On announcing his plan to retire in June 2021:
“It is very difficult for me to express how much I have enjoyed and appreciated serving as your president for the past eleven years. No institution means, or has ever meant, more to me than the University of Rhode Island and its people.”David M. Dooley, president, University of Rhode Island, Providence Journal
On the impact of COVID-19, time spent outdoors, and risk of tick-borne disease:
“My colleagues and I were apparently seeing the same things as governments began imposing stay at home restrictions in mid-March; in particular, we saw an immediate jump in the number of people finding attached ticks.”Tom Mather, URI professor of public health entomology, News-medical.net
On plastics contamination in Florida water supplies:
“The worst [thing] is for a state such as Florida to pretend that there is neither a problem with PFAS nor contamination of drinking water.”Rainer Lohmann, URI professor of oceanography, Miami New Times
On rebuilding the economy post-pandemic:
“We also need to really look at ourselves critically, much more honestly than I think we’ve been willing to do in decades now. What are our strengths? And that’s easy. But, what are our weaknesses?”Len Lardaro, URI professor of economics, The Public’s Radio
On the lasting effects of COVID-19 on science following the cancellation of a research project ten years in the making:
“If field programs that measure climate-relevant variables are being canceled or put on hold, this is a step backwards for our contributions to understanding a rapidly changing ocean.”Bethany Jenkins, URI professor of cell and molecular biology, Smithsonian Magazine
On organizing a peaceful protest in Harlem in the wake of George Floyd’s death:
“It was an opportunity not only to protest what’s going on in the community as far as policing and racism ultimately but an opportunity to bring the community together so we can discuss what we want for the future of Harlem.”Shawn Antoine II ’19, WPRI/Channel 12, Providence
Shawn Antoine II is a former Rams defensive back and is currently a filmmaker whose film, Showtime, took the 2019 Hip Hop Film Festival’s “Best of the Fest—New Jack Winner,” an award given to first-time directors.
On survey findings by Yale and George Mason University showing that, despite the pandemic, Americans are still concerned about climate change:
“I’m excited by these findings. Taken together, the report’s findings indicate that Americans are reaching, or maybe even have reached, a turning point.”Sunshine Menezes, URI professor of environmental communication, The New York Times