Not far from the stone wall entrance to URI, shaded by pines and oaks, stands one of the most beautiful buildings on campus: The Gender and Sexuality Center. It takes a village, but if you had to single out one person responsible for the project, it would be Annie Russell.
Russell is the director of the center, the first freestanding one in the country. She is also a tireless advocate for the LGBTQ community, a pioneer for social justice who has helped transform URI into one of the most LGBTQ-friendly universities in the country.
One example: Thanks largely to efforts by Russell, student health coverage at URI now pays for gender reassignment surgery, a huge achievement for transgender students who often cannot pay for the costly operation. The center also offers workshops, speakers and programs about gender and sexuality—the civil rights issue of the 21st century.
Born in Indiana, Russell spent much of her life in the Midwest before coming to URI in 2012. She has a doctorate in higher education administration from Bowling Green State University and, in addition to her center job, is an adjunct faculty member in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University.
On campus, her enthusiasm is legendary. When the Supreme Court issued a ruling this summer in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide, Russell, who identifies as a lesbian, sent friends a moving and heartfelt email, saying she felt “elated’’ and included—finally—”in my own country.’’ In her characteristic upbeat style, she also threw a big barbecue at the center to celebrate.
“Being able to live out my passion for advocacy at a university like URI is truly a gift,’’ she says. “Because people at all levels are so supportive, we’re able to accomplish more than I could imagine. The sky’s the limit.”