KINGSTON, R.I.—Oct. 8, 2026—University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange will deliver the annual State of the University address today, Thursday, Oct. 8, offering a look at the accomplishments of the URI community over the past year and a vision for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
The address will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Edwards Hall on the Kingston Campus.
The program will feature a talk by Gerald Chan, a scientist and entrepreneur with longstanding interests in higher education, healthcare, public health, and research. Morningside Foundation, the philanthropic entity of the Chan family, has supported both the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and UMass Chan Medical School, reflecting its commitment to advancing health and scientific discovery.
Chan is also a frequent speaker at universities on the future of higher education, medicine, and technology. In 2026, he delivered the Frank Rhodes Lecture at Arizona State University on the future of higher education in America and gave commencement addresses at UMass Chan Medical School and the University of Connecticut. His recent talks have also included lectures at the University of Michigan Medical School and the University of California, Berkeley.
The annual State of the University address provides an opportunity for the University community to celebrate the considerable work of URI faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners in advancing the University’s mission and delivering on its promise to its students, the state of Rhode Island, and the communities URI serves. It also offers a chance to look toward the future as URI builds on its momentum and considers what lies ahead for the University.
That momentum is reflected in a number of significant accomplishments highlighted in Parlange’s 2026 President’s Report. URI’s impact on Rhode Island has continued to grow, with the University generating an estimated $2 billion in statewide economic activity annually and supporting nearly 18,000 jobs. The University’s research is addressing challenges ranging from cancer and homelessness to coastal change and the future of human spaceflight, while URI is also helping shape Rhode Island’s approach to artificial intelligence and advancing plans for the state’s first public medical school.
Students and the broader URI community have also continued to distinguish themselves. URI was again named the No. 1 public university in New England by The Wall Street Journal, while the University expanded its record financial aid investment to more than $158 million and launched new initiatives focused on student success and the future of the state’s ocean workforce. New facilities and infrastructure projects, including residence halls, the Ocean Robotics Laboratory, and the Fine Arts Center, are likewise helping position the University for the years ahead.
The address will come at a consequential moment for higher education. Universities across the country are navigating financial pressures, changing demographics, uncertainty surrounding federal research funding and student aid, and a rapidly evolving technological and political landscape. For URI, those headwinds come alongside an opportunity to build on its growing research profile, strengthen its commitment to student success, and expand its impact on Rhode Island.
A livestream of the State of the University address will be available at uri.edu.
Following the address, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends are invited to gather for a casual reception at the Alumni Center.
TO MAKE COVERAGE ARRANGEMENTS: Contact Dawn Bergantino, URI Communications and Marketing, at 401-874-4147, or dawn_bergantino@uri.edu. Members of the media may park in the Higgins Welcome Center parking lot (GPS address: 75 Briar Lane, Kingston, R.I., 02881). A visitor parking pass may be obtained inside the Welcome Center or in advance through URI Communications and Marketing.