Big Ideas. Bold Plans.

The Campaign for URI

A New Era for URI

We are thrilled and beyond grateful to say that we surpassed the goal of $300 million for Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for the University of Rhode Island before its official end date of June 30. In addition to the talents of our students, the brilliance of our faculty, and the value of our University to the world, this initiative demonstrated the strength of our community. Tens of thousands of Rhody Rams came together in a sustained, multi-year effort to make this possible. Every contribution, of any size, helped us get here.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the campaign, students have more scholarship funding, faculty have more research opportunities, technology upgrades are elevating teaching and learning, and student-athletes have more ways to gain a competitive edge.

While this campaign is certainly an achievement, it is not an end point. We have shown what we can do when we work together, and we will continue to build on our core mission of providing access and opportunity for students with need, while also expanding career-readiness programs, performing cutting-edge scientific research, becoming a worldwide leader in the blue economy, and much more.

Now a new era begins. We wish to thank Alfred J. Verrecchia ’67, M.B.A. ’72, Hon. ’04 for his leadership as chair of the URIFAE Board of Directors, which concluded on June 30. I am excited and honored to assume the role of chair at this important inflection point for URI.

We invite all alumni and friends of URI to continue their involvement for the good of our University, for our shared belief in the vital importance of education and research, and with even bigger and bolder plans for our future.

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Honors Students Encouraged to Become Nonprofit Leaders

The University of Rhode Island was among the first in the nation to launch an honors program, and honors students have gone on to leadership positions and unique accomplishments across every academic field. A new scholarship will give a boost to honors students seeking careers in the nonprofit sector.

The Horace A. and S. Ella Kimball Foundation made a $100,000 gift to establish the Thomas F. Black Jr. Scholarship, recognizing the multigenerational leadership of the Black family. Students who receive the scholarship must be Rhode Island residents with financial need.

“The URI Honors Program attracts students from all academic areas to take dynamic, interdisciplinary courses in pursuit of intellectual excellence,” said Karen de Bruin, Honors Program director. “This scholarship alleviates part of their financial burden and allows them to consider careers in the nonprofit sector to address the challenges facing our world today.”

The Rhode Island-based Kimball Foundation, established in 1956, makes grants almost exclusively to nonprofit organizations in the state or those benefiting Rhode Island residents and causes. They have seen firsthand the value and importance of strong leadership within these organizations and want to encourage future generations to contribute their talents.

Founding chairman Thomas F. Black Jr. was extremely generous with his time and his talents in support of local organizations, and Thomas F. Black III ’62 has continued the leadership for decades. This is a fitting memorial to the Black family’s leadership of the Kimball Foundation.

The URI Honors Program was established in 1969. It encourages students to be creative problem solvers and changemakers through its unique interdisciplinary learning options, including undergraduate research opportunities with a faculty mentor. The program hosts the annual Honors Colloquium and assists students in applying for prestigious fellowships and advanced degrees.

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Transformative Gifts Nurture the Future of Nursing

The U.S. is facing a nursing faculty shortage even as demand for practicing nurses grows. Two significant campaign gifts are helping URI in its efforts to address this need: the Dr. Donna Schwartz-Barcott and Dr. Hesook Suzie Kim Nursing Fellowship and the John H. Visneuski Master/Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarship.

The John H. Visneuski Master/Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarship will provide annual support to a qualified student pursuing a master’s and/or doctor of nursing practice degree based on academic merit and financial need.

The Barcott-Kim Fellowship will help build the faculty pipeline by selecting and supporting RNs whose research interest stems from their practice area. Together, these endowed funds aim to develop the next generation of nurses and the nursing faculty who will train them.

“The Barcott-Kim Fellowship will be transformative as it will bring in highly educated, well-informed students who want to be the next iteration of faculty in colleges of nursing.”

Danny Willis, Dean of the College of Nursing

“The Barcott-Kim Fellowship will be transformative as it will bring in highly educated, well-informed students who want to be the next iteration of faculty in colleges of nursing,” said Danny Willis, dean of the College of Nursing.

The College of Nursing has made a concerted effort to expand and enhance its capacity to improve health care, education, and research, resulting in a significant jump up the national ranks. The master’s degree program has drawn particular attention, rising from a rank of 130 just six years ago to the top 50 in the country this year. Similarly, the Doctor of Nursing Practice and undergraduate offerings have ascended 20 and 29 places in rankings.

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Mellon Foundation Gift Elevates Dialogue in the Humanities

Along with its primary role of educating students, the University also connects big thinkers and brings interesting topics to the broader community. Thanks to a new grant, the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences will better serve those important functions over the next year.

After a competitive process, the Mellon Foundation is giving $100,000 to expand learning, research, and discussion about our shared human experience.

“This grant acknowledges the great work that is taking place at the University of Rhode Island,” said Jeannette Riley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Our faculty have developed a comprehensive project that will build on the success of the Eleanor M. and Oscar M. Carlson Endowed Lecture. The aim is to create intellectual space for rigorous debate, bringing together voices from different disciplines and experiences in academia, civil society, and the public sector.”

