URI President David Dooley

The Value of Higher Education

2012-01-24T11:35:00.003-05:00

As the University of Rhode Island prepares to begin its spring semester, we continue to carefully evaluate the value and costs of education at URI. Nationally, the question of the value of higher education has become more prominent and persistent. It is understandable, given the substantial increases in the costs for both private and public higher education that have occurred over the past several years and the bleak economic conditions that still exist for many students and families across America. For public universities and colleges, the reason for the increase in the cost to students and their families is clear: for the past several years nearly every state in the nation has systematically reduced state support for public higher education. Given the slow pace of the economic recovery and, especially, job creation, questions about the value of higher education have become acute. The current recession is hitting recent college graduates very hard, exacerbating concerns about the value of a college education.

How should we respond? First, we must candidly acknowledge that the old truism “college is not for everyone” is accurate, and further acknowledge that pursuing “any degree at any price” is simply unwise. But we also need to remind people that, even now, college graduates fare much better in the labor markets than those without a degree and that the average income advantage enjoyed by those with a bachelor’s degree, compared to those who graduate from high school, is still very substantial. One recent (August 2011) and specific measure of this for URI graduates was provided by SmartMoney magazine (published by the Wall Street Journal), which ranked the University of Rhode Island 1^st in New England and 13^th nationally for value.

I believe that such statistical comparisons, as favorable as they may be, substantially underestimate the value of higher education in the rapidly changing, global economy. In many respects, our primary educational mission at the University of Rhode Island is to prepare students for careers that are only being invented now, or that do not yet exist. Research universities like URI are uniquely positioned to provide such an education because research, discovery, and experiential learning are intrinsically a part of what we do. The learning that occurs when students are asked to work on problems that have not been solved, or to analyze data or information that has not previously been examined, or to create something that hasn’t been made before, is not only essential but unique. And it is that kind of learning that not only will prepare them to thrive in an environment of innovation and rapid change, but to become innovators themselves.

At the University of Rhode Island, we are working every day to transform undergraduate and graduate education to prepare our students to thrive, and to lead, in the global economy. Judged by the success of its alumni, URI has long been a university that prepares its students to be competitive, to be innovative, and to lead. That is more important than ever. New approaches, innovative methodologies, stronger partnerships, and consistent commitment to excellence in both teaching and research are required. The faculty and staff of the University of Rhode Island are deeply engaged in all of these areas.

It Has Always Been About Jobs - Continued

2011-11-10T06:06:00.006-05:00

In the 21st century, how should the University of Rhode Island, and other land-grant universities, prepare their students for “the several pursuits and professions in life”? In many respects, this question is a more difficult one now than at the beginning of the land grant era. For one thing, the majority of our students will no longer make their living, or build their career, in endeavors associated with agriculture. Our economy is far more diversified, far more global, and changing far more rapidly than at any previous time in history. Additionally, the specific knowledge and particular skills our students gain during their undergraduate education have much shorter useful lifetimes. There are also rapidly increasing expectations for people to work in collaborative, diversified teams, and to analyze and integrate information and data from multiple disciplines. Innovation and adaptation are critical to competitiveness. Our graduates have to be ready for such an environment.

At the University of Rhode Island, our Academic Strategic Plan provides the framework for undergraduate and graduate education in this context. In addition, URI is working hard to develop new partnerships with businesses, non-profit organizations, and communities to bring their perspectives into our classrooms and to provide opportunities for our students to gain “hands-on” experience prior to graduation while contributing directly to solving real problems.

Some key elements of these efforts are as follows:

Emphasizing experiential learning – engaging students in research, scholarship, and creative work. For many of our students, this will mean internships outside of URI where they can be challenged to work on problems that have not been solved, or tasked to create something new. For others it will mean working in research labs or at field sites with faculty, frequently in collaboration with companies or other organizations, to investigate issues and solve “real world” problems. We expect to announce soon a new Office of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, envisioned and developed by a group of URI faculty and deans last year, which will provide support for students, faculty, and community partners who provide such learning opportunities.
Developing partnerships and collaborative agreements with companies, organizations, and communities that will benefit our partners and enhance the education of our students. We want to know precisely what our students need to know, and what skills they need to possess, in order pursue their careers. Moreover, an important part of URI’s mission is assist both the private and public sectors to be more successful; doing so will help our graduates to succeed.
Increasing the participation of business, social service providers, professional organizations, government agencies, and others in URI’s instructional programs.
Insuring that our students are prepared for the global economy: increasing their language skills, cultural/social competencies, and capabilities to function effectively in an international context.
Providing multiple opportunities for students to develop their communication, critical reading, analytical reasoning, and quantitative thinking skills. Our graduates need to be smart consumers of information as well as effective communicators of that information and its implications.
Making the most of modern technology to provide rich 24/7 learning opportunities for students and to continue to substantially increase the number of courses and programs available on-line and in blended formats. The new Office of Online Teaching and Learning has been established to assist faculty in implementing using contemporary technology to effectively engage students.
Increasing our programs and other opportunities for our students abroad, and significantly increasing the number of international students on our campuses.

All of these initiatives are well underway. I believe that the University of Rhode Island is receiving growing recognition for preparing its students very well for “the several pursuits and professions in life”. To be sure, we have much more to do and, given the rapid pace of change, continued success will require continuous effort. The successful 21st-century land-grant university must itself be adaptable, flexible, and responsive. I am confident that our faculty and students are fully prepared to meet that challenge.

It Has Always Been About Jobs

2011-10-23T23:32:00.010-04:00

Another reflection of the difficult economic times we face is the reinvigorated debate about the fundamental purpose of higher education. The debate, which is both internal and external, frequently takes the following line. On one side are those who argue that higher education’s primary goal is to provide students with the knowledge, critical thinking capabilities, and communication skills to empower them to be informed and engaged citizens. The other side advances the claim that, especially in the current economic climate, the primary goal of higher education should be to prepare people to be productive participants in the economy. Simplistically, do colleges and universities exist to prepare students for jobs, or for some other purpose? That’s a fair enough question, one that is certainly on the minds of many students and parents, and a question that clearly can be framed or recast in many complex and nuanced ways.

For land-grant universities like the University of Rhode Island, the answer is, I believe, that our purpose has always been to prepare our students both to be good citizens and productive economic contributors. The Morrill Act of 1862 states: “…each State which may take and claim the benefit of this act, to the endowment, support, and maintenance, of at least one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life (emphasis mine).” I think the intent is clear – universities that were to be designated as “land-grant” institutions were to educate in order to produce citizens, drawn from the working and middle classes, to be productively engaged in the nation’s economy. The emphasis on “agriculture and the mechanic arts” is important to note: these were the sectors of the economy where the majority of Americans worked.

The University of Rhode Island is charged, as are all land-grant institutions, with providing both “liberal and practical education” to our students. This clause is a cogent example of the highly innovative vision for public higher education laid out in the Morrill Act. It is every bit as relevant in the 21st century as it was in 1862. But the importance of providing both liberal and practical education has perhaps never been more evident. More so than at any time in our past, the modern university’s role is to prepare students for jobs and entire careers that do not yet exist. To succeed we must continually rethink and redesign our academic programs to insure that the content and techniques we teach are as up to date as possible. We must also insure that every student is provided multiple opportunities to acquire the essential reasoning, communication, quantitative, language, social/cultural, and learning skills that are indispensable for success in the global economy.

America certainly needs more students to major in disciplines associated with science, engineering, and technology. At the same time we need to remember that many of our graduates build very successful careers based on majors in the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts. I am convinced, regardless of their programs of study, that engaging students in research, scholarship, and creative work will simultaneously enhance their undergraduate education and prepare them uniquely well for “the several pursuits and professions in life.” Students need to move outside of standard learning environments, whether it involves physical or virtual classrooms, and into research laboratories, field sites, studios, companies and non-profit organizations, or many other environments where they can be confronted with problems that have not been previously solved, or asked to create something new. In my judgment, the University of Rhode Island and America’s other land-grant research universities should seek to provide such learning opportunities to all of our undergraduates. By doing so we will not only prepare them for jobs, we will prepare them to create new jobs.

We Have Met the Enemy - and It's Not Us

2011-10-07T11:26:00.003-04:00

Even casual readers of the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Education have likely observed that, accompanying the severe financial constraints faced by many public colleges and universities, serious, and at times acrimonious, debates have arisen over how budgets should be balanced. Often it seems that the most highly charged debates are those internal to a campus.

Discussion and debate about the priorities and direction of an institution has long been characteristic of academic culture. It is a desirable and necessary characteristic, a consequence of academic freedom and shared governance, and one of the important attributes of university leadership. Deliberation, consultation, and participation generally have been, and should continue to be, hallmarks of decision-making in higher education. Colleges and universities can still be accurately characterized as “conservative” in the sense that they respect tradition, believe that much can be learned from history, and are cautious about change. But it must also be acknowledged that the pace and magnitude of the changes currently facing higher education will require many of our institutions, especially public ones, to be more adaptable, flexible, and responsive. In short, to change more rapidly than our current practices and systems of shared governance can easily accommodate. And that can be discomforting, unsettling, and alarming.

Given the very difficult financial climate, the growing pressures related to affordability and access, and the pace of – and demands for – change, perhaps we should not be too surprised that internal discussions and debates occasionally degenerate into affixing blame and identifying enemies. Frequently, the divide that is created separates faculty and administration. The rhetoric used is familiar. “Administrators are only interested in adding lines to their resumes, expanding their domains, and pandering to influential external constituencies.” "Faculty are calcified, reflexively resistant to new ideas, and non-productive.” Admittedly, there may be some truth to both caricatures, but less than many think. The substantial risk associated with indulging debate along such lines is that it distracts everyone involved, and higher education’s many stakeholders, from the real issue.

The real issue is cogently presented in a “Discussion Paper” on the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) website entitled: University Tuition, Consumer Choice, and College Affordability. Although slightly dated (2008) its principal findings are probably still sound. This APLU paper examined the financial climate of public colleges and universities and assessed the principal factors driving tuition increases for public institutions. The two main points I want to emphasize are the following (taken directly from the paper, but reversed in order).

“Public university tuition has increased because real per student appropriations have declined. This finding appears again and again in serious examinations of the causes of public university tuition inflation…Overall cost per student has been constant. Tuition increases have been just sufficient to offset reduced state subsidies, but not to increase public university budgets.”

“One of the most robust findings in the research literature is that the real cost per student in public higher education is not increasing….Cost per student has remained constant because revenue per student was constant; funds were not available to increase expenditures further. Public university managers have been highly effective at controlling costs; indeed they were compelled to be, given the resources available.”

These are obviously general statements, but accurate (at least in 2008) for public higher education as a whole. At the University of Rhode Island our increased revenues from tuition and fees have offset steadily declining state funding over the past decade and permitted us to make increased investments in financial aid as we endeavored to maintain affordability. There have been few, if any, significant increases in revenues to do just about anything else. If my many conversations over the last two years with other university presidents are representative, then this has been the case quite broadly. At many institutions, revenues have not kept pace with enrollment growth. At URI, and all but the most well endowed public colleges and universities, reallocation is the dominant mechanism to provide funding for growth or new initiatives. Continuous reallocation can be healthy, but also can be stressful.

So, what are we to do? The first step is to recognize that neither non-productive, ossified faculty, nor overly ambitious, self-promoting administrators, nor any other part of the academic enterprise is fundamentally responsible for our current difficulties. The “enemy”, as it were, is tangible but diffuse: the lack of understanding among Americans of the critical importance of investing in public higher education. China understands this, as do many other countries that are aggressively seeking to increase higher education opportunities and university-based research. Nearly everything associated with higher education, from state appropriations to Pell grants to federal research support, appears to be increasingly at risk for disinvestment in the U.S. This is not just the “enemy” of higher education, but also the “enemy” of economic recovery, of opportunity, of innovation, of growing the middle class, and of building a more just and equitable democracy. Combating this “enemy” is where all of us who care about and understand the value of higher education should focus our collective efforts.

Leadership and Academic Freedom

2011-09-22T21:39:00.004-04:00

Because leadership is a central mission of the University of Rhode Island, and research universities more generally, we need to examine the question of how to best provide the leadership that is needed. The work of a university’s governing boards or senior officials is frequently seen as an influential mechanism by which universities can influence public policy, governmental priorities, and resource allocation. So, too, the analyses and recommendations of associations of higher education organizations such as the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Association of American Universities, and the American Council on Education. But these are not the central, nor the most important, ways in which the leadership of our universities is expressed.

University leadership is primarily derived from the work of faculty and students engaged in scholarship and learning. It flows from the generation and dissemination of knowledge, from the critical analysis and dissection of the politics and culture of societies, from conveying the lessons of history, from opening minds to culture, perspectives, and languages other than their own, and from the interpretation of life through the arts. This is how universities principally provide leadership.

The breadth of the work of the faculty and students at a university cannot be completely captured in any finite list, and it changes continuously. Accordingly, at its best, the work of the university provides a persistent source of discoveries and new ideas that can sustain, invigorate, and renew the societies that foster that work.

