KINGSTON, RI – May 23, 2019 — The University of Rhode Island Foundation presented its 2019 Excellence Awards on May 15, recognizing distinguished achievement among URI faculty and staff.

Representing four distinct categories, the 2019 Excellence Award honorees are:

Sigrid Berka, professor of German and executive director of URI’s renowned International Engineering Program, recipient of the Administrative Excellence Award. She lives in Providence.

Franca Cirelli, assistant director in the Office of Sponsored Projects, recipient of the Staff Excellence Award. Cirelli lives in Coventry.

Brenton DeBoef, professor of chemistry, recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award. He lives in Smithfield.

Colleen Redding, research professor of psychology at the Cancer Prevention Research Center, recipient of the Scholarly Excellence Award. Redding lives in Wakefield.

URI President David M. Dooley, Foundation President Lil Breul O’Rourke and Geraldine Barber, chair of the Excellence Awards Committee and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, presented formal citations, a plaque, and an honorarium to the recipients before an audience of University officials, faculty, staff, family, and friends at the Robert J. Higgins Welcome Center. In addition to the Foundation ceremony, the recipients were recognized at URI Commencement, Sunday, May 19.

The URI Foundation Excellence Awards honor University members whose hard work and dedication consistently elevate their departments and colleges. Established in 1971, they have recognized nearly 200 faculty and staff for outstanding academic and administrative accomplishments.