URI QuadAngles Spring 2010 by University of Rhode Island

QUADANGLES

ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SPRING 2010 VOLUME 17, NO. 3

Falling in Love with China

2010

BIGChill advance.uri.edu/alumni/photoalbums/bigchill/2010

QUADangles SPRING 2010, VOL. 17, NO. 3

DEPARTMENTS THE PRESIDENT’S VIEW 3 UP FRONT 4 News and views PRESS BOX 8

ALUMNI CHAPTERS 28 Upcoming events and contacts CLASS ACTS 31 News from your classmates, photo wrap-ups, and alumni profiles

BACK PAGE 40 Summer Festival at Watson House INSIDE BACK COVER Golf Tournament 2010 BACK COVER The 50th Reunion and Golden Grad Weekend

WEB EXTRAS URI.EDU/QUADANGLES RHODY POSTCARDS ADMISSION JOURNAL: KUWAIT AND UAE AND MORE…

URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

FEATURES 10

GOING GLOBAL By Jan Wenzel ’87 Profiles of students who chose to study in Australia, China, Fiji, France, Nicaragua, and South Africa

CASTING FOR TALENT By Shane Donaldson ’99 A casting associate with Los Angeles-based Burrows/Boland Casting, Toby Guidry ’01 lives in a world of stars and power brokers

OAHU CONSERVATION SPECIALIST By Rudi Hempe ’62 How Ben Vinhateiro ’08 ended up in Hawaii so far from his native South Kingstown involved a bit of serendipity

THE HIP HOP ACTIVIST By Darran Simon ’98 Solomon Comissiong ’97, M.S. ’00, has carved out a career as an author, educator, consultant, activist, and mentor

THE PLAY’S THE THING By Maria Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92 Glowing reviews illustrate the artistic depth of Janice Duclos ’81, a member of the resident acting company at Trinity Rep in Providence

THINK BIG. WE DO. PROMOTES URI’S STORY By Jhod Redlich ’81 The University disseminates its branded message through a variety of media

COVER: COURTESY NANCY TONG / BEN VINHATIERO INSIDE FRONT COVER: NORA LEWIS CONTENTS: COURTESY NANCY TONG; COURTESY BEN VEIHATIERO; COURTESY SOLOMON COMISSIONG; COURTESY JANICE DUCLOS;© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

ALUMNI online

It’s no secret that the Internet has changed the way we communicate. We’re taking advantage of the latest advances in this technology to stay in touch with alumni and s upporters. inAdvance@URI advance.uri.edu/inadvance A brand new look If you are among the more than 66,000 alumni and friends who receive our electronic newsletter, inAdvance@URI, every other Thursday, you’ll notice a brand new look. Still your source for the latest University news, events, and programs of interest to alumni, our redesigned inAdvance has a more contemporary, streamlined look, is easier to read, and offers regular links to athletics, videos, and more. I f you don’t receive inAdvance and would like to, sign up at advance.uri.edu/ esubscriptions. Alumni Web site advance.uri.edu/alumni And there’s more We have also made some changes to our Alumni Web site. Our Web address is the same—advance.uri.edu/alumni—but the site has a new menu with expanded Web offerings. • I f you are job hunting, be sure to visit our Web site’s expanded Career Resources and Networking section at advance.uri.edu/alumni/ careerresources. Here you will find information about all the career resources URI can offer you—including the services of our new Alumni Career Advisor Karen Rubano. • O ur new Lifelong Learning Opportunities section— advance.uri.edu/ alumni/learning—offers links to educational and cultural opportunities for alumni—including the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at URI, which offers non-credit courses and events for those 50 and older. • W hether you live in Boston, Dallas, or Chicago, it’s easy to get together with your fellow alumni. Our expanded Alumni Calendar of Events— advance. uri.edu/alumni/calendar lists URI events of interest all over the country and includes online registration. What could be easier? Quad Angles Online uri.edu/quadangles Videos and more This issue of QUAD ANGLES Online delivers some great videos, audiocasts, and slideshows. Among them: • A group of URI undergraduates take us along with them to Nicaragua and share an inspiring video they made working with disabled and abandoned children there. • D ana Ramey, M.A. ’80, named Rhode Island Teacher of the Year, invites us into his classroom and shares his thoughts about teaching as a calling. And remember, if you prefer to do your reading on the Web, sign up for a subscription to QUAD ANGLES Online by going advance.uri.edu/esubscriptions.

n EMAIL NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS To subscribe to one of our email news lists, go to alumniconnections.com/rhodeisland and click on Member Services. Select Email Preferences to opt in or out of our email news lists. ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS News and announcements regarding upcoming alumni programs, such as Homecoming, Golf Tournament, chapter events, reunions, cultural events, and member events. RIRAA ONLINE News and announcements about gifts to the Rhode Island Rams Athletic Association (RIRAA), as well as information about athletic events, special ticket offers, priority points, and more. SUPPORTING URI News and announcements about gifts to URI, including gifts to endowment, the Fund for URI, planned giving, building initiatives, and more. URI is an equal opportunity employer committed to the principles of affirmative action. The ideas and opinions expressed in QUAD ANGLES do not necessarily reflect those of the Alumni Association, the editor, or the University. QUAD ANGLES is published four times a year for alumni and friends of the University of Rhode Island; standard postage paid at Burlington, Vt. QUAD ANGLES is printed at The Lane Press, South Burlington, Vt., and is recyclable.

2 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

QUAD angles QUAD ANGLES is a publication of the University of Rhode Island Alumni Association, Division of University Advancement, 73 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881-2011. Phone: 401.874.2242. Vice President for University Advancement Robert M. Beagle Executive Editor Michele A. Nota ’87, M.S. ’06 Editorial Committee Paula M. Bodah ’78 Jodi Hawkins Mike Laprey Dave Lavallee ’79, M.P.A. ’87 Liz Prager O'Brien ’83 Managing Editor Vida-Wynne Griffin ’67, M.A. ’72 Associate Editor Barbara Caron, Online Edition Jan Wenzel ’87 Art Director Kim Robertson Interim Director of Publications Russell Kolton Director of Communications Linda Acciardo ’77 Contributing Editors Gigi Edwards, Online Edition Mary Ann Mazzone, Class Acts Nicki Toler, Alumni Online & Chapters Contributing Designers Johnson Ma Bo Pickard Verna Thurber Photographer Nora Lewis Alumni Relations Staff Michelle Fontes-Barros ’96, Assistant Director Kathleen Gianquitti ’71, M.S. ’82, Assistant Director Lisa Harrison ’89, Executive Assistant Sarah Howard ’96, Associate Director Brittany Manseau ’08, Program Assistant Jess Raffaele ’04, M.S. ’09, Program Assistant Kate Serafini ’08, Program Assistant Gina Simonelli ’01, M.S. ’03, Assistant Director Alumni Association Executive Board Donald P. Sullivan ’71, President Joseph M. Confessore ’96, Vice President Susan R. Johnson ’82, Vice President Gary W. Kullberg ’63, Past President Louise H. Thorson, M.B.A. ’85, Treasurer Michele A. Nota ’87, M.S. ’06, Secretary Councilors-at-Large William M. Dolan III ’81 Carlos M. Ferreira ’89 Allison E. Field ’95 John Finan ’80 Ronald P. Joseph ’67 Kelly J. Nevins ’90, M.S. ’02 Kathleen P. O’Donnell-White ’90 Benjamin W. Tuthill ’04 Andrew W. Wafula ’01 Raymond L. Watson ’02, M.C.P. ’05 Representatives Arts and Sciences: Jerome H. Kritz ’76 Business Administration: Laurel L. Bowerman ’77, M.B.A. ’84 Continuing Education: Edward Bozzi Jr. ’68 Engineering: Leo Mainelli ’58 Environment and Life Sciences: Wayne K. Durfee ’50 Human Science and Services: John Boulmetis ’71, M.S. ’73 Nursing: Denise A. Coppa ’72, Ph.D. ’02 Student Alumni Association: Bobby Randall ’10 Student Senate: David Bedard ’10 URI Foundation: George Graboys, Hon. ’99

URI’s Presidential Medallion At his inauguration on April 8, President Dooley will don a stunning gold chain with a medallion bearing the URI seal. Oval links on the chain show the names of URI’s 11 presidents, with President Dooley’s name the most recent inscription. The medallion and chain were given to URI in 1992 in celebration of the University’s Centennial by Robert C. Corio ’73, founder and president of Robert Corio Designs, Inc., a jewelry company in Johnston, R.I. “Actually, I was asked to design the piece around the time President Carothers took office,” Corio emailed from Singapore, where he was on a business trip. “The goal was to include the names of all the University presidents for the past 100 years. “After some discussion about all the particulars, I decided that I would donate the piece, reason being that since graduation in 1973, I had been successfully employed by the jewelry trade. “As far back as I could remember, my grandmother was a contractor for volume producers in the Providence area. When I graduated from URI, I thought I would find a job in the financial world. That was a struggle, so in 1974, I started a business in fine jewelry, a logical progression from making costume jewelry like my grandmother. “About the piece: It was hand carved in wax, cast in 18 karat yellow gold, and weighs over sixounces. Today its value would be around $15,000. Our company also built the case that houses it.” “Shortly after I got here in 1991, I was able to meet Bob Corio,” remarked Bob Beagle, vice president for University Advancement and chair of the Inauguration Committee. “We talked about the upcoming Centennial celebration. He said he would like to do something to help make the celebration memorable. We agreed on the medallion, which he crafted into a handsome, impressive piece. I’ve always thought the medallion symbolizes two enduring things about URI—the traditions of the University and the nature of our alumni. Bob Corio is clearly one of those alums whose generosity and career successes are what make URI so great.” On March 3, while this issue of QUAD ANGLES was at the printer, President Dooley toured Robert Corio Designs.

A Warm Big Chill Lynn and I, along with our daughter Samantha and her guest Stephen, have enjoyed our first Big Chill weekend. It was an extraordinarily attractive series of events. The venues—including the Coast Guard House, Trio, Rosecliff, and the Hyatt Newport—were outstanding. The food and drinks were superb, and the enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers was infectious. John and Gail Palumbo, Jerry Kritz, Mark Davis, the Big Chill Committee, and the Student Alumni Association did a splendid job in every respect. On behalf of the students of URI, who benefit enormously from the scholarships generated by this event, we thank all who participated. When I think about all the things that make the Big Chill weekend special, my thoughts keep returning to the people. Our alumni—those who volunteer so many hours to make the event successful, and all those who attend and give —are an invaluable resource for the University of Rhode Island. When we look at what makes our alumni so invaluable, we can see many factors. And, in my judgment, one of the most important is their diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. That diversity represents a source of strength for the University. Creating a community that is diverse, welcoming, and supportive of its members has long been a core value of URI. It is clear that our alumni reflect the University’s long-standing commitment to building an equitable and inclusive community. Your continued engagement, whether through financial support, service on advisory boards, mentoring students, helping to recruit future students, or in a variety of other capacities, sustains all aspects of our mission. Our efforts to build a diverse community and to provide the highest quality education to undergraduate and graduate students, especially benefit from your support. Many valid rationales have been offered for the value of diversity in American higher education. I do not need to reiterate them here. Let me just point out that both diversity and global education are built into URI’s new academic plan—and for good reason. In the global economy and society of the 21st century, those individuals and those institutions that can readily work across boundaries, that understand and respect the wealth of human perspectives and values, and that can communicate effectively with people of different cultures and experiences, will succeed far beyond those trapped in the patterns and prejudices of the past. In the months ahead, I will be pursuing ways for us to expand the global experiences we offer students while also pursuing ways to integrate more culturally diverse experiences into our educational offerings. The University of Rhode Island wants its students to fulfill their highest hopes and aspirations, regardless of their identity or background. That is why URI must create a community that is rich in diversity but united around our shared purposes of learning, of discovery, of creating, and of reaching out to make a difference for good. —David M. Dooley

Slideshow | uri.edu/quadangles PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 3

UPfront Lending a Presidential Hand URI President David M. Dooley will take an active role in improving Rhode Island’s economy following his appointment this winter to the state’s Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors by Gov. Donald Carcieri. Dooley’s appointment marks the first time a URI president has served on the board. His three-year term ends Feb. 1, 2013. In 2009, Carcieri signed into law changes to revitalize the board, expanding it from nine members to 13, including one member from higher education. “With an expanded and more focused board, a seasoned economic

Tiny Bubbles Matter

development professional leading the agency, and a clear strategic plan to move our economic development efforts forward, the tools are in place to improve the EDC, be more responsive to our existing businesses, support the growth of new industries, and improve our economic climate,” the governor said in his announcement. Dooley’s economic development experience while at Montana State University will prove an asset. While there, he played a key role in creating partnerships between the school and private companies.

Video | uri.edu/quadangles

Champagne bubbles that appear to jump out of your glass and tickle your nose are exhibiting a behavior quite similar to the tiny bubbles found throughout the world’s oceans, according to bubble physicist Helen Czerski. But while the champagne bubbles are likely to raise your spirits, those in the ocean can cause clouds to form and affect the climate. “Bubbles are little packets of gases that rise or fall and can be carried around as if they’re on little conveyor belts,” said Czerski, a post-doctoral fellow at our Graduate School of Oceanography. “They carry carbon dioxide and oxygen from the atmosphere down into the ocean, and then when they go back up again they pop and sulfur compounds from marine plants are sent upward, forming particles in the air that lead to the formation of clouds.” Czerski is studying how to detect and count ocean bubbles of different sizes to help scientists in other disciplines create more accurate models. She said that scientists have found it difficult to judge the effect of bubbles on their data for years and usually have had to add a “fudge factor” to account for them.

4 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS AND COURTESY OF HELEN CZERSK

Lights, Camera, Action Filmmakers Evangelos Giovanis ’02 (right) and his brother George Giovanis brought Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis to the Ocean State to bring awareness to their upcoming feature film, Bereavement, which stars Dukakis. The celebrated actress has appeared in more than 60 films, including Steel Magnolias, Mr. Holland’s Opus, and Moonstruck. In addition to her Oscar, her theater, film, and television work has also earned her an Obie Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and a Golden Globe. Part of the evening proceeds went toward the Giovanis Brothers Film Studies Scholarship here at URI. To learn more about the brothers, the event and the movie, visit vagoproductions.com/fund.html.

Seaweed & Snails While seaweed is often considered an annoyance to most people, senior Emily Vincent believes that algae may be the key to her future career. She spent a half-year researching the impact of snails on populations of seaweed in Greenwich Bay. “I never knew how complex algae is,” the marine biology major says. “It was so interesting to learn about its different life cycles and its cell structure.” Her research project, sponsored by the URI Coastal Fellows program, was in collaboration with URI Associate Professor Carol Thornber and graduate student Michele Guidone. Vincent sought to learn whether common mud snails that graze on seaweed in the genus Ulva keep the seaweed under control or whether the snails facilitate its growth. She visited beaches around Greenwich Bay almost daily and collected seaweed, some of PHOTOS JOE GIBLIN AND COURTESY OF EMILY VINCENT

which was taller than she is, and placed it in large tanks at the Graduate School of Oceanography, where she conducted feeding trials. “Macro algae blooms are bad for coastal communities, causing fish kills and harming ecosystems and recreational uses of the coastline,” Vincent said. “Herbivores like snails can exert top-down control of the blooms, but we wanted to know which species they prefer to eat.” Vincent found the snails didn’t eat the Ulva at all. Instead, they grazed on the microscopic diatoms sitting atop the blades of seaweed. To learn more results go to uri.edu/news/releases/index. php?id=5161. “We still have a lot more questions, but what we found was certainly not what we expected,” said Vincent, who hopes to continue the study this summer before enrolling in graduate school. UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 5

He’s run six successful multi-million dollar campaigns, infused alumni with energy and enthusiasm, and strengthened marketing efforts everywhere he has been. Despite tumultuous changes in higher education, Robert M. Beagle, vice president for University Advancement, has been successful in these fund raising, alumni relations, and marketing efforts for 30 years. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education recognized Beagle for these accomplishments by presenting him its Quarter Century Circle Award during ceremonies in Boston this winter. The Council is a professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas. “The field of advancement is all about the people,” said Beagle, who has been at URI since 1991. “Success in this field is always related to the people with whom you surround yourself, whether they be staff or volunteers. I’ve been lucky to have hired many good people and have worked hard to retain those people.”

