URI Today
Photo Courtesy: Alex and Ani Jewlery
Alex & Ani: A vital force in Rhode Island
When alumna Carolyn Rafaelian got in trouble as a child, her mother, Lucy, would send her to work with her father, Ralph Rafaelian, at Cinerama, the family jewelry factory in Cranston. “It gave me a great work ethic,” Rafaelian laughs. “Always be productive!” She would start by carding jewelry but would often end up firing up a torch and soldering her own jewelry together.
Perhaps it is no surprise to her parents that today Rafaelian sits at the head of Alex and Ani, the Cranston-based positive energy company that is currently the fastest growing business in Rhode Island.
With nine retail locations and 24 more scheduled for 2012 and an international presence, Alex and Ani is rapidly becoming a top name in accessories. Numerous Hollywood celebrities have been spotted wearing the signature expandable bangles, and the brand is regularly featured in magazines such as Vogue and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition...
Today's Top Stories
[GSO] 
Doctoral students win awards for presentations at oceanography conference: Two doctoral students at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography were recognized last month with awards for their research presentations at the 2012 Ocean Sciences Meeting in Salt Lake City.
[Engineering] 
Student’s passion for engineering earns award for research excellence: East Greenwich resident Matin Amani completed bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering at the University of Rhode Island last year, and he followed them up with a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and a master’s in electrical engineering this month.
[Grantham Prize] 
$75,000 Grantham Prize honors excellence in environmental journalism: A three-person team from The Salt Lake Tribune has been awarded the 2012 The Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment.
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