KINGSTON, R.I.-November 25, 1998 — Dr. Gene Pollart of Kingston, a member of URI’s Music Department, was named a recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence. The award is designed to recognize those who have, through years of dedicated service, made a positive mark upon the lives of those who are involved in music education. The list of Citation of Excellence recipients reads like a veritable “Who’s Who” in the band directing world, according to Paula A. Crider, first vice president of the National Band Association. The citation, given to Pollart during OcTubaFest, which was held last month on the Kingston Campus, praises the musician-educator for inspiring and motivating excellence in musical performance. Richard C. Rhodes III of Wakefield, a professor of fisheries, animal, and veterinary science at URI, has been named a recipient of a 1998 Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Teaching Award. The awards are given by the United States Department of Agriculture to illustrate USDA’s commitment to promoting the highest quality of American education, particularly in the food and agricultural sciences. Rhodes has been a professor at URI for 16 years and currently serves as his department’s chair. Over the years, he has taught 10 different formal courses, primarily in the areas of anatomy, endocrinology, physiology, and reproductive biology. Rhodes has received a number of teaching citations. In 1997, he was selected by the university’s Dean’s Student Advisory Council as “Teacher of the Year.” Rhodes is known by his students as an energetic instructor who encourages student involvement through collaboration on writing-intensive projects. His role as mentor extends far beyond the classroom. It’s not uncommon to see Rhodes with a group of undergraduate students in his office, research lab, the library, or his home. Greta L. Cohen, of Kingston, a sport sociologist who holds joint appointments in URI’s Women’s Studies and in the Department of Physical Education & Exercise Science, has been elected to the New Agenda: Northeast Women’s Hall of Fame. The New Agenda organization, devoted to advancing the role of women in sport, held induction ceremonies last month at the Woodland Golf Club in Newton, Mass. Cohen edited the first comprehensive textbook devoted to women’s sports entitled, Women in Sport: Issues and Controversies, published in 1993 by Sage Publications. A researcher, lecturer, author, and political activist, Cohen has received numerous awards and citations for contributions to the development of women in sport and education. She is the former coach of the URI fencing team, the first University women’s team to be ranked nationally, and winner of eight New England Championships. URI Professor of Communicative Disorders Barbara Culatta, of Kingston, was honored this month as a newly elected fellow at the American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association’s 1998 Annual Convention in San Antonio Texas. Association fellowship is an honor accorded to less than 1 percent of the group’s membership and acknowledges “outstanding” contributions. URI was recently presented with a “Rhode Island Recycles Day” award by the RI Dept. of Environmental Management (DEM). Nancy Hawksley of West Kingston, URI’s recycling coordinator, accepted the award. The RI DEM’s Ocean State Cleanup and Recycling Program annually recognizes communities and/or organizations throughout the state that have excelled in solid waste reduction and recycling efforts. The URI Communications Studies Honor Society, Lambda Pi Eta, recently was selected to receive two national awards at the annual National Communication Association Convention in New York City. The chapter was named “National Chapter of the Year,” and the URI Lambda Pi Eta faculty advisor, Dr. Agnes Doody of Wakefield, was named “National Advisor of the Year.” Lambda Pi Eta is affiliated with the National Communication Association and promotes the study of communication in colleges and universities across the U. S. URI’s is one of more than 180 chapters nationwide. The award recognized the URI Chapter’s work on various community service projects and their efforts to provide an intellectual home for top students in communication. The chapter also hosts Career Forums for the over 400 Communication Studies majors at URI, and member students provide tutorial services for entry level communication courses. The group has also sponsored a Hurricane Georges Food Drive and is currently creating a team for a “Christmas in April” Program. Linda Cacciola of S. Kingstown was recently appointed to serve a two-year term as the Northeast District Representative for the College Athletic Business Management Association (CABMA). The CABMA membership consists of financial management individuals from universities and colleges throughout the U.S. The purpose of the organization is to promote the establishment, maintenance, and implementation of the highest standards of integrity and efficiently in the management and administration of business in the athletic departments and associations of colleges and universities. Cacciola is also serving on the Program Committee for the 1999 CABMA Convention to be held in Tucson, Arizona in January where she will moderate a discussion on the Title IX provision of the Federal Educational Amendments of 1972; specifically on the process of implementing fees to help fund women’s sports in order to move toward compliance. Cacciola has been the Business Manager for the University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics for five years, and has been at the University for 23 years, previously working in the Controller’s Office. -xxx- For More Information: Jan Sawyer, Dave Lavallee, or Jhodi Redlich, 401-874-2116