CASE for Excellence

Get It Write in June What better way to spend a few days than on our lovely, lush Kingston Campus being inspired by talented writers and poets? URI will host its popular Ocean State Summer Writing Conference this year on June 24, 25, and 26. “This is a great opportunity for writers of all ages and talents to enjoy a weekend of lively interaction with professional fiction and nonfiction writers and poets of local, national, and international renown,” said prize-winning poet Peter Covino, assistant professor of English and conference director. “Our conference continues to have a nonthreatening and easygoing, accessible energy,” he continued. “Writing and publishing books is important, of course, but creating a community to help sustain your work and read your books is even more crucial. Attendees have the opportunity to connect with others and develop a network of support.” A $7,500 grant awarded this January by the Rhode Island State Council of the Arts will go a

6 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

long way toward building that community. In addition, the Citizens Bank Foundation has provided a $1,000 grant, as part of a larger grant supporting the arts at URI, to help underwrite the conference. The conference features readings, panels, seminars, and workshops in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and publishing. Attendees can also reserve a mentorship session with visiting writers that will allow them to discuss and review their manuscript one-on-one. Special workshops provide participants with the opportunity to hone their skills in small, intimate settings. In-class writing exercises, reading, and generous feedback from a professional in the field are part of the mix. Interested? Contact the URI English Department at 401.874.5931 or learn more at uri.edu/artsci/eng/. For more information, click uri.edu/summerwriting/ and facebook.com/URIsummerwriting.

TOIP PHOTO BY MICHAEL SALERNO

Documents Her Cancer Treatments

The documentary was screened at URI and at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Mass., where her film media instructor Keith Brown took Ana and some of her classmates. This month, the documentary was re-screened at the theater and was chosen as one of The Best of Open Screen 2009 in short films. “Now especially that I’m better, although the bad parts were bad, I remember the good parts the most. As weird as it sounds, I have fond memories of the experience,” she says. “I learned not to take anything for granted and to appreciate simple things like walking outside and running. I used to be dramatic about trivial things, but now I have a much calmer personality.”

Ana Mallozzi calls studying in England last fall the best experience of her life. “I was so happy there,” she says. “Because my two focuses were school and music, I made amazing friends from all over the world, and played at some of the best places in London.” What a difference a year makes for this 21-year-old musician. When she turned 20, in fact on the actual day she turned 20, she had a biopsy that showed she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Four to six months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation followed at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence: “Since I was older, I made friends with the nurses and volunteers. Everything was really colorful and kid-friendly. I would sit at these little tables and make crafts with the children. It was actually quite funny.“ Ana was neutropenic, which means she had a weak immune system. At the end of each chemo cycle, she would end up in the hospital, staying anywhere from one to three weeks. She took the treatments in stride. “Because my cancer was not terminal and 100 percent curable, there wasn’t that much stress around the situation,” she confides. Ana, an art major, wanted to complete her first course in film. “I was so sick. Literally, by the time I set up the 16mm camera and the lighting, I was exhausted and couldn’t do any more. I had to do everything in tiny pieces. It took me months to complete.” Although Ana says her five-minute documentary about her illness is a bit rough, she’s pleased with the feel of the movie. “I wanted it to be like a scrapbook and just have moments piled together as if the viewer were looking at my journal.” Ana provides the documentary’s background music, playing the guitar and singing an Adele song called “Crazy for You.“ (You can hear more of Ana’s music at myspace.com/anamolli.) TOP PHOTO COURTESY OFANA MALLOZZI, RIGHT PHOTO BY JOE GIBLIN

Chemistry Students Become History Detectives

Undergraduate researchers Vanessa I. Kowalczyk, Megan J. Raduazzo, and Mitchell B. Myers became actual history detectives this winter. Under the auspices of Chemistry Professor Chris Brown, the chemistry majors analyzed a piece of trans-Atlantic cable found off Cape Cod. The section was reportedly from a cable laid in the 1860s. The work was performed for a PBS affiliate in New York,

which produces the show History Detectives for an international audience. The two seniors were able to show that insulation from the cable was the same type of natural rubber used in the mid1800s. A film crew visited URI in February to film the instrumentation, and the students performing the analysis. Watch your local PBS stations to see our budding scientific gumshoes. The program will air this summer.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 7

Jim Foster, right

Dan Rhault

Baseball Rhode Island baseball head coach Jim Foster and former Rhody shortstop Dan Rhault ’09 were honored at the 64th Annual Words Unlimited Awards Banquet on Feb. 21 at The Radisson in Warwick. Foster was selected as the Men’s Sports Coach of the Year after guiding the Rams to a program-record 37 victories, which included wins over No. 8 Miami, No. 11 Oklahoma State, and No. 25 Ohio State. URI also advanced to the Atlantic 10 championship game. In addition, Foster received honorable mention from CollegeBaseballInsider.com for the organization’s National Coach of the Year award and was named the 2009 New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association Division I Coach of the Year. On December 15, 2009, Kendall Rogers of Yahoo! Sports/Rivals.com featured Foster in an article about NCAA Division I baseball’s ”Rising Coaches.” Rhault earned Story of the Year recognition for a story that began when he was four years old and was diagnosed with acute leukemia. After undergoing four years of treatment, including spinal taps and chemotherapy, he finally went into remission. As a freshman, Rhault appeared in 12 games. He recorded just three hits in 24-at-bats, giving him a .125 average. Because of his “never back down” attitude, he improved his batting average each following season, including a .316 his junior year, and a .402 his senior year. His senior year he was an All-New England selection and received the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award after ranking among the league leaders in almost every statistical category. He led the Rams in RBIs (57), walks (27), home runs (11), grand slams (3), multiple hit games (23), multiple RBI games (14), slugging percentage (.628), and on-base percentage (.472). On the defensive end, Rhault has contributed to 28 double plays and one triple play. This year, Rhault was one of 38 NCAA Division I baseball players named to the watch list for the 2009 Brooks Wallace Award, given to the nation’s top shortstop. In the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 26th round, 799th overall.

Football The Sports Network named Rhode Island junior linebacker Rob Damon CAA Football Third Team All-America on January 7. Damon became the first URI player since Joe Casey (2007) to receive All-America honors. In 2009, Damon started every game and led the CAA in tackles, averaging 11.3 tackles per game (124 total tackles). In addition, he posted 14.0 tackles for loss, which ranked fifth in the CAA. Damon also picked up All-CAA Third Team honors, joining teammates Tim Edger and Shawn Leonard, who received all-conference recognition. Edger earned All-CAA Second Team after he posted a league-best punting average of 41.5 yards per game, while Leonard earned All-CAA Third Team honors following a breakout season where he posted Rob Damon 8 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

Women’s Basketball Rhode Island women’s basketball head coach Cathy Inglese picked up her 400th career victory as the Rams downed Albany on the road 65-60 on Jan. 2. Inglese, who is in her first year at URI, had previously won 273 games at Boston College and 120 games at Vermont. Rhody freshman guard Ashley Rivera has also made her mark in her first season at URI. The Massachusetts native has been named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week three times this season. Rivera is just the sixth URI player ever to be named a three-time A-10 Rookie of the Week and the first since Safi Mojidi did so in 2004–2005. In earning her third weekly honor, she joined an elite group of former Rams consisting of Mojidi (URI’s 3-point record holder), Lindsey O’Neil, Jaime Gray (1995–1996 A-10 Rookie of the Year), Rebecca Bright, and Michele Washington (URI’s all-time leading scorer).

Cathy Inglese

Ashley Rivera

single season career-highs in receptions (47), receiving yards (858) and receiving touchdowns (11). Leonard’s 11 touchdowns were the most by any CAA receiver and his 858 yards receiving were the second-most in the league. Off the field, Rhody had 10 players recognized for their work in the classroom. Kyle Elliott, Michael Farr, Louis Feinstein, Matt Greenhalgh, Tom Lang, Willie McGinnis, Matt Rae, D.J. Stefkovich, Greg Wicks and Brandon Williams were selected to the 2009 CAA Football Academic All-Conference Team. The Rams returns to Meade Stadium for the annual spring game on April 24. Shawn Leonard

PHOTOS BY JOE GIBLIN AND COURTESY OF THE URI ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

Tim Edger

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 9

Nancy Tong is second from left.

The Fabric of Family in China

Going Global 10 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

Nancy Tong, a textile marketing major, spent eight months in China to improve her newly acquired URI fluency in Mandarin, gain hands-on experience in the fashion industry, and learn more about her father’s culture. Nancy’s family unites two cultures. Her mom was born in Texas, her father in Hong Kong. The couple met in California where Nancy and her brother were born. The family moved to Glastonbury, Conn., when Nancy was 13. Last summer, Nancy was enrolled in a six-week language program at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou with other URI students. During her summer breaks in July and August, she interned at global trend-forecasting firm WGSN in Hong Kong. Returning to Zhejiang University in the fall, she took business courses and continued to study Mandarin. It wasn’t long before she made local friends and discovered their deep cultural ties. Most were raised speaking local dialects and Mandarin. Her friends shared their views on the importance of family and country history, as well as the benefits of knowing how their present actions would affect their future. Nancy found sharing meals with her Chinese friends helpful in understanding their culture. “Great emphasis was also placed on the taste, look, and smell of food. I enjoyed eating with chopsticks and reaching over people to grab at food. It’s more casual, loud, and messy. Sharing a meal with friends there is more an activity than just a meal.” She admits, though, she did miss the occasional grilled cheese sandwich back home. After graduation in May, Nancy plans to spend the summer with her family and then return to China in September. Relocating to Beijing, she hopes to support herself by teaching English and will continue to develop a Web site she created PHOTOS BY PROFILED STUDENTS

Road To Success: Medellin, to Kingston, to Paris

last fall with Linnea Backström, a Swedish friend she met at Zhejiang University. The Web site, eeera.net/ Eeera/home.html, is written primarily in English and includes photos of the local scene and creative events. An accompanying blog includes personal thoughts and promotions of local music, artists, and shops. “The site serves as a source of information for local residents, but we also want to show international viewers that there is a creative force in China’s youth: it’s new and fresh compared to western music offerings,’” Nancy says. “I didn’t know I would fall in love with China. I really didn’t expect to feel this ultimate connection to the land and people,” she says. “I have spent 20 years in my mother’s home country so I should spend a decent amount of time in my father’s. I have also been able to understand my family, especially my father, a lot better. “

Juan Cano’s often-bumpy road to success runs from Medellin, to Kingston, to Paris. Born in Medellin, he lived there for 14 years until the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels kidnapped his father. Fortunately, one of the rebels recognized Juan’s father as his former boss who had treated him fairly. The rebel, at great risk to himself, released the father from captivity. Still in danger, the family left the homeland they loved to begin a new life in the smallest state of a new country. It was a difficult adjustment. Juan, who was learning advanced algebra concepts and trigonometry in Medellin, was placed in a simple addition class as an ESL student in Pawtucket. Yet Juan pushed for the necessary courses to get to college. After a year at CCRI, he was recruited by Talent Development and enrolled in URI’s International Engineering Program, a five-year program that would lead him simultaneously to degrees in mechanical engineering and French. “The world has become a narrower place,” he says, explaining his choice of learning a third language, French instead of using Spanish, in which he is fluent, to fill the language requirement. “The understanding of another language and culture is key to good relationships with business and peers.” Just as Juan’s father was about to become an accredited math teacher, he suffered a stroke and was hospitalized for months. Juan, who had just finished his junior year at URI, was needed at home to translate. Understanding his situation, his URI professors rushed to help, giving him work to do online and sending him updates on what he needed to cover. Today, Juan is completing his engineering degree with a ninemonth internship at Saint-Gobain, a global leader in construction markets and innovative, building materials. He is helping validate a model that describes the stress that glass and thin film undergo in the thermal processes. His apartment in Saint-Ouen is a few blocks away from Paris. When Juan returns to campus and graduates in May, his road will widen. As he searches for a career that draws on his engineering and language skills, his supportive family will surely be passengers on the ride.

Did You Know?

• URI students study, intern, or help others on six of the seven continents. • The number of countries our students visit has increased in the past five years. • Students are choosing to study in places like China, India, Nepal, Vietnam, and the Czech Republic.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 11

Helping Orphans in Nicaragua

Video | uri.edu/quadangles

12 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

Matthew Brum and community service go together like balance sheets and audit reports. “I think it’s flowing in my blood,” he says. While working toward a degree in accounting, he has participated in four service trips with the Newman Club. The East Providence resident hung sheet rock, plastered and painted, and paved driveways to help with hurricane rebuilding efforts in New Orleans—first as a freshman and then as a sophomore. He’s also made two trips to Nicaragua. During his junior year, he and 14 other URI students dug trenches and built steel structures under scorching sun to help build a new orphanage for disabled and abandoned children in Diriamba. The orphanage is run by the Mustard Seed, a Roman Catholic organization dedicated to caring, sharing and training, and uplifting the most vulnerable members of society—especially handicapped and abandoned children—and marginalized communities. “I remember getting off the bus and asking myself what I had gotten myself into. Here I was in a foreign country, unable to speak the language, about to spend a week with children with whom I couldn’t communicate,” he recalls. Within an hour of spending time with the children—some of whom couldn’t speak, hear, or see—his fears disappeared. “Human interaction doesn’t need a language,” he says. “There is a mutual understanding. Spending time with the children was the most rewarding, playing with them, feeding them, walking them, and rocking them to sleep. All the children wanted was love.” During their stay, the URI students were driven to see the Nicaragua garbage dump. “It wasn’t your average dump. It was a town of more than 3,000 people located within a garbage dump filled with debris, trash, and unimaginable pollution,” Matthew says. Although the students brought food for their visit, it quickly ran out. “I’ll always remember trying to carefully break the Ritz crackers my friend had bought so that we could give more kids something to eat,’” says Matthew, who left 90 percent of the clothes he took with him in Nicaragua. “I had enough clothes at home. They didn’t” says the senior, who has already been hired by CBIZ Tofias and Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.—Tofias New England Division, together the 8th largest accounting firm in the U.S. The Newman Club needed to raise $18,000 to return to Nicaragua last winter. With help and fundraising support of the nearby Christ the King Church, the 16 URI students raised $25,000. “That extra was enough to buy a bus for the orphanage,” says Matthew. When they boarded the plane to Nicaragua, the URI students carried 15 bags of donations filled with Mustard Seed wish list items.

Saving African Lives One Clean Drop at a Time Sophia Narkiewicz ’08 has always found water fascinating. “It’s our biggest commodity and our greatest natural resource,” she says. After spending nearly 14 weeks during two trips to the rural Limpopo Province of South Africa, the civil and environmental engineering graduate student has a deeper appreciation for clean water. The World Health Organization requires water to have less than one count of coliform bacteria per 100 milliliters to be drinkable. In the Limpopo Province, which lacks a regulatory system, it’s common to find 4,000 to 6,000 counts per 100 milliliters. To compound the problem, South Africa has one of the highest HIV rates in the world. In the region where Sophia worked, for example, 18.5 percent of the pregnant women are HIV positive. So when many South Africans drink the contaminated water, they get sick. When an HIV patient drinks the contaminated water, even if they are receiving antiretroviral drugs, they have a hard time fighting a variety of diarrheal diseases caused by microorganisms and often die. Enter a deceptively simple porous clay pot that filters water. The pot, which fits inside a five-gallon bucket with spigot, is proving to be a lifesaver.