Undergraduate and graduate students will have funding to take on summer research projects. With faculty guidance, they will perform field research, write up findings, and present at academic conferences.

The annual Carlson Public Lecture Series will expand from two lectures to four, creating a unified series highlighting the range of transformative political actions that counter dehumanizing practices affecting LGBTQ+ communities.

A conference in spring 2025 will bring together scholars from across New England and offer academic networking opportunities for students.

“We are grateful to the Mellon Foundation for their commitment to our programs,” said Kathleen McIntryre, an associate professor in the Department of Gender and Women Studies and the project leader. “This gift is truly transformational for our department and will facilitate a deep exploration through scholarship and public engagement.”

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Fraternity Leaves Lasting Legacy at URI

The Chi Phi chapter at URI has a long history at the University, an active commitment to community service, and many alumni who remain dedicated to maintaining tradition and making things better for those that come after them.

Doug Bennet ’77 represents a group of Chi Phi alumni who came together to create a scholarship for current members and relatives of past members. Collectively, they made a commitment to establish the Rho Iota Kappa chapter of the Chi Phi Fraternity Endowed Scholarship of $1.2 million. The sale of the campus Chi Phi house in 2018 made the gift possible.

“As URI’s first fraternity, we wanted to set an example of giving back to the University and continue our legacy at URI,” said Bennet. “More importantly, we wanted to support our members and their families.”

This scholarship will support full-time undergraduate members with financial need and descendants of initiated members of both the Chi Phi fraternity and its predecessor organization, the Rho Iota Kappa Fraternity.

“As URI’s first fraternity, we wanted to set an example of giving back to the University and continue our legacy at URI. More importantly, we wanted to support our members and their families.”

Doug Bennet ’77

“Before we were Chi Phi brothers, we were URI students. We chose to attend URI for its academics and are thankful that we, in turn, made lifelong friendship thanks to our days in the fraternity that URI supported,” said Bennet.

The Rho Iota Kappa Fraternity was chartered as the first fraternity at the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts in Kingston, Rhode Island in 1908. The Rho Iota Kappa Fraternity later chose to affiliate with the Chi Phi National Fraternity, becoming the Rho Iota Kappa chapter of Chi Phi in 1962.

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Passionate About the Art and Science of Behavior

Balance of the mind and body is essential to Kendra Gever ’24. When she began at URI in fall 2020, she started attending group exercise classes at the Anna Fascitelli Fitness and Wellness Center. She loved the motivational and welcoming atmosphere of the cycling classes.

The activity was a great release as Gever dove into studying both psychology and neuroscience.

“I chose URI because of its undergraduate neuroscience program,” said Gever. “Few colleges I applied to offered an undergraduate program, and I wanted to study the ‘hard science’ alongside psychology in order to better understand human behavior. I knew I would not be satisfied unless I learned the biological mechanisms underlying behavior.

“My long-term goal is to become a therapist,” she said, “so I thought these majors would set me up best for this career.”

Working for two years in Katharina Quinlan’s research lab, which is part of the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, ignited her excitement and appreciation for research. There she honed her problem-solving, critical thinking, and organizational skills, and solidified her career path. She plans to attend graduate school and earn a master’s degree so she can become a mental health counselor.

Her academic activities continued to be balanced with physical activity throughout her time at URI. Gever joined the group exercise mentor program, shadowing a cycling instructor to learn the skills so she could teach cycling classes.

“I began teaching in the fall of 2021 and continued to become more involved in the campus rec program, growing into a position as a program assistant for the group exercise program,” said Gever.

While her work at Fascitelli Fitness and Wellness Center supplemented her expenses, the Nancy K. Bond ’70 Endowed Scholarship Fund, which was established during Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for URI, lifted a heavy burden from her and her family.

“Contributions from alumni have greatly eased the burden of affording class materials, including my computer, as much of the coursework has transitioned to virtual platforms,” explained Gever. “They have also allowed me to adapt to today’s higher cost of living, providing me with the financial freedom to focus on my studies.”

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Kyla Foley ’24 – Inaugural Recipient of the Kenerson Scholarship for Marine Affairs

After meeting as students at URI and spending their lives in and around the Ocean State, Ken and Laura Kenerson decided to establish the Ken ’71, M.A. ’73, and Laura ’73, M.P.A. ’79, Kenerson Endowed Scholarship for marine affairs students—it’s only fitting that the inaugural recipient would be a native Rhode Islander.

Kyla Foley ’24 is using her marine affairs and environmental economics majors to combat climate change and help communities impacted by its effect. In addition to her coursework, Foley was able to intern with Rhode Island Energy through the URI Energy Fellows Program.

“I am deeply grateful to Ken and Laura Kenerson for their support through the Kenerson Scholarship and am honored to have been selected for this award,” Foley says.

Like the Kenersons, her upbringing in Rhode Island and living by the ocean have influenced her interest in coastal issues and sustainability. The Kenersons’ personal commitment to the protection of water resources has resulted in a legacy that benefits students like Kyla and the future of the Ocean State.

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Big Ideas.
Bold Plans.

Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for URI has made all of these things and more possible, advancing URI and creating new opportunities across five strategic areas: