These highlights from the last academic year tell just part of the story of this vibrant and dynamic community and our collective achievements and successes. As a University, we look toward the opportunity to celebrate future successes in research, scholarship, and innovation, and to strengthen our commitment to diversity.
The University of the Future
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Focus URI
President Marc Parlange delivered his first State of the University address and launched a 10-year strategic vision for URI — Focus URI.
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The Blue Economy
$100M in voter-approved funding will be invested in URI’s Bay Campus, ensuring that URI and Rhode Island remain leaders in the worldwide Blue Economy and global centers of excellence in ocean sciences.
Innovation and Impact
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Defense Manufacturing
The URI consortium RI MADE was designated a Defense Manufacturing Community and awarded a $5M grant by the Department of Defense to support workforce development and the expansion of defense manufacturing in R.I.
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Sustainable Fishing
URI and its partners are using a $15M U.S. Agency for International Development grant to develop globally sustainable fishing practices, addressing the social and ecological drivers of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Pacific Islands region.
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U.S. Navy Collaboration
More than $16M in grant funding supports collaborative opportunities with the U.S. Navy in applied research, technology transition, and workforce development for the defense industry.
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Human Rights
A URI research team has launched the world’s largest global human rights dataset, which is freely available online, to help researchers objectively evaluate respect for human rights across the globe.
Distinction
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Congressman James Langevin
After serving for more than 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was a senior member of House Committees on Armed Services and Homeland Security, retired Congressman James Langevin is a visiting scholar in URI’s Department of Political Science.
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Jing Jian Xiao
URI Professor Jing Jian Xiao was named the world’s third most “productive and influential” author on consumer finance by the International Journal of Consumer Studies.
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Top 10% in Nursing
URI’s undergraduate nursing program made an impressive jump in the rankings to 67, landing in the nation’s top 10%.
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A Hollings Powerhouse
URI was the nation’s top producer of Hollings scholars among the 84 institutions represented in the competitive NOAA program.
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A Leader in Pharmacy
The College of Pharmacy’s Class of 2023 achieved an 89% match rate in postgraduate first-year residencies, landing at sixth in the nation among all schools of pharmacy.
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Excellence in Cyber Defense
URI’s Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center is recognized as a national leader and is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.
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Inner Space Center
URI’s Inner Space Center is the only one of its kind in the nation. Founded by oceanographer Robert Ballard, Ph.D. ’75, Hon. ’86, who discovered the Titanic wreckage, the center provides scientists worldwide with real-time video and data on oceanographic expeditions.
Research and Discovery
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Alzheimer’s Detection
URI researcher Jessica Alber was awarded a $10.3M NIH grant for her work using minimally invasive retinal imaging to detect Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear.
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Deep Sea Exploration
URI scientists set a deepwater coring record in the Puerto Rico Trench, leading to the enhanced scientific exploration of life beneath the seafloor.
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Impacts of Space Flight
In a series of studies funded by NASA, URI researcher Marie Mortreux is examining the physical impact of space flight on astronauts on future Artemis missions to the moon.
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PFAS Mitigation
URI’s research responding to PFAS chemical pollution — one of the longer-running PFAS science efforts in the country — was boosted with an $8.1M federal grant renewal to continue finding solutions to mitigate the danger of “forever chemicals.”
Athletic Achievements
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Atlantic 10 Honors
Two hundred sixty-two URI student-athletes were named to the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the 2021–2022 academic year.
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Coach of the Year
Women’s basketball qualified for postseason play for the second year in a row, while Tammi Reiss was selected A-10 Coach of the Year for the second time.
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Rowing Champs
URI rowing won its fourth-straight A-10 Championship, with coach Shelagh Donohoe winning her eighth A-10 Coach of the Year award.
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Football Wins
For the first time in 40 years, URI’s football program scored its third-consecutive winning season.
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Track and Field
Men’s track and field won its third-straight A-10 indoor title.
Milestones
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Business Centennial
URI’s College of Business celebrates its centennial year, with events and activities marking the college’s 100 years as the state’s leading center for business education and research.
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Rhody Turns 100
URI’s beloved mascot, Rhody the Ram, turned 100 in 2023.
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A New Provost
URI College of Nursing Dean Barbara Wolfe, an internationally recognized expert on psychiatric and mental health nursing and eating disorders, was named URI’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
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Record Applications
URI saw record-breaking applications for first-year students seeking admission to the state’s flagship research institution.
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TD Scholar Residence
Talent Development Achievement House opened on the Kingston Campus, fulfilling an institutional goal of establishing a dedicated residence for URI’s TD scholars.
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Campaign Goals
More than 32,000 alumni and friends have contributed more than $261M toward the $300M goal of Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for URI.