Sophia is part of a ninemonth collaboration among URI Assistant Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Vinka Craver, the University of Virginia, and the University of Venda (located in South Africa) to help teach HIV patients how to use the filter and assess its effectiveness. During her first stay in Limpopo Province, Sophia teamed up with students at the University of Venda, a graduate student from the University of Virginia, and nuns that operate the nearby St. Joseph’s clinic. Together they recruited 93 individuals to participate in the study, surveyed them about their health, water consumption and demographics, and taught them how to use the filter. Sophia returned to South Africa this January to make sure the filters are still performing properly and test their effectiveness. So far there has been a significant difference in the health of HIV patients who drink the filtered water compared with those who don’t. And word of that success is spreading. The URI graduate student feels that regardless of her future path of civil engineering, she will never forget the true need of clean water for each and every person.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 13

Australia: One of Many Stops

Stacey Konstantinov was nearly born with a suitcase in her hand. Her parents emigrated to America when she was three and moved around the country, living in Michigan, Florida, and New York before settling in West Orange, N. J. Growing up in America in a Russian family and with no siblings, Stacey had to figure things out on her own. She drew upon those earlier experiences as a URI sophomore. While spending the spring semester studying at Bond University on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, she got mononucleosis. “I had to know where to go, what to do, and who to see on my own. These tasks sound so simple until you’re in another country doing them on your own,” says the marketing major. “Studying abroad is such a personal journey you can only experience it by doing it,” she says. “I learned how to become

14 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

self-sufficient. Although I’ve always been an independent person, this experience taught me that even more.” When she was in high school, Stacey knew she wanted to study in Australia one day because of her interest in marine biology. “Australia was one of the greatest places to learn about marine life, especially with the Great Barrier Reef, the largest reef in the world, located there. Although marine biology is no longer my major, I still enjoy learning about it.” She found her Australian classmates’ study habits differed from her own. “Many URI students will gather and discuss the way they plan to study for an exam and with whom. The Australians were quieter about their study habits. They sit down and get everything done without much discussion.” She also noticed that her Australian peers participated a lot more in classes. “At first,

I thought it might be because the Americans were shy in a different country at a new school. However, even after a few months, I noticed the Aussies were still more talkative. I think this is a great characteristic because not only did I learn from my professors, but from my peers as well.” Travel continues to be a road that winds throughout the URI junior’s life. Once acclimated to America, her family traveled to Spain, Barbados, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and other U.S. states. During this year’s winter break, Stacey visited Costa Rica with family and friends. Along with her love of travel, she loves sports and hopes to combine the two after graduating in 2011. Her goal is a job in a marketing department for a sports team. She keeps a list of the top 20 places she would like to visit and plans to check them off at some point in her life. Meanwhile, her suitcases are nearby.

To Fiji with Love Brett Geaber’s mother always envisioned her son teaching children at the Gospel School for the Deaf in Suva, Fiji, where she volunteered as part of her ministry in 2004. While Brett was putting an internship together, Diane Geaber was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died last June. “I had to fulfill the promise I made to her so I picked up the pieces and flew to Fiji last Sept. 12,” says Brett, who earned his communication studies degree in December. “When I arrived after crossing the dateline, it was Sept. 14, my mom’s birthday. I didn’t plan it, but I knew that it was a sign.” During Brett’s internship, he kept his cameras rolling while teaching children martial arts and hip hop to create a variety show for friends and families. “I was teaching something that a lot of them had never seen before so I wasn’t sure how they would react,” the Kingston resident recalls. “They loved hip hop and picked it up so fast it was incredible. People in Fiji, even the kids, are open minded and welcoming. They all made me feel at home and part of the family so that after two months I didn’t want to leave.” When Brett was young, he began creating short films after finding his parents’ old video camera. He combined film with his hobby of recording hip-hop music with friends to create music videos in high school.

His interest in martial arts and performance began when he watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shirley Temple. When the Ichiban Karate Studios in Wakefield opened, he begged to join. His parents finally relented and signed him up when he was four. A quick learner, he became part of a demonstration team when he was six. Today he teaches at the studio and holds a fourth degree black belt in Shorin-Ryu Shodokan and a first-degree black belt in Kobudo (weapons). Hip-hop dance and break dancing expertise followed naturally. While at URI, he was a member of the hip-hop dance team Flavor Unit. He combined all three hobbies during his internship. “This was a time to reflect and come to grips with a lot of things,” says the 23-year-old. “Through these beautiful kids, I saw reflections of my mom.” Brett created a 15-minute documentary about his trip. “My message is that you can be a light anywhere in the world. You just have to have faith.” Professor Alain-Philippe Durand, who directed Brett’s internship, calls the documentary innovative. “Not only was I impressed by the quality of his film, but I am also very impressed by Brett’s work with the students while at the school,” says the professor of French and Francophone studies. By Jan Wenzel ’87 wenzel@advance.uri.edu

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 15

Casting for Talent

he names are recognizable to anyone with a passing interest in the entertainment world: Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, the Farrelly brothers, Tony Scott. Most of the world knows them as the biggest directors in Hollywood. Toby Guidry ’01 knows them as co-workers. Guidry moved to Los Angeles six years ago when he was 25. After several years working entry-level jobs with little to no pay, he has earned his place in the entertainment world with his eye for talent. A casting associate with Los Angeles-based Burrows/Boland Casting, Guidry lives in a world of stars and power brokers, logging long hours to find the right talent. In the fall of 2009, he worked with Zemeckis to cast the upcoming remake of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine. The film will be made in new 3D performance capture technology through a deal between Walt Disney Studio’s ImageMovers Digital and Apple Corps.

Toby Guidry on set with a few of the actors from the Robert Zemeckis film, Yellow Submarine. The actors are wearing special motion-capture suits that allow cameras to register their movements, which are then used to develop the 3-D animation.

16 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

For Guidry, finding the right people to star in Yellow Submarine meant weeks of watching the original, not to mention scores of other footage of the Beatles. He had to know the body movements of John, Paul, Ringo, and George and be able to identify an authentic Liverpool accent. Fourteen-hour days were the norm during the preparation time and casting sessions. You might say he was working a hard day’s night for weeks on end. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the original Yellow Submarine, but it’s a pretty trippy experience,” Guidry said with a laugh. “Being a part of this film is incredible. To watch it come together with the technology is amazing because it is animated, but they are using the actual body movements and facial expressions of the actors.” This is Guidry’s world. He sits with the directors of movies and television shows and reads scripts and gets a sense of their vision of a project. From there, he has to find the right actor. “Ultimately it is the decision of the producer or director as to who gets a part, but if I find the type of actor they are looking for, it makes their lives easier,” Guidry said. “There is a lot of loyalty when a project is successful. When a producer or director is starting a new film, they want to assemble the same team if they can.” Guidry’s casting is clearly getting noticed. Before Yellow Submarine, he worked on Bruckheimer’s Confessions of a Shopaholic. Since 2009, in addition to the

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOBY GUIDRY

Zemeckis projects, he has worked for Spielberg on The Adventures of TinTin: The Secret of the Unicorn (scheduled for release in 2011), for Scott in The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, and for Gary Winick in the comedy hit Bride Wars starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. In the casting world, there are three levels: casting director, casting associate, and casting assistant. Guidry got his first break as an assistant on the 2005 Disney comedy Herbie Fully Loaded and has steadily moved up. Although most of his work now is at the casting associate level, he has casting director experience as well. His first project as a casting director was for a television sit-com pilot titled Back Nine for Spike TV. If the early part of 2010 is any indication, Guidry is still on the rise. In January, Burrows/Boland agreed to work on casting for Peter Jackson’s next film, The Hobbit. Jackson scored massive success with previous J.R.R. Tolkien material, The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Jackson was also a producer for The Adventures of TinTin. Although he remains focused on the work at hand, every once in a while Guidry allows himself to step back and soak in his surroundings: “I worked on a television pilot with Bernie Brillstein, which is something I will never forget. It was like he was the Godfather—everyone was coming over to shake his hand and show respect.” Before his death in 2008, Brillstein made his mark as a producer, particularly in tele-

vision, where he produced some of the biggest shows in history, including Hee Haw, The Muppet Show, and Saturday Night Live. He was a longtime business partner of Brad Grey, the CEO of Paramount Pictures. Together they developed The Larry Sanders Show and The Sopranos for HBO. “He was a legend in the business, and there I was at the table with him,” Guidry said. “The thing that struck me was how kind and respectful he was. Here is a man who has done so much, but he took the time to talk with you and make you feel important.” Guidry understands the importance of role players. Long before entering the entertainment business, he was a walk-on for the 1999-2000 URI men’s basketball team and often played pickup games with Cuttino Mobley and Lamar Odom, two of the best players in school history. “Coming out of high school, I wanted to play Division I basketball, but it didn’t happen the way I had hoped,” Guidry said. “I was enjoying myself at URI, but I wanted to feel more a part of the University. I knew I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t try out.” He did more than try out, as he earned a roster spot and donned Keaney blue. “The experience made me stronger as a person,” Guidry said. Similarly, as his profile continues to grow in the entertainment world, Guidry feels that he belongs in the world of actors—both stars and up-and-coming talent. By Shane Donaldson ‘99 UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 17

Oahu How Ben Vinhateiro ended up in Hawaii so far from his native South Kingstown involved a bit of serendipity. After graduation Vinhateiro booked passage on a research cruise through URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography.

00 QUAD ANGLES MONTH YEAR | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

Conservation Specialist

he recession has made it difficult for college graduates to land jobs in their specialties, but one recent URI alum has not only found his dream job—he found it in a tropical paradise. Ben Vinhateiro graduated in December 2008 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Management from the Department of Natural Resources Science (NRS) in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences. En route to his degree, he had the unique distinction of conducting his own project at URI’s Peckham Farm where he demonstrated how small farms can reduce polluted runoff from paddocks. It’s unusual for an undergrad to run his own project, noted Professor Arthur Gold, Vinhateiro’s NRS mentor, but Ben did it and received quite a bit of publicity about his project at the time. It turns out that experience—plus a great deal of accidental good fortune—helped Vinhateiro land a job as a conservation specialist for the entire island of Oahu. He started the job in June 2009 and has already fallen in love with the climate, the people, the terrain and his duties as one of only two paid conservation specialists on an island that is roughly half the size of Rhode Island. Vinhateiro is paid via a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health because his job has mainly to do with water quality and quantity for a host of users, from developers to farmers. Using standards established by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), he assists landowners with managing their water resources so that they have plenty when Mother Nature is stingy and can conserve when Mother Nature is too generous—as can happen on a tropical island.

PHOTOS COURTESY BEN VINHATEIRO

“I hope to stay here a long time,” Vinhateiro said by phone in a recent interview, noting that funding for the position is traditionally renewed every two years. How he ended up in Hawaii so far from his native South Kingstown involved a bit of serendipity. After graduation Vinhateiro booked passage on a research cruise through URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography. “It was a cool opportunity,” he said, “a free ride from Costa Rica to Hawaii.” En route he started checking job opportunities, and an ad for a conservation specialist on Oahu “just popped up.” In May 2009 the Oahu authorities offered him the job: “My URI degree and my past experience helped me get the job,” he said. In particular, the project he ran at Peckham Farm turned out to be “my bread and butter project; that sort of water management is just what I’m doing now.” There are myriad water quality issues on the island. Mountain ridges help create unusual weather patterns with the east side of the island getting more rain. At times there can be too much rain, and so there are erosion issues. In addition, farmers want to store water for the times when the rain does not fall. Mulches and water containment structures, both artificial and natural, can be employed to help recharge the aquifer. Vinhateiro works for three conservation districts that cover the island. Like conservation districts in Rhode Island, each district has an all-volunteer board. While there are occasions where he works with NRCS, which can offer partial grants to farmers, the bulk of his work is providing advice and information for landowners who wish to remain independent of

government funding and either do the work themselves or contract it out. “There are many ways the conservation district can help,” he says, adding that usually he approaches each project by looking at it from all angles including air, water, soil, plants, and animals. “We also have to consider the human component as well— such as what kind of labor is involved and cost factors.” Vinhateiro and his wife, Karuna, whom he met in Switzerland, have a small apartment on the outskirts of Honolulu near Diamond Head. She is a professional contemporary dancer who is currently working part-time. While Hawaii has a lot to offer, it is lacking in the arts, said Vinhateiro. One thing Oahu does not lack is high waves, and Ben and Karuna have become surfing addicts: “We have surfed in Rhode Island, but that’s nothing like it is here.” The cost of living on Oahu is high, he said, but then local foods are plentiful. “The farmers’ markets are incredible; in some places lines can be 30 people long. There is a tremendous cry for local foods, and Hawaii is one place where you can put together a complete meal with local food.” Vinhateiro’s job offers a lot of variety with never a dull moment. As for agriculture, he notes that contrary to widespread perception, there are not a lot of pineapple fields on Oahu and sugar cane is not grown there. Rather there are a large variety of vegetable farms, “they can even grow kale here,” and ranches producing grass-fed cattle. There is also plenty of aquaculture and hydroponic agriculture. “This is just a great job for me, and we’re both very happy,” Vinhateiro said. “Now it’s just a matter of us convincing our families to visit.” By Rudi Hempe ’62

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 19

Video | uri.edu/quadangles

HipHop The

Activist

“ Hip-hop isn’t just rap. It’s a subculture, but it taps into history. It taps into social justice. Hip-hop is life.”

20 QUAD ANGLES WINTER SPRING 2010 2009-2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOLOMON COMISSIONG

Solomon Comissiong ’97, M.S. ’00, was born to teach at the college level. In 1973, his mother, a Ph.D candidate at the University of Massachusetts, went into labor with him on her way to lecture a class. He spent his early months snuggled in a baby seat in his mother’s office or in the lecture hall where she taught. Thirty-six years later, Comissiong has carved out a career as an author, educator, consultant, activist, and mentor inspiring black students to embrace academics, think critically, and graduate from college. He co-founded a program that nearly doubled the retention rate of black males at the University of Maryland, where white students often outperform blacks academically. As a kid living in predominantly white Sunderland, Mass., Comissiong, 36, grew more confident as he embraced hip-hop’s lyrics of empowerment. Decades later, he would use the same medium as a teaching tool to accomplish what many hip-hop pioneers intended—that the music and culture be uplifting while telling the stories and history of people of the African Diaspora. Comissiong—who holds a B.A. in Communications and M.S. in College Student Personnel from URI—said hip-hop is “one of the most misunderstood mediums.” He said record labels market artists whose songs are filled with violence and misogynistic themes. But artists who inspired him as a child—like Public Enemy and KRS One—talked about social justice, black history, and black pride. And hip-hop isn’t just rap, he said: “It’s a subculture, but it taps into history. It taps into social justice. Hip-hop is life. When you look inside hip-hop, you find struggle. You find motivation. Hip-hop instilled the confidence in me being a young black male. You had young men and women, young rappers, who were telling you, ‘young brother, young sister, you were born to kings and queens, out of resistance, so it’s OK to be young, black and proud.’” Although he was born in Massachusetts, his family moved to Trinidad, his father’s native country, when Comissiong was a toddler. The family later settled in Sunderland, Mass., but the 10-year-old Comissiong missed the reggae and Soca music of Trinidad. Rap filled that void.

Comissiong would rewind his cassette player memorizing rap songs like Kool Moe Dee’ s verse “The Dollar is Mute. Knowledge is King.” In Intelligent Hoodlum’s song “Black and Proud,” he learned about Marcus Garvey. Garvey was a prominent activist who encouraged blacks to be proud of their race, unite, and return to Africa. “That became my love affair with him,” Comissiong said. His fascination with rap blossomed into a yearning to learn more about the African Diaspora. He once asked a barber to shave a map of Africa on his head and wore the new hairstyle to school. Comissiong grew confident and became a standout athlete, but his grades lagged. He said a number of his high school teachers put smiley faces on assignments when he got C’s while encouraging white students to do better academically: “The expectation levels were routinely set at a low standard. I bought into that. The only constant in my life that pushed me harder was my mom and dad.” Edward Comissiong, who holds a Ph.D in Food Science and Technology from the University of Massachusetts, encouraged his son through letters and calls from Trinidad. Wilesse Freeman Comissiong, former dean of the Balfour Center for Multicultural Affairs at Providence College, is a scholar who told her son of his potential. It took discipline to shoot the 300 jump shots a day and mental prowess to remember rap lyrics and basketball plays, she said. “He’s evolved into a scholar, and that is what we should do as life progresses—evolve,” his mother said. At URI, Comissiong took his first African-American studies class with Cynthia Hamilton, who encouraged students to read. “He has begun to map out a course for himself. That’s so impressive,” Hamilton said. “There are things we do because we’ve been taught, but as soon as we begin to discover things on our own, we begin to map out a new course.” Comissiong returned to campus last October 16 to speak with students at a Meet & Greet that was hosted by the Alumni of Color Network (ACN) and the Life Skills Program in Athletics. At Maryland, Comissiong has taught African American studies classes,

including one contrasting and comparing the history of blues and hip-hop. He now teaches an African American studies class that uses hip-hop to explore social issues affecting primarily people of the African Diaspora. In 2005, Comissiong, two Maryland students, and Ronald Zeigler, director of Nyumburu Cultural Center for black students, started a program called the Black Male Initiative that has increased the retention rate of black males from 28 percent to 59 percent, Comissiong said. BMI stresses brotherhood, fellowship, and academics. Meetings are held at the Nyumburu Center, where Comissiong is assistant director for student involvement and public relations. In 2008, BMI started a mentoring program at Greenbelt Elementary School that reduced disciplinary referrals there, the principal told The Washington Post. Comissiong, Maryland faculty, and students teamed with Justice for D.C. Youth to start an educational program at a correctional facility in the Washington, D.C., area for juveniles. “He’s made tremendous contributions to the Nyumburu Center,” Zeigler said. “He’s an activist. He brings a unique perspective to the campus—somebody who’s going to make social change within students, within organizations. He gets people to question themselves.” Comissiong also spearhead an outreach that raised $13,000 to buy 35,000 textbooks and laptops for schools in civil- war-torn northern Uganda. Through SCMB Consulting, LLC, his seven-year old education consulting business, Comissiong has lectured at colleges and schools. At a pro-bono session, he gave middle-school students vocabulary words to learn and told them to write a rap. One word was ubiquitous [existing or being everywhere]. A student rapped: “My rap style is here. It’s there. It’s everywhere. You could say it’s ubiquitous.” Comissiong knew educators could be effective if they tapped students’ interests: “I knew it was going to work because it worked with me. It was validating.” For more information, visit scmbconsulting.com and solomoncomissiong.com.

By Darran Simon ’98 Darran Simon is a staff writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 21

g n i h T e h t s ’ y a l P e Th “Janice Duclos, who plays Polonius, does an excellent job, pushing her lines well into the realm of comic relief.” —Rhode Island Roads “Janice Duclos, who stars as Beverly, is perfect for the part, a master of deadpan delivery and the disapproving glance.” —The Providence Journal “Janice Duclos is luminous as Josie.” —The Washingtonian

Beverly in The Receptionist

hese glowing reviews illustrate the artistic depth of Janice Duclos ’81, a member of the resident acting company at Trinity Rep in Providence. During her 25-year tenure at the Tony Award-winning theater, she has delighted audiences through a diverse cast of characters from Polonius (typically played by a male) in Shakespeare’s Hamlet to tough-minded Melony in The Cider House Rules to the lighthearted Mrs. Fezziwig in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The opportunity to deliver such varied performances is one of the primary reasons Duclos has built her career at Trinity: “I can stretch myself. All of the artistic directors, especially Curt [Columbus] have been very generous with the roles they’ve offered. Elsewhere, I’d be typecast.” What’s more, the familiarity with fellow Trinity actors helps Duclos flourish. “We know each other and share the same aesthetic. There’s shorthand to what we do, and we bring our own relationships to the play.” This emotional connection has spilled beyond Trinity’s stages and onto the

airwaves, where Duclos and other Trinity actors discuss and perform excerpts from short stories, novels, poems, and plays on Trinity Rep Radio Theater. As director and co-producer of Trinity Radio, broadcast on Rhode Island’s National Public Radio station WRNI, Duclos helps choose the program content. “When Curt was interviewing with Trinity, he mentioned the idea of a radio program, and I immediately latched onto it. I feel so fortunate to be involved with TRRT. I like the sense of intimacy—almost confessional quality—of the studio.” The response to the live radio tapings has been positive, and the program is planning another at Trinity Rep on Monday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. Theater patrons need not worry that the appeal of an intimate studio setting will lure Duclos away from the stage. On the contrary. She is completing a run as Jean in Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone, a comedy about an unassuming woman who gets involved in a dead man’s life when she finds his cell phone. After having portrayed Virginia in Ruhl’s The Clean House, Duclos is thrilled to perform in one of her plays again: “Sarah is an original voice in the theater, and she writes great roles for women.” Jean is the latest among a long list of complex women that Duclos has had the privilege of portraying. Among the more notable characters Duclos has brought to life is Eugene O’Neill’s Josie Hogan in Moon for the Misbegotten. Her critically acclaimed performances at both Trinity and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., drew theatergoers from as far away as Ireland.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY

22 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

“The role is emotionally and physically demanding—you are onstage for about three hours. Because O’Neill’s language, relationships, and storytelling is so rich, it was a welcome challenge.” For some actors, starring as the strongwilled Josie would top their professional life lists, yet Duclos does not have a role she considers the top: “My ideal role is the next one I am doing. For example, playing Fräulein Kost in Cabaret was not on my radar screen, but she quickly became a favorite of mine. I loved the fact that audiences perceived her as funny and likable at first, but by the end of the act they were surprised by an unexpected dark side. I like that kind of dimension in a character.” Having delivered multifaceted characters on stage for decades, Duclos would love to have another opportunity to direct on the main stage at Trinity. In 1992 she directed One for the Money, a comedy revue that she had written about a financially strapped theater that holds a telethon to raise money. Duclos developed material for One for the Money while pursuing her undergraduate degree in theater at URI. “I took a revue writing class with Kimber Wheelock the first time they offered it and saved some of my work. The timing was perfect because I also took some of my sketches to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, and that was the last year URI organized the trip. It was amazing, and we ended up touring part of the show in Northern Ireland. Those were great times, and URI has a great Theatre Department. I have very fond memories.”

Interestingly, Duclos discovered her passion for theater and found her calling in performing while studying psychology at Community College of Rhode Island. “I was not one of those people who always planned on becoming an actor. I went to community college with the intent of studying psychology and transferring to URI to complete a bachelor’s degree. But I joined the theater group at CCRI, and I was hooked.” Since then, there has been no looking back. Duclos wasted no time in honing her craft. In the mid-’80s, she was one of the founders of Providence’s Wickenden Gate Theater, where she was involved in all aspects of productions—acting, directing, lighting, costumes, marketing—for 10 years. “It was a great foundation,” she said. Throughout that decade, Trinity actors and administrators taught classes at Wickenden and attended the performances. Duclos’ talent caught the attention of Marion Simon, the assistant to Trinity founder Adrian Hall.

Fräulein Kost in Cabaret

Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest

More than 20 years later, Duclos could not be happier. To be part of the last permanent resident acting company in America is an honor: “Actors would give their right arm to be a part of this incredible company. It’s ideal.” Enjoy the work of this multitalented actor by accessing archived broadcasts of Trinity Rep Radio Theater at wrni.org. Trinity Rep also posts its upcoming season at trinityrep.com. By Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92

Audio | uri.edu/quadangles

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 23

Video | uri.edu/quadangles

THINK BIG. WE DO. PROMOTES URI’S STORY The University of Rhode Island tells stories. Not fairy tales, just genuine, authentic stories told with a consistent, conversational voice—stories about unique members of the University and their work. From research that confirms that eating slowly reduces caloric intake, to a student who fulfills his mother’s dream that he would teach children in Fiji, URI is the place where people are doing work that has a meaningful impact in Rhode Island, across the nation, and around the world. “Through various media, the University is telling these and other stories in ways that are faithful to the brand and faithful to the faculty, students, alumni and others who represent it,” said Division of University Advancement Vice President Robert M. Beagle. “Our communications are setting an expectation for the University experience.”

24 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

“We are using stories that convey the University’s unique niche in a competitive marketplace,” said Department of Communications and Marketing Director Linda A. Acciardo, who leads the branding effort with Beagle. “URI offers students a small, beautiful campus; an intimate environment; a safe, friendly place; and a place where big ideas are fostered; where global thinking happens across disciplines; and where innovation is a part of what we do and what we aspire to do.” The University’s 2008 student viewbook was the first publication to be branded. Eight months after receiving the booklet, 67 percent of admitted students who attended Welcome Day and remembered it, said it had made a strong impact on their decision to apply to URI. At the same time, 54 percent of adult stakeholders who were surveyed about the viewbook said it improved their opinion of the University.

STUDY IN A SMALL, BEAUTIFUL PLACE WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST THINKERS IN THE WORLD.

A traditional advertising campaign with billboards and television spots introduced the University in targeted markets in the Northeast, that are key recruitment areas where a large number of alumni live. Thirty- and 60-second spots have been broadcast during prime times on major network and cable channels as well as on sports networks, NESN and YES. According to Dean of Admission Cynthia Bonn, an admission counselor asked a group of visitors why they had come to Kingston, and one parent replied that URI wasn’t on the family’s list of schools until they saw one of the new billboards on the Long Island Expressway. Intrigued, they added URI to their list of schools to visit. “Last year we certainly saw an increase in applications from the geographic areas that were targeted through the advertising campaigns, and visits to the admission home page more than doubled after the advertising and rebranding,” said Bonn. While she says she can’t attribute it entirely to the brand, there is an estimated 20 percent increase in applications for enrollment next fall. In the first month of the launch of URI’s rebranded home page, uri.edu, there were more than 750,000

visits. The University has built an online presence and community. We are now posting, tweeting, and uploading videos directly for thousands of our alumni, students, prospective students, parents, and friends through daily updates on Facebook (facebook.com/universityofri) Twitter (twitter.com/urinews), and YouTube (youtube. com/universityofri). Since January 2009, more than 8,600 fans joined URI’s Facebook and frequently post or comment on news and information that we’ve shared. From April to July 2009, we saw a 1,500 percent increase in the number of fans—the largest increase shown by any school our size in the country and the third greatest increase of all schools nationwide in that time period. And URI now tweets messages daily to about 1,300 followers, including members of the media and other universities. URI’s YouTube channel includes more than 113 videos in addition to the more highly produced videos included in the carousel on the URI home page. As of February 2010, there were about 53,000 views of YouTube videos. The top three videos were ”Rhody Retires,” which promoted the unveiling of URI’s new mascot; “URI Sailing Club: The Collegiate Keelboat

World Cup,” the video that included action footage from before and during the race; and “Stumble Detection in Prosthetic Limbs,” the video that showed research to improve the walk-ability of prosthetics.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 25

Big

erie

rs S

ke Thin

ture

e Fu

g th

pin Sha

/10

2/10

d 1

n.ind

osto

rs_B

hinke

BigT

6 AM

11:4

Last fall, URILive! began providing streaming video of University events, including the fall Honors Colloquium where the online audience often outnumbered the real one by 300 to 400 viewers. The brand has also touched the University’s public programming offerings inspiring the wellattended alumni Big Thinkers Series, the annual Honors Colloquium, Commencement, and other major public events. “A key goal for this entire branding effort was to increase the awareness among prospective students and their parents by drawing them to the University in new and exciting ways. We also wanted to build pride among our alumni and community members. Overwhelming anecdotal evidence and some early survey results lead us to believe that we are beginning to define our distinctiveness and strengthen perceptions in the marketplace,” Acciardo said. ”We are starting the second year of our fiveyear effort to increase University awareness, support, loyalty, and advocacy.” ”Our newest Big Thinker, President David M. Dooley, has embraced our brand and its objectives. President Dooley’s ideas and his plans are unquestionably congruent with our brand message,” said Beagle. “He also believes in the power of branding and active marketing and in fact has become one of our biggest advocates.” By Jhodi Redlich ’81 26 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

ALUMNIchapters

advance.uri.edu/alumni/events/chapters

FUN WITH ALUMS Chapter events are open to all alumni, family, and friends of the University. Contact your local chapter rep and join the fun!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Upcoming events April 29 Join The Villages Alumni Chapter for its Spring Festival from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Colony Cottage Recreation Center in The Villages, FL. The cost is $20 per person and includes a catered buffet and entertainment. For questions, contact Sarah Howard Lobdell at 401-874-2438 or showard@advance.uri.edu. May 5 Join the Massachusetts Alumni Chapter Professionals Club for its first event. Held at the Union Club of Boston from 5:307:30 p.m., the event will feature special guest President David M. Dooley. The group was created to promote friendship and networking opportunities among URI alumni professionals working in Massachusetts. For more information about the Massachusetts Chapter, contact Chapter Leaders Mike Sams ’90 at mpsams@ KandSlegal.com or Nicholas G. Chigas '03 at Nicholas.g.chigas@mssb.com.

September 29 Join fellow Massachusetts Chapter alumni and friends for the second annual “Winesday” at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Enjoy fine wines and hors d’oeuvres, followed by complimentary admission to the museum galleries. For more information, contact Mike Sams ’90 at mpsams@ KandSlegal.com or Nicholas G. Chigas '03 at Nicholas.g.chigas@mssb.com.

Events Gone By The ROTC Alumni Chapter welcomed more than 140 attendees to its biannual Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast on October 17. The ROTC Hall of Fame honorees included Major Gen. Morphis A. Jamiel ’43, Colonel Philip J. Saulnier ’62, Brigadier Gen. Richard S. Sweet ‘51, Captain Robert G. Burlingham ’65, and First Lieutenant Edmund D. Maher ’42.

July 17 Join the Massachusetts Chapter at Pier 4 Charlestown Navy Yard for a Boston Harbor sailing trip. Learn to sail or come along and enjoy the summer breeze during this three-hour trip. Tickets are $30, which includes a barbecue at the end of the trip. Online registration will be available soon. For more information, contact Mike Sams ’90 at mpsams@KandSlegal.com or Nicholas G. Chigas '03 at Nicholas.g.chigas@mssb.com.

On December 3, the Italian Alumni Chapter hosted a reunion and open house event at the URI Alumni Center on the Kingston Campus.

July 31 Alumni, family, and friends of the Massachusetts Chapter are invited to purchase tickets for a pre-game reception and bleacher seats for the Red Sox–Detroit Tigers game. More information will be available soon. For questions, contact the Alumni Relations Office at 401-874-2242.

The Southwest Florida Gators celebrated Christmas in Florida at the Boca Royale Country Club in Englewood on December 5.

August 1 Alumni, family, and friends of the Rhode Island Chapter are invited to purchase tickets for a pre-game reception and outfield grandstand seats for the Red Sox–Detroit Tigers game. More information will be available soon. For questions, contact the Alumni Relations Office at 401-874-2242. August 14 Join the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter for a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game and all-you-can-eat dinner. Price for game ticket (located in the bullpen area) and dinner is $16 per person. Game time is 7 p.m. For questions, contact David Nicolato ‘98 at rhodygrad@gmail.com or 214-341-6369.

On December 5, the RIDOT Chapter hosted a reception on the South Concourse of the Ryan Center before the URI–PC men’s basketball game. The group also conducted a successful coat drive, with chapter members providing winter coats to needy families in December.