In order for the university to carry out such work, faculty must have the “complete and unlimited freedom to pursue inquiry and publish its results” in the words of the 1915 Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure. This is a remarkable document with a living force as important today as when it was written.

Two superb books, For the Common Good (by M. W. Finkin and R. C. Frost) and The Constitution Goes to College (by R. A. Smolla) cogently present this case for academic freedom. They correctly note that academic freedom is not grounded on an argument that university faculty constitute a special class deserving freedoms or rights not guaranteed to other Americans. Rather, it is grounded on the fact that the work of faculty serves an essential public purpose. Put simply, academic freedom provides for the common good. Consequently, I believe that academic freedom fundamentally enables universities to provide the leadership that is so essential in the 21st century.

It is difficult for anyone who cares about higher education not to notice that, in many ways, the concept and value of academic freedom is being challenged with increasing intensity. There are undoubtedly multiple reasons for this, but one, I think, is that we in universities have not adequately shown the connection between academic freedom and the enormous public good universities produce. Instead, we frequently allow academic freedom to be seen as something designed to protect the prerogatives of faculty. In my view, we in higher education need to refute that perception by focusing more sharply on how leadership by universities is crucial to building a brighter future for our nation and the entire world. We must also show that university leadership depends on the protections of academic freedom. Only then can the work of our faculty and students achieve its fullest potential, and only then can the full potential for common good be attained.

Leadership as a Mission

2011-09-05T20:03:00.003-04:00

As faculty and staff at the University of Rhode Island prepare in earnest for the new academic year (and clean up at bit from Hurricane Irene), I’ve been thinking a lot about the future of URI and public higher education, and more broadly, our collective future. Recent events have reinforced the conviction that our communities, America, and the world face substantial and undiminished challenges, perhaps even more severe than we believed just a few months ago.

Worries and fears are beginning to grow across many sectors of our nation. And just as our concerns about the future increase, it appears that our confidence in our government’s ability to address those concerns is waning. To me, that is particularly disturbing. Why? Because, for a long time, America has been widely considered the world’s best, most influential, most successful, and most optimistic representative democracy. We are the government. Therefore, doubting our government might be a symptom of a more serious problem – that we doubt our neighbors and even ourselves. By “doubting”, I do not mean exercising responsible skepticism or demanding evidence for others’ assertions or positions (as well as our own). I am concerned by the toxic refusal to even consider views that differ from our own and insistently questioning the motives, ethics, values, and morals of those with whom we differ. Doubting ourselves – unreasonably questioning our abilities and capabilities to adequately respond to the challenges and difficulties we face – is obviously different, but may be partially related. Living and working in an environment dominated by attack and denigration is hardly conducive to building or maintaining the self confidence required to solve difficult problems.

At a meeting this past summer (prior to the near meltdown of governance over the debt ceiling), I heard a presentation by two very experienced and highly-regarded political writers. They indicated that the then current partisanship and polarization of government was substantially more pronounced than what they had previously observed. But in their view this situation arose, at least in part, from the fact that divisions in Congress were driven by powerful forces in society, that in some respects threatened to overwhelm Congress. Another factor was the increasing difficulty to reach agreement on basic facts; highly ideological and partisan media and “think tanks” were all too willing to supply “facts” to suit any preferred position. I came away thinking that critical analysis, serious discussion, negotiation, and finding common ground are no longer seen as essential to the health of our nation – not only by those in Washington but by many factions of our society. Events since then have only reinforced that conclusion.

I believe that in such circumstances public research universities, like the University of Rhode Island, need to accentuate their leadership role. From my perspective, public leadership has long been an implicit mission of the land-grant university. It is time to explicitly acknowledge and embrace that part of our historic mission.

There are multiple, important areas where the leadership of the nation’s public universities could become a critical factor in surmounting the challenges and difficulties that currently confront us. We need to articulate and consistently demonstrate the importance of constructive engagement with ideas and positions that differ from one’s own. We should insist on the appropriate use of scientific findings, quantitative analysis, data analysis, and rational discourse in shaping public policy. We need to defend the importance of education, research, objective analysis, and expertise in shaping the search for solutions. We should show in our words and actions that it is not only possible, but desirable, to find common ground and develop shared solutions in the midst of very diverse assumptions, worldviews, and sociopolitical allegiances. I strongly believe that it is critical for public universities to forcefully remind our political leadership, and our people, that finding solutions to the extensive, global-scale challenges that we face in the 21^st century in fact requires us to work constructively with others who do not share our views, presuppositions, religious beliefs, or all of our values.

I think the University of Rhode Island is prepared to expand its leadership role. I believe that it is essential to the future of our state and nation that we do so.

Groundbreakings

2011-05-17T23:22:00.005-04:00

Over the last week I have attended three separate groundbreaking ceremonies. Separately and collectively these events illustrate both key attributes of the University of Rhode Island and our progress towards achieving our goals.

The first event was the celebration of the beginning of the construction process for our new dormitory. This state-of-the-art facility will house 429 freshmen and sophomores. It will feature study spaces and informal gathering spaces, together with the residence rooms, and will create a terrific center for the integration of living and learning at URI. This facility is an important step in building community at our university – by providing more and better spaces for students to live and learn together. All of us look forward its opening in the fall of 2012.

On Monday I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for new research and office space at Alexion Pharmaceuticals in Smithfield. Alexion and URI are developing a strong partnership, to the benefit of our students and to Alexion’s success. Together we can help build the Rhode Island economy while providing a richer education for our students and the kind of staff that Alexion needs. It is a partnership worth celebrating and cultivating, and I was pleased to be there representing URI.

The third event was last Saturday, where students, faculty, and staff from the University of Rhode Island joined folks from South County and across the state to celebrate the start of the construction of four houses for Habitat for Humanity. This was a terrific event that exemplified our shared commitment to community, to assisting those in need, and to being a supportive neighbor.

It is simply inspiring to experience the excitement for this project and to see the depth and breadth of URI’s involvement in making these homes, this new part of our neighborhood, a reality to celebrate for years to come. A lot of URI students have been a part of making this happen: Karin Mellin, Kari Lukovics, Carissa Johnson, Scott Andrews, and Darthula Hansford are working with Habitat for Humanity (Scott is President of the URI chapter and Darthula is the liaison between South County Habitat for Humanity and the URI chapter). Many of our Greek organizations, the volleyball team, and other student groups have helped raise money for the house that our URI community will build.

Here is a picture from the Habitat ground breaking featuring several of the students and others from URI. I hope to see you at the site in the fall!

Discovering More at URI (Part 2)

2011-04-22T10:48:00.002-04:00

Last week the University of Rhode Island hosted two especially noteworthy events that attracted substantial attention on- and off-campus. These were the Cybersecurity Symposium and Discovery Day. Both events presented, in different ways, many of the challenges we face in the 21^st century, and highlighted the numerous and important contributions that contribute to overcoming those challenges made by faculty and students at URI.

The Cybersecurity Symposium featured Congressman Jim Langevin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse who are both widely regarded, as among our nation’s key leaders in understanding and combating the threats posed to America and Rhode Island by breaches, spying, and attacks on the ubiquitous networks now seemingly indispensible to practically every aspect of our lives. Those threats were cogently outlined in a compelling keynote address from General Keith Alexander, who is the Director of the National Security Agency/Chief of the Central Security Service, and Commander of the U.S. Cyber Command.

The magnitude of the damage already done to the U.S. economy and to citizens is much larger than many people realize, and the threats are diverse and growing. As sobering as that information is, it was also clear that faculty, students, and alumni of the University of Rhode Island are among the leaders in developing solutions to the challenges and problems posed by security breaches in our information networks. The URI Center for Digital Forensics, and the research and education activities of several faculty and students in the Department of Computer Science and Statistics and the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Bioengineering already contribute in important ways. I got the sense that many who attended the Symposium discovered this fact about URI while they were here. It is clear, I think, that URI can play a much more substantial role in assisting both government and the private sector. New collaborations and partnerships are in the works, which will provide additional opportunities for students and faculty, which, somewhat ironically, may actually provide an economic boost to Rhode Island.

Discovery Day at the University of Rhode Island also emphasized the contributions of students and faculty at URI across the entire range of research and scholarship characteristic of a research university. Students and faculty from every college participated. It was frankly inspiring to see the contributions URI is making to understanding and finding solutions to problems in education, health, science and technology, business, and the environment. URI’s scholarship and creative work in the humanities and the arts was also well represented.

I would like to personally thank our speakers for Discovery Day as well. Keith Stokes, Executive Director of the RI Economic Development Corporation, Leslie Taito, CEO of the RI Manufacturing Extension Service, Umberto Crenca, Founding Artistic Director of AS220, and Paul Hastings, President and CEO of OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, all provided insightful and illuminating talks that illustrated the close relationships between research and creative work and economic and community development. Thanks also to Vice President Peter Alfonso and Den Nasser Zawia (and their staffs) for organizing these events. Dean Dave Maslyn and the Library staff did an excellent job in hosting both the Cybersecurity Symposium and Discovery Day.

The enthusiasm and energy of all who participated in both events, and the invaluable connections that were strengthened or initiated, provide a very strong argument for continuing these symposia. I’m confident we will do that.

Discovering More at URI

2011-04-13T21:30:00.008-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy at the University of Rhode Island. Four events stand out: two evenings where special university awards were announced – the Rainville Leadership Awards and the Diversity Awards; and two symposia – one on Cybersecurity and then Discovery Day at URI. My guess is that everyone who attended discovered new things about what our students, faculty, and staff are doing that are, to recycle a phrase that I’ve used previously, “transforming the world.”

Let’s focus here on the awards, and then I will discuss the other events in a subsequent post. The University of Rhode Island has long been committed to developing leaders who make a difference. Our Leadership minor is a very popular and effective program that is a key part of our curriculum. In addition, there are innumerable opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills and to gain invaluable experience. Many of these are created and developed by the students themselves. URI seems to attract students who are committed to transforming the university and the world, and I conclude that we have built a climate here that encourages and supports our students in those efforts.

The students who won the Rainville leadership awards are all simply amazing. Lauren Creamer, Courtney O’Keefe, Valerie Damon-Leduc, and the students in the URI Violence Prevention Peer Advocates have had a tremendous, positive impact on the university, our neighboring communities, and beyond. Remarkably, they also excel in their academic work. They exemplify what is best about URI.

Last night, the Diversity Awards, which also reflect outstanding leadership, were presented to another amazing group of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Jason Almeida, Darnell Spencer, John Brito, Maxwell Edmonds, Michaela Cashman, Brandford Davis, the Gay – Straight Alliance, eXposure, WOWW, Bryana White, Tripp Hutchison, Amy Olson, Dr. Jody Lisberger, Dr. Mercedes Rivero Hudec, and Paul Hastings each represent a compelling testimony of courage and devotion to creating a just and equitable community where diversity is respected and honored. I believe that everyone present was inspired and encouraged by their example.

It’s easy in times like those we currently face to be discouraged and even angry at the conditions and challenges that confront us. It’s easy to simply focus on ourselves and our own priorities and goals. It’s easy to ignore, marginalize, resent, or blame others who we envy or regard as “different”. But the enduring testimonies of the individuals and groups honored over the past week speak to the contrary. They speak to taking action against anger, discouragement, and despair; they speak to courage in the face of adversity; they speak to commitment to make a difference. Most of all, they speak to hope.

Learning through Experience

2011-03-31T22:35:00.006-04:00

From my perspective, at the heart of the University of Rhode Island’s academic plan lies the commitment to substantially expand the engagement of our students – at both the graduate and undergraduate levels – in research, scholarship, creative work, practica, and internships. This goal is linked to all of the other elements in the plan. As we educate students for success in the 21st century – with its unprecedented rates of change and the magnitude of the global challenges – nothing will be more valuable than providing our students with the opportunities to grapple with problems that have not been previously solved, or to create things that have not previously been created.

We have an admirable record of success in such endeavors, so this is not a new educational strategy for URI. Undergraduate research has long been an emphasis here. Our senior design courses in the College of Engineering are a long-standing element of the engineering curriculum and confront students with “real-world” problems. The Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design Department’s spring fashion show annually highlights the amazing creativity of our students in the program, as do the many performances and exhibitions of our students in theatre, music, and art. I could fill pages with examples of the innovative ways our faculty and staff have worked to build "experiential learning" into the fabric of the university.

URI is working to expand such opportunities for students and spread them throughout the undergraduate curricula in all our departments. For example, URI 101 has a service learning component. And check out the website for the Office of Internships and Experiential Learning to get a good sense of the range of opportunities available to students and the extensive support offered by URI to students, faculty, and employers. This week I visited the Production Lab in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric, which provides a top-notch technical environment and a variety of support services for students interested in research and outreach in writing and in preparing cutting-edge web-based portfolios to showcase their work.

