashion merchandising and design,
Carlos Fragoso Uriarte tutored students in math and volunteered to do science experiments Machado developed a plan that not only
with elementary school children with autism. He captained his high school soccer team and played took top honors in the competition, but
trumpet in the All-State Band. Thanks to the Ryan Scholarship, he’s a double major in chemical may one day be the foundation for her With degrees from Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing in Rio de Janeiro, and Parsons
own business. School of Design in New York City, Lauren Machado chose URI for graduate school.
engineering and Italian (he’s already fluent in Spanish) and is considering a minor in mathematics
or physics. Her business plan for “Co.Lab” beat
out 30 other entries—from students at The sisters progressed to playing “Lauren's business plan mirrors her
What are the benefits of being a Ryan Scholar? 10 colleges and universities—in the 2020 dress-up and watching Project Runway. innovative ideas to run fashion businesses
“While this hasn’t been a traditional first semester on campus, the Ryan Scholars are a tight- merchandising competition held by At Escola Superior de Propaganda e in new sustainable ways,” says Goswami.
knit group. Assistant Dean Abdirkin and Dean Libutti have been so helpful and involved. As a Educators for Socially Responsible Marketing in Rio de Janeiro, she earned “When you hear sustainability in fashion,
group we decided to meet for dinner once a week and did that all semester. We can’t wait to get Apparel Practices. a bachelor’s degree in publicity and adver- you start thinking of the environment,
back to campus to see each other.” “I have a huge feeling of accomplish- tising, then added an associate’s degree in waste materials, maybe circular fashion.
ment,” says Machado, who is from the city fashion marketing from Parsons School of But Lauren started thinking of social sus-
RYAN SCHOLAR of Niterói in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Design in New York City. When it was time tainability, along with environmental
What does the future hold?
Fragoso looks forward to the various hands-on learning opportunities at URI and is particularly lives in Boston. “It makes me feel I’m on for graduate school, URI caught her eye. resources. She thought of empowering
Carlos Fragoso Uriarte ’24
interested in energy research. He’s not sure what the future holds but he thinks about earning the right track and encourages me to keep In Machado’s first semester at URI last future generations, building partnerships
Johnston, R.I.
his doctorate. up the good work. The company I envi- spring, assistant professor Saheli Goswami for economic growth, and promoting
sioned represents, to me, a business model alerted her to the merchandising contest. entrepreneurship for responsible produc-
"I wanted to ensure that these driven, multitalented students could access the full range of that I truly believe in, and I definitely see “Co.Lab” is a play on the word “collab- tion and consumption.”
myself either working for this type of orate.” Machado envisions a socially “I believe in a different fashion indus-
what this University has to offer. We are excited to welcome them to our community and
business or opening the business myself.” responsible retailer selling street-style try from what we see today,” Machado
to see them embrace the full URI learning experience. I am confident that they will go on Growing up in Brazil, Machado apparel and handbags made of sustainable says. “I believe fashion is a form of expres-
to become tomorrow's leaders." —THOMAS M. RYAN ’75, HON. ’99 became fascinated with fashion and materials. The company would collabo- sion, creativity, and therapy—and is
dreamed of owning a business. Her rate with four emerging student designers essential to us. More than that, I believe
grandfather owned a chain of retail stores each season to keep the store and its mer- the fashion industry has a crucial role of
where Machado and her sister would chandise fresh. changing our behavior to be more sus-
The Ryan Endowed Scholarship and Verrecchia Endowed Scholarship were created to attract top students to URI and offer a unique spend afternoons hiding in the clothing It received a nearly perfect score from tainable, in all senses of the word.” •
variety of learning experiences. The first Ryan and Verrecchia scholars enrolled in fall 2020. racks and playing with the cashiers. a panel of merchandising industry judges. —Tony LaRoche ’94
10 SPRING 2021 PHOTOS: COURTESY JORDAN FURMAN; JUAN FRAGOSO PHOTO: COURTESY LAUREN MACHADO UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 11
= MEDIA SPOTLIGHT = = LESSON PLAN =
You Can Quote Me A New Way—and Good Reasons
—to Go Back to School
A new program, URI Online, offers convenient and flexible certificate,
On the compounded challenges of COVID-19 and substance abuse: On the Biden administration’s
open-door policy for Muslims, after
graduate degree, and undergraduate degree completion programs
[Among] people who are surveyed during the pandemic years of not being able to leave the to help students advance or shift their careers.
who use drugs, we’ve seen a 13% increase in the number of people country without fear of being
denied reentry:
who have increased their use of substances.
—Jeffrey Bratberg, clinical professor of pharmacy
Pharmacy Times “I feel like I
have been in
a cage for
On discovering that organisms can survive in unexpectedly severe undersea conditions:
four years.”
“Water boils on the (Earth’s) surface at 100 degrees Celsius,
and we found organisms living in sediments at 120 degrees Celsius.”
—Arthur Spivack, professor of oceanography, who led the geochemistry efforts for
Expedition 370 of the International Ocean Discovery Program
—Negar Rahmani, a 26-year-old
Iranian-born graduate student at URI Y es, it’s true that the global pandemic
forced most college students into
online learning over the past year—and
Courses are taught in seven-week sessions, and all
URI Online students pay in-state tuition rates regardless
SciTechDaily.com The New York Times
that most of them long for a return to of where they are located. Employers often offer tuition
traditional, in-person classes. But a newly benefits that can help pay for degrees and certificates.
launched program, URI Online, was built
On Rome’s “creepiest” emperor, for students who are working profession- undergraduate degree or who are recent
on the occasion of his infamous als and who prefer or need the conve- community college graduates. And the R.N. URI ONLINE
On his work in solving technological inequities
for people with disabilities:
imperial gardens being opened to nience and flexibility of online learning. to B.S. program provides an opportunity
the public: URI Online offers professional certifi- for students to complete a nursing degree. Graduate Programs
“In general, people with disabilities face a severe cate programs geared toward people Additional bachelor’s degree completion • Dietetics, M.S.
disparity in the cybersecurity solutions “Caligula was young already in the workforce who want to gain
new skills to advance their careers. Certif-
programs will be added in the future.
Finally, students can pursue master’s
• Healthcare Management, M.S.
• Master of Library and
available to them.” and had absolutely Information Studies
icates in areas including cannabis studies, degrees in areas with high career growth—
—Krishna Venkatasubramanian, no relevant experience healthcare management, GIS and geospa- such as supply chain management and • Master of Oceanography
assistant professor of computer science for the job, which might tial technologies, fisheries science, digital applied analytics, healthcare management, • Professional Sciences Masters
forensics, data science, and others, are and cybersecurity—through URI Online, in Cyber Security
The Boston Globe have seemed like a • Supply Chain Management and
geared toward helping students advance often obtaining certifications along the
breath of fresh air at first, Applied Analytics, M.S.
or shift their careers. Most certificate way that count toward the graduate degree.
but soon turned into a programs can be completed within two Additional master’s degree program offer-
• TESOL/BDL, M.A.
nightmare as he proved semesters. ings are planned. Certificate Program
On COVID-19 and its impact on stock prices in the short and long term: “We offer programs that will equip Dana Amore ’91, Pharm.D. ’01, of
to be a cruel and • Cannabis Studies
“In the long run, if the impact of COVID turns out to be more incompetent ruler.” students with the skills needed to fill
high-demand, high-wage jobs,” says
Warwick, R.I., is a pharmacist for Stop &
Shop. For her, URI Online’s certificate
Graduate Certificate Programs
long-lasting or if the monetary policy changes unexpectedly, • Cyber Security
Jill Firtell, assistant director of online program in cannabis studies made sense.
there is a risk of a very big correction.” —Bridget Buxton, associate
program development at URI. “Our “I have a lot of patients who are using
• Data Science
professor of ancient history and • Digital Forensics
—Xiaowei Xu, assistant professor of finance Mediterranean archaeology programs build off of areas of expertise medicinal marijuana, CBD oils, and other • Fisheries Science (FIS)
across the University and are aligned with cannabis products, or who are thinking • GIS and Geospatial Technologies
WalletHub Salon
industry sectors showing signs of growth. about it. When they walk in with ques- • Healthcare Management
It is not just about getting a degree or a tions for me, as a pharmacy professional, • Natural Resources and the
certificate, but instead about ensuring I need to be able to give them answers,” Environment
On the passage of ballot initiatives around the nation last fall: that our graduates have what they need she says. Amore is halfway through the Undergraduate Programs
to make a difference in their chosen program and expects to finish in May. She • Communications Studies, B.A.
“In many ways this has sparked a national conversation on race, and I think we’ve seen a lot of field—whatever that may be.” says that as a full-time professional, she Degree Completion
Students can also complete bachelor’s appreciates the convenience and the flexi- • Nursing, R.N. to B.S.
people who are more willing to take concrete steps to address racism than they were in the past.”
degrees through URI Online. An offering bility of being able to, for the most part, uri.edu/online
—Brendan Skip Mark, assistant professor of political science in communication studies is for students set her own pace. •
who started but did not finish their —Tracey Manni
The Christian Science Monitor
12 SPRING 2021 PHOTOS: COURTESY URI ONLINE; NORA LEWIS; GETTY IMAGES UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 13
CURRENTS
= QUAD ANGLES =
= WHY I TEACH =
Lessons in Pandemic Survival, or
How Shakespeare Became a Superstar
Learning is Engagement What can the literary arts and the life of William Shakespeare teach us about how
KATHLEEN TORRENS to survive—and even find opportunities—in the midst of a pandemic?
Professor, Communication Studies, and By Travis D. Williams
Assistant Director, Online Education
Winner of the 2020 URI Foundation and Alumni
Engagement Excellence in Teaching Award,
W ould William Shakespeare have
been “Shakespeare!” (cue the
choir of angels) had he not written As You
plague closures, while others combined;
members sought secure places among the
survivors. Two companies emerged domi-
Torrens encourages her students to think Like It, Hamlet, or The Tempest? It’s easy nant and stable: the Admiral’s Men and the
critically and engage in civic life. to confuse the ideal we know with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later renamed
complicated historical person subject to the King’s Men). Shakespeare remained
W hile working on her dissertation on the 19th-century
dress reform movement, Kathleen Torrens developed a
deeper appreciation of ways in which we communicate publicly.
“the slings and arrows of outrageous for-
tune,” not to mention ordinary daily risks.
Elizabethan England was a dangerous
with the Chamberlain’s and King’s Men
for the rest of his career. Though he could
not have known it, the stability of this
For example, clothing can function as political statement. The place. Poor sanitation, rampant disease, association allowed him to become the
progressive 19th-century woman’s rejection of corsets—and petti- food shortages, and the lack of an orga- playwright we now know.
