URI QuadAngles Summer 2009

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QUADangles SUMMER 2009, VOL. 16, NO. 4

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Shark Tales TAKING A BITE OUT OF SHARKS’ BAD REPUTATION WEB EXTRA: VIDEO


Commencement 2OO9 PIX ONLINE URI.EDU/QUADANGLES


QUADangles SUMMER 2009, VOL. 16, NO. 4

DEPARTMENTS UP FRONT  3  News and views PRESS BOX  8 LOOKING BACK  25 ALUMNI CHAPTERS  26 Upcoming events and contacts CLASS ACTS  28 News from your classmates and alumni profiles BACK PAGE  40 Dedication of the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons INSIDE BACK COVER Pride in URI Night BACK COVER Homecoming 2009

WEB EXTRAS: SPRING SPLASH 2009 Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design seniors “Rock the Runway” NEW RHODY POSTCARDS South Africa and Moldova –Send us yours! KUDOS URI pharmacy award winners: John Grossomanides ‘84, Pharm.D ‘00 Erica Estus ‘96, Pharm.D.’00 Linda Carver ‘86

QUAD ANGLES ON THE WEB: advance.uri.edu/quadangles

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TAKING A BITE OUT OF SHARKS’ BAD REPUTATION By Todd McLeish As popular as the movie Jaws was, its longest lasting effect was the fear it caused and the resulting senseless slaughter of sharks

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WRITING THE BOOK ON PONZI’S SCHEME By John Pantalone ‘71 URI alumnus Mitch Zuckoff explores the history of the notorious swindler Charles Ponzi

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URI COUPLES IN TUNE WITH EACH OTHER By Jan Wenzel ’87 Dick and Betty Kalunian began dating on campus while David and Cathy Correia didn’t meet until after graduation, but for both couples the URI ties run deep

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FLAME PROOFING TO A HIGHER POWER By Shane Donaldson ’99 As he sat at dinner in Mario’s Place in Westport, Conn., in 2002, Peter Gummo saw the future of fire safety as he stared at his napkin

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IS YOUR GLASS HALF-FULL? By Maria Caliri Six human resources professionals offer advice to their fellow alumni on how to survive and prosper in a down economy

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SMILE PROGRAM INSPIRES FUTURE SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS —PLUS, IT’S FUN! By Marybeth Reilly-McGreen An after school program serving 240 Rhode Island public school students annually, SMILE nurtures kids’ passion for learning

QUADangles Summer 2009, VOL. 16, NO. 4

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Cover: ©Nick Caloyianis/nickcaloyianis.com COVER GRADUATES’ EDITION: NORA LEWIS INSIDE FRONT COVER: JOE GIBLIN CONTENTS: NORA LEWIS; GREG SKOMAL; DAVID AND CATHY CORREIA

Congratulations Class of 2OO9! PIX ONLINE URI.EDU/QUADANGLES

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Greenland Shark

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Ponzi

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URI Ties

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Future Engineer


ALUMNI online

advance.uri.edu/alumni

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. SAY CHEESE! Browse photos from our 123rd Commencement, the Class of 1959’s 50th Reunion, our Legacy Reception, Golden Grad Celebration, Alumni Golf Tournament, Rhody Ram Spring Caravan Series, and more, by going to

advance.uri.edu/photoalbums. CHECK YOUR CALENDAR The Alumni Association offers a variety of programs and events just for you, no matter your location. Bookmark our Alumni Calendar of Events at advance.uri.edu/alumni/ events/calendar and check it frequently. TIME TO GO? There’s a big world out there! Expand your horizons with one of the special travel packages sponsored by the Alumni Association. In 2009, special trips are offered to Switzerland—August 24–31 and August 30–September 6—and to Ireland, September 4–12. Coming up in 2010, you can cruise the Great Barrier Reef on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia and New Zealand, March 7–20. A springtime trip to Provence (date to be determined) is also being planned. Find out more by going to advance.uri.edu/alumni/travel, and grab your passport. Adventure awaits! ALL OVER THE MAP Where will you find URI alumni? Just about everywhere. Take a look at our URI Alumni Map and see for yourself! Go to advance.uri.edu/alumnimap. AT THE CHAPTERS This summer, alumni in Baltimore, Washington D.C, Chicago, and Boston are heading to the ballpark. The Rhode Island Chapter is holding a networking event at Newport’s Castle Hill Inn, and the Massachusetts Chapter is hosting its first “Welcome Freshmen” event, which will be held at the Franklin Park Zoo. For the most up-to-date listing of upcoming alumni chapter events near and far, go to

advance.uri.edu/alumni/events/chapters. SHOW YOUR RHODY PRIDE Head to McCoy Stadium on August 20 and enjoy a popular Rhody summertime tradition! Join alumni, family, and friends for a great night as the PawSox take on the Red Wings. Meet the University’s 11th president, Dr. David Dooley, who will be on hand for his first Pride In URI Night! Gates open at 5 p.m. for all-you-caneat burgers, hot dogs, and the fixings. The game begins at 7:05 p.m. For more information and to register online, go to advance.uri.edu/alumni/events/pridenight.

STAY IN TOUCH Sign up for one of our online periodicals or email news lists, and stay in touch with your school! n  ONLINE PERIODICALS INADVANCE@URI A biweekly electronic newsletter that contains University news, events, and opportunities of interest to URI alumni and friends. InAdvance@URI is currently emailed to more than 66,000 subscribers on alternate Thursdays. QUAD ANGLES Prefer to read the URI alumni magazine online? Sign up for this online subscription, and we’ll notify you by email when the latest issue is posted at uri.edu/quadangles. n  To subscribe to one of our online periodicals, go to advance.uri.edu/esubscriptions. n  EMAIL NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS 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. n  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. 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.

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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 Nota ’87, M.S. ’06 Editorial Committee Paula M. Bodah ’78 Jodi Hawkins Mike Laprey Dave Lavallee ’79, M.P.A. ’87 Liz O'Brien Managing Editor Vida-Wynne Griffin ’67, M.A. ’72 Associate Editors 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 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 Marisa Saccoccio ’01, M.A. ’05, Program Assistant Kate Serafini ’08, Program Assistant Gina Simonelli ’01, M.S. ’03, Assistant Director Alumni Association Executive Board Gary W. Kullberg ’63, President Donald P. Sullivan ’71, President Elect Joseph M. Confessore ’96, Vice President Peter J. Miniati III ’85, Past President Susan R. Johnson ’82, Vice President Louise H. Thorson, M.B.A. ’85, Treasurer Councilors-at-Large Ana Barraza ’93, M.S. ’04 Mark A. Davis ’83 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 Representatives Arts & 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 & Life Sciences: Wayne K. Durfee ’50 Human Science & Services: John Boulmetis ’71, M.S. ’73 Nursing: Denise A. Coppa ’72, Ph.D. ’02 Pharmacy: Lynn M. Pezzullo ’91 Student Alumni Association: Jessica Potvin ’09 Student Senate: Thomas Ahrens ’09 URI Foundation: H. Douglas Randall III ’72


UPfront David Dooley Named URI’s New President The Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education selected David M. Dooley, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont., as the 11th president of the University of Rhode Island. He will assume the presidency on July 1, 2009. Dr. Dooley, 56, a native of California, was selected from a group of three finalists after a nationwide search that attracted 55 candidates. He began his career in higher education in 1978 as an assistant professor at Amherst College, where he later became a full professor and department chair. Dr. Dooley has nearly 16 years of experience as chief academic officer and department chair at Montana State. He led the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department for six years before being appointed interim provost and vice president for academic affairs in June 1999. In 2001, he was confirmed as provost and vice president for academic affairs. He earned a B.A. in chemistry from the University of California in San Diego and a Ph.D. in chemistry from California Institute of Technology. Dr. Dooley’s wife, Lynn BakerDooley, is a Baptist minister. The Dooleys have two adult children. The couple has a newly adoped dog, an Aussie they named Rhody.

PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS AND DON BOUSQUET & SON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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Generous Gift Helps Prepare Students for 21st Century Communications Richard J. Harrington ‘73, Hon. ’02, former president and CEO of The Thomson Corp., and his wife, Jean, donated $5 million to support URI’s new School of Communication and Media, which will be renamed in their honor. The gift is part of the University’s Making A Difference capital campaign that seeks to raise $100 million. “Jean and I are delighted and honored to be able to give back to this great institution that was instrumental in forming the foundation for my career success,” said Harrington. “This gift reflects our heartfelt commitment to supporting public universities, which unlock doors of opportunity for students who might not otherwise be able to go to college. As the son of Irish immigrants who could not afford college education, I am grateful for the doors that URI unlocked for me.” Harrington’s 11-year tenure as president and CEO of Thomson culminated with the company’s acquisition of Reuters to form Thomson Reuters in 2008. As a component of the Harringtons’ gift, the Woodbridge Company, Ltd., of Toronto, the Thomson family’s holding company and the majority

Showing Students the Write Stuff As publisher and president of Rhode Island Monthly, John J. Palumbo ‘76 oversees a popular publication known for illuminating the Ocean State’s diverse culture and idiosyncrasies. He returned to his alma mater this spring to share his considerable knowledge as part of the PR Summit series. “Anytime we can give students the chance to meet and talk with experts here in our state, the better prepared they become. Our goal as educators should be to give our students a thorough, practical base of knowledge but also to do whatever we can to help them establish career relationships, particularly in this competitive environment,” said Robert Beagle, vice president for University Advancement. 4  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

shareholder in Thomson Reuters, as well as other private donors, will give $500,000 in recognition of Harrington’s more than 25 years of service with the corporation. Thomson Reuters has also pledged ongoing support to URI and The Harrington School of Communication and Media, sharing its media resources and other assets, as well as its people.

“This is an extraordinary gift from Dick and Jean,” said URI President Robert L. Carothers. “The ability to invest in the school at its earliest stage will help us achieve a distinct niche for the program, one based on the latest thinking on communication technology.” “As someone who has seen the world of information evolve from print to digital, and now to blogs and Twitter, I believe it is critical for URI to prepare its communication students for leadership roles in the next generation of media and communications that is increasingly changing at breakneck speed around the globe,” Harrington said. The school brings together five units within the College of Arts and Sciences: the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Journalism (which offer the interdisciplinary major of public relations); the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Writing and Rhetoric; and the Program in Film Media. The gift is expected to facilitate the creation of a dedicated home for the new school in the near future.

The Right Rx for Saving $12 Million A seven-year old collaborative program between URI’s College of Pharmacy and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections has saved the correctional system—and Rhode Island taxpayers—an estimated $12 million in prescription medicine costs. The program gained national praise for its innovation this year, winning the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute’s Rx Benefit Award. Since its inception, the program has reduced medication waste by nearly 75 percent and held the trend line on expenditures despite significant drug cost inflation and increases in the inmate population. The prison system’s daily population averages 3,800 inmates, while its intake center processes approximately 18,000 individuals per year. The ACI population has a greater demand for drugs for such conditions as HIV and hepatitis C as well as a wide assortment of anti-psychotic

and anti-depressant medications. Since the inmates are getting older, there is also an increased need to treat such chronic conditions as arthritis and heart disease. The program is directed by E. Paul Larrat, associate dean of the College of Pharmacy, Rita Marcoux, assistant professor of pharmacy research, and the Corrections Department’s medical staff. The college provides Rita Marcoux and an on-site pharmacy E. Paul Larrat manager, Larry Myerson, and extensive data analysis, reporting, clinical support, and management resources. Pharmacy students assist with much of the data analysis, gaining practical hands-on experience that prepares them for multiple career opportunities in the health care industry.


Greeks Win Big Again The URI Greek community, which is composed of 12 fraternities and 10 sororities, was the Northeast Greek Leadership Association Conference’s top awards winner last winter. URI received six out of the eight programming excellence awards, more than any other college or university. More than 550 students from 69 different schools from Virginia to Maine were in attendance. URI won the Academic Achievement, Interfraternity Council Management, Pan-Hellenic Council Management, Leadership and Educational Development, Philanthropy and Community Service, and Risk Management and Reduction awards. This is not the first time URI has won awards. In 2008, URI’s Greek

community took home 13 out of a possible 17 awards. In 2007, URI took home 11 out of a possible 17 awards. “URI Greek leaders have begun to build a tradition of excellence,” said Director of Greek Affairs Steve Simo. “This year’s awards banquet really reinforces that.” “Our Greek system continues to focus on the principals on which it was founded: leadership, scholarship, and service. It is thrilling to know that others outside the University continue to recognize and reward the outstanding work of our URI student leadership,” said Tom Dougan, vice president for Student Affairs.

Board members of URI’s Pan-Hellenic and Interfraternity Council pose for a photo with their graduate advisor, Davida Robertson, (front row-far right) and Greek Affairs Director Steve Simo, (top row, far left). Photo courtesy of Greek Yearbook.

How About Them Apples! PHOTO BY MICHAEL SALERNO

Robert L. Carothers, the 10th president of URI, who stepped down last month, received the 2009 Diversity Award from URI’s Multicultural Center for his many contributions to multiculturalism and diversity at the University.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL SALERNO

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SALERNO

Prize-winning author Patrick Tracey ’81, who participated in URI’s Ocean State Summer Writing Conference this summer, won the 2009 L.L. Winship/PEN New England Award for Nonfiction. His book, Stalking Irish Madness, Searching for the Roots of My Family’s Schizophrenia, is attracting international interest and praise.

Gerry Ladas, professor of mathematics and one of the most cited mathematicians in the world, had an international conference named in his honor. The conference, Progress on Difference Equations, was held this May in the Mathematical Research and Conference Center in Bedlewo, Poland.

PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

Michele Nota ‘87, M.S. ’06, executive director of Alumni Relations, has been elected to the board of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District 1. CASE is the international professional organization for advancement professionals who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing, and other areas.

David Correia ’75, chief recording engineer and owner of Celebration Sound Recording Studio in Warren, R.I., won his second Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences this year. He edited, mixed, and mastered the CD, Yes to Running—Bill Harley Live by artist Bill Harley. (See more about David and Cathy Correia ’74 in this issue.) Scott Malloy, professor of labor studies, founder of the Rhode Island Labor History Society, and a leading authority on the state’s Irish-American community, was inducted into the Rhode Island Hall of Fame in May. Dana Neugent, coordinator of the URI Feinstein Providence Campus Media Center, won the 2009 Metcalf Diversity in Media Awards in broadcast for his edgy hip hop recruitment video, Be A Nurse, created in collaboration with URI’s College of Nursing.   UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  5


Combating Hunger

Combating hunger has been on the University’s front burner ever since the Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America was established in 2001. Today that help is even more critical. With 10.5 percent of its work force without a job, Rhode Island holds the dubious distinction of having one of the top five unemployment rates in the nation. Although times are tough, applying for food stamps shouldn’t be. Kathleen Gorman, director of the hunger center, heads an extensive outreach project that assists the state’s Department of Human Services to improve access to and participation and retention in the Food Stamp Program. “There are 100,000 Rhode Islanders now receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the new name of the food stamp program,” says Gorman. “We estimate that there are at least 20,000 more Rhode Islanders who are eligible. With the economy tanking, that’s probably a low estimate. More than 3,700 people enrolled in the program in March 2009 alone.” The center collaborates with 38 partners and nearly 300 agencies to promote the program and get people enrolled. Student employees and interns provide information, screening, and application assistance to help people at pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, group homes, senior high risers, and more find out if they qualify for the program. In addition, training sessions are held at social service agencies across the state. “We go anywhere to help people in need or to train people who work directly with low-income populations,” says Gorman. The center also partners with grocery stores. The Brigido family hosts outreach workers at their three markets in Northern Rhode Island. “We want to be sure all our neighbors take advantage of this federal nutrition program,” says Lee Ann Brigido. The center publishes brochures and printed materials and hosts a busy food stamp hotline at 866.306.0270 where people can call for information or

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PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SALERNO

request an application. It places advertisements on the back of statewide buses and on radio programs directed toward target populations: seniors, working poor households, and immigrant populations. Recently, Rhode Islanders receiving SNAP benefits got a boost in their monthly benefits, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The state also removed a number of bureaucratic obstacles that could otherwise prevent the recently poor from receiving benefits. “The increased benefit is arguably a powerful source of economic stimulus since benefits are spent almost immediately in the local economy,” says Gorman. “In Rhode Island, that brings the total average monthly benefit to $125 for each participant, which means more than $12.5 million federal dollars is being spent at local grocery stores in just one month.”


Hammering for Habitat Twenty-two students took their spring break in Birmingham, Ala., where they picked up hammers and nailed the service-learning component of their honors course. Aptly called the Academic Alternative Spring Break: Classrooms Without Borders, the course asked students to look at a number of social issues. Gail Faris, assistant director of the Women’s Center, led the class with help from Michelle Caracia from the English Department, Deborah Gardner from the Honors Center, and Deni Lemire, who completed her studies last December. Class members looked at the broad issue of poverty and its root causes: lack of suitable housing, unemployment, and hunger. Then they packed their bags and traveled to Birmingham to become part of the Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program. Faris chose Birmingham, an area in chronic need of assistance with a rich civil rights history. Students spent an afternoon visiting the park where police once attacked protestors with dogs and fire hoses; the church that was bombed in 1963, killing four girls; and the Civil Rights Institute, where they were accompanied by Bernard LaFayette Jr., former director of URI’s Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies. The students slept in a local church basement equipped with bunk beds and made their own meals. They worked on new houses and repaired old ones, often working alongside families that were part of what Habitat terms ‘sweat equity.’ The students learned more than carpentry. “Who knew we could have so much fun roofing?” Ryan Kilpatrick of Bradford, R.I., wrote on the class blog. “I feel good about what we were able to do for Devarez and his family. I enjoyed being able to talk to him about his hopes and dreams … Habitat is providing more than a house … it’s providing a sense of security, a safe haven, a place of rest, a place to grow, and all the other things that a home is supposed to be. To be a part of that is really special. “If I’ve taken anything away from this trip…it is inspiration to use my two hands to benefit this world the best way I can. There are millions of people in this world with needs. Most of them will never have those needs met because there aren’t enough servants or leaders. I want to be a servant. Granted, it shouldn’t

take a one-week trip to Alabama to open my eyes to the social injustices of the world, but maybe that was just what I needed. I’m young, healthy, and somewhat intelligent. I have the tools necessary to make a difference. There is plenty of time for fun. Now is the time for action.” In addition to Kilpatrick, other URI students on the trip were: Matthew Adams, Jessica Adefusika, Tolulope Adewusi, Kristina Camarena, Lindsay Cox, Kristen D’Entremont, Jessie Dyer, Alyssa Frezza, Meg Frost, Elise Glidden, Jami Halpern, Evan Hunt, Sarah Kane, Adam Karweil, Christopher Lombardozzi, Jamie Morrone, Jennifer Paquette, Rebecca Sawyer, Mark Scialla. Samantha Turner, and Melissa Wetzel.

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Quick Hitters Senior men’s basketball star Jimmy Baron was named to the Lowe’s Senior CLASS All-Senior All-America first team. The Lowe’s Senior CLASS award, selected by a nationwide vote of coaches, media, and fans, is presented annually to college basketball’s outstanding NCAA Division I senior student-athlete. Baron was also a 2009 Portsmouth Invitational all-tournament selection after setting new single-game (9) and tournament (16) three-point records. He ranked second in scoring (19.3 ppg) over the three games. The Portsmouth Invitational, in its 57th year, is one of the major showcases for graduating seniors. Jasmine Jennings became just the third URI women’s track & field student-athlete to capture a Championship of America title at the historic Penn Relays. On April 23, the senior from Warwick, R.I., won the hammer throw with a heave of 190-03 (58.00m). The competition was held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Jimmy Baron

Jasmine Jennings

Grace Hedstrom 8  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

Jimmy Baron

The University of Rhode Island has been well represented on the Top 10 Plays of the Day feature on ESPN’s SportsCenter. On Feb. 25, sophomore Marquis Jones’ game-winning layup in overtime over Dayton ranked as the top play of the day. Jimmy Baron made an appearance on the Top 10 list on April 3 after throwing a picture-perfect alley-oop pass in the College Slam Dunk Championship from halfway up the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Rams’ outfielder Kenny Burns’ unbelievable catch, robbing a home run at Northeastern, was the No. 2 play of the day on April 20 and was replayed several times throughout the day on April 21. Jasmine Jennings The annual Senior Athletic Awards Banquet was held April 27 at Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown. Jimmy Baron (men’s basketball) received the Albert LeBoeuf Award and Jasmine Jennings (track & field) was presented with the Winifred B. Keaney Award. Both awards are given annually to the most outstanding graduating male and female student-athletes who have been role models in their collegiate careers while maintaining a high level of academic standing. Grace Hedstrom (tennis) and Mark Stevens (golf ) were the 2009 Elizabeth Holmes Award winners. The Holmes award recognized the most outstanding graduating female and male student-athletes who combined exceptional scholastic achievement with outstanding athletic talent.

Mark Stevens


Meet Women’s Basketball Head Coach Cathy Inglese Named head coach of the women’s basketball program on April 14, Cathy Inglese owns a 393-253 (.608) career coaching record in 22 seasons as a head coach. The Wallingford, Conn, native served as Boston College’s head coach from 1993-2008, registering a 273-179 (.604) overall record. She guided Boston College to seven NCAA Tournaments and one trip to the WNIT. Under her direction, the Eagles made three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 and posted a program-high national ranking of No. 14 at the end of the 2003-04 season.

Congratulations and welcome to URI. I am extremely excited to be here, and a lot of that has to do with Thorr Bjorn, his leadership, vision and enthusiasm. I also enjoy the challenge of growing a program and helping to build new traditions. Another draw for me was the ability to compete in the Atlantic 10; the fact that eight teams qualified for the postseason this past year tells you a lot about the quality of the league. You’ve had tremendous success at Boston College and the University of Vermont. What are your keys to building a successful program? I believe you have to surround yourself with good people. That starts at the top with the administration and includes working with a super staff. It is also important to reach out to people within the University and community to build that support network. Perhaps most important is to bring in the right student-athletes. It’s vital to have your team play as a group. What will be your first duty as head coach at URI? First, I need to get to know the players. I need to explain to them my focus, philosophy, and expectations. I’m also going to reach out to our incoming freshmen with phone calls to introduce myself. Other things I will do? Hire an outstanding staff and hit the recruiting trails.

What should Rhody basketball fans expect from a Cathy Inglese-coached team? Our team will be hard working and fun to watch. We will play together and play with enthusiasm. I like to play an up-tempo style, but I also emphasize the importance of executing on the offensive side and being able to switch up on defense. What is your recruiting philosophy? I look for players who want to make a difference, who want to be a part of something greater than themselves, and who believe in us as much as we believe in them. The vast number of majors we have at URI is a huge plus. The campus is beautiful and the location is ideal. Playing in a strong, competitive conference like the Atlantic 10 is also an excellent selling point. As proven by your 100 percent graduation rate, you emphasize academics. How have you been able to balance academics and athletics? Initially when I recruit someone, I stress the academic end of things. My recruits come here to graduate in four years—that is the number one priority. Once they are here, it’s our responsibility to give them what they need to be successful. The academic advising staff is an incredibly important part of our program. What are your thoughts on the Atlantic 10 Conference? I really like the A-10. I’ve known Bernadette McGlade [commissioner of the Atlantic 10 Conference] for a long time; she’s a tremendous leader. I also like the geography of the league. The fact that we get to travel outside of the region to places like Charlotte, St. Louis, and Richmond, allows us to expand our recruiting area.

Thorr Bjorn and Cathy Inglese   UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  9


Taking a Bite Out of Sharks’ Bad Reputation As popular and groundbreaking as the 1975 movie Jaws was, its longest lasting effect was the fear it caused and the resulting senseless slaughter of sharks. Shark biologists around the world, including many with connections to the University, have been working to counteract those effects ever since. PHOTO BY KEN MOSTELLO

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Sharks come in many shapes and sizes. At right is a basking shark, the world’s second largest fish. At far right is the inquisitive blue shark, one of over 400 species of sharks that Greg Skomal’s Shark Handbook will help to identify. On the previous pages, the Carribean reef shark has the classic shark look.

WEB EXTRA: VIDEO

“Why did some sharks evolve two big dorsal fins while others did not? Why do some feed using suction like a vacuum cleaner and others have biting jaws like a bucket loader? Why are some built like a sports car and others like a mini van? It’s all based on their function.” — URI BIOLOGY PROFESSOR CHERYL WILGA

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he man whose job most closely reflects the Jaws saga is George Burgess ’73. As director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and curator of the International Shark Attack File, he and his staff at the Florida Museum of Natural History collect the details of every shark attack around the world. “It’s the equivalent of a detective investigating a case,” he said. “We interview victims and witnesses, get reports generated from emergency officials and copies of medical records, treatments and outcomes. We examine every attack from the perspective of the shark, the environmental factors, and the perspective of the humans involved.” His database of 4,000 investigations allows him to study trends and commonalities among attacks to predict when and where shark attacks might occur and provide advice to the medical community and local officials to minimize the risk of future attacks. “Shark attacks are a function of humans and sharks getting together in the water at the same time and place,” said Burgess. “It’s obvious, but it’s the most important factor because the number of shark attacks has continued to rise every decade for a century. Despite a serious decline in shark numbers around the world, the number of attacks continues to grow because the human population continues to grow.” In 2008, there were 59 shark attacks worldwide—41 of which occurred in the United States—that resulted in four fatalities.

“Compared to the billions of hours that humans spent in the water, that’s an infinitesimal risk,” said Burgess. “And the bottom line is that sharks have a lot more to fear from humans than humans do from sharks. Humans are killing 100 million sharks, skates, and rays worldwide each year. It doesn’t take a lot of brains to figure out who’s the hunter and who’s the hunted in this relationship.” A shark attack in Hawaii led Bradley Wetherbee, who teaches in the Department of Biological Sciences, to a career tracking the movements of sharks. While Wetherbee was a graduate student at the University of Hawaii tracking reef fish and studying littleknown deep sea sharks, a woman was killed by a tiger shark at a nearby beach. The hysteria that followed and efforts to find and kill the rogue shark led Wetherbee to propose tracking tiger sharks to see if they remain in a small territory, as many officials believed. “The first one we tracked moved 30 miles in one day, and the next ones moved even farther away than that,” he said. “So it’s highly unlikely that any of the sharks killed in response to the attack were the one that did it. Their efforts to control sharks were just a psychological BAND-AID.” Wetherbee discovered that tiger sharks are not restricted to coastal regions but wander hundreds of miles up and down the Hawaiian Islands chain. His results convinced the state to stop hunting sharks. Wetherbee has continued his shark research on the East Coast, tracking sandbar


sharks and sand tiger sharks in Delaware Bay. After spending 800 hours in a tiny boat tracking sharks, he installed an automated array of listening devices in the bay that detect an acoustic signal from any of the 60 sharks he equipped with electronic tags. It has allowed him to learn about their habitat usage from one season to another and to trace their movement patterns into and out of the bay from year to year. While both species are negatively affected by fishing, port traffic, and dredging, he said, the sand tiger shark is in the greatest peril. “It looks fierce, but it isn’t,” Wetherbee said. “It moves slowly and has little spiky teeth; it reproduces very slowly, so it will take a very long time for its population to recover.” As a shark biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Greg Skomal ’83, M.S. ’90, created the state’s shark research program to study and monitor sharks so they can be properly managed. He spends most of his time during the summer and fall conducting field research on some of the dozen shark species that regularly visit New England waters while also collecting data on sharks caught at regional shark fishing tournaments. Skomal also collaborates with other researchers studying sharks around the world—bull sharks in Louisiana, black tipped and lemon sharks in the Caribbean, gray reef sharks in the central Pacific, and Greenland sharks around the Arctic Circle. This year he traveled to Hawaii to help solve a problem of tiger sharks killing endangered monk seals, worked in the Red Sea tagging whale sharks, and planned a shark conservation campaign in the Bahamas. What’s his favorite shark? “I’m somewhat fickle,” said Skomal, whose new book, The Shark Handbook, describes more than 500 species of sharks in the world. “It’s like jumping from girlfriend to girlfriend. In the last couple of years it’s been the basking shark because of the research we’re doing and because they’re so poorly understood. I’m in love with them. Four years ago it was the white shark. And my background is with the blue shark, the one I most consistently see.” While shark researchers spend little time in the water with their subjects, Skomal covets every opportunity to dive with sharks.

