QUADANGLES
SPRING 2014
Clean Freak
He’s part of your eco-friendly life | 12
Future Touch
Tomorrow’s smartphone screens | 14
Postcards from Heaven Belize: 3 credits. They’ll take it | 24
Getting Down to Business A venerable College hits its stride in the digital age | 18
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SPEAK FLUENT OCEAN ENGINEERING
URI’s International Engineering Program has inspired Mike Smith ’15 to explore his passions. He’s double majoring in ocean engineering and Spanish, completed a semester of study in Spain, and spent a month aboard the E/V Nautilus learning to control a remotely
uri.edu
operated vehicle near the Cayman Islands. Now he’s deep into a six-month internship with the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands, a non-profit consortium dedicated to cutting-edge research and advanced ocean technology. “These are experiences few ever get the chance to have,” Mike says. That’s just engineering at URI for you.
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QUADANGLES
SPRING 2014 | VOLUME 21, NO. 3
Departments
Features
2 FEEDBACK
12 Madness to His Method
5 PRESIDENT’SVIEW 6 NEWS&VIEWS 10 PRESSBOX 28 CLASSACTS
News from your classmates
31 CLOSEUP
Emmanuel Logan ’13
33 CLOSEUP
Destiny Chearino ’12
38 ALUMNICHAPTERS 40 BACKPAGE
Rhody Paws brings puppy love to the quad.
More Online
uri.edu/quadangles
See the whole print issue and so much more! Follow the orange arrow icon to see exclusive online content.
Share stories with friends and family. Post your comments.
Eric Ryan’s favorite thing about URI was Narragansett Bay. That’s why he’s now head of one of the country’s largest, and coolest, eco-friendly cleaning supply companies.
14 First in Glass
Touch screens: Our iPhones wouldn’t be the same without them. Advice, and a glimpse of the future, from the man who helps make them.
16 Inside Think Outside
14
When your kids are your inspiration, sustainable, fun clothing and gear are the result.
18 The Business of Innovation
At 90, the College of Business Administration has a lot to be proud of, but it isn’t resting on its laurels.
24 Passport Required
Photographs show why getting off campus to study is a key part of today’s global learning.
16
24
URI Launches Climate Change Website Building Homes with Habitat for Humanity
On the cover, Andrea Osorio ’14 and Amanda Bateman ’14 take a study break in the sun-filled atrium of the College of Business Administration.
18 Peter Carellini, a first-year film media student, joined eight students in Belize for a Winter J Term program.
PHOTOS: AT LEFT, JOE GIBLIN; CONTENTS, TOP TO BOTTOM: COURTESY METHOD, CORNING, MEGAN SOREL PHOTOGRAPHY, KILE STETSON
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FEEDBACK Dear Reader, What do you want in an alumni magazine? That’s the question that’s foremost in my mind these days, as I settle in to my new role as editor of QuadAngles. This is an exciting time for the University, which is growing and adapting on many different fronts to meet the evolving needs of a changing world. I know you, our readers, are also facing up to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. I hope this magazine can continue to be a window into our campuses and your lives, providing you with a moment of respite and warm remembrance, an occasional laugh, and a roadmap to the future that URI is helping to create. But we need your help, so please tell us: What are you thinking about? We’ll be polling you in every issue about things URI-related, from the serious to the not-so-much (see “You Tell Us,” opposite). But feel free to drop a line about anything on your mind to quadangles@uri.edu. This magazine belongs to you, and we’re always wondering what you want to read about, and what makes you proud to be a part of URI. Beyond these pages, our website—which we hope to revamp in the next year or so—is also a great resource. We post extra material there that we can’t fit into print, and for this issue, that includes a video of the Habitat for Humanity team building a house right here in Kingston. And there are always wonderful submissions from classmates, including photos of new babies, weddings, and family get-togethers. From Kingston to Providence and much, much further afield, URI’s students, professors and alumni are going out and making a difference, in ways big and small. It’s an inspiring and important world, the world of URI. I’m delighted to be exploring it with you.
Bits and Pieces Scholarship snoop The University Libraries are digitizing URI’s vast collection of legacy dissertations and master’s theses. This project will make over 60 years of unique scholarship readily available through DigitalCommons@URI, digitalcommons.uri.edu. Questions? Contact the Library’s Digital Initiatives Unit at 401-874-5079 or digitalcommons@etal.uri.edu.
Presidential Poet is Commencement Speaker Richard Blanco, a nationally recognized storyteller and President Barack Obama’s inaugural poet, will send 3,300 students out into the world at the 128th Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony May 18. Blanco, the son of Cuban exiles, is no stranger to the Kingston campus; he has spoken at the Ocean State Summer Writing Conference the past two Junes. He will receive an honorary doctor of letters during Commencement, which is one of the biggest events held in the state and will be live streamed at uri.edu.
Warm regards, Pippa Jack QuadAngles editor-in-chief
Connect to the University
uri.edu facebook.com/universityofri
twitter.com/rhodystweet
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QUADANGLES
You Tell Us What does Keaney Blue mean to you? To Paul Nonnenmacher ’80, it comes with a whole houseful of memories. That’s because Paul actually painted his home in URI colors. Yup. In the middle of Connecticut. We have only two words for Paul: Go Rams! See his responses to our questions—sent, naturally, in text he had colored Keaney Blue. Then email us at quadangles@uri.edu or use #keaneyblue on Twitter and Instagram to tell us YOUR Keaney Blue story.
A quarterly publication of the University of Rhode Island Alumni Association, 73 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881. p: 401.874.2242 e: quadangles@uri.edu Executive Editor Michele A. Nota ’87, M.S. ’06, Executive Director, URI Alumni Relations; Secretary, Alumni Association Executive Board
Editor in Chief
Art Director
Pippa Jack Kim Robertson
Contributing Editors | Writers
Barbara Caron Melanie Coon Shane Donaldson ’99 Dave Lavallee ’79 Todd McLeish Cindy Sabato
Contributing Designers
Johnson Ma Bo Pickard Verna Thurber
Photographer
Nora Lewis
Editorial Board Kerrie Bennett M.B.A. ’06, Interim Executive Director, URI Communications and Community Relations Linda A. Acciardo ’77, Director, URI Communications and Marketing Tracey A. Manni, Director of Communications, URI Foundation
Why do you like Keaney Blue so much? Why do the Irish love green? Has anyone else in your family attended URI? Our daughter, Nicole, was a little skittish about telling me she had chosen UConn instead, since I had told her there was only one college that would have forced me to disown her. Of course I was joking. How did you persuade your wife to paint your house Keaney Blue? Our first house was white with green trim, and we realized those were the colors of Cathy’s alma mater, Michigan State. So I jokingly told her that our next house was going to be URI colors. She played along until she saw another house painted Keaney Blue and liked it.
URI Alumni Relations Staff Kathleen DiPietro, Executive Assistant Chris DiSano, Specialist Robert Ferrell ’07, Specialist Kathleen Gianquitti ’71, M.S. ’82, Assistant Director Shana Greene ’95, M.S.’97, Assistant Director Sarah Lobdell ’96, Associate Director Darthula Mathews ’13, Program Assistant Mary Ann Mazzone, Office Assistant Amy Paulsen, Web/Print Editor Kate Serafini ’08, Specialist Gina Simonelli ’01, M.S.’03, Assistant Director Alumni Association Executive Board
Louise H. Thorson M.B.A.’85, President Joseph M. Confessore ’96, Past President Susan R. Johnson ’82, Vice President Kathleen P. O’Donnell ’90, Vice President Benjamin W. Tuthill ’04, Treasurer
Alumni Association Councilors-at-Large
Laurel L. Bowerman ’77, M.B.A. ’84 Matthew T. Finan ’11 Colleen Gouveia M.B.A.’98 Tyrene A. Jones ’10 Brina R. Masi ’01 Edwin R. Pacheco ’05 Gregory S. Perry ’88 Darran A. Simon ’98 Christos S. Xenophontos ’84, M.S.’85
Alumni Association Representatives Arts & Sciences Catherine Gagnon ’98, M.M.’03 Business Administration Jordan D. Kanter ’99, M.S.’00 Feinstein Continuing Education Edward Bozzi Jr. ’68 Engineering Daniel G. Lowney ’75 Environment and Life Sciences Catherine Weaver ’82, B.L.A.’96 Human Science & Services Christine S. Pelton ’84 Nursing Denise A. Coppa ’72, Ph.D.’02 Pharmacy Henrique “Henry” Pedro ’76 Graduate School of Oceanography Veronica M. Berounsky Ph.D. ’91 Faculty Senate Andrea L. Yates ’94, Ph.D.’06 Student Senate Matthew Kilduff, Class of ’15 Student Alumni Association Stephen Petrarca, Class of ’14 URI Foundation Thomas J. Silvia ’83 The URI Alumni Association informs and engages current and future alumni as committed partners of the University, its mission and traditions.
PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS; JACOB HESSLER; COURTESY PAUL NONNENMACHER
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Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Anglican bishop, spoke at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church February 9.
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PRESIDENT’SVIEW Dear Frien
ds of URI, I think eve ryone at th e Universit University y of Rhode life dictate Island is re that with C awaiting n ady for spri ommencem ews from a ng. The rh ent right a ccepted st ythms of fall. To tho round the udents deci se of you w co rner, we are d in g whether ho are weig we are con also URI will be hing your w fident that their new h onderful ch you will ch o me in the oices, we s oose wisely One of the ay congratu ! many reas la ti ons and ons we beli to commu eve URI is nity, equity, an excelle and divers nt choice is ity. our comm Bringing th itment is commitm ent to life, Symposium w e m with a lect arked the ure by Gen 20th anniv Church of ersary of o e Robinson America, w ur LGBTQ , the first o ho told us, Month, hig Center penly gay b “The tooth hlighting th is h o p p of the Ep a st e e theme of is not retu punctuate iscopal rning to th African Am d by a visit e tube.” Bla erican pro from Earl who spoke g ck re “Butch” Gra History ss in the 2 eloquently 1st century ves Jr., the on Econom , was February, CEO of Bla ic Developm our Office ck Enterprise ent, Law, a of Commu magazine, Project,” e nd Educati nity, Equity, ntitled Voic o n . At the very a n d D e iversity pre s Carry: Em URI comm end of sented its body the Ch unity on cu first-ever “I ange, whic ltural com us, and wa nclusion h p petencies, rovided tra ys we can the challen ining for th continue to affirming o e g e entire s and opport evolve into f difference unities faci a Universit s. ng all of y that is w elcoming, These even inclusive, a ts offer sn nd apshots of They are th h o w we are buil e kind of o ccasions th ding a just and equita at help defi Influence a ble commu ne a unive nd impact rsity, its in nity at URI. a re fluence, an also expre institution d its impact ssed throu and a majo g . h r o d ur role as river of eco his budget the state’s nomic gro proposal a o w n th ly $ . p 1 This year, ublic resea 25 million Kirk Cente the govern bond for a rch r for Advan or has incl new engin ced Techn 200 to 250 uded in e e o ri logy. With n g b graduate st u il d ing and ren more than udents, an ovations to profile of J 1,200 engin d some of im Clappin eering und o u r m ’8 o ergraduate st 0 , head of C s URI’s acad u cc e ss ful gradua s and orning Gla emic and e tes (see pa ss’s largest ntrepreneu ge 14 for a division), e rial powerh Our Colleg ngineering ouses. e of Busin is one of ess Admin of growth istration, ce and innova le b ra tion. I hope ting its 90th new paths you will en anniversary that have b joy reading , is anothe een forged partnership about COB r center under the s that have A ’s ri le ch a d history, the ership of D created am (see page exciting ean Mark azing oppo 23). Higgins, a rtunities fo nd alumni r students Seizing op like Andre portunity is a Osorio ’1 4 another th Whether th e m e you will s rough stud e e y w a b o road, start ven throug cleaning p ing their o h this issu roducts ind wn nonpro e of QuadA ustry, or m members fit organiza ngles. a n u facturing e of the worl tions, revo n d vi w ro id n lutionizing e muscles w m U e R n I ta co ll m y responsible munity are the hile pursu stretching ing their p kids’ cloth than that? their creati assions. W ing, ve and entr hat is a be tter measu epreneuria re of educa l Wishing yo tional qua u an opport lity unity-filled spring sea Sincerely, son.
PHOTOS: RANDY STEVENSON; JOE GIBLIN
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Scenes from the Voices Carry conference, held at the Student Memorial Union February 28. From top: Annie Russell Ph.D., director of the LGBTQ center; audience members; keynote speaker Judge Geraldine Hines; Rosemary Lavigne and Paige Ramsdell, coordinators at the Office of Disability Services.
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NEWS&VIEWS Leading Latin Collaborations The University of Rhode Island was one of just four schools chosen to participate in the first phase of President Obama’s “100,000 Strong in the Americas” initiative, designed to enhance ties with Central and South American countries by increasing the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America, and the number of Latin Americans studying in the United States, to 100,000. In January, Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry praised a winning proposal from URI’s Spanish International Engineering Program and its director Megan Mercedes Echevarria, as well as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Winifred Brownell. A $50,000 grant will help launch URI’s Spanish International Engineering Program’s emerging presence in Chile. The program has already sent URI students to Spain and Mexico for internships, research and study, and brought students from those countries to URI. Since 1998, enrollment has doubled to 100 students. “We have been offering precisely the kind of the initiatives that the 100,000 Strong program prioritizes,” Echevarria said. “Internships, exchange programs and research opportunities that take students far away from our campus and give them the opportunity to work as part of an international and interdisciplinary team have been part of the International Engineering Program for more than 20 years.” The “100,000 Strong” grant will help URI engineering students engage further with Chile through internships, a summer service-learning research project in Valparaíso, study at URI’s partner school, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparáiso, and a new course to be taught at URI in Spanish by Echevarria, focusing on innovations in sustainability in South America. VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
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Spokes for Folks, Global Edition One country’s garage decor is another country’s game-changer. That’s what a group of political science students concluded after Associate Professor of Political Science Kristin Johnson told them about Bikes Not Bombs, an organization in Jamaica Plain, Mass., that collects and renovates 6,000 bikes per year and ships them to Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. So they started a months-long drive, eventually collecting 80 used bikes, including racers and high-end mountain bikes, from the Newport Police Department, community groups, bike clubs, and individuals. After reading about the economic and political hardships in Ghana and in Uganda, where the northern part of the country has been ravaged by a brutal civil war, they asked Bikes Not Bombs to transport the bikes to the two countries. In Uganda, the bikes will help health care workers reach sick people in remote villages—crucial since medical workers are in short supply, especially in rural areas. In Ghana, the bikes will go to a cooperative bike shop staffed by
Calling All Campers
PHOTOS: @ISTOCKPHOTO; COURTESY KRISTIN JOHNSON; NORA LEWIS
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Helping Hand for Students
people who are physically challenged, mostly from polio. “Mobility is a huge issue in Africa,’’ says Elizabeth Dore-Welch, a political science graduate student who spearheaded the project. Ibrahim Nour ’15, who grew up in the Republic of Chad in Central Africa and was also part of the project, agrees. “A bike can change a life,” he says. “It will help a person travel from village to village for a job, or it can be used to transport water. There are hundreds of examples.’’ More at bikesnotbombs.org.
Front row, left to right, Tia Guilbert ’15 of Charlestown, Hannah Tickle ’14 of Warren, Chanel Miller ’14 of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Elizabeth Dore-Welch ’13 of Middletown. Back row, left to right, Carla Costa ’14 of Angra Do Heroismo, Portugal, Victoria Andreozzi ’16 of North Kingstown, Brian Condon ’16 of Warwick, Jonathan Selling ’13 of Wrentham, Mass., Ibrahim Nour ’15 of Kanem, Republic of Chad.
VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
Attention alumni families—it’s time to think summer, and URI has dozens of options to keep young and old learning, having fun, and making the most of the Ocean State. From late June through August, explore filmmaking, music, landscape architecture, volleyball, sailing, and more. Adult activities include a writing conference, nonviolence programs and continuing education. More at uri.edu/news/camps.
The University of Rhode Island’s Student Philanthropy Council marked National Philanthropy Week in November with the launch of the Students First Fund, intended to provide financial assistance to students in times of crisis and unexpected hardship, such as an accident or illness, death of a family member, fire damage, or the need for temporary housing. “Emergencies and unexpected events can create financial difficulties for students—difficulties that could affect them personally and academically. These funds can be the difference that allows a student to stay in school,” said URI Vice President of Student Affairs Tom Dougan. The Student Philanthropy Council was created last year by the URI Foundation and is coordinated through the Foundation’s Annual Giving Office in collaboration with the Student Alumni Association. The Council is made up of about 20 students focused on making sure other students understand the impact of donations to the University. “I think students sharing messages with other students is an effective way to get the word out,” said Council President Chip Redihan ’14. “Helping students realize that some of our classmates are facing hardship and then taking a small step to contribute toward providing them with help is a great way to connect the dots about fundraising and the impact it can have.”
To the dull mind all nature is leaden. To the enlightened mind the whole world sparkles and burns. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Engineering His Future In 2005, Charles Rushimisha's supervisor told him he'd never rise above his job in a Maine poultry plant, never get a shot at a college degree. Well, guess what happened.
Newly arrived from Rwanda and barely speaking English, with little money and no family support, the young man took it as a challenge. Eight years later, he is a few courses shy of earning a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. He’ll become the first in his family to earn a college degree and likely graduate magna cum laude. He grew up in Congo and Rwanda, shifting among family members after his parents died in the 1994 Rwandan genocide that cost more than 500,000 lives. The math and physics star overheard a conversation in a local library that made him realize he could apply for a visa to attend college in the U.S.
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He landed in D.C. on Nov. 7, 2005, with little more than the clothes on his back, living in a shelter for a few weeks before connecting with other African emigrants and finding the job at the Maine grocery store that inspired him to enroll in classes. He transferred from the University of Southern Maine to URI in search of a chemical engineering course. At times he hasn’t been able to afford textbooks, although things have been easier since URI’s Talent Development Program, the College of Engineering’s Minority Outreach Office, and other groups matched him with financial aid and on-campus jobs. “You have no idea what this community
did for me,” Rushimisha says. “What I got from people here is a gift I am going to cherish forever.” His plans include graduate school, then a career as a petroleum engineer that Rushimisha hopes will eventually fund his return to central Africa to start a business tapping oil from recently discovered oil fields. The economic impact, he dreams, could dramatically reshape a region still recovering from war. “I love America, I would die for America, but I don’t think America needs me as much as Congo and Rwanda,” Rushimisha says. “Those countries, that’s where there is need.”
PHOTOS: CHRIS BARRETT; MICHAEL SALERNO; @ISTOCKPHOTO
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Small Business Synergy
Body of Knowledge Inside the CVS Caremark Interdisciplinary Health Delivery Laboratory at the University of Rhode Island’s College of Pharmacy, teaching and learning tools virtually come to life. They breathe, they blink, they have heartbeats, some even bleed. They can be intubated or given medication, and if treatment goes wrong, they can flat-line. But are they human? No. They’re called human patient simulators, or sims for short: mannequins designed with anatomically correct features, realistic skin-feel, and the ability to deliver high-quality and accurate reactions to a variety of medical situations and emergencies. Inside the 3,025-square foot simulation lab, four adult sims, two child-sized sims, and one baby are opening up a world of educational possibilities. “Many incoming students have the thought that when they graduate, they’ll be going to a local pharmacy and dispensing prescriptions,” says clinical instructor of pharmacy practice and co-director of the lab Amanda DeAngelis-Chichester. “As pharmacists are starting to collaborate with medical teams in hospitals and elsewhere, it’s becoming more and more important for students to see how these medications work in a clinical setting. The sims really crystallize a real-world experience.” “By the end of the simulation portion of the curriculum, students should be able to run their own patient case,” says professor and co-director of the lab Clinton Chichester III. “We know that this way of learning leads to better retention of knowledge, and more developed skills. We know that we just need to keep moving forward.” The first sim came to URI 15 years ago, thanks to a generous grant from the Champlin Foundations. Now, the College of Pharmacy and College of Nursing collaborate on the Joint Simulation Program, which allows both colleges to get funding for simulators, with half going to nursing and half going to pharmacy. The lab is used by other disciplines and groups at URI as well, such as communicative disorders, emergency medical technicians, and film students.
In January, the University of Rhode Island became home to the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center (RISBDC), one of 63 around the country that make up the largest government-funded small business assistance program in the U.S. “Our new center will allow area entrepreneurs not only to start their businesses, but continue to grow and help bolster job creation, strengthening the Rhode Island economy,” said Carroll A. Thomas, associate administrator for Small Business Development Centers. The center will operate out of the URI Division of Research and Economic Development on the Kingston campus and will include regional service centers at Bryant University, the URI College of Business on the Kingston campus, and the URI Research Foundation at the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation in Providence. Prior to January, the RISBDC was hosted by Johnson & Wales University for 7 years, and by Bryant University for 23 years. The center will work with the University’s Business Engagement Center (BEC), established in September to provide existing Rhode Island businesses with access to URI resources to help them succeed. It will also engage a variety of external expert advisers who can provide legal, financial, accounting, intellectual property, international trade, export, and auditing guidance. Partner organizations will include the Center for Women and Enterprise and Opportunities Industrialization Center—which assists minority and women-owned business— as well as the Service Corps of Retired Executives and the South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation. “We’re pleased to strengthen the University’s role in partnering with and providing resources to the business community to create jobs and build a strong economy,” said URI President David M. Dooley. The new location “will enable us to more fully use our faculty, staff and students as resources to drive economic development.” For more information, call the RISBDC at 401.874.SBDC (7232) or URI-BEC at 401.874.7084.
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PRESSBOX Fleming Flagged For Football Coach
URI President David M. Dooley, Jim Fleming, and Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn.
“Well, you got me. Four times I’ve tried for this job.” With those words, the Jim Fleming era officially began on December 23, as he was introduced as the 20th football coach in school history by URI Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn. Fleming came from the University of Central Florida, where he was the defensive coordinator of the No. 15-ranked Knights. Fleming helped UCF earn a spot in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, where it defeated No. 6, Baylor, on New Year’s Day. At his introductory press conference, Fleming made it clear that, moving forward, he is committed to building a winner in Kingston. “I’m here for the long term. I’m here to build something special,” Fleming told the crowd, which filled the Alumni Lounge of the Thomas M. Ryan Center. “I want to see a fast, physical, hard-nosed football team—a team that will play with passion and joy for the game.”
Passion is something Fleming brings to the sideline every day. His drive was one of the key factors in making him Bjorn’s choice to be the next head coach. “We are thrilled to bring a coach of as high a caliber as Jim Fleming to Rhode Island,” Bjorn said. “Jim has a tremendous track record of building winners over his 27-year career, and we are very excited that he will be our next head coach.” Fleming had a message to the URI fan base: “Have belief. We are not able to do this with a magic wand. It will require a lot of hard work.” Fleming has a track record of success, including as a head coach. In two seasons at Sacred Heart, Fleming was a two-time Northeast Conference Coach of the Year while posting a 21-1 record. His team won the 2001 Mid-Major I-AA National Championship to cap off a perfect 11-0 season. In his first season with the Pioneers, Fleming guided the nation’s best turnaround. Taking over a team that had gone 2-9 the previous season, Fleming led Sacred Heart to a 10-1 mark while ending the season ranked No. 5 nationally. A veteran of 27 seasons of college football, Fleming has coached for teams in the AAC, the ACC, Conference USA, the MAC, the former Atlantic 10 (now CAA Football), the NEC, the Ivy League and the Big Sky Conference.
Rhody Team Doctor Recognized In the fall of 2013, the Rhode Island Athletic Trainers Association recognized Dr. Ramin R. Tabaddor for providing valuable services to the profession of athletic training. Dr. Tabaddor, who works at South County Orthopedics, serves as the head team physician for URI football and facilitates care of all URI studentathletes. A board-certified orthopedist specializing in operative and nonoperative sports medicine injuries, Tabaddor also specializes in arthroscopic surgical management of disorders in and around the hip.
He sits on the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, helping to ensure the health and safety of all high school athletes in the state. Tabaddor also is a clinical Assistant Professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. He has provided physician coverage for the Boston Ballet, the USA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, the NCAA basketball tournament, junior U.S. Cup Soccer, University of Minnesota football and other collegiate and high school sports.
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Trio of Swimmers Test Waters In December, Rhode Island swimmers Colette Aubin, Emily Thomesen and Chaya Zabludoff, all juniors, competed at the USA Swimming 2013 AT&T Winter National Championship, held on the campus of the University of Tennessee. “With this being our first time at a meet of this caliber, I think we performed as well as we could’ve imagined,” assistant coach Anthony Randall said. “To have swims near Chaya Zabludoff lifetime bests puts us in a good position for a successful A-10 Championship meet.” Zabludoff swam the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 1:49.63, less than one second off the URI school record. She also competed in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing in a time of 4:53.79, narrowly missing the finals and placing 26th overall. Aubin competed in the 100-yard butterfly and finished in a time of 55.87, just missing her own school record by .03 seconds. Thomesen swam in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard backstroke.
It’s How You Play the Game Junior women’s tennis player driving a car. We want to be the drivers, Nithila Asokaraj and senior not the passengers.” golfer Andrew Fiorenzano Student-athlete attendees from represented URI at the NCAA Division I, II and III programs were grouped Student-Athlete Leadership into different teams with 35 to 40 of their Forum in Providence peers. Within these teams, representatives November 7-10. from NCAA member schools led The annual event hosted discussions designed to help participants more than 350 student-athletes become more effective leaders and who were identified as leaders motivators. Among the various topics on their campuses, as well as discussed were behavioral styles, 125 athletics professionals from decision-making, emotional intelligence, the Northeast. The Leadership and values. Forum is one of the largest “We also had important discussions non-competitive gatherings about our leadership styles, our personal of NCAA student-athletes brand, and the way we represent ourselves representing their colleges and via social media,” explained Asokaraj, a universities. It is designed to native of Marlborough, Mass. “It was an give student-athletes a forum awesome experience. I learned a lot—not where they can discuss key only about myself, but about different issues collectively, as well as leadership tools and ways to motivate and an opportunity to enhance empower others.” the personal awareness and Speakers included Chris Herren, a leadership skills they’ll need former NBA player and drug and alcohol Andrew Fiorenzano and Nithila Asokaraj to develop their skills at the addict in recovery, who spoke about campus and conference levels, decision making; and Rayna DuBose, and beyond the collegiate realm. a former Division I basketball student-athlete and quad amputee, “From the beginning, there was a strong emphasis on living who spoke about facing adversity. each day to the fullest, and seizing opportunity in the moment,” The weekend also featured a service component as the entire said Fiorenzano, a Cranston native. “Our facilitators likened dayathletic community worked together to make blankets and teddy to-day life, life amongst teammates, and future professional life to bears for Providence’s St. Mary’s Home for Children. PHOTOS: COURTESY URI ATHLETICS
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madness to his
method full disclosure: Eric Ryan ’96 was even less focused on housework than the average teen. He spent every minute he could sailing his boat across Michigan’s choppy Lake St. Clair, and later Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay.
A
nd yet, he has created one of the biggest eco-friendly cleaning supply companies in the world. He says that’s at least partly because of his love for sailing—a passion he pursued as an undergraduate at the University of Rhode Island. Sailing nurtured in him a reverence for the planet that meant, once he (finally) discovered cleaning products, he saw the need to go green. Ryan and his business partner Adam Lowry call themselves the “proud brainparents’’ (translation: co-founders) of Method, an irreverent, environmentally minded San Francisco-based company that sells 130 products— hand wash, home care products,
and laundry detergent—in 40,000 retail stores throughout the world, including Target, Lowe’s, Whole Foods, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Oh, and Ryan is only 41, Lowry a mere 40. Method has been ranked No. 7 on the Inc. 500 list and No. 16 on Fast Company’s list of the world’s 50 most innovative companies. One of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States, Method is building its first American manufacturing plant in the historic Pullman neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, a project expected to create hundreds of jobs. Those accomplishments should be enough for a lifetime, but the accolades keep rolling in. Ryan has been named an “eco-revolutionary’’ by Time magazine and a person of the year by PETA for the com pany’s no-animal-testing policy. In 2013, Ryan and Lowry received the prestigious Clinton Global Citizen Award for using business as a force for social and environmental good. “We never knew that making soap would lead to an international business humanitarian award,’’ says Ryan, who lives outside of San Francisco with his wife Ingrid and their three children, ages three to eight. “It was a nice recognition of the social side of our work.’’ Ryan’s life—and quest to make perfect soap—reads like a movie script about an ambitious guy from the Midwest with a knack for advertising who decides to revolutionize cleaning products, and have fun doing it. Ryan and Lowry grew up only six blocks from each other in Grosse Pointe, Mich., where they attended the local high school
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How one man went from sailing the waters of Narragansett Bay to cleaning the dishes in your kitchen sink
and spent summers sailing together. Lowry went off to Stanford; Ryan headed in the opposite direction, lured by Narragansett Bay and URI’s renowned sailing team. Sailing, he says, instilled an appreciation of the beauty and delicacy of the world’s waters and taught him how to think ahead and work independently. Cruising was too laid back; he raced as a skipper in doublehanded divisions. “My best times at URI were definitely around the sailing team,’’ he says. “It was a great experience.’’ He graduated in 1996 with a degree in communications. After working in marketing and design in London and Minneapolis, he moved in 1997 to San Francisco to work with Hal Riney advertising, the agency that created the Saturn brand and the Bartles & Jaymes ads for Gallo wine. One day, Ryan bumped into Lowry on a flight and discovered that the two were living on the same block in San Francisco. A few months later, Ryan was strolling through a grocery aisle and opened a bottle of Snapple. He wondered why cleaning supplies didn’t smell as sweet. Ryan revealed his “aha’’ moment to Lowry, and a partnership was born. Lowry would use his background as an environmental chemist to create a non-toxic product derived from natural ingredients such as soy, coconut, and palm oils; Ryan would use his talent as a designer to make beautifully crafted bottles that he calls “recyclable plastic art,’’ worthy of a perch on kitchen and bathroom counters. In 2001 they each invested $45,000 and their journey began, fueled by a cultural shift to green living. Bath, kitchen, shower and glass cleaners were the first products, blended in a lab and hand poured through funnels into bottles at Ryan’s delightfully squalid apartment. The team even applied its own labels. “I’m such a design geek I made sure every bottle looked perfect,’’ says Ryan.
PHOTOS: COURTESY METHOD
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After giving bottles to friends to test, the MacGyver solved problems with ingenuity two started making the rounds of indepenand resourcefulness, and a little help from dent stores—in a beat-up truck, no less— his Swiss Army knife and a roll of duct tape. talking up the cleaners to managers and “At Method we ask, ‘What would anyone else who would listen. As interest MacGyver do?’ ’’ says Ryan. “I mean, he grew, they raised money from investors and took down an F16 with a paper clip and stepped up production. But there were chewing gum.’’ sleepless nights. At one point, they had $16 Not only are Method products kind to in the bank. “It was nerve-rackMother Earth, they also look good and ing,’’ says Ryan. “But we are marketed in a clever way. The kept moving forward.’’ sea minerals hand and dish soap “At Method Consumers seeking comes in a gray bottle made with we ask, healthier lives loved the plastic recovered from the ‘What would line, and by 2002 ocean. The tagline: “That’s why Method products were I’m gray.’’ The “smarty dish MacGyver do?’ ’’ in 700 stores, mostly on plus dishwashing soap’’ brags says Ryan. the West Coast. After that “oatmeal won’t know what enlisting international hit it.’’ Body wash “leaves your industrial designer Karim birthday suit soft, clean, and Rashid to help design packaging, party ready.’’ Ryan and Lowry convinced Target to sign on In 2012, Ryan and Lowry sold Method to in a deal that put Method on the national the Belgian company Ecover Group, owner stage. of the largest green cleaning company in The products are ubiquitous, available in Europe. Lowry is the “chief greenskeeper’’ any Target or major grocery store in the for global operations; Ryan is the chief country. Those teardrop-shaped bottles are brand architect. Fans can rest easy. The flying off the shelves to the tune of more brands will remain separate, as Method than $100 million a year, a considerable expands more aggressively in Europe, Asia, accomplishment considering that Method and Canada. Method is even advertising on is up against some stiff competition from TV now. century-old giants SC Johnson and Procter During the wild ride, Ryan has held to & Gamble. his belief that the company is about more Ryan credits much of the company’s than selling soap. He’s even written a success to its unique culture, where book for other entrepreneurs, The Method creativity and quirkiness are appreciated— Method: Seven Obsessions That Helped Our and encouraged. Consider the “Monday Scrappy Start-up Turn an Industry Huddle,’’ a weekly morning meeting where Upside Down. employees give “shout-outs of awesome“To be truly happy you have to be part of ness’’ about the business or even their something bigger than yourself,’’ he says. personal lives. Laughter fills the office, uh, “The higher mission of what we do is to gathering spot. create environmental and social change for The company’s motto, “keep it weird,’’ good. These are shared values that connect is another way of saying “be different,’’ and us to our customers. We’re about more employees appropriate the 1980s action than making money. This is a social hero MacGyver when facing challenges. purpose.’’ During his decade-long reign on TV, — Elizabeth Rau VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
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Jim Clappin ’80 was once a small-town Rhode Island kid with dreams of becoming a chemist. Today, as president of Corning Glass Technologies, he helps manufacture the glass screens that make our touch-enabled lives possible. He and his wife, Doreen, split their time between Japan and two homes in the United States, including one in South Kingstown, not far from his alma mater. Here, his thoughts on following in the footsteps of Thomas Edison, his enduring relationship with URI, and what’s next for your smart phone.
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F I RS T IN When did you know you wanted to become an engineer? I decided at the end of my freshman year to change majors from chemistry to chemical engineering. I felt the applied side of chemistry was a better fit with my affinity for industry. As it turned out, that was a pivotal decision.
Outside of the classroom, what were your interests at URI? Sigma Chi Fraternity was a big part of my URI community. We ate together, cleaned together, and managed the frat’s finances and the rush process together. Recently, I reconnected with several of my Sigma Chi brothers and we are funding construction of a new on-campus house.
Which professors had the greatest influence on you? The summer before my senior year I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Thomas Rockett, then a professor of Chemical Engineering, helping to create a glassbased hermetic seal between titanium and Macor, a machineable ceramic used in heart pacemakers. Keeping body fluids from penetrating the electronics within a pacemaker was a must, and we tested several different glass compositions before developing one with the right characteristics. I loved it all, and decided then that I wanted to work for Corning, the company that made Macor. Dr. Rockett and I still exchange emails on a fairly regular basis. I owe my choice of career largely to him.
Glass What was it like to work for Corning in Central Falls in the 1980s? While very different from our glass plants today, I enjoyed working with the technology, initially as a process engineer and later as a manufacturing department head. At the center of Central Falls’ technology was the Corning Ribbon Machine, which the company invented in the mid 1920s—and which is still considered state-of-the-art today—to produce glass casing at very high speeds. It dramatically reduced the cost of manufacturing light bulbs and made them affordable to households the world over. Prior to that, glass casings were largely made by hand, going all the way back to the late 1800s and the casing that Corning made for Thomas Edison’s first long-lived incandescent light bulb. Central Falls wasn’t too far from my hometown of Cumberland, and the workers on the factory floor were my friends. We played softball and flag football together, and I got to know them as people in a way that would be difficult today. I carried away from Central Falls my management philosophy: leadership, trust, and respect must be earned.
Did you ever imagine as a kid that you would live in Japan? “The simple answer is no. When I began my career with Corning, the company’s manufacturing base was largely centered in the U.S. I moved to Japan in 1996 to run our Shizuoka Plant, just prior to when the demand for LCD glass began its meteoric
climb. As demand grew, so did our manufacturing footprint, and we now have a total of seven LCD glass-making facilities located in the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Mainland China. I was fortunate to be involved from the start. Now we concentrate on products like Corning Gorilla Glass, which is used as a protective cover on most touch-enabled devices. It covers more than two billion devices worldwide, including the iPhone, iPad, and Samsung’s Galaxy line of products. And it’s only the beginning. Corning Willow Glass is on track to enable the evolution of thinner and lighter “next generation” devices—and it’s flexible! Imagine glass so thin it can be produced like you print a newspaper, in a continuous roll-to-roll process. It’s yesterday’s science fiction.
What advice would you offer students graduating from URI today? Intellectual curiosity is the secret to success—this is what I tell my daughters (Allyson, a Northeastern University graduate; Andrea, attending college in Annapolis, Maryland; and Emily, a freshman at URI studying sociology). Many of my colleagues, unlike me, have MBAs from places like Harvard, Tuck, and Wharton. I believe the reason I head up our largest business is because I am open to continually learning. You will be judged for your capability, knowledge, and results. Look at your degree as a beginning. —Melanie Coon
VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
PHOTO: GREG HREN PHOTOGRAPHY
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inside What do zoology, eighth-grade science, construction management, graphic design, parenthood, water bottles, T-shirts, and a broken box all have in common? Kellie Sorel Ducharme ’95 and David D ucharme ’95 connected the dots among these seemingly disparate subjects to create Think Outside, a company whose mission is to create sustainable, environmentally safe, colorful, and fun products for children and families. The story of Think Outside, the company, is closely intertwined with the Ducharmes’ personal journey as a couple and as parents. It is also a University of Rhode Island story. While their first official date was dinner in Butterfield Dining Hall, the Ducharmes actually met earlier that same day, playing basketball. “She let me win,” says Dave, who then goes on to explain that Kellie mistook him for his identical twin, Chris, when she saw him several hours after the game, exclaiming, “I just played basketball with your brother!” Dave, a consumer affairs major who grew up in Cranston, R.I., and New Hartford, Conn., native Kellie, who studied zoology, dated throughout their undergraduate years and married in 1998. The Ducharme twins, who had enthusiastically followed in their parents’ (Francis “Duke” Ducharme ’62 and Barbara Ducharme ‘62) footsteps by attending URI, also continued a tradition by entering the 118-year-old family business, E. Turgeon Construction Corporation. “We started at Turgeon the minute we graduated,” says Dave. “As we were receiving our respective diplomas, our dad said, ‘Here’s a shovel, see you in five!’” (The renovation of Swan Hall, formerly Independence Hall, was a Turgeon project.) Kellie and Dave plunged into their jobs and pursued their passions. Dave continued his education at Roger Williams University with classes including architecture and structural engineering. For a creative outlet, he donned the additional hat of graphic designer for Turgeon. In the meantime, Kellie returned to URI for her teaching certificate and began teaching science, first at Westerly High School, then at Middletown High School, and finally at Gaudet Middle School in Middletown, where she found her niche teaching eighth graders. The Ducharmes settled in Richmond, R.I. Their lives seemed to be moving on a steady trajectory.