The word is getting out. As I talk with companies, organizations, and communities across Rhode Island an emerging theme is the interest in recruiting University of Rhode Island students to assist with projects and problems. Our students are making a difference in numerous capacities, and significantly enhancing their education at the same time. Research, creative work, and experiential learning are becoming hallmarks of a URI education and everyone who participates benefits.

A (Possible) Reversal of the Budget Decline

2011-03-11T09:05:00.003-05:00

As we in Rhode Island know, Governor Lincoln D. Chafee's first budget presentation to the General Assembly contained some welcome news for Rhode Island higher education: a $10 million increase over our 2011 budget. The Board of Governors for Higher Education had requested a $31 million increase -- an amount that would be sufficient to freeze tuition at the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the Community College of Rhode Island. Although the request was received sympathetically, the Governor and his team concluded that, given the current fiscal challenges confronting the state, funding the full request was not possible.

Nonetheless, I believe that it would be difficult to overstate the importance of the Governor's proposed budget increase for higher education. Across America the news has been almost invariably poor for public higher education. Staggering budget cuts for public colleges and universities have been proposed in many states. Although Rhode Island's fiscal problems are as challenging as those found elsewhere, it appears that within our State there is a growing recognition of the importance of higher education in creating a new economy and providing the jobs that are critically needed. That is good news, and not just for URI, RIC, and CCRI. It is good news for all of Rhode Island. Like our international competitors, Rhode Island is investing in strategies -- education, research, technology transfer, workforce training -- that will help us build a more globally competitive economy.

At the University of Rhode Island we take very seriously our responsibility to provide a strong return on the investment made in us by the people of Rhode Island. We will work even harder to provide high quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional education. Equally, we will continue to enhance our research, scholarship, and creative work, along with our service to the people of the state. Our colleagues at RIC and CCRI share our commitment to providing high value for the resources entrusted to us. And each of us is also committed to working together to generate more efficient use of those resources -- the planning for a joint nursing facility in Providence for URI and RIC is a great example.

The General Assembly will now take up the Governor's proposed budget. We should be cautious about predicting the final outcome. But the leadership of the legislature, and many of its members, have expressed strong support for higher education, for ensuring that it remains affordable to Rhode Islanders, and for the quality needed for our graduates to be prepared to succeed.

If you believe that investing in higher education is important to economic renewal and prosperity, let your representatives in the legislature know. Your support and input will be important.

Rhode Island has an opportunity in these challenging times to send a message that will be noticed. It is a message that we are moving forward, that we are taking the steps necessary to rebuild our economy, and that we are investing in our people -- giving them the knowledge and experience required to pursue their dreams. Thanks in advance for helping us send that message across our state, throughout our region, and to all of America.

Another Special Moment for URI

2011-03-09T22:54:00.001-05:00

I don’t know if this is a “first” for us or not, but it is certainly infrequent to be featured, as the University of Rhode Island was this week, on the front page of the Chronicle of Higher Education, one of the premier publications on higher education in the world. URI was featured prominently in a story entitled “For Gay Students, More Room on Campus”, which examines both the progress and challenges faced by gay students at the University of Rhode Island and other colleges and universities across the country. It’s a good and fair article that cogently describes the difficulties that GLBT students face, the efforts to improve their safety and inclusion, and the ongoing work to assess and monitor progress at institutions of higher education, including URI.

I suppose it could be argued that such a high-profile presentation of the issues, problems, and progress at the University of Rhode Island is not the most advantageous publicity for the university. I would disagree. Many of your have heard me say that one cannot solve problems while trying to hide them, or by pretending they don’t exist. You can only solve a problem by acknowledging that it is real and marshalling the resources needed to resolve it. That is what we are doing at the University of Rhode Island, and we will continue to confront the problems of intolerance and mistreatment of our GLBT students until we succeed in building a community where all of our members are welcomed, affirmed, and supported. As pointed out in the article, that will take time and will not completely eradicate all incidents of bias or hate. But I think we can succeed in building a community where all our members can say “I fit in; this is a place where I can be myself”.

That’s our goal, and the Chronicle article is a good reminder of its importance.

There is one "first" to note: this is the first time for two posts on the same day. Just a lot to write about, and more to come. Please also check out the previous post.

A "First" for URI

2011-03-09T22:51:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday evening Lynn and I had a truly wonderful time at an event that is apparently new to the University of Rhode Island: the “Praise Him No Matter What” gospel concert, proclaimed by the organizers as the first gospel concert to hit the URI campus. The talent on display that night was truly amazing! And there was lot of talent in evidence – the concert went from around 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. We enjoyed every minute of a program that included music, dance, poetry, and testimonies.

There is another reason that Saturday night was special. I would guess that over 95% of those in attendance (and main level of Edwards was nearly full) were people of color, including a lot of URI students. The warmth, support, affirmation, and enthusiasm among everyone there was simply inspiring. It was a great example of community in action – an event based on community, where all were welcomed, supported, and affirmed. The community represented at the concert was part of multiple, larger communities: including the University of Rhode Island and other colleges, Providence and other towns across New England, and the community of faith. All of the communities represented were tied together by the concert.

Communities of faith, although certainly not for everyone, can be very supportive of efforts to build communities across many common and problematic dividing lines. The University of Rhode Island is fortunate to have many communities of faith that contribute in multiple ways to building a supportive campus environment.

Of course, religious convictions can be a terribly divisive force – but they need not be. Faith can be a strong and positive force for community and justice, for compassion, mercy, and understanding, and for hope. For me, that was the central message of “the first gospel concert to hit URI”.

Texas Medical Center

2011-02-23T15:06:00.002-05:00

I just returned from a visit to Houston with Governor Lincoln Chafee and the Mayor of Providence, Angel Taveras. The Governor invited President Ruth Simmons of Brown University and me to accompany him and the Mayor to visit the Texas Medical Center, which is one of the world’s foremost centers for patient care and medical research. The Texas Medical Center is composed of 49 institutions, including 21 academic institutions, six nursing schools, three medical schools, and two schools of pharmacy. Further, the Texas Medical Center encompasses 33.8 million (!) gross square feet of patient care, education, and research space, employs over 93,000 people, and teaches over 71,000 students. The annual research expenditures are approximately $1.8 billion. In short, as they might say there, it is truly a “Texas-sized” organization.

So why visit? What could be learned from meeting with administrators, researchers, and others in Houston that would be helpful to Rhode Island? As it turns out – a lot. I was very impressed by the enthusiasm for, and commitment to, service – the focus on helping people was always foremost. It seems to me that such a spirit is also common among Rhode Islanders.

Here are some other key findings that are directly relevant to the University of Rhode Island and our missions of advancing education and research and contributing to the economic renewal of our state.

First, the synergy of co-locating academic institutions and programs with hospitals and health care agencies or organizations is dramatic. That has been my experience (on a much different scale) and, to me, this is an opportunity for which Rhode Island is well positioned. Education, research, patient care, and job creation are all significantly enhanced by simple proximity, and further magnified by collaboration. Collaboration and partnerships are critical to success – we already know that here – but the results can be even more dramatic than many in Rhode Island might think. It’s clear from the Texas Medical Center example that the concept of bringing the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College to the “Knowledge District” in Providence, where the Brown University Medical School and multiple health care providers are located, is potentially transformative. In fact, we should consider a presence for health-related programs in addition to nursing. Also, as we have experienced so powerfully at URI, the integration of teaching and research that can occur when faculty, students, and research staff can readily interact enhances both education and innovative scholarship.

There’s more. We heard how shared, multi-use facilities can benefit education, research, and patient care; building more such facilities appears to be a priority for the Texas Medical Center and I think this would be a productive and cost-effective strategy for Rhode Island as well. And, according to figures provided by the Texas Medical Center, the economic impact of the Center has been substantial – estimated at $14 billion for the region, and the creation of over 121,000 jobs in addition to the employees of the Center itself.

I think we can build on our current success, and the solid foundation that exists here, to create the “Rhode Island Medical Center” (a phrase first used by Governor Chafee in our discussions, if I recall correctly). It will be scaled to Rhode Island, of course, but I believe its impact would also be substantial and lasting. We can learn from the examples of Houston and elsewhere, and take advantage of our size, to move ahead quickly, to the benefit of all Rhode Islanders. I think that, as in Texas, success will require a sustained effort by many people and institutions working together. I’m confident that the University of Rhode Island is ready to do its part.

Athletics and Excellence

2011-02-15T21:34:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, February 13, the University of Rhode Island celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day – and it was a great day for URI. Several of our women’s teams hosted hundreds of girls interested in sports, giving them a glimpse of high-level athletic competition. Concurrently, we hosted a reception for alumni who had competed on our women’s teams for URI. Over a hundred of our alumni participated, women who had made an impact while at URI, and who have continued to succeed and lead in their professional and personal lives following graduation. That was followed by a terrific game between Cathy Inglese’s Rams and St. Louis University, which the Rams won 68-54 behind senior Megan Shoniker’s 35 points and junior Lara Gaspar’s 20. On Saturday Jim Baron’s Rams had pulled out an exciting overtime win against Charlotte 71-70 on Jamal Wilson’s put back basket at the buzzer. The Rams were led by 20 and 19 point efforts from sophomores Akeem Richmond Nikola Malesevic, respectively. Marquis Jones played all 45 minutes and dished out 10 assists despite being a bit under the weather. All in all, a terrific weekend for athletics at the University of Rhode Island.

As good as it is to see our teams succeed on the courts, in the water, or on the field (and it is great) I am just as pleased to witness the success of our student athletes in the classroom and in our community. As a group, student athletes do very well academically at the University of Rhode Island because academic success is a priority for them, our coaches, and Athletics Director Thorr Bjorn. You will find our student athletes in practically every major offered at URI, including our most demanding. Our student athletes also contribute in many, many ways to serving the larger community and to building a strong community here at URI. They are involved and engaged, and they make a difference. They continue to make a difference long after they have left URI. I have met dozens of alumni who competed for the University of Rhode Island and, invariably, I have been impressed by their achievements following graduation.

Let me give credit where credit is due. Bill Reynolds and Jim Donaldson of the Providence Journal were right when they indicated that the greatest legacy of URI athletics is our players. And it is a legacy that we can be very proud of.

The Big Chill

2011-01-31T08:46:00.003-05:00

The University of Rhode Island recently celebrated its Big Chill weekend. The weekend featured two events – one celebrating the continuing excellence of our scholar-athletes and our intercollegiate athletics programs, the other our annual fundraising evening devoted to scholarships. Together these events emphasize the excellence of the university and the importance of our students and their achievements.

The Hall of Fame Induction event welcomed Ed Bradley (URI's legendary men's soccer coach), Julia Chilicki-Beasley (outstanding swimmer and rower -- representing the USA at the 1996 Olympics -- and influential rowing coach at URI), Tyson Wheeler (one of URI's best men's basketball players ever, and a leader of the 1998 Elite Eight team), and Bob White (an All-American offensive lineman on URI's amazing 1982-1985 football teams). These individuals represent the tremendous achievements and continuing potential of intercollegiate athletics at URI, and remind us all of the importance and impact of our programs, to be sure; but, more importantly, these outstanding new members remind us of the qualities and the enduring impact of the people who become a part of URI as a result of our athletics programs.

That same weekend, the University of Rhode Island also convened many of our alumni, friends, and supporters to celebrate the achievements of our students and to contribute to their continuing success by raising critical scholarship funds. Since the Big Chill Weekends began, over $1.2 million has been raised for scholarships, including $80,000 this year. More than 400 people attended, and a wonderful time was enjoyed by all.

Special thanks to the Chairs of the Organizing Committee -- John and Gail Palumbo and Kathy O'Donnell-White and Bill White -- for their outstanding leadership of a great team, as well as Mark Davis, Working Chair of the Volunteer Committee. I would also like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to support our students. If you attended this year, please plan on coming back in 2012. If you were unable to attend this year, please plan ahead for the next Big Chill weekend. Scholarships for students have never been more important to the success of our students and the university.

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-13T10:20:00.003-05:00

It is an unusually quiet time on the campus yesterday – mainly because we were in the midst of yet another substantial (at least by Rhode Island standards) snowstorm and the university was closed by order of the Governor. Rhody loves days like that. A Montana-born dog, he loves snow. He also loves running around a largely empty campus without the impediment of a leash. Our hard-working facilities and grounds personnel were just about the only people on the campus. Thanks to them, the campus will be accessible today, although there will be a lot of piled snow around. I know all of the URI community joins me in thanking them for their dedication and hard work in difficult circumstances.

Despite the relative quiet of the day and the break between semesters, there is a lot going on at the University of Rhode Island. The university’s leadership team is working systematically with the new and continuing leadership of the state to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead. Our core message is that the University of Rhode Island, and higher education more broadly, are essential partners with government, the public, and business in re-creating the Rhode Island economy and in building a better future for all Rhode Islanders.

Beyond that, URI is working concurrently on multiple fronts to implement the academic plan and to pursue our transformational goals. Here’s a sampling.

