URI awarded $4 million U.S. Navy contract Contract funds national internship program run by College of Engineering KINGSTON, R.I. — August 16, 2000 — The University of Rhode Island’s College of Engineering has been awarded a $4 million contract by the U.S. Navy to fund the national Student Services Program. URI has run the program since its inception in 1984. The URI Student Services Program is the only national program to link undergraduate and graduate science and engineering students from across the country with paid internship opportunities at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport. The program’s previous contract, awarded in 1995, was to expire in September. The current contract will fund the program until 2005. The program provides students majoring in engineering, computer science, mathematics, chemistry and physics with the opportunity to work on research projects with professional scientists and engineers at NUWC. “The Student Services Program gives students an excellent opportunity for hands-on learning that helps to sharpen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” said Thomas J. Kim, dean of the URI College of Engineering and director of the program. “The award of this contract will ensure that we can continue to offer our students, as well as students from other colleges and universities, as many opportunities as possible to strengthen their experience and knowledge in applied science and engineering.” As manager of the contract, URI is responsible for soliciting interested students, screening applicants, overseeing hiring, conducting security clearances, coordinating payroll, and assisting with travel arrangements. “Students are typically assigned to a particular project that might include engineering design work, prototypes, data measurement, and testing,” said Kim. “All are quite challenging positions. And some internships result in full-time jobs after the students graduate.” The program annually receives more than 200 applications for internships from students around the country. About 75 students are hired each year, with about half coming from URI. Students hired into the program are allowed to work 20 hours per week while school is in session and 40 hours per week during the summer. They must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average. The salary range is $9.60 – $16.73 per hour. -xxx- For Information: Thomas Kim 874-2186, Todd McLeish 874-7892