coats, hoops, chemises, and bustles—intertwined with the public nized police force made life hard—sur- Starting in the mid-1590s, Shakespeare
movements for suffrage, abolition, and temperance, Torrens notes. vival was a minor miracle. produced the characters of his great com-
“The 19th-century dress reform movement involved this Several plague outbreaks fell upon edies: Rosalind and Orlando, Beatrice and
intersection of all kinds of activism and the different ways that England during Shakespeare’s 52 years Benedict, Portia and Shylock; and the titanic
19th-century women advocated for themselves,” says Torrens. (1564–1616). Like COVID-19, these pan- battles and personalities of the mature
“I have read reports of women who put down the corset and demics were disruptive to commerce and histories: Shrewsbury and Agincourt,
recounted how frightening it was to do so. entertainment. They engendered cultures Hal, Falstaff, and Hotspur. Then came the
“It was clear that wearing bloomers was a form of protest, “I want my students to ask and answer of superstition and magical thinking. tragic period, from Julius Caesar through
argument, and advocacy,” she says. questions, to have an appreciation for Large public gatherings, such as at public Shakespeare used language and Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth, to King
“I think my interest in social movements and discourse arose education and for community. I want playhouses, were prohibited, but church thought to make a path for Lear and Antony and Cleopatra. Finally,
from that. I've worked that into my teaching,” Torrens continues. services continued, since, they believed, Shakespeare remade the genres of comedy
“People suffered so that we don't have to wear things like corsets, them to be citizen-participants.” the plague could not thrive in God’s house. himself through the miseries of and tragedy with the romance, giving us
which symbolize social control and oppression, and so that we —Kathleen Torrens But the Elizabethans couldn’t be charged the plague and the resulting The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.
can vote and own property.” with ignoring scientific reality since sci- economic depression. Had Shakespeare abandoned his career
On Educating an Informed Citizenry ence as we know it didn’t exist yet. in the early 1590s, he still would have
On Equity and Online Education Students in Torrens’ classes evaluate sources by looking criti- What about the effects of plague on been assured a place among the first rank
Torrens is one of the faculty at the forefront of URI’s online cally at how they receive information. If their preferred outlet Shakespeare himself? He was at risk, since Patronage was a means for ambitious but of Elizabethan poets, but he would not
learning initiative. It is a democratic way to deliver a quality edu- is Twitter, or even TikTok, they’ll get no pushback from Torrens. he resided in London. But he escaped an socially hindered men to secure financial have become the icon he is.
cation, provided an institution ensures access, affordability, and The goal is that students become aware of the rights, responsi- early death, retiring in about 1613 to and professional stability. Shakespeare The word “poet” comes from the
equity for its students, she says. COVID-19 accelerated the adop- bilities, and power they have as citizens. Stratford, where he died peacefully. wrote the majority of the sonnets during Greek “to make.” Shakespeare used lan-
tion of online instruction at URI while also highlighting inequities. “My students explore their interests so that they exercise Plague closures limited Shakespeare’s the closure and also dedicated two long guage and thought to make a path for
“I’m hearing students say, ‘I work on my phone because the their power as critical consumers of culture and become aware income from his theater careers as poet, narrative poems to Henry Wriothesley, Earl himself through the miseries of the plague
Wi-Fi in the house is bad,’ or, ‘My house is overcrowded.’ While that they are being bombarded every second of every day by actor, company shareholder, and theater of Southampton: Venus and Adonis and and the resulting economic depression.
the bulk of students at URI are privileged, there are a great num- people wanting to change their minds or behavior,” she says. landlord. But even in that hardscrabble Lucrece. Both demonstrate the poet’s Dexterity with thought and language can
ber who are not.” “Over time, my teaching has become less about content and world, plague conditions created opportu- astonishing talent in the prestigious genre allow us to pivot as circumstances change.
The responsibility for making online learning work must be more about critical thinking, problem-solving, and enjoyment nities, and Shakespeare deployed his skills (playwriting was not considered respect- It helps us benefit from opportunities to
shared by faculty and students, Torrens says. “Online learning is in learning. strategically in response to changing cir- able), and by dedicating them to an aris- create. We see it in Shakespeare, and it’s
an amazing tool for getting students involved in their own edu- “I want my students to ask and answer questions, to have cumstances. tocratic patron, he appealed to upper- yet another lesson that literary art teaches
cation, but it requires training students to participate in a way an appreciation for education and for community,” Torrens Theaters were closed for most of the rank audiences, which he knew would be us in our own time of peril. •
that they're not used to,” she explains. A group blog might explains. “I want them to be citizen-participants. plague outbreak of 1592–94. Shakespeare— important if theaters did not sufficiently
replace classroom discussion. Oral presentations might require “If you learn to be a participant, you are more likely to be an accomplished and promising poet, but recover from plague closures. Travis D. Williams is associate professor
video. “Learning is engagement, and I feel it is incumbent on us an advocate.” • not yet securely established in the theater Like some businesses today, there were and chair in URI’s Department of English
as instructors to learn how to best engage our learners.” —Marybeth Reilly-McGreen world—used the closure as an opportunity small or unstable theater companies in the and a specialist in Shakespeare and early
to ingratiate himself with a noble patron. early1590s that simply disappeared due to modern literature.
14 SPRING 2021 PHOTO: NORA LEWIS ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 15
TWELVE YEARS OF
TRANSFORMATION
The University of Rhode Island was a substantially different place in 2009
when President David M. Dooley arrived. Twelve years later, as
Dooley’s retirement approaches, every aspect of the state’s flagship
research institution reflects his influence.
By Diane M. Sterrett
D uring the tenure of President David
M. Dooley, the University of Rhode
Island has grown and improved in ways
As President Dooley prepares to retire,
the University is engaged in a $250 million
comprehensive campaign to make a URI
large and small. His leadership has posi- education more accessible to students and
tioned the University for future success more attractive to top scholars, and to
and set the stage for the next president. improve their learning experience here
Upon arrival, Dooley quickly shared with innovative programs and strong
his bold vision to grow the University’s faculty leadership. Big Ideas. Bold Plans.
stature with four transformational goals: The Campaign for the University of Rhode
1 | Create a 21st-century, 24/7 learning Island has already raised more than $200
environment. million and is poised to meet or exceed its
2 | Increase the magnitude, prominence, goal by the end of the campaign in 2024.
and impact of research, scholarship, The largest gift of the campaign to
and creative work. date—and in URI’s history—is a $35 million
3 | Internationalize and globalize the commitment from Thomas M. Ryan ’75
University of Rhode Island. and his wife, Cathy, for neuroscience
4 | Build a community at the University research, as well as support for scholar-
of Rhode Island that values and ships and athletics. In 2013, the Ryans
embraces equity and diversity. established the George & Anne Ryan
Dooley knew URI had what it would Institute for Neuroscience with a then-
take to be a great research-focused public record $15 million gift. The institute is
university and sought to capitalize on its focused on research, teaching, and out-
“President Dooley has led
unique strengths. He was inspired by the reach on neurodegenerative diseases,
URI through a process of
collegiality, cooperation, and motivation he including Alzheimer’s, and draws on
expanding and building on
strengths and innovations found when he interviewed here. Even the expertise of scientists from multiple
that existed in certain parts now, amid the pandemic, he says URI’s disciplines.
of the University, and turning “we-can-do-this-together” spirit is what Dooley is known for his collaborative
them into a core part of moves the University forward. style and emphasis on fostering a community
our identity. Interdisciplinary The COVID pandemic has marked the of discovery. And now, on the occasion of
connections, experiential last year of President Dooley’s tenure with his retirement, Dooley resists taking credit
learning, and global exceptional challenges. But URI has rallied, for the University’s progress, attributing
education are no longer the withstanding the strains to every aspect of the advances to the many teams and
unique features of a select its operations. This is due to dedication, individuals whose efforts brought about
few illustrious programs, hard work, creative thinking, and adapt- the vision he articulated when he arrived
but fundamental parts of ability by all in the community. But one at URI.
the academic experience vital piece of the University’s success in the In spite of his humility, and in the spirit
across the institution.” face of COVID is that, through its partner- of recognizing this pivotal moment in
—Megan Echevarría, Associate ship with the state of Rhode Island admin- URI’s history—as President Dooley retires
Professor of Spanish and Film istration and legislature, URI was permit- and a new president takes the helm—we
Media Studies, a nd President,
ted to build up financial reserves for the look back at 10 important ways the
URI Faculty Senate
first time ever—funds that have been critical University has evolved under Dooley’s
in URI’s ability to weather the pandemic. leadership.
16 SPRING 2021 PHOTO: NORA LEWIS UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 172 2 | Embracing Equity and Diversity
Dooley’s leadership set the tone for seeking common
“While the new buildings
constructed in the last decade-plus
made dramatic statements about
1
the University's commitment to its
ground to build a better future for all. URI’s growing faculty, students, and research
reputation as a safe and inviting place reflects the objectives, I am also proud of the
University’s core values and attracts greater numbers improvements made to existing
of students and faculty from differing backgrounds. buildings, utility infrastructure, and
Collaboration between partners across the University, campus landscapes. Collaborative
including with the Office of Community, Equity and leadership, innovative approaches,
Diversity, has led to measures that strengthen and sup- partnerships, and funding strategies
port an inclusive campus climate and culture. led to improvements in safety,
1 | Becoming a Global University energy efficiency, and commitments
From better preparing students for work in a global world and Highlights:
5
to renewable energy sources—all of
welcoming international students, to fostering international collaborative • Opening URI’s Gender and Sexuality Center, the which will benefit the University
research, URI has become a true global citizen. first-in-the-nation freestanding university center into the future.”
In his inaugural address, Dooley noted the global challenges humanity faces, built to serve the needs of the LGBTQ community.
—J. Vernon Wyman ’75, Former Assistant
and said: “The 21st-century university must be global in its orientation and • Creating a University Diversity Council (UDC) to Vice President for Business Services
4
international with regard to its education, research, service, and partnerships.” advise the chief diversity officer on University priorities
The University’s global presence has grown exponentially, with 28 percent and initiatives that advance equity and inclusion.
growth in the number of students majoring in foreign languages, even as other • Developing a Diversity and Inclusion Badge Program 5 | Building Extraordinary Facilities
universities have seen a decline. URI has also increased study-abroad opportu- (DIBP), which offers graduate-level professional devel-
During Dooley’s tenure, URI has spent more than $834 million on
nities in more than 50 countries and boasts significantly more international opment workshops to increase cultural competence.
new facilities to deliver a 21st-century education and support
exchanges. The University’s unique dual-degree language programs enable • Implementing proactive, nationally lauded strategies increased enrollment. The commitment heralds the University’s
students to simultaneously earn degrees in a chosen field such as engineering to close the equity gap in graduation rates. transition to a global research institution. Partnerships with
or business, and in a language—including German, French, Spanish, Italian, • Creating programs to support veterans and high 4 | Boosting Research donors, businesses, voters, and the state were key to success.
Japanese, and Chinese. A new International Studies and Diplomacy program school graduates from historically disadvantaged URI faculty and students are conducting more research, URI’s $150 million Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering is the
launched in 2018 is the newest dual-degree program, allowing students to pair backgrounds. scholarship, and creative work. They are publishing largest construction project in University history. The state-of-the-art
an international studies major with one of five languages. While URI has taken steps toward increased diversity, more and earning more awards and contracts with building is one of the most technologically advanced engineering
Other initiatives have expanded the University’s international impact in 2020’s national reckoning of systemic racism and the higher-profile research. buildings in the country.
environmental sustainability, capacity building, cross-cultural understand- Black Lives Matter movement demonstrate how much
3
URI’s commitment to broad-based research advances has led Two new residence halls foster student connections. Brookside
ing, and collaborative problem-solving, which will reap benefits far into the work remains. Dooley continues to inspire and guide. to breakthroughs on some of the world’s most vexing problems. Apartments features 500 beds, apartments with full kitchens, and
future. Examples include a sustainable fisheries project in Ghana, West He addressed the University last summer, saying “URI All told, URI faculty were awarded $117 million in research easy access to the new URI bike path spur. Hillside Hall, with 429
Africa, and a collaborative effort researching destructive fishing practices should exemplify a clear and consistent commitment to grants in the 2020 fiscal year, and since 2010, URI has been beds, boasts 64 solar panels, a green roof, and LEED® Gold certification.
