KINGSTON, R.I. – May 4, 2026 – Thirty-five University of Rhode Island students have been awarded scholarship funds by the Rhode Island Foundation through two programs that will allow them to pursue foreign language study abroad. The foundation has named 30 students 2026 Beatrice S. Demers Foreign Language Fellows and five additional fellows are recipients of the Michael P. Metcalf Memorial Fund.

The more than $200,000 in scholarship funding will allow recipients the opportunity to pursue foreign language immersion in countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Japan, and Brazil. 

The Beatrice S. Demers Foreign Language Fellowship program provides financial assistance to undergraduate students, graduate students, professors, and educators of a Rhode Island university as well as Rhode Island residents who are interested in a program of study in a foreign language. The fund is named for longtime URI language faculty member Beatrice Demers, who left $4 million to the Rhode Island Foundation upon her death in 2007 to endow the fund, ensuring that others could carry on her passion for foreign languages. Since the program’s inception, about 300 URI community members have been named fellows–receiving approximately $3.1 million in combined grants.

In 1989, the Michael P. Metcalf Memorial Fund was established at the Rhode Island Foundation to honor the memory of the late Michael P. Metcalf, former publisher of the Providence Journal. These funds provide fellowship grants to college students to subsidize experiences intended to broaden their perspective and enhance personal growth. College freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students who are legal residents of Rhode Island are eligible. Recipients are selected based on the clarity of their application and their thoughtfulness, creativity, motivation, self-direction, initiative, and financial need.

Lily Barber, an art history and Chinese dual major from Colchester, Connecticut, will use her Demers Fellowship to study in Taiwan this fall. This will be a return trip for Barber, who participated in a summer language program in Taipei last summer.  

“I have always held a deep interest and passion for the intersection of art and language – in particular, how we use both to communicate, connect and navigate our current moment, as well as how it allows us to apply an intricate lens when looking to the past,” said Barber, who is looking forward to returning to Taipei.

Thanks to the Demers fellowship, Tommy Vinagre, a senior majoring in Spanish and civil engineering as a member of the International Engineering Program from Belchertown, Massachusetts, will be studying in Spain during the upcoming academic year.

“I am very excited to utilize this fellowship opportunity to enhance my experience in acclimating to the culture of Spain and being able to see what their lifestyles are about,” said Vinagre. “Not only is traveling there going to be an eye opener, but I hope to create meaningful connections with others that will last longer than my stay there and allow me to continue to be involved in the culture.”

URI’s other 2026 Demers and Metcalf recipients include:

Anjolaoluwa Akingbile, a kinesiology major from Providence, is a recipient of the Metcalf Fellowship and will study and intern in Brazil this summer.

Karter Chartier, the triple major in industrial and systems engineering, French and political science will be studying in France during the upcoming academic year with the Demers Fellowship.

Nicholas DiNatale, from Wilmington, Massachusetts, is a mechanical engineering and Italian double major. He will be studying abroad in Italy during the 2026-27 academic year on a Demers Fellowship.

Anna Erb, who was a recipient of the Demers Fellowship, is a biomedical engineering and Spanish major from Westbrook, Maine, who is going to be studying in Spain in the 2026-27 academic year. 

Ann McKenzie Ezell, who was awarded the Demers Fellowship, is a dual major in ocean engineering and Japanese from Whately, Massachusetts. She will be studying in Japan for the upcoming academic year.

Soondus Hammad, a textiles, merchandising and design major from Warwick, was a recipient of the Metcalf Fellowship and will study in the United Kingdom this summer.

Jeremy Herrera Santos, an industrial and systems engineering and Spanish dual major from Providence, was awarded a Demers Fellowship and will be studying in Spain during the upcoming academic year.

Jaymori Leonard, a Demers Fellowship recipient, is from Plymouth, Massachusetts, and is a dual major studying civil engineering and French. He will be studying in France during the 2026-27 academic year.

Caroline McCullough, from South Kingstown, is an anthropology and journalism dual major, a recipient of the Metcalf Fellowship and will study in Ireland this summer. 

Phoebe Nichols, a Chinese and international studies and diplomacy major from Pennsylvania, will be in Taiwan in August 2027 with the Demers Fellowship. 

Vincent Saing, a Chinese and fine arts major from Cranston, will study in Taiwan during the upcoming academic year with the Demers Fellowship.

Tim Silva, a Rhode Island native who received the Demers Fellowship, will travel to France to continue his studies in international studies and diplomacy, political science and French this summer.

Lucas Smith, an anthropology major from Providence and Metcalf Fellowship recipient, will be studying in Guatemala. 

Kiley Stahl, from Halfmoon, New York, is a biomedical engineering and Spanish major. A member of the International Engineering Program, she is a recipient of the Demers Fellowship and will be studying in Spain during the upcoming academic year. 

Kat Toolan, a recipient of the Demers Fellowship and a computer science, data science and Chinese triple major, will be traveling to Taiwan for the 2026-27 academic year.

Maeve Van Couyghen, an English (creative writing) and Spanish major from Narragansett, received the Metcalf Fellowship to study in Japan this summer.

Hannah White, from Sharon, Massachusetts, is a marine affairs, international studies of diplomacy and Chinese major, who will be heading to Taiwan next academic year on a Demers Fellowship.

URI students who are interested in applying or learning more about the Beatrice S. Demers Foreign Language Fellowship or the Michael P. Metcalf Memorial Fund should contact the Office of National Fellowship & Academic Opportunities. 

This story was written by Kiera Wrage, a senior majoring in public relations at the University of Rhode Island. Kiera is interning in URI’s Department of Communications and Marketing.