Kathryn Friedman has joined the senior leadership team as the Associate Vice President for Community, Equity, and Diversity. She is already engaged on the campus and will provide outstanding leadership for our efforts to build a vibrant, diverse, and engaged community at the university in which all our members are welcomed, affirmed, and supported.

The Third Annual Academic Summit will convene next week on the subject of “Engaging Students in Learning with Technology”. Dr. Candace Thille, Director of the Open Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, together with faculty and students from URI, will participate in exploring how we can use the powerful tools at our disposal to improve our curriculum and student learning.

Building on the recently completed report from our faculty task force on global initiatives and education, we will be assessing our efforts in international programs and education with the assistance of Dr. Norman Peterson, Vice Provost for International Education at Montana State University. URI is also establishing a new partnership to bring world-class instruction in English as a Second Language to URI next fall.

Planning for next year’s Honors Colloquium is well under way. It is on the subject “Are You Ready for the Future?” (an excellent question for all of us) and promises to be an innovative and thought-provoking presentation and analysis of the potential impacts of current trends and discoveries.

Over the next few months URI will be examining new opportunities for partnerships with the private sector, state government, and other entities. We anticipate that the assessment of the feasibility of the proposed research and development park will be completed by the spring.

In short, 2011 will be a busy and exciting year for URI. Best wishes for a productive and enjoyable 2011 to all of you.

Season's Greetings

2010-12-27T15:08:00.004-05:00

This is a joyous time of year for many of us, spending time with our families and friends, and looking forward to the year ahead. But it is important to recognize that this is not true for everyone. For too many among us, the Christmas season is lonely and painful, and the anticipation of a new year does not bring renewed hope but a heightened sense of loss. I am mindful of the many sympathy cards that we have sent to members of the URI community and to others in Rhode Island this year. Many years after both of my parents have passed, their loss quietly reverberates throughout the holiday season. It is likely that for many their more recent losses are far more keenly felt. In addition, for many individuals and families in our state and across America, the recession has struck with particular brutality – damaging, if not destroying hope, and diminishing, if not obliterating, the joy of the season.

One of the many things for which I am thankful is that the University of Rhode Island is a caring and generous community. From the students (the recent $11,000 check from the fraternities and sororities to Habitat for Humanity is a great example) to the faculty and staff, and in more ways than are readily counted, ours is a community that seeks to help and serve those who need assistance, comforting, and the reassurance that they are valued, and even loved. Our community at URI is far from what it needs to be, but building a better and stronger community is one of our highest priorities, and I believe we are making good progress. I hope, for the benefit of all, that we can build upon the progress we have already made, and strengthen our efforts as we go forward in 2011. Let us commit ourselves in the year ahead to restoring hope where it has been lost, and bringing joy where it was missed. Best wishes for the New Year!

The Centrality of Language Education

2010-12-13T15:55:00.005-05:00

Facing substantial and protracted budget difficulties, several public colleges and universities (and even many private institutions) have responded by instituting efforts to reorganize or eliminate academic programs. Such efforts can be both useful and productive. For public institutions in particular, we do have the responsibility to regularly evaluate our programs in order to insure that we make the best use of the limited resources that we have. Maximizing the use of our resources and being accountable are duties that we owe the people of our state and our students, their families, and others who support us. In the current fiscal climate every college and university has to make difficult decisions and choices.

Recent announcements by some institutions that educational programs in selected foreign languages will be reduced or eliminated have generated a vigorous debate. It’s not my purpose here to criticize those decisions, but simply to point out that such steps would, in my judgment, be wrong for the University of Rhode Island. Because it is an important strategic priority for URI to prepare our students to thrive in a global economy and an increasingly globalized society, education in foreign languages is central to success. Certainly language acquisition is important, but not necessarily sufficient; we should strive, whenever possible, to acquaint our students with the cultures, literatures, and histories of those parts of the world where those languages are spoken. Rather than reducing the scope and breadth of modern language education at URI, I believe we should be seeking the resources to expand our programs and to increase the number of our students who study foreign languages.

And, indeed, we are. A proposed new major in Chinese will soon, I am confident, add to our existing modern language majors in Spanish, German, French, and Italian. In addition, we offer students the opportunity to study Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese, modern Greek and Hebrew. It is noteworthy that our Italian program is the largest undergraduate-only program in the country. Enrollments in our other modern language majors and minors are also strong. URI’s International Engineering Program (IEP) is internationally regarded for its excellence and impact. Students in the IEP graduate with dual degrees in an engineering discipline and a foreign language program. Language education is also a key component of our programs in International Business and in the Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design Department. The University of Rhode Island has established a leadership role in the integration of the study of modern languages into academic programs where it is important.

In my view, the current national and international contexts argue for the continued, and even accelerated, development of academic programs with an embedded modern language component. For example, as the University of Rhode Island builds the Harrington School of Communications and Media that will be examining modern communications and media in an international context, I think we should consider options or programs that include foreign language education.

I am writing this in China – a country that is impossible to visit without appreciating the value and power of multilingual capability and multicultural understanding. One of the keynote speakers at this year’s annual meeting for Confucius Institutes, Dr. Tu Weiming of the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Beijing University, Research Professor at Harvard University, and a former Professor at Berkeley, emphasized that as our world becomes more complex the ability to understand and accommodate diversity becomes more, not less, important. I agree. He further, and provocatively, suggested that one of the reasons for America’s rise to greatness was that, for much of its history, we were a “learning” nation, productively assimilating, adapting, and using knowledge and wisdom from across the world. Dr. Tu suggested since World War II America has become a “teaching” nation, and less interested in learning from others. This also strikes me as accurate and, if so, it would pose a threat to our continued competiveness and success. As a nation, we can still learn a great deal from other nations and cultures; the knowledge and wisdom we gain will make us stronger. Those Americans with language skills and multicultural understanding will provide much of the essential leadership in this regard. It is the responsibility of the University of Rhode Island to educate such citizens.

Thankful

2010-11-24T17:19:00.003-05:00

During the last several days I had the opportunity to attend two events – which I anticipated to be useful – but which turned out to be, somewhat to my surprise, both productive and inspiring. These were the annual Providence Business News awards for business excellence and the annual meeting of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.

Why inspiring? Because both events attracted a large group of Rhode Islanders who are working hard to build businesses, create jobs, serve the people of the state, and make our communities better. We, certainly I, sometimes forget, amidst all the bad news and disappointments, just how many bright, hard-working, and committed people we have here. These are people who see the opportunities among the challenges, and who are dedicated to doing all that they can to build a brighter future for our state and those who call it home. The University of Rhode Island is the “home” of thousands of faculty, staff, and students who are also dedicated to solving the problems we face and creating a better future. I am very thankful to be a part of the URI community and of the larger community of Rhode Island.

We should not forget those of our friends and neighbors who are facing very real and difficult challenges at this time. These folks need all that we can do to provide assistance now and to create a stronger economy, a more mutually supportive community, and a better society. Let’s keep our eye on those goals.

Best wishes for Thanksgiving.

Thank You for Yes on 2

2010-11-08T11:02:00.006-05:00

I would like to personally thank the people of Rhode Island – those who supported and endorsed Question 2 on November 2, and all those who voted for it. We understand very well the difficult and challenging financial climate for the state and for all of us who live here. One thing is clear: we can succeed in creating a new, vibrant, and sustainable economy for Rhode Island only if we work together. The broad coalition of those who worked on behalf of the new building for the Chemical and Forensic Sciences at URI is a great example of how Rhode Islanders can work together. Business and labor organizations, law enforcement groups, faculty, students, staff, alumni, and many others across the state came together to promote a “yes” vote on Question 2. The University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and higher education officials collaborated very effectively to make the case for investment in a new chemistry building for URI and the renovation of a building for the arts at RIC.

But more importantly, the people of Rhode Island understood the importance of investing in the critical infrastructure required to be competitive in the 21^st century. Education in the central disciplines of science and technology, and advanced, innovative research in the chemical sciences is essential to create the knowledge-based economy that is important now and into the foreseeable future. The University of Rhode Island is fully committed to capitalizing on this investment by the people of the state in order to expand the scope and impact of both basic and applied research and development to the benefit of the state.

One aspect of these new facilities warrants particular mention. Providing more opportunities for undergraduate students to become engaged in research, scholarship, and creative work is one of URI’s highest priorities. I am convinced that the learning environment and outcomes provided by student participation in research and creative work is essential to the success and competitiveness of our students in the 21^st century. The laboratories and facilities in the new Center for the Chemical and Forensic Sciences will provide outstanding opportunities for students in this regard. Our Chemistry Department has a strong and consistent record of engaging undergraduates in research, and this new building will enable the Department to significantly expand and improve the students’ research experience.

Celebrating Agnes Doody and the Faculty of URI

2010-10-31T16:37:00.015-04:00

On Friday afternoon, the University of Rhode Island dedicated the Agnes Doody Auditorium in Swan Hall. The ceremonies were capped by an inspiring “first lecture” by Dr. Doody herself, which kept everyone’s rapt attention while sharing the incredible rewards of teaching at URI, as well as illustrating once again the amazing impact and enduring influence of Dr. Doody. Few people have the pioneering spirit, the drive, the devotion to excellence, and the unfailing commitment to helping others that so epitomizes Dr. Doody’s career. In case you missed it, the Providence Journal ran a nice story on the event; see the link below:

(http://www.projo.com/ri/southkingstown/content/AGNES_DOODY_AUDITORIUM_10-30-10).

The University of Rhode Island has a long tradition of outstanding teaching and dedicated engagement with students, which is well exemplified by our current faculty. I am especially pleased by the commitment of the faculty to involve undergraduates, as well as graduate students, in their scholarship, research, and creative work. Of the many, many examples that I could provide, I’d like to share four with you in this post.

Dr. Cheryl Foster is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at URI. Known for her outstanding contributions as a teacher, scholar, and citizen, Cheryl was awarded the URI Foundation Teaching Excellence Award in 1997. She served as Associate Director of the Honors Program, encouraging top URI students to compete successfully for some of the most prestigious national and international scholarship and fellowship awards. She conceived the idea of creating special spaces outside classrooms where students could interact and exchange ideas with each other and faculty that helped inform the renovation of Lippitt Hall where Honors is now located. In 2009, she was the awarded the College of Arts and Sciences award for Undergraduate Student Advising. She was a member of an interdisciplinary IGERT team including Judith Swift, Peter August and others that received a large grant to integrate the humanities with the sciences in graduate education. A strong advocate for the value of a liberal arts education, Cheryl brings philosophy into the marketplace and the community to help people solve complex problems via her civic engagement and outreach. A brilliant thinker and speaker, she is often invited to address audiences on a variety of subjects.

The Institute for Immunology and Informatics (I'Cubed) was recently established under the leadership of Annie De Groot, M.D., as part of the University of Rhode Island's emerging Biotechnology Program. The Institute maintains offices at URI's main Kingston, RI campus and occupies lab and office space in the historic Shephard building as part of URI's Biotechnology Center in Providence's Jewelry District. The Institute applies cutting edge bioinformatic tools to accelerate the development of treatments and cures for diseases like HIV and tuberculosis. The Institute also aims to quickly make these tools available to the global research community for the development of vaccines for tropical diseases and other infectious diseases. Professor De Groot makes it a priority to engage URI students in the cutting-edge research in I'Cubed, involving them directly in research that is critical to improving human health, I’Cubed supports a wide variety of education and training efforts that will provide opportunities to teach the next generation of students the tools for effective vaccine design.

In the College of Nursing, Dr. Mary Sullivan, a dedicated teacher, scholar and the director of graduate studies, has taught highly-regarded undergraduate courses in childbearing and reproductive health and graduate courses in research methods and concept development and directs a variety of student projects. She serves as a research scientist at Women & Infants Hospital, and is an adjunct professor of pediatrics at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. In June 2010, Dr. Sullivan received an invitation to serve as a member of the NIH Nursing Science: Children and Families Study Section, Center for Scientific Review from July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2014. Dr. Sullivan’s selection was based on her demonstrated competence and achievement in her scientific discipline, which included the quality of her research accomplishments, publications and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors. Dr.Sullivan received her PhD in Nursing from the University of Rhode Island.

Dr. He "Helen" Huang is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering. She joined the URI faculty in Fall 2008, after completing her PhD degree from Arizona State University and a post-doc at the Neural Engineering Center for Artificial Limbs (NECAL) at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Dr. Huang's primary research areas are Neural Engineering and Rehabilitation Engineering. Three graduate students and five undergraduates are currently working with Dr. Huang on highly innovative research projects in areas such as the neural control of prosthesis for arms or legs, development of intelligent and adaptive control systems for therapeutic devices, modeling and analysis of neuromuscular control of movement, and understanding how spinal cord stimulation can help recovery of patients with spinal cord injuries. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate classes in biomedical engineering at URI, she is the Director of the URI Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Laboratory (NREL), whose goal is to improve the quality of life of persons with motor disabilities. She has received research awards from Delsys,Inc., the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council, the US Department of Defense, and the US Department of Education.

As Agnes demonstrated so consistently and elegantly throughout her time at the University of Rhode Island, great teaching involves far more that eloquence in the classroom. Engaging students fully in the life of the mind, in the scholarship and creative work that is at the heart of a research university, is essential to preparing our students for success. Thanks Agnes, for your great example. And thanks to all our faculty who devote themselves to our students, to excellence in teaching and in scholarship, and who make the University of Rhode Island such a special place.

2010 URI Diversity Week

2010-10-13T11:43:00.013-04:00

Last week the University of Rhode Island celebrated Diversity Week. This has become an extremely important event in the life of our community because all the events celebrate and advance of our core values and highest priorities: building a community here that seeks unity in the midst of diversity and that welcomes, affirms, and supports all of its members. I especially appreciate, as I think we all should, the efforts of so many individuals, offices, and organizations that make Diversity Week happen, as well all of those who sponsor and support their dedicated and valuable work. I specifically want to thank the Co-Chairs of this year’s planning committee: Dr. Judy Van Wyk, Melvin Wade, Dr. Paul Bueno de Mesquita, and Dr. Mailee Kue. I would also like to thank our key sponsors, the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, Lifespan, and MetLife Auto and Home. In addition, the URI Departments of Psychology and Sociology, the Honors Program, and URI 101 all contributed to a special week.

The diversity of the events during Diversity Week was striking. Ranging from the two keynote lectures, by Dr. Dana Fullwiley and Dr. Esteban Gonzalez Burchard, which shared new insights from genomics to issues of race and identity, to the Seven Continents Culture Show (coordinated by Brandford Davis), which featured 20 student organizations, URI experienced quite a week.

I especially enjoyed the “Out of Diversity: We Speak” forum organized by Professor Jody Lisberger, the Director of Women’s Studies at URI. Every speaker’s voice was eloquent, thoughtful, and inspiring. Each speaker presented a unique and illuminating perspective on diversity, grounded in their life and experiences. Two comments during the presentations really struck home with me. The first comment, made by Alycia Mosley Austin was: “Many people view diversity as a threat to excellence, but I know I’m not alone in the belief that diversity is a requirement for excellence.” I think Alycia is right. The second comment, made by Danielle Henderson was: “It is not the things that happen to us that define us, it is the things that happen because of us.”

A lot of things happen to us, as individuals, as a community, and as an institution. Let’s not let those things define us. We can facilitate or create many great things for our community, our state, and our nation. Let’s resolve to have those things define who we are and what the University of Rhode Island stands for.

Helen Mederer (Professor, Sociology); Stephanie Lavallee (senior, physical therapy major; WMS minor); Alycia Mosley Austin (Director, Graduate Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives); Danielle Henderson (senior, WMS and English double major); Zuleika Toribio (junior, Psychology and WMS double major); Ian Reyes (Assistant Professor, Communication Studies); Adeyemi Ogunade (graduate student in economics from Nigeria, Schmidt Labor and Research Center)

Welcome Back! (Summer in Rhode Island, Part 4)

2010-09-14T11:10:00.005-04:00

Last week was another exciting and rewarding time for the University of Rhode Island – move-in weekend and First Night were great successes and a new academic year began on a high note. However, there is one additional, and important, outcome of the intense level of this summer’s activities at URI that I would like to share.

Over the summer, in just about three months, state-of-the-art instructional technology was installed in fifty-two (52!) classrooms that previously had no modern teaching technology at all. Every one of these classrooms received the latest digital media technology, including HD projectors, blu-ray players, and digital switching controls. Assisted-listening devices were installed in classrooms for 50 or more students. The electronics in each room are networked to a central server that monitors the status, enables projector lamps to be replaced prior to failure, and provides a means to remotely assist an instructor. New whiteboards have been installed, walls and ceilings repaired, and many other improvements were made. Fifteen additional classrooms received major technology upgrades, again to a state-of-the-art level. These dramatic improvements place the University of Rhode Island among the leaders in our region and will substantially improve the learning environment for our students.

But that is not all. A major expansion of the campus wireless network was completed, and the conversion to a new IP based telephone system began. Collectively, these innovative, rapid, cost-effective improvements demonstrate what we can achieve.

What makes these remarkable achievements even more satisfying is the tremendous dedication and teamwork of several departments at URI and our private-sector partners. Joe Fuscaldo and Kathy D’Aguanno led the URI team. The Media and Technology Services Department (directed by David Porter), especially the Network Facilities and Operations group, the Classroom Media Assistance group, and the Network Service group, did exceptional work throughout the project. Many other URI departments made important contributions: Purchasing, Enrollment Services, Facility Services, Custodial Services, the Paint Shop, the Electrical Shop, Access Control Office, Safety and Risk Management, Capital Planning and Design, Capital Projects, and the Property Office. Most of the time our employees in these departments and offices work behind the scenes – they deserve our thanks and appreciation. So do our partners – HB Communications, Creston, Energy Electric, and Legacy General Contracting – who worked extremely well together and with our URI team.

We are working hard to facilitate the innovative use of the new technology. Several training sessions for faculty have been held, and others will be scheduled. The Instructional Technology Center in Chafee will be upgraded with funds provided by the Champlin Foundation (another critical partner for URI) and brought online in October.

Our efforts to improve the environment for teaching and learning at the University of Rhode Island will continue and grow, on many fronts. The work of this past summer will make an enormous difference to our students and faculty for years to come.

Welcome back, everyone. URI is a better university than when we completed the last academic year in May.

Summer in Rhode Island, Part 3

2010-09-07T08:28:00.002-04:00

One of the emerging priorities for the University of Rhode Island is building a strong, vibrant, and supportive community that views diversity as a strength and where equity is a core value. This is reflected many places, including the Academic Plan, in URI’s “Cornerstones”, and in my inaugural remarks. Two events occurred this summer that reinforced my conviction that building a community where all our members are valued and supported is critical to the future of the University.

The first was a gathering of GLBT students, along with members of the faculty, staff, administration, and the local community at my house on a Friday evening in August. The meeting was partly in response to a highly regrettable incident in which someone driving through our campus yelled “faggots” at a group of our students who were doing nothing more than walking and holding hands. Our students made it clear that such experiences were, all too frequently, a part of their lives at URI and that the response of the university to these incidents was, for whatever reason, all too frequently inadequate. This is simply unacceptable. That any of our students should have to live with harassment and fear should be intolerable to all of us. No one would want to endure what some of our GLBT students have endured, and no one should have to, at least while at URI. It’s that simple, I think.

Consequently, I have asked several members of the senior leadership team, as well as others, to work with our students to develop and implement strategies to improve the experience of our GLBT students at URI. A key element will be to find a way to provide a new home for our GLBT Center that substantially improves its functionality while providing a safe and welcoming environment for students who wish to go there.

It is important to note that these actions are a central component of URI’s renewed emphasis on promoting community, equity, and diversity. The Equity Council will play a central role in this effort. A very productive retreat at the end of August among members of the Equity Council and the administration generated a number of goals and specific actions for the coming year in the following areas: (1) curriculum and teaching; (2) faculty and staff diversity and development; (3) student diversity and development; (4) administration of diversity efforts; and (5) communications concerning diversity, equity, and community.

There is a lot to do. It seems to me that, despite missteps and setbacks, the University of Rhode Island has a tradition of dedication to diversity, equity, and community on which to build. We have a growing commitment to building a strong and diverse community among students, staff, faculty, and the administration. I think it is also important for us to pursue this goal, as well as our others, in an open and transparent fashion. One cannot solve problems while trying to ignore or hide them. It will take time and a lot of effort, but I am confident we can succeed at URI.

Summer in Rhode Island, Part 2

2010-08-25T14:53:00.006-04:00

One of the great treasures at the University of Rhode Island, as well as for the state and the nation, is the Graduate School of Oceanography. Not surprisingly, the GSO had a very busy and productive summer. I would like to highlight a couple of its activities.

URI scientists at the GSO have contributed in multiple ways to understanding the impacts of the BP/Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill – from predicting the spread of the oil (Dr. Malcolm Spaulding had a prominent role in this) to assessing strategies for mitigation.

In June, our research ship (the R/V Endeavor) was quickly outfitted in order to make critical measurements of subsurface oil in the Gulf. Dr. Christopher Reddy (URI 1997 Ph.D. in chemical oceanography from GSO) was a key member of the scientific team. Their characterization of a continuous plume of oil that was over 50 miles long, at a depth of greater than 3,000 feet, was published in the August issue of the prestigious journal Science.

Their findings have numerous important implications for understanding the consequences of the massive spill, and also are relevant to understanding the ultimate prospects for degradation of the oil by microorganisms. The results of the research have garnered worldwide coverage; Dr. Reddy and R/V Endeavor have certainly received (and earned) far more than 15 minutes of fame!

This has also been a hectic but enormously productive summer for URI/GSO scientist and explorer Dr. Bob Ballard, who is very familiar with the bright lights. Using the cutting-edge facilities of the Inner Space Center at the GSO, as well as command consoles located around the world, scientists, students, and kids of all ages can participate in ocean exploration – live and in real time. The capabilities are simply amazing! I had the benefit of a demonstration from Bob himself at the recent “Friends of the Graduate School of Oceanography” reception in the Ocean Science and Exploration Center. You can check this out yourself at http://www.nautilislive.org/. Note that a lot of URI faculty and graduate students are part of the scientific research and exploration associated with this voyage of the E/V Nautilus (owned and operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust).

As the GSO looks forward to its 50th anniversary, it can look back with a great sense of accomplishment on a stellar record of achievement. Given the talent, dedication, and energy of the URI/GSO faculty, students, and staff, we can readily anticipate an even brighter future.

Summer in Rhode Island, Part 1

2010-08-18T15:37:00.015-04:00

Regrettably, our first full summer in Rhode Island is coming to a close. It will be great to have all our students back at the University of Rhode Island but the summer here has been delightful. It’s also been very busy. A lot of research, scholarship, and training gets done at URI over the summer – by faculty, research staff, graduate students, undergraduates, and even high school students who work in the facilities and labs. Last week I attended a terrific small poster session, organized by Professor Angela Slitt of the College of Pharmacy, to highlight the research done by students over the summer. Their work was first rate, and the enthusiasm of the students was infectious. And the results of the students’ research are relevant to multiple issues in human health. Dr. Slitt and her students are making a difference.

I also had an opportunity to visit the teams of URI faculty and Rhode Island teachers working on innovative ways to make lasting improvements in the teaching and learning of science in our middle schools and high schools. This program, known as the Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science (“RITES”) Program is a partnership between URI, RIC, Johnston Public Schools, and RIDE, with the participation of school districts and teachers across the state. Supported by a major grant from the National Science Foundation, the goal is to impact all of the 686 middle and high school science teachers and their over 83,000 students with excellent science teaching materials and practices in order to dramatically improve the quality of science teaching and learning. Judging by the commitment and dedication of the teachers, faculty, and staff I met, they will succeed.

The University of Rhode Island hosts a wide variety of summer events – ranging from the superb Kingston Chamber Music Series, the Summer Writing Conference, and the Balloon Fest. One of unique ones for me was Leapfest, one of the many ways that URI partners with our Armed Services. You can get a good sense of this event from the video on our homepage, which you can also watch here:

These are only a few examples of what goes on at the University of Rhode Island in the summer. I will be writing about several more over the next week or two as we prepare for the start of the fall semester. In the meantime, here are a few more photos from one of my personal highlights for the summer – climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

URI and Rhode Island at the Summit of Africa

2010-06-20T14:42:00.012-04:00

Here are a couple of pictures with my daughter, Samantha, from the summit of Kilimanjaro – the highest point on the continent of Africa. We reached the summit at 6:50 a.m. on June 10. I took a few days off between URI-related trips to Cape Verde and India to make the climb.

Allow me to share a couple of reflections on the climb. There was a lot about the climb that I will always remember and treasure, but far beyond the beauty of the mountain and the challenge of the climb, the most important thing was the time I got to spend with Samantha. On Father’s Day nothing means more to me than I the time I have shared with Samantha and with my son, Chris.

I wish all of our URI dads a great day.

Commencements and Budgets

2010-05-27T16:25:00.002-04:00

Let’s just say that my first commencements at the University of Rhode Island will always be a special time in my life. Beginning with the 50th reunion for the class of 1960 and the dinner for our honorary degree recipients on Saturday night, the weekend was full of traditions and celebrations that made a lasting impression – not just on me and Lynn, but on everyone we met.

URI’s commencement ceremonies were a powerful and inspirational reminder of the most important outcome of the University’s work: the young (and some not quite so young) people who are better prepared and empowered to pursue their dreams. They are now in a much stronger position to help create a brighter future for themselves, for Rhode Island, for our nation, and for the world. They are more capable, and in many cases, more dedicated to transforming our world to make it a better place. Their time at the University of Rhode Island, learning with our faculty, with each other, and with the many partners who work with URI, will pay off extremely well – not solely for them, but also for our society. Indeed, the education they received at URI will have a substantial, significant, and lasting impact, extending even to generations that follow the class of 2010.

I am reminded that this was a point forcefully made by the Chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, the Honorable Judge Frank Caprio, during his testimony before the House Finance Committee. There are no other investments that the State of Rhode Island can make that will have the enormously beneficial and lasting impact than their investment in education, especially higher education. As the state once again prepares its budget in the midst of difficult financial times, I hope that they remember that it is past time that the state takes concrete steps to improve the lives and futures of the people of Rhode Island. Investing in and supporting higher education and the University of Rhode Island is a critical and essential step to recreating a vibrant and sustainable future for our state.

China and International Education

2010-05-07T09:35:00.027-04:00

I began this post while sitting in a 777 on my way back from China, and bound for Detroit, then Providence. It was a pleasure to travel with Dr. Sigrid Berka (Associate Director of the International Engineering Program), Professor Zongqin Zhang of Mechanical Engineering, Michael Byrnes (a member of the IEP Advisory Board) and Erin Papa (Coordinator of the Flagship Program in Chinese at URI). We were in China to visit our university partners here associated with our IEP program and the Flagship program, and to meet with companies where URI students may be provided internship opportunities while studying in China.

I think our meetings, visits, and discussions went extremely well. Both senior administrators and faculty at Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, and Southeastern University appeared to be impressed and pleased by the nature of our International Engineering Program and by the commitment of the students involved to study and work in a Chinese language environment.

Moreover, they appeared to be uniformly enthusiastic about developing broader and deeper relationships with URI, encompassing student mobility between institutions certainly, but also faculty visits and exchanges, cooperative academic programs, and research collaborations.

The companies we visited, all of whom were affiliated with or components of global corporations, were equally enthusiastic about working with URI. All the companies agreed to create paid internships for URI students that would engage our students in projects directly related to the goals and priorities of the companies. This is exactly the kind of experience that is so valuable educationally and that I believe should become a distinguishing feature of undergraduate education at URI.

Without any doubt, there are numerous and appealing opportunities for the University of Rhode Island in China. Most importantly, our students who gain the capability to engage China, and understand its language and culture, will be exceptionally well prepared to succeed in a global economy, in a global society, where China will play an increasingly important role. Some pictures, taken during our visits to universities and companies, are below.

Our visit to China, while rewarding, was also sobering. If the United States truly wishes to retain its current position of global leadership, we need to increase our investments in education. Each of the universities we visited has been designated a key national university by the Chinese government. All of them are among the top universities in China. All of them are benefiting from substantial, sustained government and private sector investments designed to dramatically improve their international educational impact and their research capabilities.

In contrast, all of us here have witnessed the systematic and systemic disinvestment in public higher education in the U.S. If we are to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy in Rhode Island and the United States, then we must invest in building knowledge. China is.

Photos

URI Mechanical Engineering Professor Zongqin Zhang, Chinese Flagship Coordinator Erin Papa, Board Secretary, Admin. Director of HengTian Karen Wu, IEP Assoc. Director Sigrid Berka, IEP Student Joseph Hackman, President Dooley, HengTian Relationship Manager Cindy Shi

Former exchange students from Zhejiang University (spent fall 2009 at URI) Gracie Qin and Rachel Liu, President Dooley, Erin Papa, Michael Byrnes, Sigrid Berka, Zongqin Zhang

President Dooley and Zhejiang University President YANG Wei

Professor HONG Wei, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves, School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University

Inauguration

2010-04-08T11:30:00.000-04:00

Today are the formal inaugural ceremonies, so I will be brief. I simply wish to thank all the faculty and students who participated in yesterday’s symposia and poster session. Those events made Wednesday, April 7, 2010 one of my very best days in Rhode Island. The enthusiasm, energy, and manifest commitment to excellence of the students and faculty at the poster session was inspirational for me, and everyone I spoke with who attended. The quality, breadth, and impact of the research and scholarship shared by the faculty speakers at the symposia was outstanding, even exhilarating. To all who wonder if the University of Rhode Island is truly capable of transforming the world and helping to create a brighter future: talk to the faculty and students who presented their work yesterday. They are already engaged in creating that future.

Spring Break

2010-03-24T11:14:00.003-04:00

While it’s raining (again!) here in Rhode Island, I hope that our students are enjoying spring break. Although we generally think of spring break as a time of rest and relaxation, there is a lot going on for many members of our community. This is a particularly busy time for our student-athletes: our men’s basketball team is still competing in the NIT; baseball softball, tennis, golf, track and field (both men’s and women’s) and rowing all have competitions during the week. We wish all of our teams success and appreciate the fact that our student athletes are great ambassadors for URI. Go Rhody!

But there’s much more. URI students are participating in at least three substantial and important service projects this spring break. Hillel led a group to New Orleans to support the continuing efforts to rebuild housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The URI Saves Volunteer club is in Richmond, Virginia working in soup kitchens and with Habitat for Humanity. The URI Women’s Center and the Honors Program team up to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity trip to Birmingham, Alabama. Undoubtedly, there are even more service projects going on than this; we are just beginning to set up a database to keep track of everything our students, staff, and faculty do via the Clearinghouse for Volunteers. But I think these projects illustrate extremely well the determination of members of the URI community to make a difference.

Work also continues apace on two major projects for the spring – working with the General Assembly on our budgets and capital projects, and planning for the inauguration events April 7 and 8. A frequent topic of discussion has been the recommendation by the Governor to place two major building projects on the November ballot to be funded by general obligation bonds: a new on-campus chemistry building and a nursing education building to be located in the “Knowledge District” of Providence (which will be shared with Rhode Island College). I believe that both of these projects are vitally important to URI’s future and to the future of the state. Our current chemistry facilities located in the Pastore Chemical Laboratory are obsolete, and many years past the expected useful lifetime for such facilities. Further, there is insufficient space for critical instructional and research needs. Some students have difficulty scheduling their chemistry laboratory classes for lack of capacity. Modernizing and expanding our instructional and research capacity in chemistry will be important in building a new knowledge-based economy in Rhode Island. Biotechnology, engineering, marine sciences, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health sciences are all important to Rhode Island’s future and all require a foundation in chemistry.

The nursing building has certainly been in the news – and for good reason. A new state-of-the-art shared facility in Providence will dramatically enhance nursing education at both URI and RIC. Further, it will help us significantly expand and strengthen our partnerships with other programs and health care providers. And it has the potential to serve as a catalyst for development of health care-related enterprises in Providence and Rhode Island. If we are successful, this would represent a new and productive approach to collaboration and cooperation by higher education in Rhode Island. It is also one that would provide a great return on the investment by the citizens of our state.

With regard to the inauguration, I’ll have more to say about that in my next post. For now, I want to note that a major purpose of the inauguration is to showcase the strengths and achievements of URI. The symposia, poster sessions, lectures and colloquia on April 7 will highlight the amazing achievements and contributions of our faculty and students. They truly are transforming the world.

URI Student Town Hall Meeting

2010-03-02T16:38:00.005-05:00

A little over a week ago, I met with a group of students in an open meeting organized by David Bedard, the President of the student government at URI. I very much appreciate David's efforts in pulling this event together, and also the coverage provided by The Good 5¢ Cigar. From my perspective it was very useful and informative, with many excellent questions ranging from parking to the curriculum. I would like to briefly comment on a couple of topics that were covered that I think warrant particular mention.

There were multiple questions that related to the quality of student life on campus, and what we might collectively do to improve student life on campus and student engagement. This is an issue that is central to URI's efforts to facilitate student success. It may be timely to bring students, faculty, staff, and university leadership together to examine this issue and to develop specific recommendations to improve student life and engagement both on the Kingston campus and in and Providence. Enhancing student life and creating more opportunities for service and leadership can significantly improve learning, the acquisition of critical skills, and our relationships with one another -- all of which can contribute to the lifelong success of our students. Many alumni have emphasized to me the importance of their participation in activities outside of the classroom to their achievements. Strengthening our community will help all of us. I expect that our students will have many thoughtful and creative ideas about this; Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Dougan and Provost Don DeHayes will be taking the lead in exploring with students, faculty, and staff how URI can achieve its goal of a diverse, welcoming, and thriving community. I certainly would personally welcome your thoughts and suggestions as well.

On another note, URI is moving ahead with the implementation of the new academic plan, which will create exciting new opportunities for students to be involved in research, scholarship, and creative work across all disciplines, and will emphasize experiential learning in internships and service. As an initial step, we started an undergraduate research fund and a graduate student enhancement fund this past fall. We will be examining general education at URI and the possibility of moving to a curriculum where four-credit courses compose a more substantial part. There are, and will be more, opportunities for students to be directly involved in this important effort, and I hope that many of you will participate.

I am looking forward to many more occasions to talk informally with students and hope that you will find such occasions as enjoyable and informative as I do.

Helping Haiti

2010-02-16T21:42:00.002-05:00

I write to call your attention to the URI Helping Haiti Campaign that is now underway across the campus. The entire community - students, staff, faculty, and administration – is involved. All of us should be especially proud of the leadership once again demonstrated by the students of URI. Please check our home page for all the events that are scheduled and for ways that you can help.

The University of Rhode Island has a wonderful history of dedication to assisting those in need and of working to make our world a better place. The Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America, the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, and the innumerable opportunities for community service are notable examples of URI’s commitment to making a difference.

Even our research facilities are employed in the service of others. Our primary oceanographic research vessel, the R/V Endeavor, is departing at 2 pm tomorrow to deliver portable living shelters and other supplies to Haiti. It will also spend 14 days mapping the faults and related structures along the coast of Haiti in the vicinity of the January 12^th quake. Many of the Graduate School of Oceanography’s staff worked very hard to prepare the ship for this mission on short notice. On behalf of all of us here at the University of Rhode Island – thank you!

As I am confident you know, our tag line is “Think Big, We Do”. But the people of URI can also say “Think Service, We Do”, "Think Peace, We Do”, “Think Caring, We Do”. It’s a source of joy for me and many others that the University of Rhode Island aspires to be a place that lives those words.

A New Year, a new decade, a new era for URI

2010-01-28T17:27:00.009-05:00

Last week I formally announced the creation of the Strategic Budget and Planning Council for URI. This Council, which is advisory to the President, is a new concept for the university. It will have the responsibility for developing the university's budget recommendations and priorities for my approval. The Council will operate in an open, inclusive, and transparent way to define our strategic priorities and goals. It will also develop resource allocation recommendations to achieve them. The Council consists of 20 individuals, including vice presidents, deans, faculty, staff, students, and an external representative. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will chair the Council. To facilitate the participation of the entire university community, a web site that will include agendas, minutes, relevant data, and contact information will be established in the near future. I believe that an open and transparent budgeting and planning process guided by the Council will improve URI's resource allocation decisions, will strengthen shared governance at the university, and emphasize that shared governance involves shared responsibility. These attributes of the new process will help us build a stronger community.

There are more changes on the way. Several task forces that include faculty and students are actively engaged with developing strategies for the implementation of our new academic plan, which will function as a framework for innovation and improvements in our academic programs. As one example, members of the faculty are designing about 30-40 new general education courses focused on the grand challenges of the 21st century. Our new Harrington School of Communication and Media is another great example. Faculty in those multiple disciplines have been working closely with benefactor Dick Harrington and other external communication/media experts to design an innovative curriculum that includes distinctive student experiences. I should also note that we have engaged members of the President's Advisory Council to seek external comments and perspectives as part of our implementation of the academic plan.

URI's research and scholarly activity is growing significantly, with our faculty assuming positions of international leadership in science, engineering, social science, the arts, and humanities. Our research programs in biotechnology, the life sciences, health, ocean engineering, and textiles are gaining global recognition. The worldwide renown of URI's programs in oceanography, marine biology, coastal science and policy, and ocean exploration continues to grow. The International Engineering Program, which involves integral and excellent education in a foreign language, is a model for interdisciplinary, global education. Importantly, the work of our faculty in the humanities and arts is gaining increasing recognition for its creativity and impact. The University of Rhode Island is the state's research university. It is clear that our statewide impact is growing substantially. Our faculty and students are making a difference in K-12 education, bringing new resources into the state to improve the preparedness of the state's teachers and the success of its students. We are working to improve health and healthcare in Rhode Island, to improve the climate and prospects for economic development, and to protect the environment. During my first seven months here, I have been gratified and excited to see the willingness of the business community, government, and other sectors to form new, close working partnerships with URI. Consequently, I have no doubt that URI will play an increasingly larger role in building a better quality of life for all Rhode Islanders.

There is a lot more to be done and many challenges ahead. And time is of the essence. But, as captured so well in the January issue of Rhode Island Monthly, I am convinced, now more than ever, that the University of Rhode Island is up to the task and that our next decade will be our best decade.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2010

2009-12-26T12:41:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Montana! It's cold here (subzero this morning) but beautiful, as you can see in this picture of our house in the Bridger Mountains. Despite the distance, Lynn and I just wanted to send along our best wishes for this holiday season. We are delighted to be at the University of Rhode Island, and grateful to share with you the joys and challenges of this year and the new year. We hope and pray that all of you are enjoying this special time of year. We look forward to seeing you all in 2010.

The Staff

2009-12-10T21:55:00.003-05:00

Some of you who read my last post might have wondered about one subject that was not addressed – the staff. That is because I wanted to comment separately about the terrific staff of the University of Rhode Island. From the day Lynn and I arrived, we have been tremendously impressed by the individuals who give so much to URI, who contribute so much to the community here, and who work so hard for the benefit of the faculty, students, and programs of the university. Whether classified or professional, union or non-union, the URI staff are exceptionally dedicated to the university. Certainly I could not be successful without the outstanding support of the staff here – folks in dining services, administration, advancement, the Foundation, and facilities have been unfailingly helpful, effective, and genuinely fun to work with. I want to especially thank Michelle and Cathy; I cannot imagine a better team for the President’s Office. Lynn and I want to thank all the staff and we hope to see you at our open house tomorrow or next week.

Semester One is Done (Almost)

2009-12-07T12:05:00.002-05:00

It doesn't seem possible but my first semester at URI is nearly over. Although the schedule has been extremely hectic, and the challenges all they were advertised to be, Lynn and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Rhode Island. The natural beauty of the state, the warmth and hospitality of the people, the vibrancy of life here -- all of these contribute to our feeling that URI and Rhode Island are the right places for us. There is a lot more, however, to our assessment -- factors that are even more important.

The students. I have met with a lot of students in a lot of settings since arriving in July. Lynn and I have hosted several students groups at our home. I have been very impressed by their abilities, leadership, dedication, enthusiasm, and aspirations. Indeed, I think the students at URI, both in Kingston and Providence, are as good as those anywhere I have been. I was especially proud of the way our students responded to the incidents involving hateful speech that occurred. They are endeavoring to make URI a community where everyone can succeed. I am glad that they choose to attend URI.

The faculty. Based on my own assessment, and comments from across the state and elsewhere, the faculty at URI are dedicated to excellence in teaching and scholarship, engaged, productive, and devoted to the success of our students. Public higher education and URI face multiple, difficult challenges, both external and internal. At the same time, URI is being asked to take a leadership position in expanding research, in revitalizing the state's economy, in assisting with the improvement of K-12 education, and in helping expand opportunities and improve the quality of life for all Rhode Islanders. Our faculty, together with the deans and other leaders, are ready to take on these challenges and make the changes needed to succeed.

The alumni. I am convinced that the best measure of the quality of a university is the achievements of its graduates. By this criterion, URI is an outstanding institution. Across the world our alumni are making a difference, accomplishing extraordinary things, and building a legacy of leadership. They are increasingly engaged with the university to help meet the challenges ahead. All of us at URI can be proud of our alumni and proud of the education that contributed so much to their achievements.

Our community. Across the campus I am heartened by the widespread commitment to building an inclusive, mutually supportive, and diverse community. Shared governance is strong and we are working to make it even better. There was wide and thoughtful participation in the development of a new academic plan, and soon we will be instituting a new budget process that will further link planning and budgeting in an open and inclusive way involving faculty, staff, and students.

The nation, Rhode Island, and URI certainly must deal with substantial and difficult challenges. We must not lose sight of the fact that significant opportunities accompany these challenges. As a community, URI can seize its opportunities and overcome the challenges we face, and Lynn and I are delighted to be a part of that shared future.

Demystifying India in India

2009-11-13T16:14:00.012-05:00

As many of you know, this fall has featured an extraordinary series of events at the University of Rhode Island examining the history, politics, sociology, culture, and future of India. As I write this, it is my privilege to actually be in India, where I am participating in a regional scientific conference at the TIFR (Tata Institute for Fundamental Research) in Mumbai. I have already written about the importance and impact of scientific conferences with international participation, and those observations are relevant to this conference as well. However, in this case the participants overwhelmingly come from India and their contributions and the setting provide a rich context for me to learn firsthand about the talents, accomplishments, opportunities, and challenges of this amazing and diverse country. One conclusion is already apparent: it would be desirable and beneficial for URI to increase its engagement with India. I think our students could benefit in multiple ways from studying here. I believe that URI would benefit greatly from the presence of scholars and students from India on our campus. We could learn a lot from the perspectives, vision, and experiences of the people of the Indian sub-continent.

Included in this post are some images and video clips of Mumbai: these include pictures and a short clip taken in some of the caves on Elephanta Island (a World Heritage site owing to the shrines dating from the 4th century CE); a clip of arriving back in Mumbai on a local ferry with views of the “Gates of India” and the famous Taj Mahal hotel; and pictures of TIFR (including one of my colleague and host, Dr. Shyamalava Mazumdar), the coast at the Institute, and part of the Mumbai skyline from the TIFR.

Coming Home

2009-10-28T09:34:00.006-04:00

Lynn and I recently celebrated our first homecoming at URI. Practically every moment, except for the disappointing outcome of the football game, was engaging and fun. The weekend culminated in the presentation of the Distinguished Achievement Awards, one of the most enjoyable and inspiring events that I have participated in since coming to Rhode Island. The night celebrated the achievements of many alumni from all across the university, and I could not help but be amazed at their commitment to excellence, their dedication to making a difference in our world and what they had accomplished. At the heart of their terrific work (and for some the foundation of their families) was an education at URI - an education that had prepared them for a lifetime of achievement. Their stories - their testimonies - are, by far, the most compelling evidence to the quality of the University of Rhode Island and the great value of an education here.

Over the course of the weekend, we met many alumni, spanning several decades of URI's educational mission, all of whom were enthusiastic about the university, what it meant to them, and its future. A common element in all their testimonies was the lasting value of the relationships they had built here and the sense of community that existed during their years at URI. I have been thinking about that: how important it is for education to be centered in a community, and the value of the relationships within that community to learning and growth.

I also attended my first Faculty Senate meeting last week, and that meeting reinforced an early assessment of mine about some of the internal issues we must face at URI. Those issues also involve community - it appears to me that our sense of community has been fractured at times and that there is a lack of trust, and a lack of confidence in the institution and among ourselves. Some of the underlying events occurred years ago, and we need to let go of those. Members of a vital and supportive community must be willing to forgive and be willing to allow members of the community to make mistakes, to fail - and to learn from those mistakes and failures. The flip side is mutual accountability - we must be willing to be accountable to members of our community, willing to admit our missteps and to be corrected, regardless of our position. I see very encouraging indications that URI is moving in that direction.

If we succeed in strengthening our community, our trust in one another, and our confidence that we can resolve whatever problems and difficulties that we face by working together, the University of Rhode Island will be even more successful, and the value of an education here will be even higher.

Visiting URI - West (Montana State University)

2009-10-06T15:38:00.023-04:00

As I wrote this a few weeks ago, Lynn and I were flying to Minneapolis, on our way back to Rhode Island from Montana. It was a great visit to a great place and a great university, but we were happy to be headed home. As some of you know, I’ll be making regular visits to Montana State University because my research group is still located there and working hard on the continuing projects funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. My group was very supportive of the move to URI and continues to be very productive. I’ve included some pictures of them and my laboratory at MSU. Working with my research group is always energizing, frequently exhilarating, and invariably rewarding. I continue to learn a lot from them. Those pictured are (starting top left) are: Fumi Ijima; Koyu Fujita; Doreen Brown; Kim Hilmer; and Dalia Rokhsana and Alta Howells. Not pictured: John Bollinger

Teaching and research have been an important part of my life since I was an undergraduate at UCSD. In fact, the initial attraction for me to become a professor began at UCSD when I was engaged in both undergraduate research and served as a teaching assistant for a first-year laboratory in chemistry. I learned more in those settings than I did in many of my formal courses – even though those courses were taught so well and were superb learning experiences in their own right. But working on problems, or investigating phenomena, for which no one has the answer or an explanation, and developing strategies for teaching others what you think you understand, provide opportunities for learning that simply cannot be attained any other way. In brief, my undergraduate research and teaching experiences gave me the motivation and momentum for an academic career that ultimately led to my appointment as the 11th President of the University of Rhode Island. Who would have thought? Not me, certainly, but the value and impact of those experiences remain real to me every day. That is one reason why I am so passionate about expanding or creating such opportunities for our students here at URI.

I was also fortunate to attend graduate school at Caltech – one of the nation’s premier research universities. Of course, Caltech has a highly distinguished faculty and first-rate facilities. More than that, Caltech has a very student-centered culture – as a graduate student in chemistry, it was abundantly evident that the faculty regarded students as colleagues and cared deeply about our success. Caltech also had low, or nonexistent, barriers to interdisciplinary research and collaboration. As a consequence Caltech earned a very well-deserved reputation for innovative research. These are some of the reasons why I am interested in expanding interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary graduate education and research at URI, and building a strong, student-centered culture for both undergraduate and graduate education.

The economic climate creates many difficulties and challenges for URI, as it does for the great majority of universities and colleges across the country. But we can still succeed at building a culture centered on the success of our students, at creating more opportunities for undergraduates to be engaged in research and creative work, and in facilitating interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary scholarship and learning.

Transparency and teapots

2009-09-25T14:34:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday night I met with the Student Senate of URI for the first time. I was very impressed; they are a dedicated, thoughtful, and articulate group of student leaders, who clearly care about the University and what’s best for students. We met to talk about some of the issues, opportunities, and challenges that we might face, or will likely have to deal with, in the near future. Our conversation was candid – most importantly we talked openly, with other students and a reporter from the Good 5¢ Cigar in the Senate chamber. And we talked about some difficult issues around the ongoing state budget problems and their possible consequences for higher education. I believe that this is how we want to work together as a community here at URI – openly, transparently, and inclusively. I believe that faculty, staff, and students should be involved in deciding how we can take advantage of our opportunities and meet our challenges. To facilitate that we have to be willing to share information, possibilities, and ideas prior to a decision being reached, and that’s exactly what transpired at the Senate meeting. I had previously discussed these budget issues with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and look forward to opportunities to discuss these with representatives of our staff.

In several ways, the Wednesday Student Senate meeting and the resulting flurry of interest from the media illustrate some likely consequences of the new planning and budgeting process that is now in development for implementation this spring. A new, representative planning and budget council will hold open meetings, where anyone would be welcome to attend, including, I am sure, a reporter from the Good 5¢ Cigar, and perhaps other media. The council, composed of senior university leadership, deans, faculty, staff, and students will discuss and consider strategic priorities, possibilities, opportunities, and challenges for URI. The Council will develop the budget recommendations for my review and approval. We should anticipate that some meetings will generate debate and discussion across the campus. Honestly, I think it would be a great outcome to see students, faculty, and staff discussing the council’s meetings, sharing ideas, and providing feedback. To be sure, at times this kind of open and transparent process will generate external attention, even concern, and occasionally surprise and confusion. I think that’s ok – it can be considered the price we pay for participation and transparency. As we grow accustomed to our new approach to planning and budgeting the instances of surprise and confusion will diminish. The outcomes – the URI community will have the opportunity to share in creating our future, people at URI and across the state will know what we are doing (and planning) and, also importantly, why – will certainly be more than worth the cost.

Listening to Rhode Island

2009-09-15T15:28:00.001-04:00

As everyone seems to be aware, I have been interviewed a lot recently; check out www.uri.edu/president/media.html. It’s been fun! And the people involved, ranging from Heidi Watney to Dan Yorke, have invariably been friendly and engaging. Some of the questions have been challenging, but all of them (so far) have been fair and certainly of interest to Rhode Islanders. But to me the best part has been what the questions themselves, as well as sideline conversations, reveal about what folks here think about URI, education more generally, the state, their communities, and the challenges and opportunities that they face. Outside of the formal interviews, there have been many other conversations that have taught me a lot. Here are some initial observations; I expect that I’ll return to this theme in subsequent posts, following even more conversations and additional time for reflection.

First, folks here seem to love Rhode Island, even though they appear to think that the state is much bigger than it truly is, and have no idea how to provide directions to someone who isn’t already intimately familiar with the history of the place. Despite their affection for Rhode Island, many Rhode Islanders seem to project what strikes me (as a newcomer) as an exaggerated sense of the state’s shortcomings. People seem to underestimate just how great a place Rhode Island is. Interestingly, this attitude seems to carry over to the University of Rhode Island. I heard on several occasions, from long-time Rhode Island residents, that they had been recently surprised to discover the degree of excellence that exists at URI. The quality of specific academic programs, the achievements of students and faculty, the prominence of URI’s reputation in particular areas, the overall value of an education here – all of these were a source of some surprise. On one hand, I enjoyed hearing such very positive comments. On the other, I was a little surprised myself by the fact that people in Rhode Island were unfamiliar with the quality of the state’s research university. During move-in weekend, Lynn and I met many parents and students from outside the state who were attracted by the quality and value of a URI education. In many disciplines, URI has a national reputation for excellence and faculty who are renowned among their peers. URI has a strong reputation for a high-quality intercollegiate athletics program – our teams compete hard and our student athletes perform well both in their classes and their sports. I could go on.

So where’s the disconnect? Let me be candid: our success and quality are not uniform - there are certainly areas in which URI should, and will, improve. As a university we should aim for excellence in everything we do. That is one reason why we should not do everything, and perhaps why we should stop doing some things. We also need to be more effective in getting our messages out. The recent efforts in branding and marketing are very positive steps, but we need to do more. If you are an alumnus or supporter of URI, well, we need your suggestions and your help with that. Most importantly, though, we need to re-emphasize our focus on what matters most – the success of our students. Their enthusiasm, their achievements, their commitment to make a difference in our world – that will be the greatest testimony, and the most remembered, to the quality and value of URI.

It's Time to Begin (Again)!

2009-09-04T15:34:00.002-04:00

It's Friday, September 4th. This week has been hectic, as every week has been so far, but with a new and very special element - all the meetings and activities surrounding the beginning of a new academic year. Obviously, it's my first academic year at the University of Rhode Island, so I will always have a unique connection to the Class of 2013 as we begin our first year together. I look forward to meeting many of you and your families as you move in and at our first home football game this weekend. You have made an excellent choice to pursue your future at URI. Our faculty and staff will work diligently and enthusiastically to help our newest students, whether entering higher education for the first time or transferring to URI to continue their studies.

I am also very much looking forward to meeting our returning students, many of whom are already on campus to assist our new students and help the university get off to a great start for the 2009-10 academic year. You will undoubtedly teach me a lot. That is one of the many, many reasons I love being at a university like the University of Rhode Island - I can be a part of a close and friendly community where all those who belong are learning together.

Hope to see you on campus. Look for me, Lynn, and Rhody, our dog (although I am sure that Rhody the Ram will be much more visible) and be sure to say hi!

We Deal in Hope

2009-08-28T14:00:00.002-04:00

I’m a fan of the movie The Magnificent Seven, a remarkable translation of Kurosawa’s masterpiece – “The Seven Samurai” - to the Western genre. In the movie, a large group of marauding bandits come to a village to loot it of food and other supplies. But the villagers have managed to hire a group of seven gunfighters to defend them from the bandits. Recognizing the difficult challenge the gunfighters might pose, the leader of the bandits offers to make a deal with them. In one of the most memorable lines ever uttered in a Hollywood western, Steve McQueen, who plays one of the gunfighters, responds: “We deal in lead, friend.”

The University of Rhode Island deals in hope. As I mentioned previously, it is a special feeling to come to work in a place with the word “Hope” emblazoned on its seal. According to the state government web site, the word “Hope” was added to the seal for the colony in 1664 and is probably inspired by the Biblical verse: “We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19). As a university, URI is all about hope – the hopes of our students, the hopes of their families, the hopes of the citizens of Rhode Island, indeed, the hopes of our nation and much of the world. Every day our emblem reminds me that our goal, first and foremost, is to help people realize their hopes and dreams. I think that is why Congress created the land-grant university in 1862 and that is why our role has never been more important.

Over the past week or so, I have seen and heard the hopes expressed that URI can continue to provide the opportunities for students to pursue their goals and simultaneously to expand its research activities. As I shared with the Providence Chamber of Commerce, the South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce, and many others, fulfilling these hopes is the heart of URI’s mission and a critical contribution to building a better economic future for the people of Rhode Island. The opportunity for upward mobility, a strong basic standard of living, a compassionate and generous society, and a life lived in joy and good health, are hopes we all share. I believe, and will always believe, that a quality education is essential for these hopes to become substance. And that is what the University of Rhode Island is all about.

We made it!

2009-08-18T17:46:00.011-04:00

We made it! Lynn and I have been looking forward to this day since May – the day not only we, but also Rhody and our moving van, arrived in Kingston. And August 13th was the day. We enjoyed our trip from Montana, with its opportunities to visit family and friends and see parts of the country that we had never visited. A few short video clips of the trip are included: the first shows Rhody leaping in the car – enthused, I think, more not to be left than about his destination, but he’s an Australian shepherd and may be smarter than I give him credit for. The second shows Rhody (and us) admiring the statue of Lewis and Clark’s dog at the visitors’ center in Sioux City, Iowa. Rhody was a little less enthused to meet the Caprio’s friendly but gigantic Saint Bernard. Rhody also stopped to admire a memorial to some of the Rhode Islanders who fought at Gettysburg (the third clip). All in all, it must have been quite a trip for a dog that in May was listed for adoption on Craig’s List. We are all settling in, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those who helped with the trip – our movers and the fine people from Conlon (in RI) and Mergenthalers (in MT) who actually got everything here in the same condition it left, and especially, all the great people who have worked so hard to get the house on campus ready. We appreciate it very much. One of our goals is to have the house serve as a welcoming and homey place for the entire URI community.

Finally, many people have asked us what Chris and Samantha think of our move to Rhode Island. Their views are very aptly summarized by the photo at the top of the blog, and now you know why I included it!

The World is Still Round

2009-08-06T23:11:00.005-04:00

It’s another 747, this time headed for Atlanta. I still possess a sense of wonder that one can cross the Pacific and then North America in approximately 13 hours, in part because our world is spherical, and not a rectangle as once imagined. International travel and international collaborations have never been easier. This is, as many have commented upon, both a challenge and an opportunity. I think the University of Rhode Island is uniquely positioned to benefit from and contribute to our increasingly globalized society.

At the 14th International Meeting on Biological Inorganic Chemistry in Nagoya, Japan, I could not help but be impressed by the international scope of scientific inquiry and the frequency of international collaboration. Very few speakers, regardless of their origin, did not acknowledge the importance of the contributions from collaborators from countries other than their own. Twenty, perhaps even ten years ago, this would not have been the case. The research I presented at the meeting would not have been possible without the participation of scientists from Japan, and was initiated by very productive collaborations with colleagues in Germany and England. While at the meeting I hosted a small dinner with students and colleagues from three continents and four nations (see photo) – all of whom are contributing to the success and productivity of research in biological inorganic chemistry. Many faculty members at URI are similarly connected, and not just in the sciences. Our students can pursue their studies across the globe and we can bring students and scholars from around the world to Rhode Island.

In many ways the world is already present in our state: Rhode Island is now, and has been for many years, a destination of choice for immigrants. I think this represents an important continuing opportunity for URI and Rhode Island. Events like the international meetings I just attended remind me that talent, inspiration, ambition, and the commitment to improve the quality of our lives are not restricted by geography, ethnicity, culture, or religion. We can both benefit from and contribute to local and global efforts to meet the challenges that are currently so evident. I think we need to continue the critical examination and enhancement of our academic programs and curricula, our research efforts, and our outreach to engage the big issues – not just in science and technology but also in building more inclusive, more understanding, and more humane societies.

The official language of both international meetings I attended in Japan was English. This is now the norm for such international gatherings, seemingly regardless of discipline or subject. But the informal discussions, the heart of meetings such as this, took place in probably at least a dozen languages. I believe it will be an enormous advantage for our students, our graduates, to be able to engage in such conversations in languages other than English. Language is an irreplaceable window into the culture and history of a country. The ability to communicate in more than one language is, I think, critical in a world that is both flat, in terms of opportunity, and round in terms of its connectivity. We already see this advantage in the International Engineering Program at URI, as well as the International Business Program and our dual degrees in Pharmacy and French, and Textiles and French. It is worth considering whether we should endeavor to create such advantages, and the accompanying opportunities, for students in additional disciplines.

What else might this mean for the University of Rhode Island? I would like us to increase our efforts to build a more welcoming and inclusive community on campus and in the state. And I would like us to increase our engagement with the world outside of the United States. The partnership with Central Falls High School in a very diverse community and the Honors Colloquium on India are two notable examples of URI’s involvement in these areas. Based on what I have observed so far, I think our campus climate is an excellent one: welcoming, intimate, with great faculty-student interaction, and a commitment to embracing and affirming both what we have in common and our differences. If this impression is accurate, then we have a great foundation to engage the world and to build on the successes from that engagement. During my first year at URI, I will be actively seeking to identify and develop opportunities to globalize our campus on one hand and to deepen our local engagement on the other. I don’t regard these as competing priorities but as mutually reinforcing endeavors.

My first ten days

2009-07-28T17:04:00.002-04:00

As I write this I am sitting in a 747 on my way to Japan, having completed my first ten days on campus as the President of the University of Rhode Island. It was a remarkable and completely enjoyable introduction to this superb university. I’d like to share with you some first impressions. The time on campus, and in the state, fully confirmed the impressions that Lynn and I formed during the search process: URI and Rhode Island are special places with a bright future. As you know, I am a scientist, and consequently my views and decisions are data-driven. So, it is fair to ask: why are you so optimistic about the future of URI and Rhode Island given the obvious difficulties and challenges? Simply put - the people. Over the course of my career I have become familiar with many universities and many communities. In my experience, the people of URI and Rhode Island are exceptional. I am delighted with the abilities and dedication of the leadership team, and the faculty, staff, and students of URI that I have met so far. Moreover, the alumni, supporters, and friends of URI are also impressive and encouraging. Everyone appears ready to embrace the future, willing, even eager, to facilitate change and to work cooperatively to build a better tomorrow. I am also very thankful for the warm and generous welcome that was extended to me by everyone I met.

One of the great advantages of URI is that it is a close-knit, caring community in an environment where relationships and personal connections are important. I will always be grateful for the hospitality and generosity of Judge Frank Caprio and Joyce Caprio, Tom and Cathy Ryan, Ed Quinlan and Lisa Pelosi, Al and Gerri Verrecchia, and Victor and Gussie Baxt. I very much appreciate the willingness of our South County representatives Sam Azzinaro, David Caprio, Ken Carter, Rod Driver, Brian Kennedy, Donald Lally, Jr., and Mike Rice to take time out of their busy schedules to meet with me and begin a dialog about how we can work together to enhance URI and its contributions to the state’s vitality. Thanks also to Senator Bill Walaska, Judge Bob Flanders, Jr., and Christine Smith for their enthusiastic interest in working with URI to enhance research and technology transfer at URI.

Last Tuesday evening provided another window on what the University of Rhode Island means to the state. The opening of the Kingston Chamber Music Festival was truly a special, and for me very memorable, occasion. The sense of community so apparent among everyone there, the joy and pride of the volunteers who make this outstanding series possible, and the talent and enthusiasm of the performers was inspiring and uplifting. The creation of moments like that is an important part of the mission of URI. In a world that is simultaneously more integrated (at one level) and factionalized (on another) the arts have a unique capability to bring us together, to illuminate our common humanity, and to create a lasting sense of joy and wonder about the good we can accomplish. The evening began with a delightful dinner at the University Club on campus (a tremendous asset to URI). Thank you, Dean Winnie Brownell, Dick and Ann Beaupre, Jim Hopkins, Susan Hammen-Winn, Enrico Garzilli, Ron Lee and Marie Bender Lee for the warmth of your welcome to the life of the arts at URI. To Rob and Lynn Manning, Ginny Kenney, and many others I met – thank you for your enthusiastic support of the arts at URI.

Finally, I would like to share my admiration for one of URI’s defining attributes – its willingness to honestly and constructively engage the issues our country and our world face concerning diversity. Indeed, this was an important part of the university’s attraction for Lynn and me. Two events stand out from my first days at URI. First, was the celebration of the completion of the summer workshop on peace and non-violence. The commitment of the participants to make a difference, to do good works among us, will extend URI’s impact across the globe for the good of humanity. Second was my meeting with the Equity Council, volunteers all, committed to building a more inclusive, a more welcoming, and a more vibrant community at URI. I believe this is important to providing all our students the kind of education that will help them fulfill their dreams.

There is just something special about coming to work at a place that has the word “Hope” emblazoned on its seal – but more about that in a subsequent post.

Welcome

2009-07-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

July 1, 2009 did not appear to me to be a significant date at the beginning of the year. Now it is certainly one of the most important days in my life. It is not truly equivalent to November 24, 1978 (marriage to Lynn), or to the days on which Christopher and Samantha were born -- but it must be in the top ten. I am very honored and excited to assume the position of President of the University of Rhode Island. Lynn and I are both deeply appreciative of the warm welcome we received during our visit in June and increasingly eager to join the URI community.

Although I will be assisting in the transition at Montana State University for a few more days, the leadership team at URI has already begun to work with me on our URI priorities. During the next few weeks we will be reviewing the planning and budget development processes (as well as the budget for FY 2011) and assessing the key opportunities and challenges for the University. In addition, the calendar is filling rapidly with events and meetings to help us get to know all of you, plus talking with you about your vision for URI, your aspirations, and expectations.

I will be on campus July 16-23 and then off to Japan to speak at two scientific meetings, engagements that were scheduled several months ago; these will be the first meetings where I will be representing URI. Afterward, I will return to Montana to join Lynn and our new Australian shepherd ("Rhody") for the drive to Kingston.

In the meantime you can reach me by calling the President's Office or by emailing davedooley@uri.edu.