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A sampling of Think Outside’s gear and apparel for kids. More at think-outside.com.
And then, inspiration struck. In 2007, during her February school break, Kellie traveled with their three-yearold daughter, Mia, to Santa Barbara, where her sister, a professional photographer, lives with her family. Dave was airborne, on his way to meet them, when he was seized with an idea. On a cocktail napkin, he sketched a broken box. When he showed it to Kellie, she saw beyond a napkin doodle to a logo— for a company that they should start, together, to address the needs of environmentally conscious families. “Like so many new parents, we wanted only the best for our baby,” says Kellie, “including soft clothing that wore well, without itchy tags, designed for easy-on and easy-off. It was tough to find. So-called natural or organic fabrics were only available in blah beige. And trying to figure out bottles and sippy cups was also challenging. So many were either not BPA free or not dishwasher safe. Dave’s broken box set something in motion for me.” Kellie points out that when she and Dave were undergraduates, recycling was just coming into its own at URI. “Studying zoology led me naturally to an interest in ecology,” she notes. “Teaching science only reinforced that interest. I would see water bottles piled high and think about the landfill.” The broken box became the first graphic for Think Outside’s logo, and appeared on the company’s first T-shirts and onesies, which sold out on the first day of the Charlestown Seafood Festival in 2008. A big break came when Think Outside caught the interest of Gary Peck, chairman of the S-Group in Portland, O regon, a company that works with athletic brands like Lululemon, Life is Good, Looptworks, and New Balance on design, innovation,
product commercialization, sourcing, production, and quality assurance. Think Outside’s environmentally friendly approach is well aligned with the Xander K olendrian os, the Du S-Group’s a limited-r charmes’ un upcycl nephew, m ed T-shir left over fr philosophy, and Peck serves odels t, which, b om a larg y using m e sp sa or aterial ts appare ved 400 g as an adviser to the company. l manufact allons of water per urer, shirt. So how have the Ducharmes broken the box? The company uses upcycled materials—remnants from already produced garments—as well as market tester. Sourcing the right sippy top recycled materials that are re-dyed and was a long and challenging task. If she re-sewn. The company’s products, threw it across the room, we knew that top including clothing, baby backpacks, wasn’t going to work,” says Dave. It may be hooded towels, and their best-selling some time, however, before the girls water bottle kits, are pesticide and understand that Think Outside is a real contaminant free, and their brightly colored designs feature low-impact ink and company selling real products. Recently, while walking on the beach on Block Island, vegetable dyes. The Ducharmes continue Mia observed the broken box logo on a to explore ways to keep as much passerby. “Daddy,” she said, “someone production as possible within Rhode must have taken our backpack!” Island. The Gob Shop in Bristol does their The Ducharmes have thoughts of silk screening. Mills Creek Natural Market expanding into sports gear with a possible in Charlestown is one of their local focus on surfing. For now, however, they are distributors. happy to produce, in Dave’s words, “a cool And Think Outside is a family affair. line that is also a sustainable line and vice Mia, now nine, and younger sister Siena, versa. We want people to embrace it, use it, who has just turned five, are actively live with it.” involved. — Melanie Coon “When we were developing the water bottle kit (designed to fit the needs of children as they grow from infants to toddlers to big kids), Siena was the chief
PHOTOS: MEGAN SOREL PHOTOGRAPHY
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The Business of Innovation
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Above, Alex Couture ’95 at Google New York; left, Ballentine Hall atrium.
90 YEARS 1924–2014
lex Couture ’95 tells the same story to every new hire at Google, where he has worked since 2008: “There was a scientific study where they put five monkeys in a room containing a ladder with a banana at the top. When one monkey goes to the ladder, all the other monkeys get blasted with water from a fire hose. Eventually, every time a monkey starts to go toward the ladder, the other monkeys beat him up to prevent themselves from getting blasted. “Once all the monkeys stop going for the ladder, scientists turn the fire hose off. Then they take out the old monkeys, one at a time, and replace them with new ones. When the new monkeys go toward the ladder, the old monkeys beat them up, even though there is no fire hose. As more new monkeys are introduced and old ones removed, the cycle repeats itself until only new monkeys are in the room. If you could ask the monkeys why they don’t go toward the ladder, they wouldn’t know. They’d say, ‘That’s just the way we do things around here.’” That attitude, Couture says, is exactly what Google doesn’t want from its employees. In fact, Couture’s formal job assessments are based on factors that include challenging the norm. “When I hire someone new who knows nothing about how Google operates, that’s the person I want to talk to,” he says, “because they haven’t been jaded by the way things have always been done.”
At 90, URI’s College of Business Administration is hitting its stride.
Business Administration program established at RI State College
1923
1926
1928
1946
The “experiment” will become the state’s only program accredited at undergraduate, master’s and Ph.D. levels
First graduate: Alexander Paterson
First woman graduate: Elsa Gramelsbach
Business Economics added; MBA program expands from Providence to Kingston.
Supporting the war effort
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Couture notes that while specific classes he took are not part of his work today, “all of them taught me how to learn and how to prioritize what is and isn’t critical. I learned how to apply theory and execute a vision. I stand toe to toe with Stanford, Harvard, MIT alums every day at Google. URI taught me how to think on my feet.” Couture and Giles are two examples of today’s incredibly successful generation of COBA graduates. At 90, COBA has come into its own. A culture of innovation and risk-taking, the ability to anticipate future trends, and the consistent leadership of its deans and advisory board all contribute to COBA’s strong position on campus and beyond.
“COBA is ferocious in its appetite for engaging in the marketplace” —Michael Morrow ’77
Michael “Ziggy” Giles MBA ’13 of Wakefield’s Blacknight Studios.
Professor Kathryn Jervis ’87.
Another College of Business Administration (COBA) graduate, Michael Ziggy Giles MBA ’13, cofounder and art director of Blacknight Studios in Wakefield, is also questioning the norm. In fact, Giles was drawn to the new MBA program in strategic innovation precisely because of its unique, interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning. “All of the fields required for aspiring business professionals (marketing, accounting, management, supply chain, finance, technology) are woven into projects and assignments so that they begin to blend into your daily life and thought process,” he explains. “When you’re approaching problems in the work place, this is the type of mindset you need. It takes knowledge in each of these disciplines to solve the problems that every business will ultimately face.”
“I believe in students ‘learning to learn,’ ” says Kathryn Jervis ’87, award-winning associate professor of accounting and information science. “We focus on strategies to solve problems and access research resources, so that they can manage changes in the discipline of accounting, or actually any discipline, that will occur over their careers. To me, it’s not simply content. Instead, it’s learning to manage change, to develop new knowledge on your own, to clearly communicate.” Also a respected healthcare researcher, she chairs a committee for graduate healthcare management education. Jervis is the first woman to hold the chair named for Richard Vangermeersch ’64, a muchlauded professor who, over 34 years, launched generations of accountants from URI. She says that mentoring has been a critical component to COBA’s approach. “Richard was an excellent mentor to me when I was an undergraduate, encouraging me to get my Ph.D.,” she recounts. “Now, I can give back as a mentor to my students.” Faculty advisor to the Women in Business club, she also chaired the COBA Diversity Committee, and helped a student team with a presentation
AACSB accreditation
The College grows during the post-war decades
MBA and MS accredited
1951
1962
1966
1967
1969
1975
The School of Business Administration becomes a college
MBA degree introduced at the Extension in Providence
Mirrors a huge universitywide expansion under President Francis H. Horn
Ballentine Hall is dedicated
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accredits fewer than 15% of the institutions that teach management education
Business Advisory Council forms
1973
Hi tech in the ’80s
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SUCCESS COUNTS A URI team won first place at the NABA 29th Annual Minority Business Conference last fall for a business plan proposal for a Boston hospital, and in February, they were honored by state legislators in an event at the Statehouse. Left to right: Rep. Donald J. Lally Jr. ’77, South Kingstown-Narragansett, who sponsored a resolution in the students’ honor, along with Providence Rep. Joseph S. Almeida, and Kwami Moreno ’16, team captain Kelechi Agwunobi ’16, URI NABA Chapter President Jose Perales ’16, Kenny Adefiyiju ’14, and Raven Sannon ’15.
COBA DEANS 1923–1927, Charles Sweeting
that won first place this winter at the National Association of Black Accountants Inc., (NABA) 29th Annual Minority Business Conference. Alumni are on board. Brendan McCorry ’92, a partner at Ernst & Young, has worked closely with Professor Chet Hickox ’84 on minority recruitment and mentoring [see page 23]. The company’s program, Launch Internship, “is targeted at students early in their college careers,” McCorry says. “Historically, students did not have contact with the firm until they interviewed as juniors or seniors. At Ernst & Young, we believe that when we begin to develop a relationship with students early, they enjoy the best chance of a full-time job offer.” What’s next for COBA? While the milestones at COBA’s Kingston campus are noteworthy, COBA advisory council member and PricewaterhouseCoopers partner Michael Morrow ’77, believes the college’s off-campus programs are helping to transform COBA and enhance its reputation.
“Within the last five to 10 years, COBA really became ferocious in its appetite for engaging in the marketplace and got involved in distributed learning—taking classes to companies like GE and IBM,” Morrow says. The classes and programs have proven to be popular, and COBA recently expanded its reach to pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (a part-time MBA program) and Taco, America’s leader in heating and cooling systems for residential and commercial building applications. Another advisory council member, Fred Newton ’78, senior vice president and senior human resources officer, Apollo Education Group, wants COBA to embrace learning management platforms. “Don’t rush to be online, but the right mix of modality will give COBA a lot of flexibility. As an example, COBA could bring its classroom to [renowned Harvard Professor] Clay Christensen,” he suggests. Christensen was named the World’s Most Influential Business Management Thinker in 2011.
1927–1934, Andrew Newman 1936–1942, John Candelet II 1942–1946, Asa Knowles 1946–1966, George Ballentine 1966–1969, Frederick Amling 1969–1970, Clark Murdough 1970–1985, Richard Weeks 1976–1977, Eugene Johnson 1985–1990, Robert Clagett 1990–1994, Sydney Stern 1994–1998, Frank Budnick 1998–2006, Edward Mazze 2006–present, Mark Higgins
Ph.D. program
Two key centers born
1984
1989
1991
1992
1995
1997
1999
New focus on foreign business practices and the interconnectedness of global markets
Pacific Basin Capital Markets Research Center (later named for Sandra Ann Morsilli), Research Institute for Telecommunications and Information Marketing
Career Day launches
Business Student Advisory Council forms
First Ph.D. student: Nancy L. McIntyre
Alfred J. Verrecchia/ Hasbro Leadership Chair in Business established
Hall of Fame program 75th celebration
PHOTOS: MICHAEL SALERNO; NORA LEWIS; COURTESY URI SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
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While Newton wants technology to break down barriers between COBA and the outside world, there’s also a push to break down the walls separating URI’s colleges. “A COBA education should be less about space and more about the beauty of ideas,” Newton says. “There are great things happening throughout the University, so let’s create more joint programs. I can see a joint finance and medicine program as a possibility.” COBA—especially its doctoral program—is playing a key role in Rhode Island’s comeback from the Great Recession. “As the only university in the state with a doctoral program in business, our faculty members examine cutting-edge issues in their fields of study,” says Dean Mark Higgins. “In the accounting department, we have 10 faculty members who are certified public accountants. Some of these faculty engage in tax policy research while others examine issues in strategic budgeting. Our supply chain faculty has significant experience in both process and port management, an important factor in Rhode Island’s economy, and two of these faculty are Six Sigma Black Belts. Our marketing faculty has expertise in branding, consumer behavior and market research, while our management professors have studied job performance, workplace bullying, and the impact of furloughs on employee well-being. Finance professors are involved in neuroeconomics—an interdisciplinary field that examines why people make financial decisions as well as international and domestic capital markets. This and all the other research being conducted in the College can help us better understand how Rhode Island can recover from the financial crisis.”
Re-dedication of Ballentine Hall
Sometimes, though, it simply comes down to the kind of connections that a school earns after 90 years in business. Case in point: Couture believes that he owes not only his professional success to his URI experience, but also his position at Google. During the renovation of Ballentine Hall, COBA Coordinator of Communications Michaela Mooney ’87 phoned Couture and offered to buy him a cup of coffee. Couture had known Mooney during his undergraduate years and was happy to reconnect. Fifteen minutes into their coffee date, Couture had pledged a significant gift to the renovation campaign. As a major donor, Couture attended an event in New York featuring Tom Ryan ’75, retired chairman and CEO of CVS Caremark, and Mike Fascitelli ’78, former CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, as speakers. At that time, Couture worked for DoubleClick, which had just been purchased by Google. Ryan offered some sage advice to Couture at the reception afterward: “Tom told me I had two choices: adapt or leave. If you want to stay in your current culture, leave now, because you’re going to fail. But if you want to succeed, be flexible to change.” It’s a philosophy Couture has lived by ever since, and he’s grateful for the chance series of URI connections that brought it to him. “If not for that cup of coffee, I never would have gotten that advice and would not be where I am today,” he says. “Years after graduation, URI had a major impact in a very unexpected way.” It seems that, nonagerian status notwithstanding, COBA is doing anything but resting on its laurels. With 2024 right around the corner, continue to expect the unexpected. —Melanie Coon and Maria Caliri ’86
New major: Supply Chain Management
MBA program moves to Providence
2001
2003
2007
2007
2012
2012
Alumni Association establishes Ram Fund
Sherman Trading Room built; International Business Program allows students to earn dual business and foreign language degrees, intern abroad
Vangermeersch Professor appointed: Allan Graham
Prep for careers in purchasing and procurement, scheduling and inventory management; one of COBA’s fastest growing majors
Now closer to partner companies like Fidelity, Hasbro, GTECH, CVS, and the Steel Yard
Spachman Professor appointed: Anthony Wheeler
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Diversity: A Win-Win for Students and Enterprise Since 2009, Professor Chet Hickox ’84 has identified promising minority students in his Introduction to Business classes and recommended them for summer internships at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young. It’s a policy in line with President Dooley’s goal of creating a diverse student community, and it has huge practical impact: It prepares students for the workforce as it really is and promotes creative thinking back in class. “The firms invite students who succeed in the initial six- to eight-week programs to return for subsequent summers,” Hickox explains. “Students hope to secure a job offer during their senior year.” Andrea Osorio ’14, of Pawtucket, R.I., a Colombian-American whose parents came to the U.S. before she was born, took Professor Hickox’s entry level business class the summer before she entered URI as part of the Talent Development Program. Hickox has served as her mentor ever since, and Osorio attributes her growth as a person and as a student to the support she has received from him and others at COBA. In fact, she says her definition of success has changed: “Before, I was a bit one tracked. Now, success will come when I help a student from a financially underprivileged background like me.” Osorio has been a PricewaterhouseCoopers intern since the summer after her freshman year, has shadowed professionals, presented on “How to Keep the Millennial Generation Motivated in Corporate America,” and even traveled to Belize to teach financial literacy to grade schoolers. She has already accepted a full-time offer from PwC, plans to return to school for a Ph.D. in accounting, and eventually wants to teach, influencing others as her professors influenced her. “It was not until recently,” she says, “that it hit me just how much learning and development I have undergone throughout my three-and-a-half years here.” Andrea Osorio ’14 will focus on client audits in the assurance line of service at PwC.
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Passport Required
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Natascha Shea ’14 contemplates the enduring view from a mountain in Bharatpur during the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies 2013 Alternative Spring Break in Nepal. Prayer flags surround her, offering their blessings to the wind.
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Not all learning can come from a book. Students give us a glimpse into the study abroad trips of today.
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URI’s International Center and the many groups that work through it seem to extend their reach and ambition a little further every year. The biggest change for 2014 was the first Winter J Term, a two-week session tucked between the holidays and the beginning of spring semester, which—along with on-campus programming—offered eight faculty-led trips to places as various as rural Indonesia, Belize, and Germany. Then, of course, there are trips over summer and spring break, plus full semesters abroad that students take through a range of programs, from the International Engineering Program—which expects students to spend a full year in language immersion, splitting time between a partner institution and an internship—to the National Student Exchange, a nationwide program that allows students to study in Canada, Guam, and Puerto Rico, often for in-state tuition rates. All told, undergraduate and graduate students now have more than 200 destinations to choose from, and last academic year, some 530 students took advantage of them, broadening their worldviews and bringing their new perspectives back to enrich their classrooms and campuses.
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Alana Lauro ’14 juggles a live octopus in an open-air market while exploring Naples, Italy, on a faculty-led trip focused on sustainable foods last summer.
Jesse Girard ’14 captures the gorgeous profusion of lanterns in one of the 3,000 stalls that make up The Grand Baazar in Istanbul, Turkey, in December 2013. He was on an excursion from his semester in Budapest, Hungary, through a partnership with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE).
Kristin Pollard ’15 atop Devil’s Peak, Cape Town, South Africa, during a fall 2013 service-learning semester abroad with CIEE.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
3/19/14 11:17 AM
A group enrolled in the five-year International Engineering and International Business programs cluster around a new model at the Mercedes-Benz service center in Berlin, Germany, in January 2014.
Matt Vitagliano ’15 on a Kinesiology facultyled trip to the Maasai Joy Children’s Centre in Arusha, Tanzania, in August 2013.
Natasha Cummings ’14 air kisses the famously leaning Tower of Pisa during an American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) trip based in Florence last summer.
Students on the Chinese Flagship Program’s Winter Immersion trip pose on the Bund in Shanghai, China, looking across the Huangpu River to Pudong District, in December 2013.
VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
Peter Carellini ’17 spent Winter J Term in Belize. He produced a video chronicaling his journey. Travel with Peter at uri.edu/quadangles.
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CLASSACTS
Stephen '76 and Laura Cunningham received the Alumni of the Game award at the December 5 Providence–URI game. The Cunninghams served as honorary chairs of the Alumni Association’s 2014 Big Chill Weekend, which raised over $110,000 for student scholarships.
The Alumni of the Game program, held during the A–10 Men's Basketball home games, recognizes URI alumni who demonstrate the best of what our graduates are all about—successful careers combined with service to their communities and to the University.
Rhode Island crime-victim advocate Melba Depeña ’96, M '09 with Alumni Relations Executive Director Michele Nota '87, M '06 and President Dooley at the December 28 Southern Miss.–URI game.
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Dexter A. Picozzi, ENG, of Redding, Conn., recently celebrated his 93rd birthday, reports his daughter, Susan Picozzi Sullivan. She adds: "Dexter always will remember the good old days in college: the designing and building of the Beta Psi Alpha fraternity house; being a T.A.; and the great engineering program at URI! He celebrated with son Alan, daughter Susan, and three of his five grandchildren. His grandson, Sean Sullivan, is URI class of 2015."
Selma Stanzler, A&S, of Chicago, Ill., writes: "Before I left Rhode Island I was honored by the R.I. Holocaust Education Center with the Lifetime Achievement Award. I am living in a lovely independent living facility on Lake Michigan with a beautiful view, and enjoying the Chicago life of theater and dining. If you travel this way, call and we'll have lunch."
`51 Alec Voight, ENG, of Milford, Conn., writes: "In 2013, I celebrated my 90th birthday. I am still located in Milford, Conn., in my house (63 years) and am very grateful for continued good health and mobility. URI brings back a flood of fond memories. In 1946 I was part of the first wave of veterans to attend the University. Our military experience along with our maturity brought new attitudes, ideas, habits and interests to the campus. We first settled in Quonset huts, all ate at Lippitt, and the quadrangle became the center of campus activity. In 1947 we became part of fraternity life. All these events have captured my memories of URI and the friendships I made along the way that lasted a lifetime. My loyalty to the University has grown stronger over the years and now as I watch the passing of the torch to new generations, I am still very proud to be part of the legacy of URI."
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Roberta Mudge Humble '68, M '71, a tireless community leader, with President Dooley at the January 18 George Mason–URI game.
great run doing more than 23 large transactions over 10 years. Family is terrific; two lovely grandchildren, all healthy and happy. Perhaps we will see them at Rhody in 15 years. God bless all."
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Ted Tedesco, A&S, of Santa Barbara, Calif., writes: "Realizing a lifelong dream, I bought a made-in-Maine Hinckley Pilot 35 sailboat, shipped it cross-country to Santa Barbara, and relaunched it into the Pacific. Bringing a bit of New England to the West!"
William J. Breidinger, of Homer, N.Y., recently wrote a book, The Magellan Project, available on barnesandnoble. com and Amazon. The Amazon writeup reads: "Chris returns to Southwestern Colorado to find unsolved mysteries affecting his friends. As he evolves through his new relationships, he comes face to face with an unsettling past and a daunting future on the cutting edge of science and mythology."
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Sonia Ladrido Barrato, HS&S, of Randolph, Mass., writes: "Preparing to enroll in URI's School of Geriatrics in spring of 2013. Hopefully, I can get help in earning a postgraduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D. in Geriatrics). Dreaming big? Yes, I am energized by President Dooley's excellent leadership this 21st century. Indeed, I am trying to reinvent myself in this, my 77th year, and my 50th in this country."
`69 Frank J. Feraco, A&S, of South Barrington, Ill., writes: "After 37 years in corporate life, doing large turnarounds, I began a new career in private equity in 2003. We have had a
Scott K. Lyons, A&S, of Chester, Conn., also known as Skip Leon, released a debut solo album of original songs, entitled Bornagaingone in June 2013, available online as download or CD. Lyons is managing partner of the fabled Dirt Floor recording studio. He plans to release his second album in 2014 and also to record in Rio de Janeiro at Aurea studios with London-based producer David Brinkworth. More info at: www. dirtfloor.com. Peace out!
`73 Raymond J. Marshall, ENG, of Greenville, R.I., executive director of the Narragansett Bay Commission, has been chosen to serve as the
Charles Billmyer '50, M '53, a strong advocate of the University and the College of Engineering, with Alumni Association President Louise Thorson M '85 at the January 25 Dayton–URI game.
Rhode Island wastewater industry representative on the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP) management committee. The NBEP management committee consists of top level decision makers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts including environmental organizations, academic institutions, watershed groups, and key state and federal agencies.
`74 Douglas K. Ritter, A&S, of Southlake, Texas, has authored his second book, Succeeding with The Twenty Seed Game, My Education in Sales. It's available for free in a PDF form for anyone who sends him a LinkedIn request at linkedin.com/in/douglasritter. The book is a how-to book on successful networking in sales, business development, and securing a new job.
`76 Robert J. Hawkins, A&S, of Fairfield, Ca., writes: "By mid-February, my wife, Rose, and I will be living fulltime on Ambergris Caye in Belize. "Retirement" from the San Diego Union-Tribune came earlier than I wanted, but that means the adventure begins sooner, too. Almost all our possessions have been sold or disposed of, and the house will be rented out. We'll be traveling light and living easy. You can read about it at robertjhawkins1.wordpress.com. Hey, Alumni Association, do you need a URI Belize Chapter president?"
PHOTOS: CHARLES REDIHAN '14
3/19/14 11:21 AM
Congratulations to our 2013–2014
ALUMNI OF THE GAME HONOREES
Patient advocate and volunteer Larry Sadwin '64 with President Dooley at the February 9 UMass–URI game.
Foundation Board Trustee and former Alumni Association President Joseph Confessore '96 with President Dooley at the February 19 St. Joseph's–URI game.
Long-time advocate and volunteer for URI Daniel Pendergast Jr. ’59 with Michele Nota at the March 1 Richmond–URI game.
Highly decorated retired Navy SEAL Master Chief Peter Kent ’85 with President Dooley at the March 5 Fordham–URI game.
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years as an engineer/senior engineer with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
Docs Physician Survey 2014 as one of the top physicians in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Caldwell, of Coastal Women's Healthcare in Scarborough, was chosen through a peer review in which Maine doctors were asked who they would go to for help if their own family members had health concerns in the specified areas. Dr. Caldwell, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, has a special interest in obstetrics, adolescent care and menopause. She received her medical degree from Pennsylvania State University. In 1988, she completed her residency at Maine Medical Center, where she also served her internship. Dr. Caldwell started her practice in 1989. She has been associated with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists since 1986. A native of Pennsylvania, she now lives in Portland.
Kenneth B. Martin, A&S, of Lincoln, R.I., is director of commercial markets at Santander Bank, N.A. In this role, he is responsible for the bank's relationships with companies in New England that have up to $500 million in annual revenues.
Laura Matson Hahn, A&S, of New Hope, Pa., writes that after numerous drafts, editors, book clubs' and friends' input over 14 years, her novel, The Heart Code, has been released. Hahn, who earned a B.A. in urban affairs and speech/oral interpretation of literature, grew up in Glen Rock, N.J., spent 10 years working in Rhode Island, and now resides in Bucks County, Pa. The book was first edited by Bernadette McBride, a recent Bucks County poet laureate and rising star in the poetry world; and by Gerald Monigan, formerly of the Wall Street Journal and now a Bucks County Herald feature reporter. Hahn, who worked for 20 years as a communications strategist, spent the last decade as a freelance journalist, nonfiction author and creative writing teacher while composing this novel, the first of a trilogy.
`79 John P. Hartley, CELS, of Bristol, R.I., has been named to the GZA GeoEnvironmental executive team with a promotion to New England regional operating officer. Hartley most recently served as Providence district office manager/principal with GZA. His areas of specialization include environmental studies and remedial investigations, the development of environmental cleanup programs and client support related to environmental regulatory issues. Prior to joining GZA, he spent four
`80 Dennis J. Duffy, A&S, of Cranston, R.I., was nominated by Governor Lincoln D. Chafee to the Board of Education. Dennis has more than two decades of experience as the vice president of Energy Management, Inc., a leading developer of traditional and renewable energy projects, and as a former partner in the law firm of Partridge, Snow and Hahn as chair of the firm's Public Utilities Practice Group. As a leader in the field, he will bring to the Board of Education valuable insight, perspective, and expertise. Carla M. Oleska, A&S, of East Hampton, Mass., is vice president of institutional advancement at Elms College. Dr. Oleska previously served as chief executive officer of the public foundation Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts for eight years. Prior to that, she was employed at Elms College for 22 years in numerous capacities, including associate academic dean and dean of continuing education and graduate studies. Dr. Oleska will be a member of the president's cabinet, and oversee all aspects of development and alumni relations.
`81 Cecilia L. Caldwell, PHM, of Portland, Maine, was chosen for inclusion in Down East Magazine's Maine Top-
William B. Kilroy, A&S, USM professor of theater who is in his 21st year of teaching at the university, was honored in January by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) for excellence in theater education. The Kennedy Center Medallion is the most prestigious regional award given by KCACTF and is considered one of the great honors in theater education. It is awarded to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theater and who have significantly dedicated their time, artistry, and enthusiasm to the development of the KCACTF.
`82 Matthew Tarasevich, CBA, of Portland, Maine, is a member of the labor and employment practice group, municipal and regulatory practice group and litigation group at Bernstein Shur. He provides employment law representation for clients in the Maine state and federal courts, as well as at the administrative agency level, including the Maine Human Rights Commission and the Maine Labor Relations Board. Tarasevich represents public sector clients on a variety of municipal labor and employment issues, including grievances, arbitrations, and collective bargaining, and is the co-chair of the Maine State Bar Association municipal law section. He advises clients on a broad range of employment and labor-related topics, drafts and reviews employee policies and agreements, and acts as a mediator on personnel and employment related-issues. He is recognized by Best Lawyers in America for employment law and AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Tarasevich earned his JD from Northeastern University School of Law.
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Not a member of the Alumni Association?
How puzzling! Membership has so many rewards—here is just a small sampling of what you’re missing: INVITATIONS TO SPECIAL MEMBERS-ONLY EVENTS Come
to one of our backstage theater experiences or catch up with fellow alumni at a sports pregame party. HUNDREDS OF EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS Enjoy discounts on
alumni event registrations like Homecoming Weekend, as well as on car rentals, hotels, and much more. PARTNERSHIP PERKS Our partnership with Working Advantage
provides members with discounts on gift certificates, movie tickets, and entertainment and sporting events nationwide. MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK Discounts at Mews Tavern,
Bellevue Wine & Spirits, Brooks Brothers, Alpine Ski & Snowboard, URI Bookstore, W. Alton Jones Campus Summer Camps, and Whispering Pines Conference Center. Now do you see why we’re puzzled? You are the missing piece! Don’t go another day without benefiting from all these great perks. Your membership helps us to support over 65 programs and services for alumni, students, and the University itself.
Join today!
Mark D. Tourgee, A&S, of West Greenwich, R.I., writes: "I am a partner in the law office of Inman, Tourgee & Williamson in Coventry, R.I., concentrating in personal injury law. Also, I am chairman of the West Greenwich Town Council, having been a member for the past 10 years. I am married to Lisa Tourgee and have four children."
`87 Holly M. Barker, A&S, of Seattle, Wash., has joined the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture ethnology curatorial staff. Barker is a sociocultural anthropologist whose scholarship focuses on the Pacific Islands and nuclear issues. Her first book, Bravo for the Marshallese, describes the cultural, environmental, and social disruptions of U.S. nuclear weapons testing on the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls. For the past nine years, Barker has taught courses in the anthropology department at the University of Washington, where she received a 2013 Distinguished Teaching Award.
`88 Gregory Perrone, ENG, of Argyle, Texas, writes: "I am pleased to announce the launch of our new law firm, Braxton, Hilton & Perrone, PLLC. BHP will focus on intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, and litigation. Please visit our website at www.bhp-ip.com."
advance.uri.edu/alumni/membership
Now it’s our turn to puzzle you! Search for the words to solve the puzzle.
`90 URI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
WORD SEARCH FIND THE WORDS DOWN, ACROSS, OR DIAGONALLY!
URI • ALUMNI • ASSOCIATION • MEMBERS GET • GREAT • (MYSTERY WORD)! • JOIN • TODAY
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Find the solution and the mystery word at advance.uri.edu/alumni/membership. Bonus: Join the Alumni Association online and check the “MYSTERY WORD” box. The first three people to join and check the box will receive a free URI canvas bag!
Sandra E. Landino Vitale, A&S, of North Haven, Conn., after an international search, has been named the director of the president's house and events in the office of the president at Yale University. Landino Vitale has been at Yale for more than 21 years and has planned events for former and sitting U.S. presidents, Supreme Court justices, prime ministers, foreign heads of state, and international superstars. She is looking forward to this new role working alongside Yale's 23rd president, Peter Salovey, and his wife, Marta Moret. Lori J. Siciliano, CBA, of Westerly, R.I., has been promoted to vice president and portfolio manager in Washington Trust's commercial lending department. She is responsible for preparing detailed credit analyses and assisting loan officers in underwriting commercial loans.
`91 Adrienne A. Gallo, CBA, of Warwick, R.I., has been appointed the new branch librarian at William Hall Library. Gallo has been with the Cranston Public Library since 1999, serving as the youth services librarian at William Hall Library from 2000-
2001, and as branch librarian at the Oaklawn branch since 2001. In her new role, Gallo will manage operations, overseeing staff, programming, collection development and community partnerships at William Hall.
`98 Adam S. Naftalin-Kelman, CBA, of Berkeley, Calif., writes: "As an alumnus and the founder of the coffeehouse 193 degrees in the Memorial Union, I just realized that this coming November will be the 20 year anniversary of its founding. I and a few of the students that started it 20 years ago were thinking about having a celebration and a reunion."
`99 Jeff S. Carter, A&S, of Massapequa Park, N.Y., has been named environmental health and safety officer for Farmingdale State College, college officials announced. Carter has a master of professional studies from Stony Brook University. After earning his bachelor's degree, he worked for six years in the private sector, supervising environmental waste management operations, conducting training seminars, and serving as an environmental consultant to client firms.
`02 Richard J. Bowen, A&S, of Pocasset, Mass., writes: "Retired. Sailing my '44 ketch slowly nowhere. Best regards to Marine Affairs crew."
`03 James G. Atchison, A&S, of Warwick, R.I., writes: "I graduated cum laude from Roger Williams University School of Law on May 18, 2007, and I married the beautiful Heather Porcelli on August 11, 2007. Nicole J. Benjamin, A&S, of Barrington, R.I., has been promoted to counsel at Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. She is a member of the firm's litigation department and author of the blog The Fast Five on Rhode Island Appellate Practice (RIAppeals.com), which provides periodic updates on Rhode Island appellate law and pointers for practice before the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Website: apslaw.com; email nbenjamin@apslaw.com. Lori Urso, A&S, of West Greenwich, R.I., is executive director of the Slater Mill Museum in Pawtucket, R.I. She joined Slater Mill with a significant background in nonprofit cultural organization executive leadership, including as executive director of the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society, Old Washington County Jail Museum and Library, Hale House Museum & Cultural Center, and the WoodPawcatuck Watershed Council.
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CLOSEUP
Andrew Gaynor ’98
Emmanuel Logan ’13 War and Peace, and Other Books
His is a story of the times — global times, hard times — and, like the very best books, it’s as inspiring as it is instructional. Fitting, then, that Emmanuel Logan’s nascent charity aims to deliver inspiration and instruction to the children of his home country, Liberia. There, warlord Charles Taylor’s strongmen killed Logan’s mother for protesting their recruitment of child soldiers; a teenager, Logan vowed to continue her fight, but was forced to flee after his work made him a target. Providence has been his home in exile since 2007: he married a fellow Liberian refugee, is raising four children, and works with learning disabled adults. Three years ago, the 32-year-old also enrolled at URI’s Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Continuing Education, graduating with a major in Business Institutions. But Liberia, with its fragile peace and its hopes for the future, remains his touchstone. He has gathered almost 12,000 used textbooks, an incredible wealth for a country where they are rarer than blood diamonds and infinitely more precious. IDEA (Initiatives for the Development of Educational Advancement) supplies books, clothing and donations to build libraries in Liberia. More info: eelogan32@gmail.com or 401.536.1920. — Pippa Jack
PHOTO: PHOTO: MICHAEL © ORACLE SALERNO TEAM USA | GUILAIN GRENIER
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Engineering a win for America’s Cup Andrew Gaynor ’98 remembers watching the 1983 America’s Cup on television; his heart sank when Australia took the cup from American hands for the first time in 132 years. As an engineering undergraduate, Gaynor joined a competition to design, construct, and race a solar-powered boat, which took second in the national competition and still hangs in the machine shop. He served on design teams for the 2010 America’s Cup winning BMW Oracle USA team and the 2007 semi-finalist Italian team, designed masts for competitors in the 2008 and 2011 around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race, and in 2008 launched JAG Composites in Barrington, R.I. Fast forward to September 25, 2013. Thanks in no small part to Gaynor, who helped design its cutting-edge AC72 catamaran, Oracle Team USA completed one of the greatest comebacks ever to clinch the America’s Cup, winning by a mere 39 seconds. Gaynor hopes Team USA calls him back into service for the next race so he can design an even faster, better boat. “That’s the fun part of engineering: having the opportunity to design something, build it, and then go back and apply what you’ve learned to the next job.” — Chris Barrett, ‘08
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to Cranston from the Harry Kizarian Elementary School in Providence where she served as school librarian since 2010. Prior to that, she was a youth services librarian at Providence Public Library and Providence Community Library. In her new role, Brown will manage all youth services operations for the Cranston Public Library system, overseeing staff, programming, collection development and community partnerships for youth services at the central library and branch locations.
`08 Stefanie D. Blankenship, A&S, of North Providence, R.I., has been appointed the new branch librarian at the Oaklawn branch of the Cranston Public Library. Stefanie previously served as the youth services librarian at the Library's Auburn branch.
Silk Success Allyson Conway ’13 was sitting in a design class last spring when inspiration struck. “My professor announced a competition to design a scarf for the Alumni Association,” she says. “The only requirement was that it had to be Keaney Blue. My design was simple: I thought that the Rhody logo, a gold border, and some anchors would add a nice touch.” A very nice touch, indeed—today Allyson’s winning silk scarf is manufactured by Vineyard Vines and is available at the URI Bookstore. In addition to her day job as an account manager at a Massachusetts marketing firm, Allyson (who holds dual bachelor degrees in communications, and textiles, fashion merchandising and design) also works as a merchandiser for the jewelry line Chloe + Isabel, running her own self-named online boutique, “Allyson Conway.” “I love what I do,” she says. “It’s what I went to school for, and it’s a passion of mine.”— Rachel Donilon ’13 To purchase a URI scarf online, go to ramszone.uri.edu and click on the accessories link.
Abigael E. McGuire, A&S, of San Diego, Calif., writes: "Hera Gallery presented "8 from '08: A Reunion of Artists from URI's Class of 2008," an exhibition of artists who continue to create and produce art five and a half years since their college graduation. The eight exhibiting artists were as follows: Ron Augustus, Isis Brighton, Zachary Furman, Valerie Ann Kitchin, Mary Kudlak, Abigael McGuire, Arthur Mead, and Kiera Place. Featured works encompassed a wide variety of media, including but not limited to photography, film, printmaking, and other mixed media. The one night only event took place on January 18 and was curated by McGuire, who was recently instated as a director and exhibiting artist at Hera Gallery.
`09 Justin A. Brzoza, CBA, of Coventry, R.I., was recently promoted from staff accountant to senior accountant at BlumShapiro, the largest regional accounting, tax and business consulting firm based in New England. Brzoza will continue providing accounting support services at the firm and will take on a leadership role.
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`04 Heather L. Carbone, CBA, of Newington, Conn., has found her niche in South Boston, combining her love of the arts with her social personality in the Urban Art Bar, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary. Carbone, who has always had a passion for the arts and was an active member in the music and art community at URI, wished to bring a new artistic aspect to the social life of Southie. With that goal, in November 2012 Carbone founded the Urban Art
Bar, a paint studio designed for social outings where patrons may drink and paint unique artwork with friends. Its slogan is Sip, Socialize and Paint. The Urban Art Bar has become a top competitor in the industry and continues to grow. Jonathan H. Hall, J.D., LL.M, A&S, of Washington, D.C., was appointed assistant attorney general in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia in March 2013. Hall resides in northwest D.C. with his wife, Melissa.
`07 Suzanne D. Augenstein, A&S, of East Greenwich, R.I., has been named to the board of directors of Tockwotton on the Waterfront. Augenstein was selected for the diverse array of administrative roles that she has played in the corporate, public, and non-profit sectors. Emily Brown, A&S, of Londonderry, N.H., has been appointed the new coordinator of youth services for the Cranston Public Library. Brown came
Lauren Sanzo, A&S, of Irvington, N.Y., was engaged to Daniel Billings in Venice, Italy, on October 13, 2013.
`12 Marah J. Holland, CELS, of Kingston, R.I., writes: "After graduating, I was offered a position with the AmeriCorps VISTA/Oregon Health Authority Partnership Program just outside of Portland, Oregon. I moved to Oregon in April 2013 and have been spending the last nine months helping nonprofits and school districts in low income areas develop worksite wellness programs for their employees. It has been a very rewarding
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CLOSEUP
Destiny Chearino ’12 Destiny Calling
During her doctoral classes in physical therapy, Destiny Chearino helps ease her patients’ pain. Outside the exam room, she inflicts it. Chearino, a 22-year-old with a long blond ponytail and sweet smile, is one of the best amateur female fighters in the country, having decisively claimed the light welterweight spot on Team USA in January. She says it’s a mistake to think of boxing as brutal: “It’s an art form. Every sport has injuries.” Growing up in Warwick, R.I., Chearino first entered the ring to strengthen her karate skills, and found it fit like a glove. “It’s unbelievably mentally draining,” she says, “but you learn a lot about yourself in there: how much you can take, how bad you want it.” The training is hard, she says; the dieting and self control, miserable. There’s no way to fit in a social life. But this year she’ll fight internationally and drill at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado while continuing her classes at Kingston. “There are days when I struggle,” she says. “But don’t listen to anyone telling you that you can't achieve your goals. You control your outcome.” — Pippa Jack VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
PHOTO: MICHAEL SALERNO
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experience filled with personal and professional growth that all started at URI. In September 2015, I plan on attending graduate school for a master's in public health. Until then, I will be continuing to work and serve in various capacities in the community sector with a focus on public health. My position in Oregon will end in April 2014, and although I don't yet know what I'll be doing in the fall, I have made solid plans for this summer. Starting in June, I will be participating in a bike ride across the U.S. with the nonprofit organization Bike & Build, which organizes cross-country bike trips to benefit affordable housing groups. Over 10 seasons, Bike & Build has contributed more than $4 million to housing groups to fund projects planned and executed by young adults; this includes more than $600,000 donated from the summer
of 2012. There are eight different routes that start on the east coast and end on the west, each with about 30 participants. I will be biking from Providence, R.I., to San Francisco, Calif., from June to August this summer and my route includes 14 build days."
`13 Alyssa M. Schiano, A&S, of Greenville, R.I., has launched her own blog, Allure and Cure (allureandcure. com). She hopes to help motivate her readers to take advantage of all life has to offer and maintain a healthy life. The blog premiered on November 12, 2012, with a blogpost entitled "Fall Changes," noting that fall is a time to add a few highlights. The blog features, among other topics, tabs for fit life, guilty pleasures, and interviews with young and ambitious people.
Homecoming 2014
WE BELONG TOGETHER October 24–26 Find out how to plan a Homecoming Reunion at advance.uri.edu/alumni/reunions. WEDDINGS
BIRTHS
Eric A. Majewski '99 to Jennifer Brown, on November 23, 2013.
Megan Spencer Haggarty '00 and Ryan '00, a son, Jack Liam, on November 6, 2013.
Gregory J. De Santis '02 to Christine Sipala '05, on September 18, 2004.
Celebrate
Jaclyn N. Sullivan '02 to Christian Liebl-Cote, on June 19, 2010. Kristen J. De Santis '03 to Thomas Dempsey, on December 30, 2011.
Mr. Lonn and Jessica J. Greenberg '00, a daughter, Emmersyn Margaret, on September 19, 2013. Brooke A. (Spencer) Brooks '02 and Kevin T. Brooks '03, a son, Benjamin Andrew, on November 22, 2013.
Michael F. Carroll '05 to Justine Evans, on March 16, 2013.
Gregory J. De Santis '02 and Christine Sipala DeSantis '05, a son, Zachary, on October 9, 2010.
Christopher R. Fasula '05 to Rebecca Romeo, on September 28, 2013.
Your URI Legacy with Us!
Gregory J. De Santis '02 and Christine Sipala DeSantis '05, a son, Elliott, on July 13, 2012.
Kathryn DeSantis '06 to Randy Wolfe '06, on June 28, 2008.
Legacy Family Brunch • May 17, 2014
Michael E. Conklin '07 to Christine Cataldo '11, on August 3, 2013.
Christian and Jaclyn Sullivan LieblCote '02, twins, Dylan Pierre and Brody Daniel, on November 24, 2010.
" A legacy is a student or alumnus/a who has a parent, grandparent, or sibling who is a URI graduate."
URI legacies are, by definition, extraordinary families who have given continued support to URI for generations. Each year we invite graduating legacy seniors and their families to our Legacy Family Brunch during Commencement weekend. Do you fit the definition? If so, we’d love to see you at this family celebration—it’s a great tradition that you helped build! Learn more about the Legacy Program and this event at advance.uri.edu/alumni/legacyprogram.
Kelly E. Gallagher '07 to Daniel J. Mastrostefano, on June 29, 2013. Justin D. Matisewski '07 to Dr. May Awkal, on June 1, 2013. Benjamin A. Brodeur '08 to Nicole K. Engel '08, on August 31, 2013. Keri Lynn Houhoulis '09 to Francis Walter Dempsey IV '11, on June 15, 2013.
Christian and Jaclyn Sullivan Liebl-Cote '02, a daughter, Ashley Nicole, on August 21, 2012. Thomas and Kristen De Santis Dempsey '03, a daughter, Isla Mae, on February 7, 2013. Heather and Dennis Tomaz '03, a daughter, Juliana Elizabeth, on December 13, 2013. Claudia and Edwin R. Pacheco '05, a son, Ethan Robert, on October 17, 2013.
Kayla M. Murphy '09 to Travis Barao '10, on October 19, 2013.
Kathryn DeSantis Wolfe '06 and Randy Wolfe '06, a son, Gabriel Braydon, on May 17, 2013.
Ryan Kleinert '12 to Jen Scranton '09, on December 1, 2013.
Fongman Wu '07 and Carolyn Gnirke Wu '07, a daughter, Isabelle Grace, on December 18, 2013.
34 QUADANGLES SPRING 2014
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THREE INSPIRING DAYS FOR WRITERS 8TH ANNUAL Ocean State Summer Writing Conference June 19-21, 2014 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
PERCIVAL EVERETT AWARD WINNING NOVELIST
ALISON BECHDEL
ACCLAIMED GRAPHIC MEMOIRIST
MASTER CLASSES WITH
AYAD AKHTAR 2013 PULITZER PRIZE WINNING PLAYWRIGHT
AMITY GAIGE STEPHEN BURT PRIZE WINNING NOVELIST
AWARD WINNING POET AND LITERARY CRITIC
CHARLES BERNSTEIN PRIZE WINNING POET
Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry, Playwriting, Screenwriting Workshops, Master Classes, & Craft Sessions One-on-one Consultations & Networking Opportunities Also featuring: Susan Bee, Rob Cohen, Edward Delaney, Amy Hoffman, Jody Lisberger, Padma Venketraman, Nicole Walker, Wendy S. Walters and others to be announced
Discover The Ocean State Review, our journal of literary arts.
uri.edu/summerwriting
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English Faculty: Mary Cappello Peter Covino Josie Sigler-Sabara UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 35
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How to Build a Better Resume:
TOP 5 DOS AND DON’TS
Are you a recent graduate or a student? Is your work experience limited or even non-existent? Don’t panic! You can still create a compelling resume. Follow these guiding principles from URI Alumni Career Services and you’ll be off to a great start!
1.
William Clarke '35 of New London, Conn., on November 27, 2013. Levia Colicci Farmer '35 of Newport, R.I., on January 27, 2014. Claire Wordell Mudge '37 o f Westerly, R.I., on January 11, 2014. Samuel Penn '38 of Madison Heights, Va., on November 30, 2013. Helen Grouton '39 of Providence, R.I., on January 3, 2014.
The Top Five Resume Dos and Don’ts:
Sherman Bailey '41 of Akron, Ohio, on February 13, 2014.
Dos
G Herbert Repass '41 of Vero Beach, Fla., on December 23, 2013.
o review and customize your resume as needed for each D submission. It’s your primary promotional tool, which means it should be tailored for each potential employer.
2.
Do include volunteer work, part time work, complex academic projects, awards, and internship experiences. All contribute to your story!
3. 4. 5.
Do include a summary immediately after the header on the first page. o label your key sections and capitalize the section titles: D Summary, Education, Experience, Awards, etc. Do study your resume before each interview. Interviewers will ask about anything on the resume, so be prepared!
Virginia Holley Scott '41 of Spartanburg, S.C., on February 16, 2014. Edward Stene '41 of Hummelstown, Pa., on December 24, 2013. Ezekiel Cardozo '42 of Cumberland, R.I., on May 4, 2012. Robert Gammons '42 of Southport, Conn., on December 21, 2013. Albert Gudas '42 of Syracuse, N.Y., on November 17, 2013. Richard Houghton '42 of Orleans, Mass., on May 28, 2013. Ruth Crandall Mangan '42 of Ventura, Calif., on December 27, 2013. George Martin '43 of Berkeley, Calif., on December 3, 2013.
Don’ts
1. 2.
IN MEMORIAM
Don’t use color, symbols, or logos that will draw attention away from your content—keep the resume simple. Don’t use multiple font styles and don’t highlight words through a combination of italics, underlining and bolding. Just use bold to highlight.
3.
Don’t limit yourself to a one-page resume if you have enough internship and project experience, and other relevant information to take up two pages.
4.
on’t write a one-line career objective. Instead, write a D three- to four-sentence summary that highlights relevant academics or experience. Tailor the summary for each specific job.
5.
on’t list all academic classes on the resume, just a few D that are relevant to the job for which you are applying.
You’ll find great resume help and sample resumes in the Alumni Career Services Toolkit. Go to web.uri.edu/career/alumni-toolkit.
Raymond Page '43 of Leonardtown, Md., on April 2, 2013. Alvin Pansey '43 of Pawtucket, R.I., on February 14, 2014. Lorraine Fowler Krasner '46 of Cranston, R.I., on June 13, 2014. Chester Stott '47 of Topsfield, Mass., on January 21, 2014. James Lovett '48 of Palmyra, Pa., on January 19, 2014. Arleen Falcofsky Barber '49 of Warwick, R.I., on February 8, 2014.
Fred Schofield '49 of North Providence, R.I., on September 12, 2013. Eastwood Boardman '50 of Mansfield, Mass., on November 5, 2013. Francis Currier '50 of St Augustine, Fla., on January 19, 2014. John Padien '50 of Warwick, R.I., on November 21, 2013. Gerald Robinson '50 of Barrington, R.I., on November 29, 2013. Norma Corey Tower '50 of Swarthmore, Pa., on December 11, 2013. Maurice Dunbar '51 of Foster, R.I., on December 11, 2013. Stanley Fine '51 of Coconut Creek, Fla., on December 21, 2013. Ian Harrington '51 of Kaneohe, Hawaii, on October 30, 2013. John King '51 of Harmony, R.I., on October 8, 2013. William Capuano '52 of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on December 10, 2013. Joseph Carano '52 of Norwich, Conn., on January 15, 2014. Beverly Levinson Cohn '52 of Bretton Woods, N.H., on August 14, 2013. Kenneth Talbot '52 of Ridgewood, N.J., on December 22, 2013. Donald Bolger '53 of Sarasota, Fla., on January 19, 2014. Stephen Brown '53 of Warwick, R.I., on December 14, 2013. Theodore Napora '53 of Saunderstown, R.I., on February 9, 2014. Patricia Urso Morrone '54 of Boston, Mass., on November 27, 2013. Jane Shea Cruff '55 of Jamestown, R.I., on February 2, 2014. Vera Main Robinson '55 of Ashaway, R.I., on November 10, 2013. William Silvia '55 of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on January 22, 2014.
Charles Cohn '49 of Bretton Woods, N.H., on January 1, 2012.
Marcia Sayles Butler '56 of East Greenwich, R.I., on December 29, 2013.
Joseph Guido '49 of Lake Worth, Fla., on February 2, 2014.
Michael Hattub '56 of Newport, R.I., on December 26, 2013.
Beverley Hopps Hunt '49 of Wakefield, R.I., on December 16, 2013.
Donald Walsh '56 of Peoria, Ariz., on December 23, 2013.
Adolph Jursa '49 of Westford, Mass., on February 15, 2014.
Aime Arsenault '57 of Vero Beach, Fla., on December 9, 2013.
Marion Kent '49 of East Providence, R.I., on December 17, 2013.
Richard Buser '57 of Pawtucket, R.I., on May 3, 2013.
Allen Lawton '49 of Portland, Conn., on December 6, 2013.
Alvin Clegg '57 of Jamestown, R.I., on November 14, 2013.
John O'Gara '49 of Narragansett, R.I., on November 27, 2013.
Arthur Schreiner '57 of Wareham, Mass., on November 13, 2013.
36 QUADANGLES SPRING 2014
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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Thank you to alumni and friends for an outstanding weekend. We raised more than $110,000 for student scholarships!
Big Chill Weekend 2014
The University of Rhode Island Alumni Association and the 2014 Big Chill Weekend Committee express sincere appreciation to honorary chairs Stephen ’76 and Laura Cunningham and GOLD SPONSOR: Toray Plastics (America) BRONZE SPONSOR: Bank of America Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust A special thanks to Rhode Island Monthly, as well as our other generous sponsors and auction/raffle donors. Top left: Honorary Chairs Stephen ’76 and Laura Cunningham Top right: Lynn BakerDooley and URI President David M. Dooley Center: Toray Plastics (America) President and CEO Richard Schloesser, Janet Schloesser, with friends Bottom: URI Vice President for Administration and Finance Christina Valentino, Earnest Okwara, URI Chief Diversity Officer Naomi Thompson, and URI Foundation President Michael Smith
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PHOTOS | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
IT’S ALL ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS.
3/20/14 1:09 PM
ALUMNICHAPTERS URI alumni chapters are known for throwing memorable events. But don’t just take our word for it—our chapter leaders are our best cheerleaders! Brina Masi ’01, Washington, D.C./Baltimore Brina, center, and fellow alumni at the Boordy Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting, Hydes, Maryland, October 2013.
“While the alumni in our chapter represent several generations of URI graduates, we all have a common bond. Chapter groups are a great way for alumni to stay connected, particularly those who live outside of New England.”
George Smith ’66, SW Florida and Sigma Pi George, second from right, at the annual Holiday Luncheon, Venice, Florida, December 2013.
“My closest friends are a group of people that I met at URI. Fifty years later, we still maintain that relationship—we run cocktail parties, boat trips, and theater outings. Last year we donated $2,000 to the endowment fund.”
John Campanario ’93, New York Metro John at the URI-Fordham Game Reception, Bronx, New York, February 2014.
“There is real strength in URI’s professional network. At the New York Metro Alumni Chapter we’re facilitating connections among Rhody alumni, building bridges, and advancing careers.” If you’d like to join a chapter—or start a new one—the Alumni Relations Office will be happy to help you. Just contact Shana Greene '95, M.S. '97 at scgreene@uri.edu or 401.874.2218.
Alfred Bateman '59 of The Villages, Fla., on December 17, 2013. Raymond Carroll '59 of Sarasota, Fla., on May 3, 2013. Salli Bedard Letowt '59 of Ashland, Mass., on January 2, 2014. Thomas Gaucher '60 of Kapaa, Hawaii, on July 5, 2013. Harry Lewis '60 of North Kingstown, R.I., on December 2, 2013. Jane Burke Forste '62 of Arnold, Md., on January 28, 2014. Elaine Angelone '63 of Cambridge, Mass., on November 22, 2013. Janet Crowley Colozzi '63 of Wakefield, Mass., on January 24, 2014. Lawrence Block '64 of New York, N.Y., on October 7, 2013. Michael Dodge '64 of Gulf Shores, Ala., on November 8, 2013. Judith Butler Johnson Schweikert '66 of Park City, Utah, on December 9, 2013.
Diana Simmons Bethel '72 of North Attleboro, Mass., on November 6, 2013. Carlo Delbonis '72 of Cranston, R.I., on December 16, 2013. John Dittmer '72 of Saint Helena Island, S.C., on November 24, 2013. Wilbert Luetschwager '72 of East Greenwich, R.I., on February 8, 2014. Robert Berger '73 of Smithfield, R.I., on December 16, 2013. Thomas Fennessey '73 of Needham, Mass., on January 31, 2014. Nancy Miller Bastow '74 of Huntsville, Ala., on February 7, 2014. Helen Hantzopoulos '74 of Warwick, R.I., on December 2, 2013. Beatrice Jordan '74 of Seattle, Wash., on January 16, 2014. Janet Reuter-Robbins '75 of York, Maine, on November 1, 2013. Madeline Farina Silva '75 of Chicago, Ill., on November 3, 2013.
Eugene Wiseman '66 of North Kingstown, R.I., on January 29, 2014.
Craig Estes '76 of West Warwick, R.I., on January 7, 2014.
Douglas Allan '67 of Wakefield, R.I., on December 29, 2013.
Seth Bowerman '77 of Saunderstown, R.I., on February 5, 2014.
Veronica Conlon '68 of Pawtucket,, R.I., on December 19, 2003.
Nansi McIsaac '77 of Wakefield, R.I., on December 2, 2013.
James Cullen '68 of Warwick, R.I., on February 8, 2014.
Diane Young Franklin '78 of Warwick, R.I., on February 14, 2014.
Edward Lynch '68 of Barrington, R.I., on November 16, 2013.
Cynthia Babbitt '79 of Arlington, Texas, on October 3, 2013.
Beatrice Wattman Miller '68 of Providence, R.I., on January 30, 2014.
Anita Merson Fine '79 of Pawtucket, R.I., on January 15, 2014.
Nancy Hall Sandercock '68 of Warwick, R.I., on January 7, 2014.
Reva Gould Lipton '79 of Belvedere Tiburon, Calif., on March 14, 2013.
John Guglielmetti '69 of Providence, R.I., on November 14, 2013.
Kimberley Abbott Hand '85 of Attleboro, Mass., on November 5, 2013.
James Carroll '70 of Rehoboth, Mass., on February 13, 2014.
Frank Audino '86 of Portsmouth, R.I., on August 2, 2013.
Eileen Grady Hodge '70 of Seekonk, Mass., on January 5, 2014.
Virginia Cafferky '86 of Warwick, R.I., on November 23, 2013.
Ronald Lombardi '70 of North Providence, R.I., on January 3, 2014.
Gail Beattie Rodrigues '86 of Tiverton, R.I., on July 11, 2013.
Ronald Richter '70 of Cranston, R.I., on December 2, 2013.
Paula Barbato Parsons '87 of North Providence, R.I., on December 20, 2013.
Ida Steve Tegovich '70 of Woonsocket, R.I., on February 6, 2014. Barbara Hodnett '71 of Cranston, R.I., on November 19, 2013. Jonathan Holmes '71 of Little Compton, R.I., on December 18, 2013. Constance Andrews '72 of Wakefield, R.I., on November 17, 2013. Naseem Ayoub '72 of Seekonk, Mass., on February 2, 2014.
Kathleen Ferris Phillips '87 of Warwick, R.I., on February 16, 2014. Stacey Garrick '88 of West Warwick, R.I., on November 15, 2013. Jay Kaufman '88 of Coventry, R.I., on November 29, 2013. Matthew Smith '88 of Essex Junction, Vt., on April 17, 2013. Brenda Andreoni '91 of Warwick, R.I., on January 20, 2014.
38 QUADANGLES SPRING 2014
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URI Alumni Association Liberty Mutual Cup Scholarship
GOLF TOURNAMENT Monday, June 9, 2014 Quidnessett Country Club 950 North Quidnessett Road North Kingstown, RI Our annual fund raising tournament promises to be bigger and better than ever, with enhanced prize packages, a raffle and silent auction, lunch and dinner, and individual gift bags for all! NEW THIS YEAR Prize packages provided by our presenting sponsor, Liberty Mutual Insurance, include TaylorMade 3 woods, Liberty Mutual canvas and leather duffel bags and hats, Sports Vision (SVE) titanium sunglasses, and a TaylorMade standing golf bag. Individual gift bags provided by Liberty Mutual include duffel bags, golf hats, ball marker/repair tools, TaylorMade SuperDeep golf balls (3-ball sleeves), and subscriptions to Golf Digest. For more information and to learn about sponsorship opportunities, go to advance.uri.edu/alumni/golftournament.
DON’T MISS A GREAT DAY OF GOLF FOR A WONDERFUL CAUSE!
James Provensal '91 of Wakefield, R.I., on May 31, 2013.
Denise Grenier '00 of Providence, R.I., on February 12, 2014.
Maureen Azar '92 of Cumberland, R.I., on January 21, 2014.
Joanne Bintz '01 of Montgomery, Md., on June 28, 2010.
Jane Robinett Hegre '92 of Green Valley, Ariz., on January 17, 2014.
Kela Moore '06 of Providence, R.I., on May 4, 2010.
Sharon McCaul '92 of East Haven, Conn., on January 12, 2014. Kimberly Allen '93 of Warwick, R.I., on December 21, 2013. Jennifer Miles '98 of Wakefield, R.I., on November 25, 2013.
IN MEMORIAM FACULTY AND STAFF Director Emeritus of the URI Talent Development Program Leo F. DiMaio Jr,. of Cranston, R.I., on February 20, 2014.
Professor Emerita of Environment and Natural Resource Economics Marian Feeney, of Chester, Conn., on February 2, 2014. Assistant Administrator of Catering Services Operations Kathryn Murray, of Narragansett, R.I., on February 6, 2014. Professor Emeritus and former Assistant Dean of Students, Graduate School of Oceanography Theodore A. Napora M.A. ’53, of South Kingstown, R.I., on February 9, 2014.
Professor Emerita of Communications Studies Beatrice Schultz, of Santa Fe, N.M., on January 13, 2014. Professor Emeritus of Oceanography and Botany at the Graduate School of Oceanography Elijah Swift, of Exeter, R.I., on December 31, 2013. Professor Emeritus of Marine Affairs C. Niels West, of Narragansett, on January 4, 2014. For more information please visit uri.edu/quadangles
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 39
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BACKPAGE
Hit the Paws Button
The ultimate solution to finals stress? A good fur fix.
They fixated on balls, slumbered in students’ arms, and gazed contemplatively across the Quad last April—and they’ll be back. Why? Scientific studies show pets reduce blood pressure and improve wellbeing. A less-than-scientific survey at Barlow this winter indicated that’s no shaggy dog tale: despite frigid temperatures outside, warm feelings abounded as a group of students chatted amiably, surrounded by chew toys, during a weekly visit from therapy dog F enway (above, as a puppy last spring). “When you’re stressed, it doesn’t get a lot better than petting a dog,” says Fenway’s owner, Kathy Rumsey. “And dogs that become therapy dogs feel the same.”
Ten years ago, Rumsey brought home Angus (right, middle photo) and saw how the long-haired Shepherd drew her four-year-old son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, out of his shell. She and her highly trained animals—Angus is passing the leash to Fenway—work in schools. The inaugural Rhody Paws attracted 500 students, bearing gifts of $150, plus toys, leashes, and dog food. This year will feature live feeds of canine antics on Student Union TVs and, organizers hope, more students and more donations. But most of all, says Student Senate organizer Joe Maynard ’16, who misses yellow Lab Hannah at home in Pawtucket, he’s looking forward to “more dogs. More time with them, and a lot more of them.” —Pippa Jack
The Student Senate Cultural Committee brought five therapy dogs, one dog in training, and two puppies to the Quad for last year’s inaugural Rhody Paws. Corgis, Labs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and more are expected this year.
Rhody Paws, Monday, April 28, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Quad (rain date, April 29), free and open to all, benefiting Animal Rescue League of Southern Rhode Island. Donations to 213 Robinson Street, P.O. Box 458, Wakefield, RI 02880. Contact ARLSRI at 401.792.2233 or arlsri@verizon.net.
MORE | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
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PHOTOS: KATHLEEN UY
3/19/14 11:25 AM
im•pact [im-pakt] verb: to have a strong effect on someone or something
Your support helps scholarship recipients like A.J. Chua, studying supply chain management in the College of Business Administration, attend and succeed at the University of Rhode Island. Charitable gifts from alumni and others are supporting vital student scholarships, while also supporting faculty, programs, experiential learning opportunities, and much more.
Every donor and every gift makes an impact. Make your gift today at urifoundation.org.
40-C3.BackPage | Foundation Ad.indd 3
3/19/14 11:25 AM
Nonprofit PRST STD US Postage PAID Permit No. 915 Lebanon Junction, KY
Alumni Center 73 Upper College Road Kingston, RI 02881 USA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
an evening of grapes grain
&
June 7, 2014 A Benefit for URI Women’s Athletics President’s House Lawn URI Kingston Campus
Honorary Chair
Carolyn Rafaelian, Hon. ’13 Founder, Creative Director and CEO ALEX AND ANI Lead support from
ALEX AND ANI Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyards Teas and Javas Hosted by Lynn Baker-Dooley For more information, visit advance.uri.edu/programming
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