and typhoons impacting the Philippines, one of the world’s largest fish- anti-racism, to equal justice, and to liberty and safety for issued 131 U.S. and foreign patents. The $68 million Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic
producing nations. Black Americans and other marginalized groups.” URI students, too, are contributing to the growing quantity Sciences, which also earned LEED® Gold certification, houses the
and quality of research and scholarly work. The Undergraduate Department of Chemistry and a federal Center of Excellence for
3 | Advancing 24/7 Learning Research and Innovation program, or (URI)2 , helps students Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response. It tripled the space
URI developed groundbreaking learning opportunities and initiatives to support get their projects started, write proposals, find funding and for teaching labs and nearly doubled the space for research laboratories.
“A number of students, faculty,
24/7 learning. The result: more innovation, creativity, and depth of knowledge. mentors, and promote their work. Major improvements to the Fine Arts Center began three years
staff, and alumni have pushed
us to advance social justice, To maximize the potential impact of its research, URI is ago with $12 million from the Rhode Island General Assembly, and
The launch of URI Online expanded programs and course options to deliver a URI education
equity, and inclusion in our living, sharing intellectual and academic resources with companies with the passing of Question 1 in the state’s special election this
anywhere, anytime. URI Online offers fully online undergraduate, graduate, and certificate
learning, and work environments. in industries including defense, health care, technology, and spring, Rhode Island voters earmarked an additional $57.3 million to
programs. Areas of study include graduate programs in cybersecurity, oceanography, and health-
Their advocacy and activism have agriculture. continue improvements to this important academic and public
care management, and certificate programs in fisheries science, cannabis studies, and more.
transformed recruitment efforts, Examples of the impact of URI’s research include: performance and exhibition space.
(Get to know URI Online on page 13.)
the curriculum, co-curricular At the Narragansett Bay Campus, shoreside construction projects
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the pace of online learning, as faculty and students • Expanding statewide research capacity in the biomedical
programs, professional develop- to support the 2023 arrival of a new research vessel is underway: a
pivoted, using new tools, technologies, and practices to teach and learn in a remote world. sciences, including cancer, neuroscience, and environmen-
ment, policies, retention strategies, tal health sciences. T-shaped 200-foot-long concrete deck pier and a 12,250-square-foot
Winter J-Term gives students learning opportunities outside the traditional academic semester.
and campus culture. We are marine operations building. An ocean technology building will
building on this strong foundation The program grew from just over 400 students in 2014 to 1,182 in January 2020. • Preventing and treating brain diseases, including a clinical support ocean exploration, research, and enterprise.
Experiential learning offerings increased by 57 percent trial that may lead to a simple eye exam becoming a
to implement long-lasting, Other noteworthy projects include:
over the last decade, including internships, fieldwork, standard test to detect Alzheimer’s disease decades earlier
structural changes to ensure all
community members can thrive service learning, clinical rotations, capstone projects, and than other tests. • Robert J. Higgins Welcome Center
at URI and beyond.” laboratory research. Undergraduate research opportu- • Surveying an estimated 3 billion acres of U.S. ocean • Paramaz Avedisian ’54 Hall, College of Pharmacy
—Mary Grace Almandrez, Associate Vice nities also expanded, providing more opportunities to territory alongside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric • Gender and Sexuality Center
President and Chief Diversity Officer spark curiosity and deepen knowledge. During the Administration’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. • Anna Fascitelli Fitness and Wellness Center
2019–2020 academic year, nearly 12,000 URI students • Being selected—as part of the East Coast Oceanographic
were engaged in credit-bearing experiential learning, Consortium—by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
compared to about 4,000 students in 2008–2009. to operate the new $125 million oceanographic vessel that
will replace R/V Endeavor in 2023.
18 SPRING 2021 PHOTOS: BEAU JONES; NORA LEWIS; MARION O’SULLIVAN UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 19You can also read
