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URI DPT students Bailey Ricci ’21, Kayla Prior, Megan Byra ’21, Laura Wong, and Lillie Haldeman.
URI DPT students Bailey Ricci ’21 (in black cap) and Megan Byra ’21 (in green cap) with other AmpSurf volunteers and participants.
From the Editor
We’re finally back in print for fall 2022! Thank you, readers, for your patience this year. We hope you enjoyed the spring and summer digital editions of URI Magazine. Paper supply problems persist, so we don’t know what 2023 will bring, but we intend to continue publishing in print and online, although timing and frequency may be subject to change.
Paper or no paper, print or digital, there simply isn’t enough time or space to share every great story that falls on the magazine’s radar. Members of the URI community are out in the world making it a better, smarter, kinder, and more interesting place. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t meet or hear about at least one of them.
While scrolling through Instagram this summer, I stumbled upon a photo from an AmpSurf event at Second Beach in Newport, R.I. AmpSurf organizes events in which volunteers help people participate in adaptive surfing. The caption gave special thanks to a “huge crew of soon-to-be physical therapy doctors” from URI who helped with the event.
When I reached out, I was put in touch with Bailey Ricci ’21, a student in URI’s doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program. She shared these photos and said, “I got involved with AmpSurf (along with other DPT students, through one of our professors who is a veteran involved in adaptive sports) to meet our “broadening experience” requirement—a service and leadership project in which we utilize our skills outside of a clinical setting. We were able to take what we’ve learned about transferring patients, fall risks, prosthetics, and safety and apply it to this experience. We quickly learned the challenges that come with transferring a patient to an unsteady surfboard while waves are crashing on the beach.
“We also had a lot of fun cheering on each veteran as they caught waves, meeting many wonderful people, and learning lots of great tips along the way.”
Thanks to Bailey, Kayla, Megan, Laura, and Lillie for sharing your time and expertise with AmpSurf—and thanks to all of you out there making the world brighter for all of us.
—Barbara Caron, Editor-in-Chief
P.S. I’m going to take this opportunity to brag a bit about URI’s DPT program: It’s the only PT program in R.I., it’s very competitive (admits 32 students per year from 400 applicants), and the program’s grads have a 100% pass rate on the national PT exam and a 100% employment rate. Kudos to the DPT program!
From URI Magazine Readers
Recalling URI’s Continuing Education for Women Program
Diane Sterrett’s “Think You Know What ‘College-Aged’ Means?” (fall 2021) captured my attention. Illustrating, as it does, the University’s interest in encouraging nontraditional students, the article brought back powerful memories of my student days in URI’s CEW (Continuing Education for Women) program.
While the CEW and Age-Friendly University programs differ in significant ways, they are similar in their core belief that learning is not confined to any one age group. As an example of that, due to the opportunity CEW gave me, I earned my B.A., then M.A., and went on to teach English literature and rhetorical writing for 17 years at the former Becker College in Worcester, Mass., and after retiring, I published 10 novels. None of this would have been possible without URI’s help.
—Jean Harrington ’74
A Round of Applause for West Warwick
As a librarian and alumni of the URI Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, I was excited to read the article, “Librarians. Out Loud” (fall 2021). As a former resident of West Warwick, R.I., I was disappointed by the slanted view the town received in the first four paragraphs of the article. West Warwick Public Library is only one of the hidden gems in town. Had the author taken the time to explore the area behind the library, she would have found pleasant suburban residential neighborhoods. West Warwick has invested in the revitalization of the business district and Arctic village. The town is host to the Arctic Playhouse Theatre, a portion of the East Coast Greenway Bicycle Path, and the upcoming redevelopment of the Arctic Mill will have 136 apartments and a craft brewery. New businesses are also coming to the town, such as Music Magick and Victoria’s Sweets and Bakery. The town is working hard to improve and should be applauded. Please do not judge a book by its cover.
—John Fobert, M.L.I.S. ’94 , professor and electronic resources librarian, Roger Williams University Library
How has your life changed because of COVID?
COVID. It’s still here and we seem to be adapting. We want to hear from you. Has your work situation changed? Did your priorities shift? What are you doing differently now? What’s better and what’s worse? How do you think the world around you has changed—or will change? Email us at urimag@uri.edu.
Charlie Lee Story Brings Notes from Friends and Fans
“The Night Charlie Lee Made History” (fall 2021) elicited many notes, phone calls, and comments from Lee’s former classmates, friends, and fans, all expressing fond memories, respect, and affection. Here are a couple of those notes. Visit uri.edu/magazine/charlielee for more.
We all looked up to Charlie when we came to school. He was a great player. It was an honor to play against him in practice and to guard him, then to sit with him at the Union. Everybody wanted to sit near him and listen to him. Great article. All the best to him always.
—Steve Chubin ‘66
What memories. Danny Nilsson lived across the hall from me freshman year. Charlie Lee was a very exciting basketball player and Ron Rothstein was a great playmaker.
—David Greene ‘64
URI’s Rich Basketball History
One of the great joys of attending URI was going to basketball games at Keaney Gym. I especially remember the great turn-around jump shots of Charlie Lee (“The Night Charlie Lee Made History,” fall 2021). In December 1974, URI played DePaul in Chicago. I attended that game, which was won by DePaul, 50–48. The next day the Chicago Tribune reported that DePaul “almost lost to puny Rhode Island.” I took umbrage at that. I sent a letter to the Tribune (which they published) reminding them that URI had a rich basketball history and was a pioneer of fast-break basketball.
—George McClintick ’64