Video | uri.edu/quadangles On December 13, the Massachusetts Chapter and the URI Department of Athletics hosted a reception prior to the URI–BC men’s basketball game at Boston College. The Connecticut Chapter and the URI Department of Athletics hosted a reception at Mohegan Sun before the URI–Oklahoma State men’s basketball game on January 2. In January, the Ohio Chapter held receptions in Akron before the URI–Akron men’s basketball game and in Cincinnati before the URI–Xavier game. On January 9 and 16, members of the Rhode Island Chapter got together to work on a Habitat for Humanity home in Providence.

The New York Metro Chapter and the URI Department of Athletics hosted a reception at Fordham prior to the URI–Fordham men’s basketball game on January 16. On January 21, alumni in Albany gathered at Buca di Beppo restaurant for their first event. On January 30, the Southwest Florida Gators held their annual January in Florida celebration at the Royale Palm Yacht Club in Fort Myers. New York Metro alumni got together for a networking event at PS450 in New York City on February 4. The Phi Kappa Psi Chapter held its annual Founders’ Day Dinner at Firemen’s Hall in Providence on February 6. On February 13, New Jersey Chapter alumni cheered on the Rams at the URI–Temple men’s basketball game. On February 20 at the URI–Fordham men’s basketball game, the Connecticut and RIDOT Chapters cheered on URI at the Ryan Center. On February 24, the Massachusetts Chapter hosted a Rhody Rush Hour networking event in Boston at Lansdowne Pub. The Rhode Island Chapter hosted a Rhody Rush Hour event at Snookers in Providence on February 25. Members of the Phi Sigma Kappa alumni group gathered in Lake Placid, N.Y. for their annual ski weekend February 26–28.

Did you know? The Alumni of Color Network provides professional development, networking, advocacy, and community-building opportunities for URI alumni of color. To find out more, contact Michelle Fontes-Barros at 401.874.4854 or mfontes-barros@ advance.uri.edu, or visit advance.uri. edu/alumni/acn.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 27

MOUNT SNOW WEEKEND Alumni, family, and friends enjoyed skiing and camaraderie at the sixth annual URI Alumni Ski Weekend held at Mount Snow, Vermont, in January.

AT MOHEGAN SUN On January 2, members of the Connecticut Chapter got together for a reception before the URI–Oklahoma State men’s basketball game at Mohegan Sun.

HALL OF FAME Major Gen. Morphis Jamiel ’43 and Col. Phil Saulnier ’62, pictured here with Paul Helweg ‘70, (left) were inducted into the ROTC Hall of Fall on October 17.

28 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

SISTERS Chi Omegas from the Class of 1968 gathered to celebrate their many years of friendship.

Washington, D.C./ Baltimore

Lambda Chi Alpha

Hank Nardone ’90, Laytonsville, MD Phone: 301.803.2910 (w) 301.482.1062 (h) Email: henryjn@us.ibm.com Brooke Bondur ’93, Baltimore, MD Phone: 443.756.3977 (h) 410.527.9328 (w) Email: bbondur@aol.com

Jeffrey Hill ‘00, Shippensburg, PA Phone: 717.530.0188 Email: firemarshal70@hotmail.com

INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS REGIONAL CHAPTERS

Michigan

Arizona Rhode Runners

David Diana ’84, Warren, MI Phone: 586.268.0048 Email: dianad@flash.net

Julie Griffin ’99 Scottsdale, AZ Phone: 480.634.1950 (h) 480.754.6147 (w) Email: Julez99@aol.com

California LA Rams Craig Weiss ‘89, Valley Glen, CA Phone: 661.713.2492 Email: diego.studiocity@gmail.com

Northern Pat Ludes ’79 & Greg Passant ’78, Pleasanton, CA Phone: 925.227.1878

Southern Jeff Bolognese ’02, Phone: 760.945.4560 Email: jeff@richmondfinancial.net

Colorado Mile High Rams We are seeking chapter leadership in this area. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Gina Simonelli at 401.874.5808.

Connecticut Tara Blumenstock ’96, Wallingford, CT Phone: 203.294.0246 Email: tarabarbara@hotmail.com Janet Sisson ’87, Middletown, CT Phone: 860.214.7998 sissonj@independentdayschool.org

Florida Southeast Riki Greenbaum ’01, Homestead, FL Phone: 305.978.2023 Email: rhgreenbaum@yahoo.com

Southwest Gators Richard Boldt ’64, Naples, FL Phone: 239.417.0375 Email: rboldt854@aol.com

The Villages Al Bateman ’59, The Villages, FL Email: acbnaples@aol.com

Illinois: Chicago Jimmy De La Zerda ’04, Orland Park Email: jimmydlz401@gmail.com

Louisiana/Mississippi Dee Canada ’62, Slidell, LA Phone: 985.643.8801 (h) Email: delinac@charter.net Phyllis DelFiore ’68, Slidell, LA Phone: 985.847.1609 (h) Email: feliciadf@hotmail.com

Massachusetts

Nicholas G. Chigas ’03, Waltham, MA Phone: 978.505.7161 (h) 781.672.5170 (w) nicholas.g.chigas@mssb.com Michael P. Sams ’90, Westborough, MA Phone: 508.665.4299 (w) Email: mpsams@kandSlegal.com

Minnesota John ’92 & Kristen Turcotte ’95, Saint Louis Park, MN Phone: 952.285.1148 Email: jfturcotte@mindspring.com keturcotte@mindspring.com

New Hampshire White Mountain Rams

If you attended URI as an international student, please contact the Alumni Office and let us know your current address. If you're traveling abroad,feel free to contact one of our alumni to say hello.

FRANCE (PARIS AREA) Alexandra De Matos Nunes '79 1A Rue Jules Vincent 95410 Groslay, France Phone: 011.33.1.39.83.0627 (h) 011.33.1.45.24.92.17 (w)

GERMANY

Robert John Ellwood ‘06, Braunschweig, Germany Clarissa M. Uttley ’04, M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ’08, Phone: +49 17676311971 Rumney, NH Email: Ellwood@mail.uri.edu Phone: 603.786.5035 (h) GREECE 603.535.2915 (w) Email: cmuttley@plymouth.edu Irene Kesse Theodoropoulou '69 44 Achileos Pal Faleron 17562, New Jersey Athens, Greece Lauri Pietruszka ’84, West Paterson, NJ Phone: 011.30.1.981.3559 (h) Phone: 973.890.1623 (h) Email: lauriann_p@yahoo.com

New York: Albany Cindy Ladd Anderson ‘80, Clifton Park, NY Phone: 518.373.9440 (h) 518.527.4195 (c)

New York: Metro Janet Irlander ’78, New York, NY

Phone: 917.612.7276 Email: jirlander@paramount.group.com

North Carolina Ed Doughty ’93, Charlotte, NC Phone: 704.995.9300 (h) 704.552.5200 (w) Email: eddoughty@gmail.com

Ohio Tom Noyes ’67, Wooster,OH Phone: 330.345.6516 (h) 330.264.8722 (w) Email: noyes.1@osu.edu Danielle Pray ’88, Walton, KY Phone: 859.485.6790 Email: d@prayzpaws.com Bill ’74 & Betty ’74 Sepe, Hudson, OH Phone: 330.650.6715 Email: OHRhody@hotmail.com

Rhode Island Allison Field ’95, Providence, RI Phone: 401.808.9463 Email: allison@conderi.com Kelley Warner ’02, Scituate, RI Phone: 401.528.2622 Email: Kwisdom3@cox.net

Texas Dallas/Ft. Worth

Cortney ’01 and David Nicolato ‘98, Dallas, TX Phone: 214.341.6369 Email: rhodygrad@gmail.com

Texas Rhode Horns Jeffrey A. Ross ’75, Houston Phone: 713.668.3746 (h) 713.791.9521 (w) Email: jross67785@aol.com

AFFINITY CHAPTERS Alpha Phi

Laura McMahon Kovacs ’01, Waxhaw, NC Phone: 704.843.6977 Email: lauralaylin@gmail.com

Alumni of Color Ray Watson ’02, M.C.P. ’05, Providence, RI Phone: 401.521.8830 (w) Email: rlwatson06@yahoo.com

Chi Phi Douglas Bennet ’77, Providence, RI Phone: 401.351.3522 (h) Email: dbennet@aol.com

Community Planning Mike DeLuca ’80, M.C.P. ’88, Narragansett, RI Phone: 401.789.6888 (h) 401.461.1000, ext. 3137 (w)

Lambda Delta Phi Linda F. Desmond ’68, North Andover, MA Phone: 978.687.7443 (h) 978.794.3896 (w) Email: lfdesmond@comcast.net Martha Smith Patnoad ’68, Wyoming, RI Phone: 401.539.2180 Email: mpatnoad@uri.edu

Phi Gamma Delta Richard Kingsley ‘71, Jamestown, RI 401.874.6693 (w) Email: kingsley@gso.uri.edu

Phi Kappa Psi Joe Hart ’85, Kingston, RI Phone: 401.783.4852 Email: pkpribeta@cox.net Web site: www.ribeta.com

Phi Mu Delta Jim DeNuccio ‘75, East Greenwich, RI Phone: 401.884.2993 (w) Fax: 401.885.2228 (w)

Phi Sigma Kappa Kenneth Gambone ‘88, New York, NY Phone: 917.701.4631 Email: Kenneth.gambone@ barclayscapital.com

Political Science Al Killilea, Kingston, RI Phone: 401.874.2183 (w)

RIDOT Christos Xenophontos ’84, Exeter, RI Email: xenophon@dot.ri.gov Charles St. Martin ’92, Coventry, RI Email: cstm@cox.net; cstmartin@dot.ri.gov

ROTC John Breguet ‘70, Smithfield, RI Phone: 401.232.2097 (h) Email: jbreguet@cox.net Military Instructor Group, Kingston, RI Email: urirotcalumni@cox.net Web site: www.uri.rotc.alum.org

Schmidt Labor Research Center J. Richard Rose M.S. ’06 Phone: 401.461.2786 (h) Email: rrose@mail.uri.edu

Sigma Chi

Joyce Dolbec ’95, Slatersville, RI Phone: 401.766.2209 (h)

Mark Trovato ’89, Wakefield, RI Phone: 401.782.0064 (h) Email: mtrovato@riag.state.ri.us Web site: www.rhodysig.com

Delta Zeta

Theta Chi

Continuing Education

Nancy Lundgren ’54, Tiverton, RI Phone: 401.624.6364 (h)

Graduate School of Library and Information Studies E. Gale Eaton ’74, Kingston, RI Phone: 401.874.4651

Hasbro We are seeking chapter leadership in this area. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Gina Simonelli at 401.874.5808.

Italian Alfred Crudale ’91, West Kingston, RI Phone: 401.783.3081 Email: acwvmhs@rinet35.org Remo Trivelli, Kingston, RI Phone: 401.874.2383 Lucia Vescera ’96, Lincoln, RI Email: lvescera@hotmail.com

John Eastman ’62, North Kingstown, RI Phone: 401.295.1956 (h) Email: joneastman@aol.com Mike Testa ‘63, Jamestown, RI Phone: 401.423.8918 Email: jtown@cox.net

Theta Delta Chi Eric Lalime ’95 Phone: 201.962.2001 (h) 347.739.7345 (cell) Email: eric_lalime@ml.com

URI Difference Equations Association Michael A. Radin ‘01, Rochester, NY Phone: 585.461.4002 (h) 585.475.7681 (w) Email: michael.radin@rit.edu

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 29

CLASSacts The Emancipation Proclamation

Submit Class Notes Online at advance.uri.edu/eservices

The Polio Vaccine

Albert Einstein

Cell Phones The Underground Railroad DNA Sequencing

Woodstock

Silent Spring

Read Class Notes Online at advance.uri.edu/quadangles/classnotes

‘I have a dream’ World Wide Web Google Polymerase Chain Reaction The Moon Landing

…created the future. So will we.

The Role of the University in Transforming the World The Inauguration of David M. Dooley the 11th President of the University of Rhode Island Thursday, April 8, 2010 Join us in celebrating the Inauguration of David M. Dooley as our 11th president. Everyone welcome! Doors to the Ryan Center will open for guests at 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. Inauguration Ceremony The Ryan Center, URI, Kingston Campus 4:00 p.m. Community Celebration Keaney Gymnasium, URI, Kingston Campus On April 7, a series of panel discussions and academic events exploring the inaugural theme “Creating the Future: The Role of the University in Transforming the World” will be held at URI’s Providence, Narragansett, and Kingston campuses. All events are free and open to the public. All inaugural events are funded through private sources. uri.edu/president/inauguration

`47

`50

Louis Prunier, ENG, of Oxford, Mass., writes: “A romance that began at a chance seating at the freshman banquet for the Class of ’44. Lou in mechanical engineering and Olive Brusseau ’43 home ec (accelerated program) married November 4, 1943. We have eight college-graduated children, 14 grandchildren, and three greatgrandchildren. Celebrated 66 years of happily married life and 90th birthday for Olive, who is in good health. Lou has Parkinson’s disease but is still active and outside everyday. We would love to hear from classmates at OliveLou@ hotmail.com.”

Franklin C. Fitchen, ENG, has lived in Easton, Conn., for the last 37 years. After a career in English education (including being a faculty member at URI from 1956-1965), he now enjoys golf and a part time collectibles business. He sends his regards to former students.

`51 Andre P. Desaulniers, ENG, of Bristol, R.I., writes: “Married 58 years, still reasonably healthy. Have two daughters and three sons, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. The youngest celebrated her first Christmas this year. Retired 18 years and enjoying it. Two sons, a daughter-in-law,

30 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

and three grandchildren are URI graduates.” Antonio William Faella, HS&S, of Kingston, R.I., writes: “We still enjoy traveling to visit friends and relatives, walking on the beaches, and attending submarine veterans’ functions. Come visit our Kinney Azalea gardens in May, or any time.”

`54 Joan Murdough Boucher, HS&S, of Warren, R.I., recently retired from the Rhode Island Department of Corrections after serving the state for 26 years starting in 1982. Anthony F. Sisco, CBA, of Westerly, R.I., writes that after 50 years of bowling, he rolled his first 300 game in the Bowl for Clams summer league.

ALUMNI DIRECTORY

STAY

CONNECTED

`57 Lawrence C. LeDoux, HS&S, of Orange, Calif., writes: “As a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, I was recently elected as the flotilla commander of the Newport Beach, Calif., Flotilla.”

`58 Barbara Barsamian Slater, A&S, of Providence, R.I., writes: “Instead of retiring, last year I published my first book, When Wishes Come True, an allegory for young and old, which continues to receive warm reviews on amazon.com. My love for The Great American Songbook led to producing and singing on my first CD, a tribute to the great lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer. Remembering Johnny Mercer: Centennial Celebration Collection, is available through CDBaby.com where you can also listen to sound clips. With my group Barbara Slater & Friends I perform at Providence’s premiere music and dinner club, the HI-HAT. I have funded two courses about The Great American Songbook that will be offered by the Music Department at URI in September 2010. I have lived in the Twin Cities (Minn,), Manhattan, Long Island, and Boston, I now live on the East Side of Providence where I’m completing my second book, Word Music: A Love Story. I invite you to visit my Web site barbaraslater.us. I strongly believe what Bertrand Russell once wrote: “There is magic all around us just waiting for our wits to notice.”

`60 Richard A. Ventrone, A&S, of Jamestown, R.I., writes: “I’m married to Nancy Kolman Ventrone ’64, M.A ’76. We are both retired. I have been involved with ham radio (KAILA), Lionel train layouts, EMT license, and I am teaching myself astronomy.”

`61 Richard Noel Johnson, CBA, of South Yarmouth, Mass., writes: “Spent my 70th (Christmas) birthday at my Florida home on Lido Key in Sarasota. Normally I spend it at my Cape Cod home and travel to Florida after the New Year.”

Edward Bozzi ’68

Staying Connected

Rudy Sanda ’96

To Catch a Thief

Dr. Edward Bozzi’s career in the biotechnology industry, launched by a B.S. in Chemistry from URI, took him around the world. After 30 years in the industry he has returned to work at URI’s Feinstein Campus near his boyhood home in Providence. Bozzi, who received his Ph.D. from Brown, directs and teaches in the Biotechnology Manufacturing Program. He has also returned to URI as a member of the board of the Alumni Association and as a committee chair with his wife, Anne Mazzie Bozzi ’68, of the Big Chill Weekend. “After growing up in Rhode Island, I left the state for 30 years, but I promised my wife that some day I would teach,” Bozzi says. “I was fortunate to get this job at my alma mater.” Bozzi worked at Dow Chemical but spent the bulk of his career (26 years) working for the Swiss company CIBA-Geigy, including two years in Brazil with Anne and their daughters, Christina ’06 and Laura. He also lived in Switzerland where he managed one of CIBA-Geigy’s global billion dollar businesses. In URI’s Biotech program he deals mostly with older, returning students, many of whom have suffered layoffs. “We have a small number of true freshmen,” he says, “but our older students are from diverse backgrounds and situations. It’s a unique program.” Undergraduates immerse themselves in chemistry, biology, and biotechnology in their first year, then follow that with a summer internship at a regional biotech firm. Those that land a job can complete their undergraduate degree part time at Feinstein. “The key is staying connected to the companies,” Bozzi says. “It’s a rapidly growing field, but you have to fight for jobs. We arrange a lot of interaction between our students and folks from companies such as Amgen and Avant Immunotherapeutics. An avid URI football and basketball fan, Bozzi’s alumni activities began three years ago: “It takes a lot of time, but it’s my small way of giving back to the University.”

“Thou art a boil, a plague sore,” thought Rudy Sanda, an actor who apprehended one of two thieves who stole donation jars from a Two Gentlemen of Verona performance in Westerly, R.I., last summer. “It was just before intermission, and I was back stage chatting when Harland [the director] starting yelling, ‘Call the cops!’ while running through stage left. I knew something was bad,” says Sanda, who at the time was in full costume as Thurio, a wealthy nobleman. “I saw two men run across the street behind a house, so I chased them.” At that moment, Sanda’s martial arts training and expertise in stage combat kicked in: “It was dark, but I tackled one and held my forearm to his throat for about five minutes until the cops came.” Police officers took the suspect away, and he was held in prison when law enforcement officials learned he was wanted on a warrant for an unrelated incident. Sanda, like all good actors, went on with the show. Since assisting area police officers and making the world a safer place, this theater graduate has been busy with auditions, performances, and preparing for roles in Birdy and Burn This that will be performed in Rhode Island theaters before summer. Birdy is set in a U.S. military mental hospital and follows the developing friendship between two patients; Burn This focuses on four friends dealing with the death of a loved one. When the seasons change and Shakespeare in the Park resumes at Westerly’s Colonial Theater, Sanda will most likely return to the scene of the crime—again, as an actor. While he has no desire to present an encore performance of To Catch a Thief, Sanda noted the bright side: “It was good publicity for the theater; many local newspapers covered the story.” To learn more about Rudy’s career, visit his page at the New England Actors site: neactor.ning.com/profile/RudySanda.

—John Pantalone ’71

Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92

Nancy Coggeshall ’63

Gila Country Legend Writer Nancy Coggeshall grew up in what she calls the “demi-monde” of 1950s Narragansett where, as a teen-age waitress at a coffee shop she encountered the town’s colorful characters. Years after leaving Rhode Island for London, Toronto, and Quebec, she discovered New Mexico, a world of open space and solitude with its own brand of colorful folks. Instead of the fishermen and farmers of her youth, it was ranchers and cowboys. “They all live marginal lives,” she says. “That imperative breeds colorful people.” A descendant of one of the founders of Rhode Island, Coggeshall majored in English and studied with

NORA LEWIS, COURTESY OF NANCY COGGESHALL, RUDY SANDA

Nancy Potter. She began a freelance magazine writing career in the early 1970s. Her affinity for New Mexico has led to her first book, a biography of the late New Mexico cowboyrancher Quentin Hulse. Gila Country Legend (University of New Mexico Press) has been named a notable book of the year by the Tucson-Pima County Library’s list for Southwest book lovers. The book embodies the rugged history of southwestern New Mexico’s Gila County with its ancient peoples, Apache raids, Mexicans, ranchers, prospectors, and miners. Its contrasting mountains and forests, cliffs and hard ground, diamondbacks and coyotes seemed to vibrate with history, captivating her when she moved there in 1988. By the time Coggeshall found Hulse, there was plenty of local lore

surrounding him: He had reportedly met the outlaw Butch Cassidy, had witnessed a point-blank shooting at age 10, and was once shot himself. “Quentin was a great storyteller,” Coggeshall says. “I have tried to tell his story and Gila’s.” It took her eight years of research and writing to complete the book she believes she was destined to write. “The connections between the Narragansett of my childhood and New Mexico are palpable,” says Coggeshall, who lives in a village over 250 miles from Albuquerque. “Quentin carried the history; it was in his DNA. He had only an eleventh grade education, but he was one of the smartest men I ever met.” —John Pantalone ’71

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 31

ALUMNI OF THE GAME The Alumni of the Game program, which is held during half time at every men’s basketball home game, recognizes URI alumni who demonstrate the best of what our graduates are all about—successful careers combined with service to their communities and to the

University. Seen on court with President David M. Dooley and Vice President for University Advancement Robert M. Beagle are the first six honorees for 2010. They are, left to right, Raymond L. Watson ’02, M.C.P. ‘05; Edward J. Quinlan ’71; Karen McKay Davis ’82, M.A. ’93; and Dana Edward Ramey, M.A. ’99 (who is profiled on page 35).

`63

`69

Joseph M. Vargas, CELS, of East Lansing, Mich., writes: “I am currently living in Michigan with my lovely bride, the former Mary Ann Duffy ’62. I dated her at URI. In fact, I met her at a PIK party. We have three children and three grandchildren. I am a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at Michigan State University where I have been for the past 40 years. I mainly do research on turfgrass disease. It has allowed me to travel all over the world lecturing and consulting. In 2008, I set my record when I flew 129,000 flight miles. This year I have trips planned to Spain, Italy, France, China, and South Africa. I am having too much fun to retire; as long as my health holds out, I plan on continuing to work. I still think three of the best years of my life were being in our fraternity PIK. I am most appreciative of Howard Coleman running me down so I can now be in contact with the rest of my fraternity brothers.”

`65 Robert Edward Langevin, CBA, of Stuart, Fla., writes: “I just received info along with a few other Chi Phi’s from Howard Coleman ’65 up in Connecticut. I’ve been down in SE Florida since 1974. I retired from United Air Lines as a 747-400 captain in 2003 after 34+ years of ‘flying the friendly skies.’ Back in 1985, I started my own aviation insurance agency, which I recently sold to my son Scott. I also have an older daughter Lisa. They both live up in the Orlando area with their families. Now that I’m retired from United and the aviation insurance business, I spend most of my time

playing golf, power boating, rooting for the Miami Dolphins (and NE Pats too), our Red Sox and Celtics, and Florida State University football. During the summer, my wife, Kim, and I have a condo on the water in Saugatuck, Mich. I’m in excellent health and excited to be back in touch with several of my Chi Phi brothers. Take care, and hope that all is well in your life. Wish you ALL a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.” Dennis McGovern, CBA, of Coventry, R.I., writes: “I was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame on October 9 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. Also inducted into the Hall of Fame was my son Brian. We are the first father and son to be inducted. In addition, Don Kaull ’67, radio analyst for the Rhody Rams and a former player, was also inducted.”

`68 Jeffrey M. Forbes, ENG, of Boulder, Colo., is a member of the board of directors of eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepeneurship, which is a non-profit business incubator for aerospace companies. He is also currently a professor and Glenn Murphy Endowed Chair in the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Roberta Mudge Humble, A&S, of Warwick, R.I., has recently created a board game called Rhode Test. She was inspired to create the game after doing field work for her books, The RIght to Crow: A Look at Rhode Island’s Firsts, Bests & Uniques and Rhode Island’s Friendly Faces. She is president of the Westerly Armory Restoration and an active member of the 1892 Society.

32 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

Michael F. Borassi, HS&S, of Yonkers, N.Y., is a contestant on the show Survivor:Samoa. Brent M. Kaufman, HS&S, is the executive host of Ciao Bella restaurant on toney Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay. Brent is the proud owner of Cia Bella along with long time college friend, Joe Cimono ’66. Brent has been there since the restaurant opened in July 1986. They have won numerous awards over the years for fine food and service.

`70 Paul L. Fortin, CBA, of Hanson, Mass., was a freelance photographer for 20 years for major regional and national magazines. In the 1980s, Paul began his career as a conservator/restorer of North American antique duck decoys and folk art. Alan M. Lasher, A&S, of Nanuet, N.Y., writes: “We all met in 1965 at URI, were members of AEPi, and have remainded friends since. Every year we get together to see different baseball teams all over the country. We are Geoff Green ’69, Bill Rosenberg ’70, Ken Eisenstein, Bob “Bucky” Davis ’69, and Alan Lasher ’70.

`71 Carol Leigh Roelker, HS&S, of Loveland, Ohio, writes: “Man our ship–give her life,” was the command given by sponsors Susan Martin and Carol Leigh Roekler that spurred the crew members on shore to run forward and aft and man the rails. The commissioning ceremony took place in

Charleston, S.C., on April 25, 2009, with 3,000 guests attending. The USS TRUXTUN (DDG 103) will be the sixth ship to bear Commordore Truxtun’s name. Carol is working at Cengage Learning as a project development editor.

`72 Michael A. Covellone, A&S, of Warwick, R.I., has been elected vice president of the New England Water Works Association, the nation’s oldest non-profit organization of water works professionals. He has worked with the Providence Water Supply Board for 36 years and serves as the director. He has also served for six years as state director from Rhode Island on the New England Water Works Association’s board of directors.

`74 Jean P. Harrington, A&S, of Naples, Fla., recently released a sequel, In The Lion’s Mouth to her first historical romance, The Barefoot Queen, which was released by Highland Press. John S. Struck, A&S, of Key Biscayne, Fla., is a managing director of Wand Partners, Inc., a boutique investment firm based in New York. He is director of SeedWorks India, which specializes in producing and marketing high yielding hybrid seeds. SeedWorks India generates $27.3 million in sales annually. Anthony J. Zuena, ENG, of Andover, Mass., president and CEO of S.E.A Consultants, Inc., received a 2009 Dean’s List Distinguished Achievement Award from URI. He has served as president and CEO since 2005 and has been with S.E.A. Consultants since 1981.

SAVE THE DATE! July 23–25, 2010

Family Camp

Return to your alma mater and show your children or grand children where you lived, studied, and played! You and your family can stay for the weekend in a residence hall, or just join us for day camp. We are planning a weekend that makes it easy for you to reconnect with your family and University. There will be plenty of fun activities on the Kingston Campus, the Alton Jones Campus, and in the surrounding area. For more information, please contact Brittany Manseau at 401.874.4536 or email bmanseau@advance.uri.edu If you have a disability and need an accommodation, please call 401.874.2242 at least three business days in advance. For TTY assistance, please call the Rhode Island Relay Service at 1.800.745.5555. PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

Read more about this event advance.uri.edu/alumni/familycamp

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 33

`75 Pavlos A. Karakoltsidis, CELS,will serve as president of the Alexander Technological Education Institute in Thessaloniki, Greece, for four years. His term ends in 2012.

`76 Laurie J. Burger, ENG, of Warwick, R.I., recently joined XTECH in Randolph, Mass., as chief marketing officer. Laurie is a member of the advisory board of the International Engineering Program at URI. John J. Palumbo, A&S, of North Providence, R.I., owner/president/ publisher of Rhode Island Monthly Communications, will receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree at Rhode Island College’s 2010 undergraduate commencement. John works tirelessly on behalf of the Rhode Island Zoological Society and WaterFire and has served on the boards of First Night Providence, Leadership Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Infantile Paralysis Association, and Trinity Repertory Company. Roger Williams Park Zoo will name its new veterinary hospital after him.

`77 Thomas R. Beauchene, CBA, of Norton, Mass., is a commercial lender at Mansfield Bank. Tom has more than 30 years of banking experience. Joyce E. Polucha, A&S, of Cumberland, R.I., was the first recipient of the Crystal Apple Award that recognizes outstanding educators. She has worked at Cumberland High School for 15 years.

`79 David C. Baud, CELS, of Wakefield, R.I., has earned a 2009 Northeast Region Best Project Chrysalis

Award for Remodelling Excellence for his custom, high-end residential building company, Baud Builders.

`80 Lucille N. Gertz, CELS, of Tyngsboro, Mass., has been senior visitor education coordinator for Mass Audubon for 20 years. She is responsible for designing interpretive media and writing articles for the society’s publications. Gertz has served as president of the Massachusetts Environmental Education Society and is an editor of The New England Journal of Environmental Education. Madeleine O. Robinson, A&S, of Cumberland, R.I., writes: “I held my traveling exhibit “Happenstance: Women at Work” in the URI Library from Sept. 20 to Nov. 20, 2009. It consists of 25 framed candid photographs of women at their jobs that I came across in my daily life along with an inspirational photo of two woman in Poland in 2000. The exhibit was sponsored by Professor Scott Molloy and the Rhode Island Labor History Society based at URI’s Charles T. Schmidt Labor Research Center. In March the exhibit moved to the Salve Regina University library for Women’s History Month. In April it will be at the Attleboro Arts Museum where I’m an artist member.”

`81 Charles J. Fogarty, A&S, of Harmony, R.I., has been named policy director at the Mayforth Group. He is responsible for helping clients navigate federal governmental agencies while advocating their position to elected officials. Maria E. Rathbun, CBA, of Pawtucket, R.I., has earned the prestigious Certified Management Accountant certification. She is

accounting manager at Autocrat, Inc., a fourth generation familyowned business. Carolyn Miller Viens, CBA, of Kennett Square, Pa., writes: ìI thought I would share with you a book I recently published, Leave Your Footprints Along The Way. It’s a workbook for mothers and teenage children. There is additional information on my Web site, carolynviens.com. The exciting part of the project for me has been my partnership with The Girl Effect, an organiziation spearheaded by Nike Foundation to help the 600 million girls in poverty around the world. Proceeds from my book sale are donated to them (girleffect.org). My husband is Erik Viens ’81.

`82 Matthew K. Haag, A&S, has left the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE after serving as navigator for over two years. He is now stationed in Bahrain where he is the anti-terrorism/force protection officer for the commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

`83 Alice K. Juda, M.L.S., of Kingston, R.I., a reference librarian at the Naval War College in Newport, received the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award on December 3 at a ceremony in New York hosted by The New York Times. Alice is in her 21st year of service at the Henry E. Eccles Library at NWC.

`84 Lorren S. West, A&S, of Duluth, Ga., is president of Everest College in Atlanta, Ga. She previously served as president of Westwood College in Fort Worth, Texas, and Gibbs College in Norwalk, Conn. She is currently serving as an

Reunite with Your Friends and Classmates

When was the last time you made plans to get together with your URI friends? Has it been too long? NOW is the time to start planning for a 2010 class or affinity reunion. You will need volunteers from your class or group who are willing to help plan, promote,and attend the reunion gathering. The Alumni Relations Office will help you plan and promote your event with a listing on the Alumni Web site and in QUAD ANGLES, with electronic notices, and with the printing and mailing of your reunion invitations. If you are interested in working on an event for your class or affinity group and would like to find out more about getting started, please visit the Alumni Web site at advance.uri.edu/alumni/reunions QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES or call the Alumni Relations Office at 401.874.2242.

elected two-year member of Atlanta’s Fulton County Local School Council.

`85 Mark W. Delaney, CBA, is on the board of directors of the Kent Center in Warwick. He is vice president and CFO at Hexagon Metrology in North Kingstown where he lives with his wife, Nancy, and their three children. Edwin P. Maurer, ENG, of Santa Clara, Calif., was promoted to associate professor of civil engineering at Santa Clara University. He teaches courses and conducts research related to hydraulics, hydrology, water resources, and climate. Charles T. Schmidt, A&S, of North Smithfield, R.I., has been named partner in the law firm of Duffy & Sweeney.

`88 Michael A. Pelosi, HS&S, of Saunderstown, R.I., has rejoined Citizens Bank as sales manager for southern Rhode Island. He is an affiliate member of the Kent/Washington Board of Realtors.

`91 Amy G. Gagnon, HS&S, of Southington, Conn., a physical education teacher at Riverfield School in Fairfield, has received Connecticut’s Physical Education Teacher of the Year award as well as the Eastern District Physical Education Teacher of the Year award. Amy is now in the running for the National Teacher of the Year award.

`92 Suzette M. Decastro, CELS, of West Palm Beach, Fla., nutrition coordinator for Palm Beach County Head Start, Early Head Start, and Children’s Services was included in the 2010 edition of the Presidential Who’s Who Among Business and Professional Achievers. The edition will be registered in the Library of Congress. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in public health.

`93 Marylou K. Gannotti, A&S, of Quaker Hill, Conn., is director of planned giving and major gifts for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, Conn. Debbi S. Holmes, HS&S, of Dayville, Conn., received an M.A. in Education from Sacred Heart University in May 2009.

`94 Thomas P. Fay, CBA, of Barrington, R.I., joined Citizens Financial Group as chief investment officer and director of Wealth Management Services.

Sara Green ’09

Video | uri.edu/quadangles

Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho “I applied on a whim,” says Sara Green in describing her journey from elementary education and communications major to Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, an independent African nation surrounded by South Africa. Her plans to start a teaching career as a substitute were derailed when she attended a job fair during her sophomore year. “My friend didn’t want to go alone, so I went along. We spoke to the Peace Corps representative; at the time my friend was more interested than I was.” Though Green considered the Peace Corps’ mission admirable, she gave little thought to the organization until she returned to the job fair the following year. “The same woman was at the Peace Corps booth. She recognized me and asked if I had made a decision yet.” Green then started to consider seriously the possibility of applying: “I didn’t think it would work out. The competition is tough.” Yet, she made it through the rigorous interview process. The Peace Corps chose Green to participate as an education volunteer who works with local teachers and students, providing alternative teaching strategies and support. Green explains that Lesotho’s educational system is “military-style,” and Peace Corps staff cautioned that “some of her ideas may not be welcome.” Green is undeterred and aims to make a difference. “I am just trying to do something amazing—and am happy to be a part of this amazing organization.” Indeed, the only aspect of the experience that Green found unnerving was air travel. “I was nervous about the plane. I’d never flown before.” With a trans-continental flight behind her, Green is settling into her new

life and enjoying the adventure. To keep the URI community informed about her endeavors during her assignment, Green will be sending Rhody Postcards to QUAD ANGLES for the on-line version of the magazine. —Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92

Robert Hanson ’06

On the Job with Homeland Security The thwarted Christmas Day airplane attack in Detroit reconstituted the debate over U.S. homeland security. Robert Hanson ’06 is caught up in the issue as a strategic risk management specialist in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Hanson began work at DHS Robert Hanson and Kristin Marge after their Narragansett wedding last last September as a presidential summer; left to right Jack Hanson ’11, Robert Hanson ’06, Kristin Marge ’08, management fellow after complet- Taylor Marge ’11, Andy Hanson ’09. ing graduate studies at Georgetown His experience landed him at DHS where he is fulfillUniversity. He had earlier worked as a staff member in ing his desire “to work in policy and to work on the the office of Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a issues.” DHS defines risk management as reducing job he obtained through astute political networking. security risks to an acceptable level at an acceptable As a precocious freshman, Hanson had interned in cost, and Hanson collaborates on developing and Rep. James Langevin’s office, and an aide he worked applying risk models that help guide national security with there hired him for Whitehouse’s 2006 senate policy and funding. campaign, which eventually led to Hanson’s job as a It is a contentious process of reassuring the public legislative correspondent for Whitehouse. without raising expectations beyond practical spending Hanson’s parents and two uncles are URI alumni, levels. “Our job,” Hanson said, “is to develop statistical and one of his brothers is a graduate while the other is models and apply the models to governance.” a current student. He is also the new husband of KrisHe credits his undergraduate preparation, including tin Marge ’08, a pharmacist at Fairfax (Va.) Hospital his days at The Good 5 ¢ Cigar, with preparing him for whose own brother attends URI. such serious work. “I’ve applied skills I learned in Hanson was editor-in-chief of the campus newspaclasses and at The Cigar to everything I’ve done profesper in his senior year and won a Presidential Medal in sionally,” he says. Political Science and a Boren National Security Educa—John Pantalone ’71 tion Scholarship to study in Russia in 2004.

NORA LEWIS, COURTESY OF ROBERT HANSEN

Dana E. Ramey, M.A ’99

Señor Ramey

What won’t Rhode Island’s 2010 Teacher of the Year Dana E. Ramey do for love of teaching? Hard to say. Señor Ramey, as his students know him, has taught Spanish at Middletown High School for the past 13 years. He is guided by the philosophy that to learn a language one must immerse oneself in the culture that generated it. To that end, Ramey has developed a curriculum that includes cooking, dancing, history, and participation in a “World Language Fair,” to spur students’ love of foreign languages. “The key is getting kids to want what we want for them,” Ramey said. “It’s so important for people to understand the value and importance of studying world language. It’s such a global community nowadays.” Ramey’s diverse interests may be the key to his success. After college, he spent two years at Nature’s Classroom in New Hampshire, where he alternately taught and directed environmental programs for middle-school-aged children. While there he developed a love of storytelling and singing, which led him to a career change: folk rock musician. He and his band played a number of venues, including the Living Room and Lupo’s, both Providence clubs. “We made a living at it,” Ramey said, “but then it was time to go back to our other careers.” Ramey returned to teaching in the 1980s. In 2003, he taught in Mexico for a year through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange program. He also holds the distinction of being the first Rhode Island teacher to receive National Board Certification in World Languages. Ever the educator, Ramey intends to leverage this latest honor to bring attention to his discipline. “I’m in love with what I teach, and I absolutely love sharing it with others,” he said. “Language study helps to break down barriers and opens people’s hearts and minds to other things. Education is the answer.” —Marybeth Reilly-McGreen UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 35

Jennifer Crowley Pratt, A&S, of Middletown, R.I., has been named assistant vice president and branch manager of Bank Newport’s Washington Square office in Newport. Prior to working with Bank Newport, Pratt served as manager of Citizens Bank in Portsmouth and of the Newport supermarket branch location.

`95 Edward T. Hannan, A&S, o f Hudson, Mass., writes: “I am vice president publishing with PSMJ Resources, Inc., in Newton, Mass. I’m responsible for managing the production of newsletters, books, benchmarking surveys, and other publishing products for this worldwide management consulting and publishing firm that serves architecture, engineering, and construction firms.” Brian D. Levine, CBA, of New York, N.Y., is thrilled to announce his engagement to Tamara Weiss on August 29 in New York’s Central Park. A graduate of Fordham University’s MBA program, he is an accounting manager at a Manhattan-based publicly-traded real estate investment trust. Tamara, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, is a litigation attorney in a mid-sized law firm in Manhattan. The couple will be tying the knot on May 30, 2010. Matthew H. Roy, CBA, of Portsmouth, R.I., has received the 2009

President’s Public Service Award at the University of Massachusetts. A professor at UMass Dartmouth, he was recognized for leading a five campus collaboration to increase the breadth and depth of community service learning performed by UMass students. He is also the architect of the Leadership for Educational Attainment Developed Through Service (LEADS) program, designed to increase the civic engagement and leadership skills of Fall River and New Bedford public school students.

`96 Leslie L. Lee, A&S, of Cranston, R.I., is teaching general music and elementary strings, violin through double bass, in East Greenwich schools. Jennifer D. Mandel, CELS, of Durham, Conn., became engaged to Thaddeus Andris on December 23, 2009.

`98 David E. Krzyzek, CBA, of Middletown, R.I., has been named business manager for Rhode Island Monthly Communications, Inc. Heather A. Pacheco, CELS, of Arlington, Mass., is a science teacher at Framingham High in Massachusetts. She received an Albert Eistein Distinguished Educator Fellowship and is spending this year working at the National Science Foundation in Virginia.

`99

`02

Christopher Matthew Lee, A&S, of Hamden, Conn., who teaches music theory and electronic music at Newtown (Conn.) High School, has been nominated for the Connecticut Exemplary Educator Award. An active composer with an M.M. in music composition, he is working on choral hymns and anthems that are written and performed with faculty from the Yale Insitute of Sacred Music.

Christina M. Jasionowski, CBA, of East Providence, R.I., was recently appointed senior accountant at Cayer Caccia, LLP. She is a member of the American Institute of Public Accountants and the Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants and is an active participant on the Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accounts Tax Committee. Anne Marie McLaughlin, A&S, was named marketing and communications manager for the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum as of October 1, 2009. She has been very active with Rhode Island tourism, having worked with the Preservation Society of Newport County and other area attractions.

`00 Shyron D. Sanford, HS&S, of Albany, N.Y., has served as site manager at DePaul Residence for the past three years. The DePaul Residence are homes run by Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.

`01 John B. Garry, A&S, of Bristol, R.I., is now an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security at the Office of the General Counsel in Washington, D.C. He also serves as a commander in the Navy Reserve. Christina M. Neil, CBA, of Tuscon, Ariz., has completed a Master’s in College Student Personnel. She recently established a non-profit organization called the Sonoran Center for Leadership Development.

`03 Christina Marie Dickson, A&S, of Hyannis, Mass., is the concertmaster of the Fall River Symphony Orchestra and has been a featured violin soloist with the Fall River Symphony Orchestra. Edward A. Garcia, M.L.S., of Providence, R.I., has been named to the American Library Association Emerging Leaders 2010 Program. Ed was also appointed by Governor Carcieri to serve on the Library Board of Rhode Island. Holly J. Susi, HS&S, of Cumberland, R.I., was promoted to associate professor and granted tenure in the English Department at the Community College of Rhode

URI Alumni Association Membership Application Form

Name _ ______________________________________________________________________

Indicate type of membership:

Spouse’s Email _____________________________________ Class ______________________

Individual @ $35 per year

Home Address ______________________________________ City ______________________

Couple @ $50 per year

State_ ______________________________________________ Zip ______________________

Golden Grad @ $15 per year

Home Phone__________________________________________________________________

Golden Grad Couple @ $30 per year

Make checks payable to URI Alumni Association, or charge to:

Email_____________________________________________ Class ______________________ Spouse’s Name ________________________________________________________________

Check here if you’d like information on regional or affinity chapters.

MasterCard

VISA

AMEX

DISCOVER Acct No._ ____________________________

Exp.Date_ ___________________ PHOTO BY NORASignature________________________________________ LEWIS Mail to: Membership Program, P.O. Box 1820, Kingston, Rl 02881-2011

36 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

Are you an alum searching for a job or looking to change your career path? Contact Karen Rubano at URI Alumni Career Services.

A job search or a career change endeavor takes time, discipline, and mental toughness. Success does not happen overnight, yet it is important to acknowledge successful steps along the path. Below I share two categories of success, “along the path,” expressed by URI alumni. On-line Networking

Realizing Transferable Skills.

A challenge people face in today’s job search is the continuous, daily networking required to establish connections with new contacts and opportunities. Networking can be exhausting, and it’s easy to convince ourselves to “take the day off from networking.” Technology can be of great help to this endless activity. Several URI alumni have provided positive feedback on learning and utilizing on-line tools such as RhodyNet, the URI Alumni Directory, and Linked-In. RhodyNet (career.uri.edu) and the URI Alumni Directory (alumniconnections.com) offer three opportunities for networking connections: • The RhodyNet Employer Directory offers employer contacts for up-to-date industry information and advice on a job or career search. • RhodyNet’s Mentor Search is comprised of URI alumni willing to assist with career and industry questions, and contacts. • The Alumni Directory offers the option of searching for specific names or broadly reviewing alumni profiles. The information includes email addresses and phone numbers. Each of these tools can easily be accessed on-line and so offers stress-free networking. There is a wealth of information that can be retrieved from the people associated with these sources. Your fellow alumni have been pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to connect and ask for advice about an industry, function, or just general career information. Linked-In allows you to research any industry or company, make professional connections, seek job opportunities, and join discussion groups. If you spend just 30 minutes a day learning to navigate the site you will begin to understand its power. Feedback from our alumni confirms their successful use of these tools in making new professional connections, gaining confidence in their knowledge of an industry or topic, and obtaining advice on how to find potential opportunities, many not yet publicized. Used properly and respectfully, on-line professional networking offers a tremendous opportunity in career search progression.

Too often I hear, “I can’t pursue that career because I have been in sales my whole life.” Replace the word “sales” with any function you choose! People pigeonhole themselves and feel unmarketable in any other slot but the one they know. As I review résumés, I begin to uncover transferable skills that do not appear when I simply ask, “What else did you do? Project work? Write anything? Speak to customers? Suggest ways to streamline processes? Participate in cross-functional discussions? Contribute to the marketing strategy? Contribute to the budget process? Train peer employees? Questions can go on and on! Soon the job seeker sees experiences in a very different light, and we begin a serious discussion about transferable skills. Renewed energy hits the discussion when the job seeker realizes all the transferable skills never before marketed. Sometimes all it takes is someone asking many more skill questions than expected. Job seekers are grateful to be challenged with such questions. Don’t hesitate to ask these questions of yourself as you draft your résumé! Then come and see me and we’ll work together on your strategy! Karen Rubano Alumni Career Services 228 Roosevelt Hall 90 Lower College Road Kingston, RI 02881 p. 401.874.9404 f. 401.874.5525 e. krubano@uri.edu w. advance.uri.edu/alumni/careerservices/advisor.htm

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 37

Island. She joined CCRI in 1999 as a public relations officer.She is also a member of the Rhode Island Critical Incident Stress Management Team, which offers crisis intervention and disaster behavioral/mental health services to Rhode Island’s emergency response professions.

`04 Heidi J. Westerling, HS&S, of Walpole, N.H., competed in the 18th IAAF World Half Marathon Championship in Birmingham England on October 11, 2009. Jacqueline M. Wright, A&S, of Fall River, Mass., has started her second master’s, this one in flute performance at the University of Michigan. Her first was in conducting. Kelly gave a flute recital in April 2009 and is teaching 17 private flute students. She wrote: “Being at other schools always brings me back to the realization that the URI Music Department is really something special. I’ve honestly never been anywhere else where I’ve felt that students were really the top priority as much as I did there!”

`05 Hilary L. Turnbull, A&S, of Weymouth, Mass., writes: “I traveled to Germany in December 2008 for a two week vacation.”

`06 Jessica Gillman, A&S, of Washington, D.C., joined Environics Communications, Inc., as an account executive. She previously worked at the Center for Clean Air Policy planning and managing press events, was deputy press secretary for the Committee on Natural Resources in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was a communications assistant at the National Governors Association. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the Smithsonian Young.

`07 Jacqueline Kemp Haskell, CELS, of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been awarded a 2010 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship and will be the NOAA National Sea Grant Office’s coordinator for natural resource focus areas. Allison T. Lacasse, A&S, of Boston, Mass., is teaching general music and chorus at South Row School in Chelmsford, Mass. She is the assistant marching band director for Chelmsford High School, and she has a studio of flute students. In the flute performance realm, she is playing in orchestras and chamber groups in and around Boston. She earned a Master’s in Elementary Education from Cambridge College in August 2008.

`09 Pamela S. Freitas, NUR, of West Yarmouth, Mass., is currently working as an emergency room nurse at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. Pamela was fortunate get her dream job directly after graduating from URI. Scott M. Luxenberg, CELS, of North Bellmore, N.Y., writes: “Enrolled in graduate school at Adelphi University’s School of Education. Graduating in 2011 with my Master’s in Biology Education 7-12.”

WEDDINGS Dawn L. Mellen ’86 to Benny Dominguez, on October 3, 2009. Gary R. Powers ’87 to Janice R. Martin, on September 6, 2009. Justin M. Boesch ’92 to Amie E. Hannon, on September 27, 2009. Rachel E. Berry ’94 to Nathan R. Roberge, on July 18, 2009. Christine A. Piampiano ’96 to Christian P. Sweet, on September 5, 2009. Scott D. Ferguson ’98 to Tara L. Vickery, on July 19, 2009. Kara L. Infante ’98 to Paul D’Agostino, on July 26, 2008. Rebecca M. Cassotis ’00 to David Choate, on September 22, 2009. Jessica Jarvis ’00 to Lonn Greenberg, on July 18, 2009. Rebecca L. Spinney ’00 to Sean Loughran, on July 25, 2009. Deborah L. Gremour ’01 to Timothy J. Finnegan Jr., on August 22, 2009. Lisa A. Iadevaia ’01 to Alan J. Devlin, on June 5, 2009. Elizabeth B. Bamford ’04 to Jeffrey Elliott ’02, on October 10, 2009. Richard J. Smith ’02 to Kelly E. Grennan, on July 2, 2009. Brian J. Horta ’03 to Laura Albert, on May 30, 2009. Eric J. Kless ’03 to Alexandria H. Haayen, on May 30, 2009. Jacin W. Page ’03 to Patrick Fitzgerald ’03, on September 25, 2010. Stephanie L. Pavone ’03 to Bryan N. Mills, on July 31, 2009. Michelle L. Shearman ’03 to James J. King, on October 3, 2009. Kathleen A. Tebbets ’03 to Dana Paul Mortland, on May 24, 2008. Rachel E. Anderson ’04 to Nathan Roberge, on July 18, 2009. Elizabeth B. Bamford ’04 to Jeffrey Elliot, on October 10, 2009.

38 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

Melissa A. Buratti ’04 to Joseph Clapprood, on August 8, 2009. Courtney M. Caligiuri ’04 to Walter G. Buteau III, on August 15, 2009. Jocelyn A. McHenry ’05 to Kevin J. Arruda, on June 27, 2009. Nicole S. Pare ’05 to Michael E. Porter, on August 8, 2009. Alexander B. Demolles ’06 to Katherine E. McCurdy ’06, on June 27, 2009. Jacqueline Kemp ’07 to Michael Haskell ’06, on July 18, 2009. Joanne M. Petrarca ’06 to Paul Theroux ’07, on July 25, 2009.

Jacob L. and Michaela McGuire Lamb ’05, a daughter, Lydia Carmela, on September 25, 2009.

IN MEMORIAM In Memoriam Correction In the Winter 2009–2010 issue, we mistakenly reported that John Judge ’83, M.S. 85, of Middlefield Mass., chairman of the Math Department at Westfield State College, died on Aug. 5. In fact, his father, also named John Judge, died on that day. We apologize for the error and send John condolences on the loss of his father.

Robert R. Voccia ’06 to Kasey A. Bellisle, on May 24, 2009.

Walter Higgins ’36 of South Burlington, Vt., on December 22, 2009.

Barnaby McLaughlin ’07 to Dianne McElroy, on July 18, 2009.

Helen Baclawski McCarthy ’37 of Santa Fe, N.M., on September 26, 2009.

BIRTHS Francis Morey and Kathryn J. Hopkins ’91, a son, Ian Hopkins Morey, on August 2, 2009. Edward A. and Debbi S. Holmes ’93, a son, Deven Patrick, on April 6, 2009. Melissa Martin ’95 and P atrick O’Neil ’94, a daughter, Ava Jeanne, on October 25, 2009. Melissa Keegan Gill ’95 and Feidlim Gill ’95, twins, Lauren and Hayden, on October 16, 2009. Christine E. and Edward T. Hannan ’95, twins, Edward Thomas IV and Charles Francis, on December 31, 2009. Paul and Kara L. Infante D’Agostino ’98, a son, Kole Joseph, on October 9, 2009.

Ruth Sherman Grimes ’38 of North Providence, R.I., on August 22, 2009. John Stene ’38 of South Deerfield, Mass., on November 9, 2009. Harold Jarcho ’40 of Rockville, Md., on November 19, 2009. Irving Lapidus ’42 of Atlantic Beach, N.Y., on August 13, 2009. Barbara Lynch Reinert ’42 of Bristol, R.I., on October 27, 2009. Dante Chiappinelli ’43 of Milford, Conn., on August 31, 2009. H. Winfield Tucker ’43 of Wakefield, R.I., on January 16, 2010. Kenneth Burkhardt ’48 of Bristol, R.I., on January 17, 2010. Saul Feinstein ’48 of Warwick, R.I., on November 4, 2009.

Christine and Robert C. O’Donohue ’98, a son, Daniel Raymond, on September 18, 2009.

Charles Eastwood ’49 of Middleburg Heights, Ohio, on January 9, 2010.

Kenneth Martha and Anne M. Picard ’99, a daughter, Ella Katherine, on May 22, 2009.

Janice Bostrom Leco ’49 of East Greenwich, R.I., on November 1, 2009.

Jennifer Johnson ’00 and Sean Potter ’00, a daughter, Annelise, on December 4, 2009.

William Diiorio ’50 of Rockaway, N.J., on October 29, 2009.

Jillian ’01 and Lucas Layne ’01, a son, Hudson John, on July 5, 2009. Danielle J. ’01 and Carter W. Quigley ’01, a son, Andrew Walden, on October 31, 2009. Joseph and Jennifer L. Pollock Morrissey ’03, a son, Colin, on April 2, 2009. Dana Paul Mortland and Kathleen A. Tebbets ’03, a son, Brady, on July 15, 2009. Troy ’06 and Jennifer Revier Chasse ’04 a daughter, Grace Anna, on December 8, 2009.

John Hockenson ’50 of Leesburg, Fla., on November 25, 2009. Virginia Holt Diggles ’51 of Glen Allen, VA, on Sept, 21, 2009. Robert Hodnett ’51 of Wakefield, R.I., on October 3, 2009. Thomas Rust ’54 of Terra Alta, W.Va., on June 20, 2009. Marie Fiorino Donnelly ’55 of Frederick, Md., on December 13, 2009. Gale Collins Meszaros ’57 of Bend, Ore., on October 31, 2009. Patricia Huttel Gilbert ’58 of Howell, Mich., on November 23, 2009.

Allan Auger ’59 of West Warwick, R.I., on November 13, 2010.

Peter Verity ’79 of Savannah, Ga., on December 31, 2009.

Patricia Otto Anderson ’61 of Barrington, R.I., on June 18, 2009.

Linda Clemons Marti ’80 of Warwick, R.I., on October 22, 2009.

M. Carolyn Trimble ’61 of Narragansett, R.I., on May 11, 2009.

Gloria Lundy ’81 of Pawtucket, R.I., on October 19, 2009.

Barry Miller ’64 of Glastonbury, Conn., on November 5, 2009.

Brian Russell ’81 of Swedesboro, N.J., on December 5, 2009.

Mary Hajec Bedard ’65 of Coventry, R.I., on December 17, 2009.

Jeffrey Bob ’86 of Attleboro, Mass., on November 8, 2009.

Anthony Sivo ’66 of Scituate, R.I., on October 29, 2009.

Mary Braga ’86 of Warwick, R.I., on November 15, 2009.

Annette Swider ’66 of Annandale, Va., on October 8, 2009.

Joseph Ferrucci ’86 of Cranston, R.I., on November 1, 2009.

Corrinne Edwards Wiseman ’66 of North Kingstown, R.I., on October 17, 2009.

David Kolman ’94 of Newburyport, Mass., on November 2, 2009.

Benjamin Hehn ’67 of Newton, N.J., on September 27, 2009. Gerald Girard ’68 of North Smithfield, R.I., on October 25, 2009. Moorad Mooradian ’68 of Providence Forge, Va., on September 30, 2009. Thomas Aiello ’69 of Middletown, Conn., on October 14, 2009. Kari Grimstad Brodie ’70 of Kyle, Texas, on November 7, 2009. Ruth Fiske Lawson ’70 of Rumford, R.I., on September 1, 2009. Dennis Neri ’70 of North Providence, R.I., on April 15, 2008. Eugene Wisniewski ’70 of Alden, N.Y., on October 24, 2009. William Chauvette ’72 of West Warwick, R.I., on September 5, 2009. Richard Gervais ’72 of Johnston, R.I., on November 28, 2009. Susan A. Jackson ’72 of Newburyport, Mass., on December 15, 2009. Ernest Marcure ’72 of Scituate, R.I., on October 18, 2009. Josephine Bruno Pansa ’73 of Bristol, R.I., on November 3, 2009. John Sellers ’73 of Arlington, Texas, on January 6, 2009. Bruce Ladd ’74 of Westerly, R.I., on June 21, 2009. Paul McKenna ’75 of New York, N.Y., on October 2, 2009. Dagmar Ostigny ’75 of Mystic, Conn., on October 5, 2009. Carol Vondendriesch Rosse ’75 of Londonderry, N.H., on October 24, 2009. Robyn Eastwood Feeley ’77 of Mansfield, Mass., on October 7, 2009. David Gorgone ’78 of Greenville, R.I., on October 3, 2009. George Alsfeld ’79 of Abingdon, Md., on January 3, 2010.

Terence Ashworth ’96 of Narragansett, R.I., on November 11, 2009. Michael McCampbell ’08 of Barrington, R.I., on December 30, 2009.

IN MEMORIAM FACULTY Allan H. MacLaine, 85, professor emeritus of English, died on Dec. 17, 2009. A resident of Charlestown, R.I., he joined the URI faculty in 1962 and eventually served as chairman of the English Department and as dean of the Division of University Extension (now CCE). He received his B.A. from McGill University and his Ph.D. from Brown. He was an authority on Scottish poetry, especially that of Robert Burns. He published extensively on Burns as well as on Chaucer and other Middle English writers. He was known to captivate audiences with his readings from Burns and other poets. Selected Essays on Scottish Language and Literature was published in his honor on his retirement. He was a member of the Modern Language Association, the College English Association, and the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. He was a lifetime fellow of the National University Extension Association. He is survived by his wife, Stacy, and daughter Nancy. Memorial donations may be made to the Allan MacLaine Library Fund, URI Foundation, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI, 02881.

SHARE YOUR RHODY PRIDE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION! Would you like your child or grandchild to receive information from the URI Admission Office? Simply visit our new and improved URI Web site at uri.edu/admission. On the admission homepage you’ll find a link to a secure online form, Request Information. Encourage your family member to complete the form, and provide us with an email address. We’ll send information about the University, the admission process, and even specific academic programs. Your family member will be invited to online chats and special events—maybe he or she will even look for you on our alumni site! We also invite you to spread the word about URI to prospective students who live in your community. Please contact us if you are interested in helping us by covering college fairs in your area. For more information about becoming an Alumni Admission Representative, contact Ray Kung at 401.874.4903.

CLASSnote

READ & WRITE CLASS NOTES ONLINE!

note to: your life. Send your class Let us know what’s new in Center, i mn mni Association, Alu Class Acts Editor, URI Alu 11 Kingston, RI 02881-200 73 Upper College Road, u classacts@advance.uri.ed ail: Fax: 401.874.5957, Em

line at: Enter your class note on services/classnotes u/e www.advance.uri.ed

___ Class ______

_____________________

Name_________________

_____________

_____________________

Address________________

___ Zip _______

_____________ State ___

City ___________________

_____________

_____________________

Email Address _ _________

n Check here if new address

_____________

_____________________

Class note ______________

______________

_____________________

______________

_____________________

______________

_____________________

______________

_____________________

______________

_____________________

______________

_____________________

______________

_____________________

______________

_____________________

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 39

BACKpage

I This Old House “The farm consisted of about 140 acres of land, partially on a hill and rolling into the plain below. On the land stood a house, a large barn, and a number of small outbuildings, all in a great state of disrepair.“ —The University of Rhode Island: A History of Land-Grant Education in Rhode Island by Herman F. Eschenbacher.

n 1888 this farm, known as the Oliver Watson-Teft Farm, became the site of the new State Agricultural School. The barn and outbuildings swiftly disappeared, but the 18th century farmhouse remained to serve a variety of functions as the Agricultural School grew and morphed into the University of Rhode Island. In the early part of the 20th century Watson House was first the home of Lambada Chi fraternity and later a women’s dormitory; in the 1930s it became a tea room, then in the 1940s and early ’50s, it housed the College of Home Economics’ nursery school. Several times over the years the old farmhouse was threatened with demolition only to be saved by community members who prized its history and who were willing to dig into their own pockets to keep it standing. Today the Watson House—the oldest structure on the Kingston Campus—is a museum decorated and furnished in a rustic 18th century style. And it is still receiving support from local history buffs who hope that you and your family will join them for a Watson House benefit festival on Sunday, July 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day will include Watson House tours, an antique automobile show, arts and crafts demonstration, live music, a food court, and a silent auction. Free parking for the event is available in the Chafee lot.

More | uri.edu/quadangles

PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS

40 QUAD ANGLES SPRING 2010 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

Annual URI Golf Tournament A Tradition for over 50 Years Sponsored by the University of Rhode Island Alumni Association

Monday, June 7, 2010 Quidnessett Country Club 950 North Quidnessett Road North Kingstown, RI 02852 Register at advance.uri.edu/alumni/golftournament

YOUR SPONSORSHIP HELPS STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS! Since 1995, the URI Golf Tournament has raised approximately $130,000 for student scholarships. The support and generosity of so many area businesses, alumni, and friends has made the tournament the second largest Alumni Association fundraising event of the year. Consider a sponsorship for yourself or your company. Sponsorship Levels 2010 • Lunch Sponsor: $2,500 for deluxe sponsorship signage at the luncheon, tournament reservations for four golfers, and special recognition in our program. • Breakfast Sponsor: $1,500 for deluxe sponsorship signage at the breakfast and special recognition in our program. • Presenting Sponsor: $1,000 for deluxe sponsorship signage at the raffle area and special recognition in our program. • Beverage Sponsor: $500 for deluxe sponsorship signage at the beverage stops located at the 6th and 14th tee. • Golf Cart Sponsor: $500 for a sponsorship sign on a golf cart. • Tee Sign Sponsor: $250 for a sponsorship sign at one hole.

Contact Kathy Gianquitti at the Alumni Association at 401.874.4853 or email kgianquitti@advance.uri.edu

PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 00

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Permit No. 28 Burl., VT 05401

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

REUNITE WITH CLASSMATES Class of 1960

50th Reunion May 21–23, 2010 Come back to Kingston and enjoy a full weekend of gatherings and opportunities to get together with classmates including: Campus tour Cocktail hour and reunion dinner at the Hyatt Regency Newport Sunday brunch on the Kingston Campus On Sunday, May 23, members of the Class of 1960 will lead URI’s Commencement march

Golden Grad Weekend June 4–6, 2010 Golden Grad Weekend is a special celebration for graduates who have already marked their 50th reunion. Highlights include: A Friday night reception A visit to the W. Alton Jones Campus for special presentations and lunch. Return to Kingston for an optional campus tour. Golden Grad Luncheon at the Dunes Club in Narragansett The following reunion years will be celebrate at the luncheon: Class of 1955: 55th Reunion Class of 1950: 60th Reunion Class of 1945: 65th Reunion Class of 1940: 70th Reunion

For more information, contact the Alumni Relations Office at 401.874.2242

advance.uri.edu/alumni/reunions

If you have a disability and need an accommodation, please call 401.874.2242 at least three business days in advance. For TTY assistance, please call the Rhode Island Relay Service at 1.800.745.5555. PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS