Innovative and Distinctive Programs

Innovative and Distinctive Programs

KEY AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY: Health and Health Care Innovation and Entrepreneurship Globalization Centers and Institutes

T

he University of Rhode Island will continue to elevate its stature among global research universities with strategic support generated

by Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for URI. The University has identified emerging opportunities to enrich the academic experience, generate transformative research and discoveries, and enhance our position as an education leader.

The University intends to: • Create an environment characterized by collaboration and shared expertise.

• Expand high-impact research, creative work, and robust partnerships.

• Develop students and faculty as engaged global citizens.

The Robotics Lab in The Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering encourages hands-on learning and innovation.

“ Learning and discovery are explicit in the mission of a flagship public research university. URI is generating new knowledge and applying that knowledge to solve problems in society.”

PROVOST DONALD H. DEHAYES

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Health and Research COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

#8 In nation for federal research funding

To address the most pressing health issues facing society, URI is generating groundbreaking research and preparing health care leaders who approach the situation from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The Academic Health Collaborative The Academic Health Collaborative (AHC) formed in 2015 as an interdisciplinary initiative of the College of Health Sciences, the College of Nursing, and the College of Pharmacy.

COLLEGE OF NURSING

#44 In nation for National Institutes of Health funding for nursing programs* *Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research

By focusing on the connection between health and health care, AHC is forging new partnerships with public and private organizations and with other educational institutions to promote wellness, reduce costs, increase access, and conduct research for groundbreaking discoveries for diseases.

Research on the Cutting Edge URI’s interdisciplinary centers of excellence such as the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience and the Institute for Integrated Health and Innovation coordinate and accelerate research in neuroscience, drug discovery, medicinal plants, geriatrics, cancer, genomics, immunology, and behavior change.

Our Vision The Campaign for URI will enable us to generate big ideas and put our bold plans into action so we can improve the health of communities and reduce cost. It requires: • Hiring new faculty.

• Funding new and promising research.

• Expanding successful projects and initiating new ones.

On the Road URI, in conjunction with Rhode Island’s Department of Health and Executive Office of Health and Human Services, launched the Rhode to Health Mobile Unit to provide community outreach, screen residents for HIV/AIDS, and offer basic clinical and behavioral care.

A Strong Foundation for Innovation “ URI is actively exploring the intersection of research, creativity, and entrepreneurship. (URI)2 and Launch Lab help students realize the power of their ideas and give them access to the funds, facilities, and mentorship to take their ideas as far as they want.”

DEEDEE CHATHAM, DIRECTOR OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION, AND UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

URI sparks creativity and entrepreneurship, igniting intellectual and economic development. (URI)2, the Launch Lab, and our centers and institutes offer the facilities, mentorship, and funds to encourage students and faculty to develop and actualize their ideas.

Launch Lab Launch Lab connects students and faculty to industry experts who can advance their concepts into operational ventures and offer advice on marketing and investment strategy.

Launch Lab connects students to potential business partners and organizes hackathons, pitch workshops, and speedstorming for interdisciplinary idea generation.

(URI)2 The Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation (URI)2 funds undergraduates from all disciplines to conduct research, produce scholarly work, and create groundbreaking art.

In 2019-20, students from 29 majors and seven colleges submitted applications. The approved proposals ranged from business students who wanted to develop an app to help other URI students start their own businesses to a theater major who wanted to write and produce her own play to engineering students who were developing a solarpowered portable water treatment system for developing countries.

Centers and Institutes The interdisciplinary nature of our centers engages faculty and students who look at

100 (URI)2 undergraduate grants in 2019-20

issues from a variety of perspectives and develop new ideas and options based on integrated research.

• The Coastal Resource Center focuses on building community resilience, protecting lives and property, and empowering and educating people to tackle environmental challenges as well as manage limited, valuable resources.

• Social Science Institute for Research, Education, and Policy uses social science

100+ Students participated in Launch Lab programs

approaches to address societal and political issues and inform policy decisions. For example, the Genesis Center Greater Providence Healthcare Career Pathways Evaluation is reviewing a program to help low-income adults improve their employment outcomes.

• C enter for the Humanities fosters intellectual exchange and independent inquiry and analysis of the humanities in research, teaching, and learning. It sponsors a speaker series, research grants, visiting scholars and fellowships, and an annual career event for undergraduates.

Making Ideas Real We must expand services and programming in the Launch Lab so more students and faculty can explore interdisciplinary research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. We must amplify the resources available to (URI)2 to encourage rigorous scholarship in every discipline and artistic endeavors. We must invest in our centers and institutes to fund more faculty and student research and hands-on activities that will ultimately better our society and our world.

Education That Generates a Broad World View

76 Nations represented in our student body

URI graduates are competing in an increasingly global marketplace that values agility and lifelong learning. By incorporating a global perspective into the overall educational experience, enhancing study abroad opportunities, encouraging the study of languages, and the recruitment of international students, we are preparing graduates for this reality.

URI Global URI’s International Center, which houses the Office of International Education, Office of International Students and Scholars, National Student Exchange, and International

700+ Study abroad programs in more than 80 countries

Strategic Partnerships, coordinates the various academic activities that foster global perspective. URI Global also leads the development of global dimensions within the University’s curriculum, working with faculty to incorporate global themes.

International Majors URI’s language program offers dual majors in Chinese, German, French, Italian, and Spanish so that language is tied to another field of study. The distinctive International Engineering Program (IEP), the Chinese Language Flagship Program, Global Business

28% Undergraduates take a language each semester

Management, and the International Business Program are outstanding examples.

Leader in International Education For more than 30 years, URI’s International Engineering Program (IEP) has offered a dual degree program that combines engineering with a language and practical experience. It attracts a quarter of the College’s undergraduates and they intern at renowned companies including BMW, Boston Scientific, and Shimadzu.

The IEP received the Andrew Heskell Award for Innovation in International Education from the Institute for International Education, which called the program “a model for engineering and language educators across the country.”

The Colleges of Business and Pharmacy have also integrated international experiences and dual degree language opportunities, and the College of Arts and Sciences offers an international diplomacy studies dual degree.

The IEP has a high job placement rate for graduates, many of whom are recruited prior to graduation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Creating a Global Opportunity Fund The Global Opportunity Fund will enable the University to build on its strengths, advance cultural awareness, and ensure that URI students gain a global perspective.

Please contact: URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement 401.874.7900 or foundation@uri.edu

• Increase the number of J-term and full-semester faculty-led study abroad programs.

• Expand partnerships with international institutions for internships and research opportunities.

• Enhance academic programs and develop new ones, including a school of international studies and diplomacy with an emphasis on foreign language.

“ URI’s approach to international education leverages communication technologies as well as encourages the global mobility of students in order to actualize humanity’s constructive engagement. The future depends on it.”

GIFTY AKO-ADOUNVO, VICE PROVOST FOR GLOBAL INITIATIVES

THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

foundation & alumni engagement

79 Upper College Road | Kingston, RI 02881 | campaign.uri.edu