His most exciting underwater encounter was while studying Greenland sharks under 6 feet of Arctic ice. “It was my first experience going through an ice hole into 29-degree water and coming face to face with a 500-pound shark,” he recalled. “It was dark and cold, and the animal was right in front of me. They eat seals, and since I’m about the size of a seal, my level of anxiety was pretty high and my imagination was racing.” Unlike Wetherbee and Skomal, most of the shark research conducted by Biology Professor Cheryl Wilga is done in her lab. She is most interested in understanding the evolution of sharks and their adaptations for swimming and feeding. “Why did some sharks evolve two big dorsal fins while others did not?” she asked. “Why do some feed using suction like a vacuum cleaner and others have biting jaws like a bucket loader? Why are some built like a sports car and others like a mini-van? It’s all based on their function.” Wilga raises bamboo sharks and spiny dogfish and uses a wide range of technologies to compare how they perform at various functions. Tiny electrodes shed light on muscle function; sonometric crystals use ultrasound to better understand skeletal movements; and analyses of fluid dynamics reveals the movement of water around sharks as they swim. “We put all these things together to understand how they work,” she said. “It gives us a picture of what is happening on the inside and the outside of the shark.” She has learned, for instance, that nurse sharks and others that use suction to feed have an advantage over other sharks because they don’t have to get as close to their prey, thereby increasing their chance of success. This vacuum feeding method also provides easy access to prey that may be hiding in rocky crevices or hidden in coral reefs. Added George Burgess: “Sharks have been around for 400 million years, making them one of the oldest animals in the sea. They’re swimming sensory machines with more senses than we can even imagine, making them hugely effective predators. They’re a diverse group, so they’re obviously doing something right.” – Todd McLeish

BASKING SHARK: GREG SKOMAL; BLUE SHARK: © NICK CALOYIANIS/NICK CALOYIANIS.COM

Apex Predators Program An important step in the career evolution of Greg Skomal and Brad Wetherbee was time spent working at the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Apex Predators Program in Narragansett, next to URI’s Bay Campus. Skomal worked there as an undergraduate and graduate student, while Wetherbee held a postdoctoral appointment there. Several other alumni have served there, too. Nancy Kohler ’77, Ph.D. ’87; Lisa Natanson, Ph.D. ’90; and Camilla McCandless, Ph.D. ’07; all on staff, have collectively spent more than 50 years tagging, tracking, and studying sharks for the agency. They conduct life history studies of commercially and recreationally important shark species to shed light on their distribution and migration patterns, age and growth factors, reproductive biology, and feeding ecology. In addition, they administer the Cooperative Shark Tagging Program in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Mediterranean Sea while also managing the Cooperative Atlantic States Pupping and Nursery Survey, which uses researchers in coastal states to conduct a comprehensive investigation of important shark nursery areas. Information gathered from these research programs provides baseline biological data for the management of large sharks in the Atlantic.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  13


W

Writing the Book on PONZI’S SCHEME 14  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

hen Bernard Madoff was arrested and charged with swindling investors out of $65 billion, the news media described the swindle as “the biggest Ponzi scheme in history”; however, the man for whom the scheme was named might have taken umbrage at the description. In his curious manner of thinking, Charles Ponzi would have seen Madoff for what he was, a ruthless swindler, whereas he thought of himself as a virtuous risk-taker. The meltdown of the American economy last summer smoked Madoff out of his palatial hole and into the public psyche. As the story was breaking, URI alumnus Mitchell Zuckoff ’83 became a prime source on the history of Ponzi schemes. Though most people were familiar with the term, few knew its origins or the story of the man behind it. Zuckoff has discussed Ponzi and the contemporary version of his famous scheme on the CBS Evening News, National Public Radio, and PBS’s Frontline, and in The New York Times and other newspapers. A former special projects reporter at The Boston Globe and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for investigative reporting, Zuckoff has written the book on Charles Ponzi—literally. Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend, Zuckoff ’s 2005 account of Ponzi’s life, reveals not just the origins of that infamous scam, but the amazing personality behind it. The colorful story set in Boston, filled with scoundrels and innocent but often greedy victims, banking scalawags, and corrupt politicians, might make a great film someday. It could even make it to Broadway as Zuckoff, who teaches investigative journalism at Boston University, has sold both the film and stage rights. The timing certainly seems perfect. “We’re seeing a lot of Ponzi-like schemes unveiled now,” Zuckoff said in a recent interview, “from Enron to Bernard Madoff and others. When the tide goes out, the rocks show up. “Once I started working on the book, I thought it would make an interesting movie. The arc of the story is so interesting, and there are great characters. Ponzi was much more complex than just being a crook and a swindler. Even the prosecutors were interesting with their unsavory backgrounds.” An Italian immigrant who came to the United States in the early 20th century to make his fortune, Charles Ponzi was intent on redeeming himself in the eyes of his mother after he squandered the money his family had given him for college. Not unlike a variety of swindlers today, he rose on a rising tide that marked the live-fast-and get-rich-quick Roaring Twenties, a tide that hadn’t receded months later when his “robbing Peter to pay Paul” scheme collapsed. Clever, charming, and charismatic, Ponzi drifted from one odd job to another but always seemed to be attracted to get-rich-quick schemes. He served jail sentences for shady


“I was the realization of their dreams. The idol. The hero. The master and arbiter of their lives. Of their hopes. Of their fortunes. The discoverer of wealth and happiness. The wizard who would turn a pauper into a millionaire overnight.” —Charles Ponzi

behavior in Montreal and for helping fellow Italians cross the border from Canada into the United States. He landed in Boston, where his whirlwind success made him famous. He used his charm and wit to portray himself as a man of the people, a scamp more than a scoundrel. While trying to build a legitimate business, Ponzi stumbled upon a plan to attract money for a company that would invest in International Reply Coupons, a convenient form of reply postage used by many immigrants sending mail to the old country. Beginning in the fall of 1919, he started taking small amounts of money from investors, many of them immigrants, who were sold on the idea by his enthusiasm. Before too long he was raking in more cash than he could keep track of. Within months people were turning over thousands a day. By July 1920, he estimated his net worth at close to $15 million. But it was a proverbial house of cards built on phony investment. Ponzi had promised investors a 50 percent return in 45 days. Like Madoff, he invested very little of the money. As long as people kept turning over their investments, he was safe. Once they started calling in their money—just as Madoff ’s investors did nearly a century later—Ponzi would run out of cash to pay them. As Ponzi amassed his wealth, he encircled himself and his family with its trappings, including a Lexington mansion, an expensive car, fashionable clothes, jewelry, and art. But the heat was on from The Boston Post, the city’s most read newspaper, and investigators at the city, state, and federal levels. Ironically, the boldly confident Ponzi invited investigators to examine his operation. Although he almost got away with it, Ponzi’s scheme was doomed. By August 1920 he was in jail. He would eventually spend more than

10 years in prison and be deported to Italy, living most of the rest of his life in a hand-tomouth existence. How did Zuckoff get into the neglected story of this wily swindler? Like most reporters, Zuckoff is always on the lookout for a good story. While he was a banking reporter at The Boston Globe during the credit union crisis of the early ’90s, someone mentioned that Boston hadn’t seen so many banks close since Ponzi’s day. Zuckoff had no idea Ponzi’s scheme was launched in Boston. He began filing away items pertaining to Ponzi, and when the dot. com bubble burst in the late ’90s he started working on the book, uncovering Ponzi’s long ignored autobiography and a treasure trove of newspaper accounts, records in public archives, and family papers and letters. “I was astonished at what I found, especially in the archives,” Zuckoff said. “The records were still wrapped in string as if they had been put away and never touched.” A native of Bellmore, Long Island, Zuckoff chose URI because of its journalism program. He credits the late Wilbur Doctor, who taught at URI for two decades, with guiding him into a career as an investigative journalist. Zuckoff acknowledges Doctor’s contribution to Ponzi’s Scheme; the professor read the manuscript not long before his death in 2008. There’s no point in asking if a Ponzi scheme could take place today, as Madoff sadly proves. But Zuckoff does offer that the 2009 economic meltdown has everything to do with a lack of vigilance by regulators. “These things were right under their noses,” he said. “The tools are in place at the Securities and Exchange Commission, but they seem to be better at handling insider trading cases and dealing with specific complaints. They didn’t seem interested in other cases. This doesn’t diminish Madoff’s culpability, but they [SEC regulators] let him do what he did.” By John Pantalone ’71

Books by Mitch Zuckoff

Choosing Naia: A Family’s Journey, 2002, received the Christopher Award and was named a Massachusetts Honor Book.

Judgment Ridge: The True Story Behind the Dartmouth Murders, 2003, co-authored with Dick Lehr, a finalist for the Edgar Award.

Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend, 2005, a New York Times Editors’ Choice book. Robert Altman: The Oral Biography, to be published by Knopf in fall 2009.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  15


URI Couples in Tune While many students like Dick ­Kalunian ‘59 and Betty Bogan ’59 met on campus, there are also a sizable number of alums who, like David Correia ’75 and Cathy Zangari ‘74, met after graduation. No matter the circumstances, URI remains part of their love stories.

A Sweetheart of a Couple In Sigma Chi tradition, the fraternity brothers stood on East Hall’s front step and sang “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” to Betty.

Things are sure golden for Dick and Betty Bogan Kalunian. The couple celebrated both their 50th anniversary and their 50th class reunion last May. The pair met in the Green Hall library during the fall of their freshman year. While it wasn’t ­exactly love at first sight, Betty says Dick “grew on me fast.” Indeed. Shortly after Christmas, she was wearing his high school ring around her neck—a symbol that they were going steady. Since neither had a car, Dick and Betty dated on campus. They often attended movies in Edwards Auditorium on Friday and Sunday nights. Admission was 35 cents. They bowled in the Memorial Union where they drank “cabinets” and enjoyed juicy burgers. Dick, an ROTC cadet, always took Betty to the military balls, 16  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

which were held in Keaney Gymnasium. And there was something always going on at Dick’s fraternity, Sigma Chi. Dick “pinned” Betty when they were sophomores. In Sigma Chi tradition, the fraternity brothers stood on East Hall’s front step and sang “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” to Betty, who was president of East Hall, then a residence hall for 88 women. The Kalunians married in 1959 a few months after graduation. Dick, a civil engineer, went to work for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. His crowning glory was being the chief bridge design engineer for the new Jamestown Bridge. Betty earned her degree in elementary education and taught in Westerly and Warwick schools. She also earned two master’s from URI—one in elementary ­education in 1971 and the other in counseling in 1989. She worked for her alma mater as an academic advisor in ­University ­College and as a career advisor in ­Career Services, retiring in 1996. The Kalunians now live in Venice, Fla., where they are active members of the URI Alumni Association’s Southwest Florida Gators Chapter. They return each year to Rhode Island to summer at Green Hill Beach. The couple have four children: Rick Kalunian ’83, Beth Kalunian ’84, Bob Kalunian, and Janet Kalunian, M.S. ’94. If history repeats itself, their two grandsons will one day wear Keaney Blue.


with Each Other  CATHERINE ZANGARI SOCIOLOGY

DAVID C ORREIA EN GLISH

Recording a Fine Romance David and Cathy Zangari Correia have been in tune with each other for more than three decades. This year David, a recording engineer, won his second Grammy Award for his work on Yes to Running—Bill Harley Live by artist Bill Harley. The album was voted Best ­Spoken Word Album for Children, ­beating out works by Gwyneth Paltrow and Tony Shalhoub. “Becoming a recording engineer is like learning to play a musical instrument, only in this case, the entire recording studio—all of its processing and recording gear, microphones, monitors, and acoustics—is my instrument,” explains David. “Anyone who is successful in this, or any artistic field, also has to possess a natural talent and their own creative instincts. As far as winning a Grammy or two, I’d say sometimes the universe gives you a pat on the back.” Cathy joined David at his company, Celebration Sound, in 1983. Today the company is located in Warren where David handles the engineering and Cathy manages the business. They didn’t meet on campus, although they took the same English literature course in 1973. They only realized they were classmates when

they compared their transcripts after graduation. David studied pharmacy before switching to English. Cathy majored in sociology. Both were active on campus. David was a member of URI’s Jericho Society, helping inmates at the Adult Correctional Institute’s Maximum ­Security Prison work toward their high school equivalency diploma. He actively protested the Vietnam War and stopped attending classes during the 1970 spring semester. While some faculty stopped teaching, the majority continued to teach until the Kent State University shootings in May. Ultimately, the University agreed to give students whatever grade they had at ­mid-­semester. [See David’s reminiscence in Looking Back, page 25.] Cathy attended rallies and ­lectures by prominent political leaders that she says have had a lasting effect on her personal politics and view of humanity. She also served on the executive board of the Big Brother Big Sister Program, helping to match URI student volunteers with community youngsters. The couple met in Providence in 1974 as students of Prem Rawat, also known as Maharaji, and discovered all they needed was love. “We are each other’s best friend,” they say. “We share a deep enjoyment of the adventure of life as it unfolds.” The Correias live in Seekonk, Mass. with their sons Lucas, 21, and ­Matthew, 18. Photos: Nora Lewis, iStock, 1959 and 1974 Grist, and courtesy of David and Cathy Correia.   By Jan Wenzel ’87

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  17


Flame Proofing to a Higher Power Peter Gummo’s company revolutionizes fire protection

18  QUAD ANGLES SUMMER 2009

Testing: Thanks to Temprotex, a thin, water-based coating that can be sprayed over car engine parts as a fire barrier, the fire at the bottom above can barely burn; without the coating, the fire on the top above flames out of control.

PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS


As he sat at dinner in Mario’s Place in Westport, Conn., in 2002, Peter Gummo ’83 saw the future of fire safety as he stared at his napkin. On the napkin was a sketch of a professional race car (inset at left). The artist of the drawing, an acquaintance of ­Gummo’s, was pitching a potential investment and explaining how he knew of a Russian-born scientist who was working on a specialized coating that could keep race car drivers safe during a crash by preventing oil fires.   That sketch—which now resides in a frame on the wall of Gummo’s office— was the genesis of the company Thermal Protection Technology (better known as TPR2) and the successful collaboration among Gummo, the physicist-inventor Felix Dimanshteyn, and product development engineer Rick ­Barone. As president of the Waterford, Conn,.based company, Gummo has seen TPR2 ­(pronounced TPR Squared) grow from a sketch to a major player in the fire safety industry in just a few short years. The company is a leader in the development of revolutionary products not only used by NASCAR and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) but also in the construction, entertainment, and aerospace industries. The company’s success story begins on the car racing circuits with the revolutionary coating Temprotex. The thin, ultra-low VOC, water-based coating can be sprayed like paint over car engine parts to provide a fire barrier that keeps flammable substrates like carbon fiber and polyurethane foam from igniting. “It’s a latex-based product, so it’s green and environmentally friendly,” Gummo said. “It’s very easy to use. It goes on like paint— it’s that easy to apply. We use airless spray guns, rollers, or brushes.” “If there’s an accident or engine failure in a race, there’s a possibility of hot oil, which can ignite,” explained Gummo. “Our product actually extinguishes liquid-based fires. When you see this material in action, it’s impressive. “The relationship with NASCAR and NHRA has done a tremendous amount for us,” Gummo said. “NHRA mandated Temprotex for its racers.” By 2004, TPR2 was being used to coat vehicles and engine parts of several NAS-

CAR® racing teams and was growing in popularity, especially after it was featured on Fox Sports. “That exposure has led us from professional motor sports to projects in construction and aerospace safety,” said Gummo. Dimanshteyn, who developed the technology used in the coating, came to the U.S. in the mid-1980s after working with the Russian Army to develop products designed to thwart the impacts of napalm (a gel-based flammable liquid used in warfare). After learning how Dimanshteyn was able to combat the effects of napalm with his special coating, Gummo asked him if he could develop a technology that could be used to prevent liquid-based fires. “He had been working with fire retardant technology for a long time, and we could see the potential for other uses,” Gummo said. “However, it was a conceptual technology and not yet a product.” This is where Gummo and his experience came into play. After graduating from URI with a degree in political science, he married his college sweetheart Marci Reichman ’82 and moved to Connecticut. After graduating from law school, Gummo worked as an attorney specializing in finance and business development. In the 1990s, he left the practice of law to focus his attention on the entrepreneurial aspects of business development and began purchasing and developing businesses in the U.S. and abroad. After many years of overseas travel (he also served as a trade representative for Kenya), he turned his attention to developing technologies. It was the combination of this interest and his entrepreneurial spirit that led to his decision to focus on TPR2. With NASCAR as the initial target because of the danger of burning oils causing fast-spreading cockpit fires, Gummo licensed the technology for testing in 2003. Working with Dimanshteyn, who is still with TPR2, Gummo made sure the technology worked in other areas and then purchased it with his partner, Barone. TPR2 is branching into other areas, such as providing better fireproofing for residential and commercial buildings. One of the key products the company is focusing on this year is a coating for polyurethane spray foam insulation that is used to create thermal and ignition barriers for buildings.

The company’s Fireshell® product was the only “green” water-based coating to pass the National Fire Protection Agency’s 286 fullscale room corner test over both open and closed cell foams in 2008. The spray was used to coat an enclosed 12-foot-by-8-foot, woodstudded room with 4.5 inches of exposed cell foam. A fire was set, and after 15 minutes of burning, the flames had not spread and there was no excessive smoke. The coating expands up to 2,000 times, going from 14 thousandths of an inch to several inches thick when exposed to extreme heat or flame. While there is some charring, there is only limited smoke or fire buildup. When sprayed on insulation material used in attics and crawl spaces, Gummo’s coating can replace sheetrock. This makes home building less expensive since it costs less to use the TPR2 coating than it does to install sheetrock. Because of the way the coating is applied, the builder can meet fire safety regulations without the difficulty and expense of structural modifications that come with other means of protection. And the product can be applied rapidly, which provides significant labor savings.“It’s going to be very cost-efficient for home builders,” Gummo said. “You get the benefit of the spray foam insulation, which is a much better insulator, and there are no air pockets, so fire doesn’t get a chance to breathe.” TPR2 products , which are subjected to intense testing, meet regulations set by the International Code Council Urban-Wildland Interface Code. In areas prone to wildfires, the spray can help slow and retard the spread of flames. The products also are safe for use on oil rigs, boats, and ships, as well as industrial and mining sites. And the company is also researching anti-explosive technology that could provide more advanced safety products down the road. “We’re always looking for new ways to make use of our technology,” said Gummo who, with Marci and their two teenage ­children, divides his time between homes in Saunderstown, R.I., and Savannah, Ga. Learn more about TPR2, at www.tpr2.com. —Shane Donaldson ’99

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  19


Is Your Glass Half-full?

HR professionals offer advice to the unemployed To aid URI students and alumni in their search, QUAD ANGLES contacted six human resources professionals.

Emerson Foster ’90, managing director of Foster & Francisco, an executive search firm specializes in multicultural candidates Jodi Fournier ‘82, chief administrative officer of the Bond Street Group in New York City Marianne Gattinella ’79, vice president of human resources for The McGraw-Hill Companies Denise Hempe ’91, vice president, Human Resources & Administration for Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp Neil McNulty ’78, owner of McNulty Management Group, a military placement and career management firm Dennis Watson ’95, staffing manager for The TJX Companies

20  QUAD ANGLES SUMMER 2009

F

irst and foremost, these alumni offer hope. “The media hype about unemployment isn’t helpful,” says Hempe. “Even in states with 10 percent unemployment, 90 percent of the work force is employed.” Gattinella agrees. “Companies are still hiring, albeit at a reduced rate.” To identify where these jobs exist, it’s critical to think creatively. “Don’t go where everyone else is going,” says McNulty. “Big companies are struggling, so look at ‘Joe’s Manufacturing.’ Some of the best opportunities are found in small, privately owned companies. Some industries, such as banking, may be hurting overall, but not every financial institution is doing badly. Consider regional banks.” The federal government may also be a bright spot. In a strange twist of irony, these trying times are creating job openings. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is hiring professionals with finance backgrounds to help manage bank failures across the country. The official job site of the federal government, usajobs.gov, lists more than 40,000 jobs nationwide in diverse fields. The military is also a viable option for recent college graduates. Although the global


war on terror rages on, McNulty says the benefits of joining the military far outweigh the risks. “You get tremendous experience, and even in a bad economy, corporations hire candidates who have served. Four years in the military is equivalent to earning a degree from a superb graduate school.” Conversely, graduate school may give the unemployed a competitive edge, enabling them to emerge into an improving economy with an advanced degree. “Typically, I tell recent college graduates to work first before going to graduate school, but right now graduate school is one of the better places to be,” says Foster. If graduate school is cost-prohibitive or unrealistic for job seekers who already have advanced degrees, then the job market is best navigated through networking, a job-hunting tool that many find intimidating. “People are scared to death of networking,” says McNulty. “You have to have an appetite for it,” says Gattinella, “but it can be very effective if you’re organized in your approach. Make a targeted list of the companies you’d like to work for and the places you’re willing to move to. When contacting those who can help— fellow alumni, former co-workers, professional organizations—be succinct about your goals and capabilities. If you’re out there networking enough, you’ll start hearing the names of those you need to reach out to. Call them, state who referred you, and ask to meet personally. If that’s not possible, ask to spend 30 minutes on the phone.” Recommendations cannot be underestimated. “Referrals have a higher probability of speaking to someone at a company,” says Watson. “Don’t be ashamed to ask for help,” says Hempe. “There’s no stigma attached to unemployment in this economy.” If job offers remain elusive, Fournier suggests temporary work. “This year’s college graduates can gain valuable experience and observe the culture of the company. For older job seekers, temporary work provides pro-

© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; NORA LEWIS; COURTESY NEIL MCNULTY

spective employers with the opportunity to get a feel for their work ethic and their quality of work.” Temporary work is often obtained through a placement agency; experts highly recommend that avenue. “Even in today’s economy, companies are still using temps,” says Hempe. Placement firms can help job seekers write and edit résumés at no cost. Concise résumés that address how the job seeker’s skills can benefit a company are crucial to finding permanent employment. Fournier says that best practice is “one page for every 10 years of work, but no more than two pages in all.” Watson recommends paying close attention to cover letters. “Companies recognize the standard cover letter where someone just inserts a company name, but the letter that includes details of why someone wants to work for the company combined with specific information about that company will get attention. Adding something specific about the position requirements and your experience makes the letter more personalized to the company and position. This is the key to a good cover letter.” Most importantly, experts stress that maintaining a positive attitude is paramount to a job seeker’s success. McNulty says that job candidates should “hit a home run out of the stadium” during an interview; the only way to do that is to concentrate on a positive presentation and forget the headlines. Job seekers cannot control the news reports, but they can look closely at the numbers. The Labor Department reported that job losses trended downward in the spring. Experts stress that figures should not drive the job hunting process. Instead, they recommend that those searching for employment maintain a “glass half-full” perspective, heed the advice offered here, and keep a laser-sharp focus on where they can apply their skills best in this changing economy. – Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ‘92

RHODYNET™ Career Services: Putting URI Students and Alumni to Work Offering a full menu of services from résumé critiques to complimentary job fairs, URI’s Career Services helps alumni and student job seekers find new positions while also assisting recruiters in locating talent.

career.uri.edu

• career planning • résumés • cover letter writing • interviewing skills • on-campus job postings • full- and part-time jobs • internships via RhodyNet™ • online career management

Graduates

RhodyNet™ is available to all URI graduates. Just email Career Services your name, email, address, college major, and date of graduation. You will receive an alumni code that will provide access to job opportunities and information about career workshops and alumni mentors. Recent graduates receive free appointments and assessments.

Networking

Employers who are URI alumni may use Career Services to find job and internship candidates. Free online job postings, résumé retrieval, and online registration for job fairs and graduate school expos are all available to recruiters. Employers can register on RhodyNet™ through Career Services’ home page.

Information

Visit Career Services at 228 Roosevelt Hall e: career@etal.uri.edu p: 401.874.2311

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  21


SMILE Program Science and Math Investigative Learning Experience

22  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009


Inspiring Future Scientists and Engineers—Plus, It’s Fun! The Scenario

PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS

WEB EXTRA: VIDEO

Potholes have pitted the roads of the future, leaving them crumbling and impassable. Bridges and overpasses have warped under the weight of time and overuse. Fuel shortages have driven gas prices into the stratosphere. The future of transportation depends upon levitation, specifically, a new rail system reliant upon magnetic levitation. It’s a challenging engineering problem, but nothing a group of middle school students can’t handle given a day and a $250,000 budget. Imaginary, of course. Such are the problems presented to elementary, middle and high school ­students involved in the University of Rhode Island’s Science and Math ­Investigative Learning Experience (SMILE), an after-school program ­serving 240 public school students across the state annually. This particular transportation problem was one middle school students grappled with last spring at SMILE’s Middle School Engineering Transportation Challenge 2009. The two-day event, held at URI, involved students using wood, pennies, magnetic stripping, rubber bands, foam board and no small amount of ingenuity to create a maglev (think magnetic levitation) car and crane to test on rails. The Memorial Union Ballroom, the venue for the Challenge, teemed with aspiring engineers intent on solving future transportation issues. Anabely Hernandez, 14, and Ashley Rebelo, 13, students at Providence’s Roger ­Williams Middle School, sat with Dylan Winward, 12, a student at South Kingstown’s ­Curtis Corner Middle School, tinkering

with their crane and working on their diplomacy. “The problem is trying to figure out how you’re going to put it all together,” said Hernandez. “They wouldn’t let me touch anything because they were afraid I might break it,” Winward joked. Hernandez rolled her eyes. “That’s because we had to redo the entire project,” she said in a tone that implied design flaws may have been just part of the problem. “The challenge is getting along with other people. That’s the real challenge,” said Rebelo.

Making Connections In the middle of the Memorial Union Ballroom a group of Curtis Corner Middle School students huddle around a plastic rail built for testing the cranes and cars. The student engineers sport oversized grey T-shirts provided by SMILE. A maglev car is about to make its maiden run, its progress along the rails measured by a stopwatch. “No two cars are quite alike; we haven’t had a lot of industrial espionage,” one adult volunteer notes. The crane is cranked. The car rolls. Breath is held. Then, success, and a chorus of “yes” from those assembled. Josh Beck, 12, the keeper of the stopwatch, smiles and notes, “It was really expensive to build. It cost $207,000.” “Well, you’ve got to pay for quality,” rejoins SMILE Program Director Carol Englander. In the construction of the crane and maglev car, there were three tasks: To create a design, to construct a

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  23


­ rototype, and to test said prototype. The p real test, though, was one of teamwork. The students learned that they would not work with their fellow club members; they would be collaborating with students from other participating schools. Select URI students were involved as well in mentoring the middle schoolers. The intent behind mixing the students up was to encourage them to hone their social skills, but it was also about exposing them to university life and the idea that they, too, could find a place there. “It’s important that the SMILE kids see people who look like them being successful.” Englander explained. “If you’ve never heard a story in your family about going to college, you need a role model.” And the best way to do that, Englander argues, is showing students those who have gone before them not only going to college, but doing well there. For Francesca Villegas, 13, a Roger ­Williams Middle School student, the SMILE experience had the desired effect. “I want to come here for college,” Villegas said. “I like the campus. I want to become a ­kindergarten teacher, I think, or a ­psychiatrist and a ­pediatrician.” “And lunch here is awesome,” said Tylan Clarke, 12, a Curtis Corner Middle School student. “If school lunches were like lunches here, I wouldn’t really mind school as much.” In addition to the occasional awesome free lunch, SMILE offers long-reaching ancillary benefits to students like Villegas and Clarke. School districts profit from SMILE’s ability to provide enrichment activities for their minority populations. Teachers trained through SMILE acquire hands-on, applied learning knowledge that benefits all their students. SMILE students take what they’ve learned and become leaders in the classroom. And the projects are designed to engage students’ various strengths not only in math and science, but also language arts and graphic design. “It’s a fun way to learn, and it’s nice to see the growth of a child on this path to success,” Englander said. “If we could ­figure out how to do it, we’d put a SMILE club in every school.”   By Marybeth Reilly McGreen

24  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

SMILE Celebrates 15th Anniversary In its 15 years, the SMILE program has served thousands of Rhode Island’s elementary-to-high school-aged students and seen 93 percent of its graduates attend college. The program has been nurtured by Carol Englander, SMILE program director and a local middle school science teacher who first heard of SMILE while on sabbatical at Oregon State University in 1994: “I saw all the SMILE clubs there. We would travel around the state and do teacher workshops. Oregon is so huge, which made me think, ‘how hard could this be to do in Rhode Island?’” Englander found funding from local businesses and the program began. SMILE is now 14 clubs strong with school chapters in Providence, East Providence, Central Falls, West Warwick, Woonsocket, and South Kingstown. The school districts each pay for a SMILE program teacher and the attendant professional development required. In addition to events like the middle school engineering challenge held at URI, SMILE also sponsors scientific and career exploration field trips and Family Science Nights to showcase student talent. SMILE’s aim is two pronged, says Englander: “We aim both for college and to create inquisitive life-long learners. There is no lack of interested children.” Many participants become the first in

their family to go to college; SMILE students have gone on to earn degrees from institutions like URI, Amherst, Smith, and Brown. There is no typical SMILE student, though many are Native American, Hispanic, or African American and roughly 60 percent are female. “Our first graduating class had four girls of color, and they knew they had to do well to pursue the careers they wanted,” Englander said. SMILE also serves students who simply enjoy math, science, and applied learning. “Our goal is to keep kids interested in doing well in school by giving them this outlet where it’s cool to be smart,” said Englander. “Our kids find out that they can be leaders. They develop a lot of self confidence and a sense of camaraderie.” Staying in SMILE is a challenge. Students commit to weekly, two-hour after-school meetings. They must maintain high grades in school, have a good attendance record, and behave appropriately. The cost of the SMILE program is about $1,000 per child. As much as Englander is intent on fostering SMILE students’ love of learning, she is equally committed to cultivating a sense of responsibility in her charges: “A student has to want to be in the program. It’s not enough for a parent to want this, the child has to want it. “I guess when people ask about SMILE—about what keeps kids interested in math and science and doing well in school and going to college—what I want them to know is that we give kids an idea of who they can be. As one student put it, ‘this program opens you up to things you never thought of.’ I like to think we’ve made an investment, and that it’s paying off for Rhode Island.”


LOOKING back David Correia ’75 Recalls the Campus Protests of 1970 Many younger readers probably don’t know that after Nixon ordered the invasion of Cambodia in the spring of 1970, URI’s Kingston Campus shut down in protest against the Vietnam War.

that the Administration Building was about to be taken back by the Rhode Island State Police; people were needed to help block the entrances to stop the police action.

It was a time of difficult choices. That spring, students had to choose whether to continue to go to classes or to stop attending them in protest of the war—and perhaps suffer the consequences.

About an hour later, I was taken from the URI infirmary to the local hospital for X-rays after getting whacked in the ribs with a police baton. The police went through us peaceniks like a hot knife through melted lobster butter.

It was a very different time and climate. In the 1960s and early 1970s, male college students received draft deferments that they would lose upon graduation or on leaving school. For many young men, that meant welcome to Vietnam. It wasn’t until after the shootings at Kent State and Jackson State that those students who had been on the fence finally joined the protest. After debating long and hard about how to handle the situation, URI administrators, faculty, and student leaders decided to give students whatever grades they had at the mid-point of the semester. Those of us who had stopped attending classes felt vindicated. It was far easier for me to fall asleep at night. Yes, there was a lot going on then. The URI Administration Building was taken over by black students, who had their own issues. They held the building round the clock for a couple days. I was living in Browning Hall at the time when word came

PHOTOS FROM THE GRIST 1972

My name appeared in the student paper, so I figure there must be a dusty file on me somewhere in the bowels of FBI headquarters. I also became a celebrity to some of the black community on campus. The next year I participated in May Day 1971, which was an attempt to stop the government in Washington, D.C., for one day. A few thousand kids vs. the Pentagon and the Washington, D.C., Police Department—guess who prevailed? It was such a dramatic experience that my Browning roommate, who also attended, packed up his belongings the day after we got back and never returned to URI. He’s a math teacher in New Bedford, Mass., today. For a look at the more romantic side of David Correia, see “URI Couples In Tune With Each Other,” page 16. By David Correia ’75

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  25


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 July 23 Join the Rhode Island Chapter for a networking event at Castle Hill Inn & Resort in Newport. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, and raffle prizes. For more information, contact Sarah Howard at 401-874-2438 or showard@advance.uri.edu. July 25 Join the Massachusetts Chapter for a "Welcome Freshmen" event at the Franklin Park Zoo and barbecue lunch. Contact Gina Simonelli at gsimonelli@advance.uri.edu or 401-874-5808. July 31-August 1 The 2009 Alumni Leaders Conference welcomes alumni chapter leaders and alumni admission representatives back to Kingston. Contact Gina Simonelli at gsimonelli@advance.uri.edu or 401-874-5808 for details. August 2 Join the Baltimore/D.C. Chapter for the Orioles-Red Sox game at Oriole Park. A pre-game event will be held at noon in the DH Lounge, followed by the game. Contact Sarah Howard at 401874-2438 or showard@advance.uri.edu for details. September 5 The Chicago Alumni Chapter invites you to take in the White Sox-Red Sox game and the pre-game Alumni Association Patio Party. To register, please contact Gina Simonelli at gsimonelli@ advance.uri.edu or 401-874-5808. September 12 Join the Massachusetts Alumni Chapter at Fenway to watch the Boston-Tampa Bay game. Contact Nicholas Chigas ’03 at 978-505-7161 or Michael Sams ’90 at 508-490-8500 for details. September 13 Join the New Jersey Chapter at Monmouth Park Race Track. The event will include a private section for URI and a buffet luncheon. Contact Kate Serafini at 401-874-4679 or at kserafini@ advance.uri.edu for more information. September 26 The 13th annual Northern California Alumni Chapter clambake will be held in San Mateo at the Coyote Point Recreation Area, Beach Group #5. For more information, contact Sarah Howard at 401-874-2438 or showard@advance.uri.edu. September 26 The Connecticut Chapter and the Department of Athletics are holding a pre-game tailgate for the URI-UCONN game at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. A bus trip to the game will also leave from the Kingston Campus. Game tickets are available by calling the URI Athletics Box Office at 401-874-RAMS (mention the alumni group section). For details, contact Brittany Manseau at 401-874-4536 or bmanseau@advance.uri.edu. The URI Alumni Association welcomes its newest chapters—Connecticut, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and The Villages, Florida!

BEFORE THE GAME The URI Alumni Relations Office hosted a gathering in Miami on March 3, prior to the URI–University of Miami baseball game.

26  QUAD ANGLES SUMMER 2009

UNDER THE FLORIDA SUN URI Alumni living in The Villages, Florida, gathered for a potluck cookout on April 25. The Villages recently established an alumni chapter.


TIME TO RECONNECT Alumni in Connecticut established an alumni chapter this spring. The group got together on May 14 in Middletown, Conn., for a networking event.

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: jphart@cox.net Web site: www.ribeta.com

Phi Mu Delta REGIONAL CHAPTERS

Minnesota

INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS

Jim DeNuccio ‘75, East Greenwich, RI Phone: 401-884-2993 (w) Fax: 401-885-2228 (w)

John ’92 & Kristen Turcotte ’95, Saint Louis Park, MN Phone: 952-285-1148 Email: jfturcotte@mindspring.com keturcotte@mindspring.com

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.

New Hampshire White Mountain Rams

FRANCE (PARIS AREA)

Kenneth Gambone ‘88, New York, NY Phone: 917-701-4631 Email: Kenneth.gambone@ barclayscapital.com

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)

Political Science

Craig Weiss ‘89, Valley Glen, CA Phone: 661-713-2492 Email: diego.studiocity@gmail.com

We are seeking chapter leadership in this area. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Gina Simonelli at 401-874-5808.

Northern

New Jersey

GREECE

Pat Ludes ’79 & Greg Passant ’78, Pleasanton, CA Phone: 925-227-1878

Lauri Pietruszka ’84, West Paterson, NJ Phone: 973-890-1623 (h) Email: lauriann_p@yahoo.com

Irene Kesse Theodoropoulou '69

Southern

New York: Metro

Arizona Rhode Runners Julie Griffin ’99 Scottsdale, AZ Phone: 480-634-1950 (h) 480-754-6147 (w) Email: Julez99@aol.co

California LA Rams

Jeff Bolognese ’02, Phone: 760-945-4560 Email: jeff@richmondfinancial.net

Janet Irlander ’78, New York, NY

Colorado Mile High Rams

North Carolina

Christy L. Gallese ’03, Denver, CO Phone: 303-561-4979 Email: christygallese@gmail.com

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 Greenbaun ’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

Louisiana/Mississippi Phyllis DelFiore ’68, Slidell, LA Phone: 985-847-1609 (h) Email: feliciadf@hotmail.com Dee Canada ’62, Slidell, LA Phone: 985-643-8801 (h) Email: delinac@charter.net

Massachusetts

Nicholas G. Chigas ’03, Waltham, MA Phone: 978-505-7161 (h) 781-672-5170 (w) nicholas.g.chigas@smithBarney.com Michael P. Sams ’90, Westborough, MA Phone: 508-665-4299 (w) Email: mpsams@kandSlegal.com

Michigan David Diana ’84, Warren, MI Phone: 586-268-0048 Email: dianad@flash.net

Phone: 917-612-7276 Email: jirlander@paramount-group.com Ed Doughty ’93, Charlotte, NC Phone: 704-995-9300 (h) 704-331-2219 (w) Email: edoughty@carolina.rr.com

Ohio Tom Noyes ’67, Wooster,OH Phone: 330-345-6516 (h) 330-264-8722 (w) Email: noyes.1@osu.edu

44 Achileos Pal Faleron 17562, Athens, Greece Phone: 011-30-1-981-3559 (h)

AFFINITY CHAPTERS Alpha Phi Laura McMahon Kovacs ’01, Waxhaw, NC Phone: 704-843-6977 Email: lauralaylin@gmail.com

Community Planning Mike DeLuca ’80, M.C.P. ’88, Narragansett, RI Phone: 401-789-6888 (h) 401-461-1000, ext. 3137 (w)

Phi Sigma Kappa

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

Danielle Pray ’88, Walton, KY Phone: 859-485-6790 Email: d@prayzpaws.com

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

Bill ’74 & Betty ’74 Sepe, Hudson, OH Phone: 330-650-6715 Email: OHRhody@hotmail.com

Nancy Lundgren ’54, Tiverton, RI Phone: 401-624-6364 (h)

Rhode Island Allison Field ’95, Providence, RI Phone: 401-808-9463 Email: allison@conderi.com

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

Washington, D.C./ Baltimore 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

Continuing Education

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

Lambda Chi Alpha Jeffrey Hill ‘00, Shippensburg, PA Phone: 717-530-0188 Email: firemarshal70@hotmail.com

Lambda Delta Phi Linda F. Desmond ’68, North Andover, MA Phone: 978-687-7443 (h) 978-794-3896 (w) Email: lfdesmond@comcast.net

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

Would you like to START A CHAPTER in your region or for your group? We’d love to hear from you. To learn more, contact Gina Simonelli at gsimonelli@advance.uri.edu or 401-874-5808.

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  27


CLASSacts

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

DIVERSITY AWARDS Held on April 7 in the Memorial Union, the annual Diversity Awards celebrates the accomplishments of URI’s most talented multicultural students. Seen here are, clockwise,from top right, Director of Multicultural Student Services Mel Wade; History Professor Earline Ferguson with Graduate Student Excellence Award winner Kalyana Champlain ‘08, a graduate student in communication studies; and Charles Watson ’93, minority student recruitment and retention coordinator for the College of Engineering with Undergraduate Student Excellence Award winner Brandon Brown ’10, a certified Kingian non-violence trainer. For photos of other award recipients, see QUAD ANGLES online. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SALERNO

WOMEN’S COUNCIL Speed Networking

28  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

STAY

CONNECTED `43

`64

Paul Craig Mangan, ENG, of Ventura, Calif., writes: “The article on Lippitt Hall in QUAD ANGLES Winter 2009 brought back a flood of memories. In 1940, Rhode Island College had approximately 1,250 students. Its engineering program was centered in Lippitt Hall under the direction of Dean Wales. I got a job at the steam table on the 2nd floor. The kitchen in Lippitt had a large walk-in refrigerator; I was searching for something when the door closed behind me and a good looking young lady. We were able to get out safely with another Lippitt memory. I owned a 1932 Plymouth, two-door convertible called Daisy. One Saturday night, I asked the young lady to go “down the line” to a movie. Lippitt played a major part in our college life and the events that followed. We celebrate our 65th anniversary in September.”

Joseph F. Campoli, HS&S, of Ada, Ohio, writes: “On December 20, 2008, Ohio Northern University dedicated the newly installed basketball floor in honor of Joe and Margaret Campoli (myself and my wife). I was the NCAA Division III basketball Coach of the Year in 1993 and 2001.”

`49

John J. Rekos, HS&S, of Warwick, R.I., writes: “Although retired, I’m very appreciative of receiving two awards last summer. The first was induction into the Lincoln High School Hall of Fame for coaching baseball and hockey. The second was the Rhode Island Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Carl Toti Memorial Award for coaching baseball in Rhode Island for 32 years.”

Vincent Anthony Sarni, CBA, of Rector, Pa., was one of six outstanding graduates to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from Classical High School in Providence. During his 25-year career at PPG Industries, Vincent rose through the company, serving as chairman of the board and CEO for the nine years prior to his 1993 retirement. He also served on the board of directors of 10 leading national companies in a wide range of industries, including Amtrol, Honeywell, Mellon Bank, and PNC Financial Corp. Earl J. Sweeney, CBA, of Cumberland, R.I., writes: “I will be competing in the Senior Olympics in California in August. I will run the 100 and 200 meter races.”

`50

The Women's Council Speed Networking Event took place on April 7, 2009, in the Alumni Center. Michelle Girasole ’93, M.S.’97 from Sassy Ladies, Inc., the guest speaker, (above left) provided plenty of networking tips. After Michelle's speech, the 43 alumnae and 11 students who attended had ample opportunity to practice their networking skills.

ALUMNI DIRECTORY

Edwin Emory Cull, CBA, of Johnston, R.I., writes: “I am 84 years old, living in Pocasset Bay Manor in Johnston. I have loads of friends. Does anyone out there remember me?”

`54 John Baptist Prata, CBA, of North Kingstown, R.I., writes: “I retired in 2005; I sold my businesses. I bought a winter home in Naples, Fla., where I live with a lovely companion. I’m enjoying retired life. I see TEKES about once a year.”

`67 Marcia Eisenberg Saft, A&S, of New York, N.Y., writes: “Marcia and Stephen Saft will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2009. We are blessed that all three of our children are happily married, and we are the very proud grandparents of four! We are enjoying our life in New York City and Fairfield, Conn. We also enjoy getting together with old friends from URI.”

`68

`69 Gregory J. Mott, CBA, of Pittsford, N.Y., writes: “I just completed my 30th year as a partner in the law firm of Davidson Fink, LLP, in Rochester, N.Y. In 2008, I was selected for New York Super Lawyers in the area of divorce. I was also selected for a 12th consecutive year for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America in the divorce lawyer section. I get back to Rhody for Homecoming every year and vacation in Newport every summer. I hope to see some of my classmates.” Craig S. Stenning, A&S, of Richmond, R.I., has been confirmed by the Rhode Island Senate as the next director of the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, one of the largest departments in state government with a budget over $470 million and over 1,300 employees.


Fourth Annual Distinguished Achievement Awards Saturday, October 17 At the Providence Westin Hotel

Patricia Miller Anton ’79 James V. Diller ’57 President, Anton Family Foundation

Vice Chairman of the Board, PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Richard A. Kerr Ph.D. ’77

Senior Writer, Research News, Science

Edward M. Rudnic ’78, M.S. ’82, Ph.D. ’83 Founder, Former Chairman, and CEO, MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

BIG THINKERS. BIG IMPACT.

advance.uri.edu/programming For more information on table and program sponsorships, please contact us by calling 401.874.5569, or email Paul Witham, associate vice president for Advancement, at pwitham@advance.uri.edu UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  29


Please Send Us Your Seasonal Address Are you part of the annual fall migration to warmer climates? Or do you fly away to some place cooler for the summer months? In either case, please send us your seasonal address so that we can stay in touch. The Alumni Association sponsors events all over the country that are open to you wherever you go. This is your chance to join a regional Alumni Chapter and meet fellow URI graduates who either live near your second home or travel there for the season as you do.

William J. Hunt, CBA, of Portsmouth, R.I., a businessman and community leader, was recently elected chairman of the board of trustees of Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island and Southeastern Healthcare System. William is president of Shove Insurance, Inc., and has been an independent insurance agent with the Pawtucket business for more than 30 years.

`72 Francoise Asselin Macomber, HS&S, of Bethlehem, Conn., writes: “I recently retired from a clinical psychology career to follow my heart and become a wildlife and nature photographer. I had my first one woman show in New York last fall. My wonderful husband of 27 years, Mark, and I travel to four or five of our national parks each year. I’d love to hear from any old friends!”

`74 Judith Metz Hay, A&S, of Narragansett, R.I., writes: “I’m living near Scarborough Beach and renting a house to URI students. I’ve been a travel agent for 26 year, and I’m Rhode Island’s only Australia specialist recognized by the country’s Tourism Department.”

`79

`76

Kenneth G. Bielen, A&S, of Bowling Green, Ohio, writes: “I am director of the Grants Office at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind., and am responsible for bringing external funding from government agencies and private foundations to the campus. My third book, The Words and Music of Neil Young, was published by Praeger in 2008. I co-authored (with academic colleague Ben Urish) The Words and Music of John Lennon published in 2007, also by Praeger. Our daughter graduated Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio in 2007. Our eldest son is a senior at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. And our youngest son is a freshman at Purdue University. Retirement is not in the foreseeable future for my wife and I!” Bruce C. Dubee, CELS, of Doswell, Va., has returned from a one-year deployment to Afghanistan as a USDA Provincial Reconstruction Team Agricultural Advisor. Bruce served as a USDA PRT agricultural advisor on the Kunar PRT.

Roger E. Grenier, A&S, of Ocala, Fla., an accomplished tenor soloist, guitartist, music arranger, and writer, performed in a Christmas concert at Quidnessett Baptist Church in North Kingstown, R.I. Roger has spent more than 30 years in music ministry and has recorded seven CDs. Visit his Web site at rogergrenier.com. John J. Palumbo, A&S, of North Providence, R.I., has been elected

Cathy A. Franklin, HS&S, of New York, N.Y., writes: “I am a proud 1980 graduate of URI! I have written my first book, Civic Literacy through Curriculum Drama.The book offers a compelling and timely way to develop students’ civic understanding and participation in the world. Student-centered in its approach and field tested in actual classrooms, this book shows how

Please send us your seasonal address and the dates that you are in residence there. It’s simple—just call 401.874.2242 or email mamazzone@advance.uri.edu.

`71

vice chairman of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. John is president and publisher of Rhode Island Monthly Communications, a publishing company responsible for Rhode Island Monthly magazine, Rhode Island Monthly’s Bride, and Rhode Island Monthly’s Home & Garden.

William E. Sepe, ENG , o f Hudson, Ohio, was recently promoted to director of manufacturing engineering, Paint & Coatings Division of The Sherwin-Williams Company in Cleveland, Ohio. His wife, Betty Callanan Sepe ’74, is a library media specialist at Highland High School in Medina, Ohio. Bill & Betty are Ohio Alumni Chapter representatives for Northern Ohio.

`75 F. Randy Vogenberg, PHM, principal at the Institute for Integrated Healthcare, in Sharon, Mass., has been appointed executive director for the Biologic Finance and Access Council through the Department of Health Policy, School of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

`80

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 10 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 or call the Alumni Relations Office at 401.874.2242. 30  2009 And QUAD don’tANGLES  forgetSUMMER to join us at Homecoming on Oct. 17 in the Alumni Tent at Tent Village!

to design riveting social studies experiences for middle and high school students.”

`81 Charles F. Levy, CBA, of Paramus, N.J., is vice president and controller of the International Investments unit at Prudential Financial, Inc., Newark, N. J. Annemarie Mullaney, A&S, of Providence, R.I., writes: “After receiving my bachelor’s from URI, I went on to pursue other educational avenues. I received my ADN at CCRI, and after quite a few years out of school, I was able to go back and receive my B.S. in Nursing from URI with help from an on-site program at The Miriam Hospital. I am a full-time oncology nurse certified in my specialty, and I also participate with the College of Nursing in a mentoring program that prepares graduating seniors for their professional careers. I was featured in Advance for Nurses in an article about nursing jobs in Rhode Island. I write and publish a newsletter for the local chapter of ONS and belong to several committees at work. I live in Providence with my husband and children.”

`82 David D. Nelson, A&S, of North Chelmsford, Mass., who works at Aerodyne Research, Inc., is one of 61 members to be elevated to the rank of fellow by the Optical Society board of directors. David was recognized for innovation in infrared spectroscopy and its application to environmental science, assessment and monitoring, and industrial process optimization and control.

`83 Brian Garbecki, A&S, of Hampden, Mass., is vice president for Gilbane Building Co. He is the leader of the Healthcare Center of Excellence. He has more than 20 years experience in the healthcare sector as an engineer and building and facilities professional.

`84 Nikoo Kafi McGoldrick, ENG, of Watertown, Conn., writes: “Our latest Jan Coffey release, The Puppet Master, is our 10th novel under that pen name and our 27th novel total. This international suspense thriller weaves together the stories of four people who have reached moments of desperation in their lives, only to have someone step in to help them. Of course, there is a price for everything in fiction as in life. One online reviewer has called the novel “a fast-paced action-packed morality play that grips the audience from


Legacy Brunch To see many more photos from the Legacy Event, go to: advance.uri.edu/photoalbums Held at the Alumni Center on Commencement Weekend, the legacy event honors families that include two or more generations of URI students. Seen here on the left are Blanche Murray ’41, Nonie O’Brien ’73, Jerry O’Brien ’73, and Nicholas O’Brien ’09; inset photo of Celeste LaVallee ’77 and her daughter Alyssa Lavallee ’09, and on the right are James Lee, Sherri Lee ’88, Jason Lee ’09, Louise Mowinckel ’88, and Frederik Mowinckel.

PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  31  31


Marianne Gattinella ’79 PHOTO COURTESY OF NEIL MCNULTY

Neil McNulty ’78

The Quick 30/30 Job Solution

32  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

“I knew I wanted to work in human resources —or personnel as it was called then—from the time I was an undergraduate studying management,” says Marianne Gattinella, vice president of human resources, corporate segment, for The McGraw-Hill Companies. A member of the College of Business Administration Hall of Fame, Gattinella pursued a career in human resources for the opportunity it presented to work directly with people. “After graduation, when I started out in The Travelers (Insurance) Personnel Training Program, it was about working with people, but the field has evolved. It’s now just as much about helping the business grow.” Gattinella works toward that goal by supporting “the CFO, CTO, and all the other members of the C-suite to ensure they attract and develop talent and have succession plans in place. And in recruiting, culture and fit are of primary importance the more senior the level of the position you are filling.” She concedes that “fit” is an intangible concept, but it is of primary importance to both the company and the candidate. To help determine if prospects are a good match for senior-level positions, she asks about what they liked and disliked about previous employers, and she tells them about the hiring manager—what the boss is like. “I want them to come in with eyes wide open.” Through candid conversations, Gattinella is able to identify who can drive the business forward; these discoveries are a major source of her professional satisfaction. “I really love seeing a business grow through talent, and if I have a boss who understands how talent helps, then human resources is a phenomenal place to be.” After working in human resources for three decades, Gattinella attributes her continued enthusiasm and success to her inherent ability to build relationships. “I am the best friend a person can have. I keep people in my life and have an extraordinary network. That makes me the best developer of talent.” —Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92

PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

The lousy economy, rising unemployment rate, and sinking real estate market are bad news if you’re looking for a job, right? Not in the optimistic mind of Neil McNulty. McNulty heads McNulty Management Group (MMG), a Virginia Beach company he founded in 1993 to place veterans once they leave the military. He believes that military or civilian, if you have marketable skills and take the right steps, you can find a job within 30 days no more than 30 miles from your home. McNulty started his career in placement in 1984, the year after he completed five years active duty as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. “With most search and placement firms, you go where they tell you,” he says. “I asked, ‘Why doesn’t someone place people where they want to live?’” And so began the development of his 30/30 Placement Program, the model that forms the backbone of his company and is used today by placement firms across the U.S. MMG works closely with clients by building an aggressive placement campaign tailored to their needs, coaching them through every step of the process, and offering strategies McNulty developed over his years as a placement expert. “I teach things you’re never going to find in any career book,” he says. Well, except for his own: The Quick 30/30 Job Solution: Smart Job Search Tips for Surviving Today’s New Economy, due out in July. Co-written with Dr. Ronald Krannich, whom McNulty says is known as the Tom Clancy of the career genre, the book is for anyone looking for a job—military veteran or otherwise. “The economy is horrible; people can’t sell their homes so they need to find jobs near where they live,” McNulty says. Some 75 percent of MMG’s clients find work quickly and close to home when using 30/30 strategies.. “I believe we all have an inner gift,” McNulty, says. “I have a gift for placing people.” —Paula M. Bodah ’78

Growing the Business One Candidate at a Time

PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

Jodi Fournier ’82

Building Careers, Building Communities Jodi Fournier, former president and CEO of recruitment and consulting firm Taylor Grey, Inc., enjoys “making the right match: assisting the client in finding the right candidate, helping the candidate find the right environment, then putting all the intangibles into place and making it happen.” Her enthusiasm for her work drove the success of her former company, ranked in Inc. magazine’s “Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Companies” of 2008. Inc. cited Taylor Grey’s impressive 130.8 percent revenue growth during a three-year period as well as its investment in technology as some of the reasons for its rapid expansion. (On June 1, Fournier sold Taylor Grey and has just started a new position as chief administrative officer of Bond Street Group in New York City). Mentioning noteworthy items about Taylor Grey, Inc. referred to Fournier’s humanitarian trip to Africa—a journey Fournier describes as “the most rewarding experience of my life.” As part of the Ludlowe Corps—students, parents, and teachers at Fairfield, Conn.’s Ludlowe Middle School— Fournier and her daughter, Kyle, visited Senegal last year. “The group’s purpose is for school children to help school children through hands-on projects,” Fournier explained. “The belief is that through service-minded education, we better understand the interconnectedness of our world and make it a better place.” By helping build a school, establishing a diabetes screening clinic, and purchasing more than 1,000 anti-malaria mosquito nets, the Ludlowe Corps can say “mission accomplished.” Fournier and Kyle cannot return as part of the Ludlowe Corps—students can only go once—but each wants to visit Senegal again. “We’ll go back one day. Although Kyle will enter high school in September, she has thought about returning upon graduation and working there before she begins her college experience.” Fournier, who studied organizational behavior, is an active member of the URI Women’s Council. In retirement, she hopes she can return to South County, possibly become a URI student again, and volunteer with URI’s Career Services. Regardless of where Fournier finds herself—Africa, Kingston or another destination—she will leave a lasting impact, for her unceasing passion for helping others fuels her professional and personal growth. —Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92


50th Reunion for the Class of 1959 To see many more photos from the reunion weekend, go to: advance.uri.edu/photoalbums

PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS AND MICHAEL SALERNO

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  33


SHARE YOUR RHODY PRIDE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION! Would you like your child or grandchild to receive i n fo r m a t i o n f ro m t h e U R I 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. the moment the offer is first made and never slows down.” The book was released on January 1.” David S. Resnick, A&S, of Sharon, Mass., a partner with Nixon Peabody, LLP, will lead the firm’s Patents Group. David will also oversee the firm’s efforts in representing clients in re-examination, re-issue, and patent interference proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

`86 Steven Sawyer, ENG, of Syracuse, N.Y., is an associate professor in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and a senior research fellow with the Center for Technology and Information Policy in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

`88 Deborah M. Budnick, CBA, is vice president and CFO for Planned Parenthood of Arizona. Paul L. Verdile, ENG, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is the sales and marketing manager for Elsworth Handrafted Bicycles in San Diego, Calif.

`89 Michael J. Maita, CBA, of Summit, N.J., is managing director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management in New York City. Mark C. McGivney, CBA, of Ho Ho Kus, N.J., is CFO of Marsh, Inc., in New York, N.Y.

`90 Kenneth D. Costello, CELS, of Dover, N.H., was named a principal at Kaestle Boos Associates, an architectural firm specializing

34  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

in school, police and fire station, and municipal projects. He is one of the first licensed landscape architects in New Hampshire and is also licensed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He lives in Dover with his wife and two daughters. Regina M. Ford, HS&S, of Boca Raton, Fla., writes: “I’ve kept busy over the past year. I’ve obtained my CPHIMS (Certified Professional in Health Care Information Systems) and obtained a Project Management Certificate from the University of South Florida. Hopefully, I will test for PMI certification within the next year. I’ve also started a new job with Promise Healthcare as a clinical analyst working with their MEDITECH Pharmacy Application.” Gerard A. Langlais, CBA, of Hope, R.I., is vice president of Gilbane Co. He leads the team that audits all aspects of Gilbane Building Co., Gilbane Development Co., and Gilbane, Inc. Dawn E. Smith, A&S, of Westerly, R.I., and Carolyn Livingston, professor emerita of music. edited Rhode Island Musical Heritage: An Exploration, which has just been published by Harmonie Park Press. The 26 essays in the book explore diverse musical topics from the 18th century to the present. Historic photographs and reproductions provide a lively accompaniment to the text. Contributing authors include: Gregory Arsenault ’02, Mark Baxter ’89, Tsukasa Cherkaoui ’03, Ming-lung Dawn Chung ’03, Judith Deniston Falconer ’00, Robert G. Fraleigh ’90, Lisa Quigley Giorgianni ’95, Helen Glynn ’75, Antonio Grelle ’04, Leslie Ricci Lee ’96, Andrew Maddock ’96, James Manning ’95,

Fiona McIntosh ’02, Robin Murphy ’98, Kristen Nester ’06, Raymond Perry ’01, Daniel S. Reynolds ’93, Dawn Elizabeth Smith ’90, and Aaron Weitekamp ’99.

`91 Claire Marcille Gadrow, CBA, of South Kingstown, R.I., is assistant vice president for advancement at Connecticut College in New London.

`95 Noreen M. Inglesi, A&S, of Cranston, R.I., is artist-in-residence for Notable Works, a non-profit organization using the arts to raise awareness of social issues while providing opportunities to local composers and poets. She is spreading the word that the newly released CD Working in Harmony for Home and Hearth featuring the original works of many local artists, is available at businesses throughout Rhode Island. The CD was first released at a University Artist Series Concert in October 2008. Visit NotableWorks.org to find out more about this inspiring project. Andrea M. Sullivan, A&S, of Cumberland, R.I., was promoted to vice president, marketing/branding at (add)ventures in Providence.

the ’09 Canada International Film Festival, and a Gold Kahuna Award at the Honolulu International Film Festival. Jeffrey A. Glucker, CBA, of Huntington Beach, Calif., is partner manager and road test editor for NADAguides.com located in Costa Mesa, Calif.

`04 Richard E. Brownell, A&S, of North Kingstown, R.I., a percussionist and Christina Dickson Brownell, M.M. ’07, a violinist, were soloists with the Fall River (Mass.) Symphony Orchestra during its 84th concert season. They performed Rondo Baccahale for Solo Violin, Timpani, and Strings by Jon Jeffrey Grier in the October 2008 subscription concert. Katy L. Paquet, CBA, of River Edge, N.J., is a merchandise planner for Polo Ralph Lauren in Lyndhurst, N.J.

`06 Christine L. Richard, A&S, of Lincoln, R.I., is enjoying her first year of teaching at Bartlett Elementary School and Mountain View Middle School in Goffstown, N.H. She is responsible for grades one through five and for the sixth-grade band.

`96

`07

Miranda Burns Caroligne, HS&S, is a San Francisco-based fashion designer. In addition to running her namesake boutique on 14th Street, she manages the co-op Trunk, peddles her wares at events across the country, and was asked to write Reconstructing Clothes for Dummies (For Dummies, 2007). Thanks to her gorgeous, whimsical, reconstructed styles, as well as her dedication to the environment and her artistic community, she has become a famous in the S.F. indie fashion scene and beyond. Geoffrey A. Greene, A&S, of Providence, R.I., is a featured organist at concerts throughout New England. He is organist and music director at Newman Congregational Church in Rumford, R.I., a position he has held since 2000. He is also the local representative for Ahlborn-Organs.

John C. Diomede, A&S, of Park Ridge, N.J., is a new music teacher at St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School in Indian Head, Md. He continues to work toward an advanced degree in music composition at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Michelle N. Karn, A&S, of North Smithfield, R.I., a member of the development team for the American Heart Association in Providence, motivated URI Music Department members to wear red on February 6 to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke.

`02 Michael E. Clegg, CBA, of Plainsboro, N.J., is a general manager at the Hampton Inn in Princeton, N.J. Evangelos Giovanis, A&S, of Coventry, R.I., writes: “My brother George Giovanis and I made a feature film called Run It in 2008. We both attended URI, and some of the film was shot there. We have won awards for the film, including the Gold Award for Best Feature at the Philadelphia International Film Festival and Honorable Mention at

WEDDINGS Michael Salerno ’85 to Patricia E. Fulton, on September 28, 2008. Joseph C. Gillis ’94 to Jennifer L. Schoerner, on June 6, 2008. Jason P. Moore ’94 to Kristine Bonetti, on September 20, 2008. Robert M. Crowley Jr ’96 to Tina Brown, on July 4, 2008. Jennifer A. Coletta ’97 to Anthony Mansour III, on August 16, 2008. Michael D. Wischnowsky ’97 to Tonia Tanzi, on October 4, 2008. Jennifer L. Durand ’98 to Jason D. Sousa, on May 17, 2008. Tammy A. Iannotti ’98 to Jeffrey Love, on September 26, 2008. Dorothy I. Doniec ’01 to Eric J.


Golden Grad Weekend May 30-31 To see many more photos from the Golden Grad weekend, go to: advance.uri.edu/photoalbums

PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS

35 UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  35


PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

Emerson Foster ’90

Delivering Diversity to the Workplace Joining forces with Paul Francisco, a former New England Patriot, Emerson Foster established Foster & Francisco, a search firm that specializes in placing executives of color in senior management positions. A consumer affairs major and seasoned human resources professional, Foster explains that although the economy started failing last year, the timing to start a new venture was right. “I had a great 13-year run at Stop & Shop, but it was time to move on. Paul was also thinking of leaving his job, and his human resources career mirrored mine. It’s challenging to get a company to sign on the dotted line, but we offer a full menu of services.” Retained search and strategic retention are paramount among them. Foster’s firm reaches beyond its Boston roots to identify well-qualified talent: “Because of our work at Stop & Shop and Bank of America, Paul and I have a vast network. We like to think that we’re one or two phone calls away from every professional of color in the country.” Foster stresses the importance of maintaining an inclusive workforce in this difficult economy: “Diversity of thought brings innovation, and innovation is a key ingredient in allowing companies to thrive and survive in this economy.” To help companies keep employees of color, Foster challenges employers to “take a holistic approach.” “We present case study examples of what organizations should be thinking about as they recruit and attempt to retain professionals of color in the New England marketplace and beyond. Things such as where to live, external networking opportunities, social activities, and civic engagement are all critical to anchoring a professional.” Foster believes his proactive approach to attracting and retaining professionals of color is critical to his clients’ long-term success. “Companies have to think about the next economy. They need an employee base that can work in that new economy. Their growth is dependent on engaging everyone, and Foster and Francisco can help them do that.” —Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ‘92 PHOTO BY NORA LEWIS

Denise Hempe ’91

Connect Time

As vice president of Human Resources & Administration for Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp., an industry-leading developer of Realistic Simulation solution technology, Denise Hempe is often asked for advice from job seekers, especially in this difficult economy. Without hesitation, the former English major suggests networking—reaching out to professional and academic contacts who are well-placed in their fields and asking for assistance. Hempe’s recommendation is based on years of professional, as well as personal, experience. “Once I decided to pursue a human resources career, I obtained a Certificate in Human Resources Management from Bryant University. I needed to get my foot in the door and told my instructors that I was willing to work in any part of the field. When one of them received a call from GTECH’s compensation manager, he recommended me for an interview.” That meeting began Hempe’s distinguished career in global human resources with multi­national companies. In her current role, she oversees the development and execution of human resources strategies, plans, and programs.

36  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

To help others benefit from her experience and her extensive network, Hempe serves on URI’s Women’s Development Council, which is designed to help the advancement of current students and alumni. “I feel passionate about helping women advance. The council’s events help young women practice their networking skills. It has gotten better for women in the corporate world, but can still be hard.” Hempe is also registered as a mentor through URI’s MentorNet, a complimentary Career Services program through which alumni can query a database to identify fellow graduates they can contact for career advice or help with networking. “I’m surprised I have only been contacted once through that program,” says Hempe, who welcomes contact from alumni through MentorNet, LinkedIn, or other avenues. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without URI. I’ve found great companies to work for and enjoy ‘paying it forward’ to help others who need guidance.”

—Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92

Dennis Watson ’95

Searching for the Best and Brightest Like many students who earn a psychology degree, Dennis Watson began graduate school with the goal of becoming a counselor. He soon realized that he wanted to help others in a business rather than a clinical, setting. With this newfound focus, he pursued a Master’s degree in Human Resource Administration at Framingham State College and began working at a recruiting firm. From the onset, he knew he had made the right choice: “I affected people’s lives with new job opportunities.” Today, Watson serves as manager of staffing for The TJX Companies, the world’s largest off-price retailer of apparel and home furnishings, where he makes hiring decisions for the Corporate Merchandise Training and Merchandising Internship programs. In this role, Watson is involved in college recruiting: “We have to hire the best and brightest. The accountability to make the right decisions is tremendous. It impacts the business the day the new hires start their jobs.” To help ensure that URI produces the best talent, Watson serves on the Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design Advisory Board: “We board members discuss the curriculum as well as the annual fashion show. I also arrange to bring students to local Marshalls stores to learn how the product is bought.” Sourcing talent often keeps Watson on the road, so he enjoys down time with his wife and daughters who “put up with my addiction to always having a project to work on.” Watson likens his fast-paced career to his college days when he was involved in clubs and intramurals and worked as a resident assistant in a residence hall. “I’m always busy—whether playing with my kids or recruiting another great talent,” says Watson. Despite an unforgiving schedule, he is happily ensconced in his career and with his family: “I have a great job. There is no better feeling than to offer someone a job, hear that person’s excitement, and watch that person grow.” —Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92


A Special Thank You to our Scholarship Golf Tournament Sponsors Dinner Sponsor: URI Dining Services Lunch Sponsor: URI Bookstore Presenting Sponsor: Marsh Campus Connexions Beverage Cart Sponsor: Woodchuck Cider Tee Sponsors: Amica Insurance, Carousel Industries, Eaton Vance, Gilbane Building Company (2), Global Spectrum, Hampton Inn, Liberty Mutual Group, Nationwide Insurance, New England Trane, New Image For the Home, PAETEC, RDW Group (2), South County Orthopedics & Physical Therapy, Sullivan & Company Certified Public Accountants, Starbucks, URI Bookstore, URI Health Services, Washington Trust.

Branchaud ’99, on August 31, 2008.

Amber C. van Eeghen ’03 to Daniel Koppen, on April 11, 2008.

Michael Q. Geary ’99 to Kimberly A. Shippee, on August 30, 2008.

Jonathan P. Rollins ’04 to Lori Lombardo, on August 17, 2008.

Paul B. Rylander ’99 to Krista Patriarca, on October 17, 2008.

Lisa M. Grechoski ’05 to Nicholas S. Nightingale ’05, on August 17, 2008.

Mary-Susan Avedisian ’00 to Jason R. Brandt, on September 27, 2008.

Take a look at a photo album online at uri.edu/quadangles

Pamela L. Miller ’05 to Christopher Harley, on August 8, 2008.

Courtney Gustafson ’04 to Andrew Marr ’00, on February 13, 2009.

Lindsay N. Mc Elroy ’05 to Christopher Bedard, on July 12, 2008.

Andrea Geremia ’01 to Nicholas A. Annaldo, on August 17, 2008.

Craig Skurka ’06 to Elyse G. Berman, on September 1, 2008.

Kerri L. Morrone ’01 to Christopher Sparling, on May 18, 2008.

Eric S. Vito ’06 to Danielle M. ­Bouvier, on September 27, 2008.

Rachel Scott ’02 to John Pimental ’01, on June 7, 2008.

Vincent Zonfrilli ’06 to Christine Abatiello, on August 23, 2008.

Michael E. Clegg ’02 to Melissa A. Sharpley ’02, on June 6, 2009.

Daniel Shapiro ’08 to Kimberly Thibault ’08, on November 2, 2008.

Zachary S. Farrell ’02 to Sheri LaFerriere, on December 13, 2008. Julie Frederick ’02 to Matthew Downey ’02, on May 30, 2008. Elizabeth M. Costa ’03 to Jonathan Toledo, on October 22, 2008. Eamon J. Dempsey ’03 to Christina McGrath, on June 21, 2008. Gregory A. Johnson ’04 to Emily A. Dereniuk ’03, on August 2, 2008. Jennifer Haigh ’03 to Matthew Lachapelle, on September 13, 2008. David B. Rodrigues ’03 to Monique Farias, on August 9, 2008.

BIRTHS M. Hunter and Stacey B. Smith ’94, a son, Jarren Sailor, on November 27, 2008. Ray Humphrey and Kristen Laus Humphrey ’96, a son, Ian Alexander, on February 23, 2009. Matthew A. ’96 and Melissa ­Maycher Tilden ’98, a daughter, Piper Raine, on December 29, 2008. Kevin M. and Nancy J. McGrade ’97, a daughter, Erin Riley, on ­September 12, 2008.

URI Alumni Association ­ Membership Application Form

Name _ ______________________________________________________________________

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Golden Grad @ $15 per year

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Golden Grad Couple @ $30 per year

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

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

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Exp.Date_ ___________________ Signature________________________________________ Mail to: Membership Program, P.O. Box 1820, Kingston, Rl 02881-2011

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  37


Joseph ’99 and Jennifer Silva Lipari ’98, a daughter, Penelope Rose, on January 22, 2009.

Grace Farrell McKenna ’38 of Narragansett, R.I., on March 5, 2009.

Jonathan and Laura J. Volpe Boynton ’98, a daughter, Allison Laura, on March 19, 2009.

Horace Hollingworth ’39 of York, Maine, on March 17, 2009.

David Sean ’00 and Megan Letz Pavone ’99, a son, Benjamin Sean, on February 23, 2009. Jamie and Tracy L. Comeau Hutt ’00, a son, Tee Jay, on November 14, 2008. Christian and Jessica Marge ’03, a daughter, Gabriella Jean Marge, on March 26, 2009. Gary Walter ’05 and Diana Rhodes Truesdale Comtois ’04, a daughter, Molly Rhodes, on December 18, 2008.

IN MEMORIAM Arthur Dawson ’35 of Naples, Fla., on January 12, 2009. Loraine Tisdale ’36 of Monmouth, Maine, on March 15, 2009. William Haworth ’37 of Bridgeport, Mich., on February 23, 2009.

A Booster’s Guide To NCAA Rules & Regulations This publication was compiled to assist alumni and friends in complying with NCAA Rules and regulations governing the conduct of our Institution and it’s athletics programs. Introduction The Atlantic 10 Conference, in conjunction with the Athletics Department at the University of Rhode Island, as members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, are primarily responsible for insuring that its various constituencies (i.e. University staff and faculty, student-athletes, alumni and friends) abide by the NCAA rules and regulations. Under those rules, alumni and friends can be categorized as “representatives of the University’s athletic interests.” This brochure is presented as a quick reference to the many NCAA rules which apply to “Athletic representatives.” Since it does not include all applicable situations, please call the University of Rhode Island’s Athletics Department if you have any questions before having any contact with a prospective or enrolled student-athlete. We appreciate your interest and support, but remind you that an inappropriate contact or an inadvertent action on your part can jeopardize the eligibility of student-athletes and prospects and the compliance of the University of Rhode Island with NCAA and Atlantic 10 regulations. The University of Rhode Island is proud to have the loyal support and continued interest in our athletic programs by our alumni and friends. As we strive for excellence, we must always seek the highest standard of ethical conduct. With your assistance and cooperation, we believe we can accomplish both goals. Am I a Representative of Athletic Interests? Yes, If you: Have ever been a member of the University’s “booster” organization or any of the sport specific groups under the athletic department. Have ever made a donation to any of the Atlantic 10 member schools’ men’s or women’s athletic programs. Have ever helped to arrange or have provided summer employment for enrolled student-athletes. Have ever contacted (by letter, telephone or in person) a high school student, grades 9-12, for the purpose of encouraging the student to participate in the University of Rhode Island’s Athletics programs. Have ever assisted in providing any benefit to enrolled student-athletes or their families.

38  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009

Maurice Belisle ’41 of Fort Myers, Fla., on February 3, 2009. Dorothy Boler Bailey ’44 of University Park, Fla., on January 27, 2009. Marjorie Cowen Dean ’44 of Green Valley, Ariz., on February 7, 2009. Donald Cohen ’47 of Falmouth, Mass., on March 25, 2009. Mary Petrella ’48 of Fall River, Mass., on January 10, 2009. Dominic Colucci ’50 of Johnston, R.I., on February 26, 2009. Solomon Sam Katzen ’50 of Danvers, Mass., on March 1, 2009. John Agren ’51 of East Providence, R.I., on January 15, 2009. James Burke ’51 of Arcadia, Fla., on January 30, 2009. Charles Jencks ’51 of Surrey, Maine, on February 14, 2009.

Owen Kwasha ’51 of West Palm Beach, Fla., on January 11, 2009.

Leo Turgeon ’56 of South Elgin, Ill., on February 1, 2009.

John Pepper Martin ’51 of Eustis, Fla., on November 30, 2008.

Edward Brayton ’58 of Coventry, R.I., on March 7, 2009.

William Garvey ’52 of Bluffton, Ind., on March 8, 2009.

George Dengler ’58 of Pompano Beach, Fla., on March 12, 2009.

Edmund Moran ’52 of Southport, N.C., on February 2, 2009.

Alvin Evans ’58 of Hobe Sound, Fla., on January 5, 2009.

Michael Natale ’52 of North Versailles, Pa., on January 6, 2009.

Edith Fitzgerald Barker ’59 of Westerly, R.I., on March 10, 2009.

Ruth Spooner Akroyd ’53 of Lawrenceville, N.J., on January 30, 2009.

S. Peter Beauregard ’59 of Coatesville, Pa., on May 11, 2007.

William DeSilva ’53 of Derwood, Md., on October 12, 2008. George Behrens ’54 of Highland, Ind., on November 14, 2003. Kenneth Lagerquist ’54 of Seekonk, Mass., on March 25, 2009. Guy Lillis ’54 of Enfield, Conn., on February 3, 2009. Paul Blackstone ’55 of Perham, Maine, on February 14, 2009. Robert Taylor ’55 of East Greenwich, R.I., on January 6, 2009.

Have ever been involved in any way with the University of Rhode Island’s Athletics programs. The NCAA stipulates that once you have become an “athletic representative” you retain that identification forever, even if you no longer contribute to the athletic program. Four Important Rules You Should Know Rule #1: Only coaches and athletics department staff members can be involved in the recruiting process. All “athletic representatives” who are not employed by the school are prohibited from contacting a prospect or members of the prospect’s family by telephone, letter or in person on or off campus for the purpose of encouraging participation in the University of Rhode Island’s athletic programs. Rule #2: University of Rhode Island representatives cannot provide an “extra benefit” or special arrangement to a prospect OR an enrolled student-athlete. Specific applications as they apply to the NCAA extra benefit rule to prospects and enrolled student-athletes, their relatives or friends state that you: May not give them cash or loans in any amount. May not sign or co-sign a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan. May not employ relatives or friends of a prospect as an inducement for the enrollment of the prospect. May not give them gifts of any kind (e.g. birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day) or free services (e.g. clothing, airline tickets, laundry, car repair, hair cuts, meals in restaurants). May not provide special discounts for goods or services. May not provide them hospitality in your home other than for special occasions (e.g. Thanksgiving, birthday). May not invite them to your summer home to go water skiing, sailing, etc. May not provide them transportation within or outside of the campus area (e.g., from campus to your home, from the airport to campus, to summer job, etc.). May not entertain or contact a prospect or prospect’s family on or off campus. May not provide rent free or reduced rent housing. May not provide a benefit connected with on or off campus housing (e.g. individual television sets or stereo equipment, specialized recreational facilities, etc.). May not provide guarantee of a bond. May not promise financial aid for post-graduate education. May not provide promise to a prospect of employment after college graduation. Rule #3:PLEASE assist the coaching staff in the recruiting process by notifying them of any student you think would be a strong addition to the University of Rhode Island’s athletics program. The coach can then make the appropriate contact with the prospect. Rule #4: As an athletic representative, you are not

J. Richard Coulthurst ’59 of Tucson, Ariz., on June 17, 2007. Nancy Tuttle Fuller ’63 of Knoxville, Tenn., on January 23, 2009. Nancy Brusci Appleton ’65 of West Greenwich, R.I., on April 4, 2008. David Kelley ’66 of Columbus, Ohio, on March 14, 2009. John Braun ’69 of Attleboro, Mass., on February 9, 2009. Marjorie Darlington Maguire ’69 of Foster, R.I., on January 1, 2009. Robert Murphy ’69 of Latham, N.Y., on March 10, 2009.

precluded from continuing friendships with families who have prospective or enrolled student-athletes (e.g., backyard barbecues, picnics). You simply cannot encourage a prospect’s participation in the University of Rhode Island’s athletic programs or provide benefits to the student-athlete that you were not providing before he or she became a prospect or enrolled student-athlete. Who is a Prospective Student-Athlete? A prospective student-athlete is a person who has begun classes for the ninth grade. However, it is possible for a younger student to be a prospect, so it is prudent to treat ALL athletes as prospects. Can “I” be involved with High School and Community College Student-Athletes (Prospects) PLEASE feel free to attend high school and community college athletic events. You simply cannot have any contact with the prospective student-athletes or relatives. Should you find yourself seated next to parents of a prospect, DO NOT initiate conversation with the relatives. If conversation is initiated with you, respond in a civil manner but DO NOT discuss the University of Rhode Island’s athletics program with them. If they raise questions about the program, remind them that the NCAA prohibits you from discussing the program with them. Direct their questions to the University of Rhode Island’s Athletics Department. CONTINUE established family relationships with friends and neighbors. Contacts with sons or daughters of these families certainly are permitted as long as they are not made for recruiting purposes and are not initiated by the University of Rhode Island’s coaching staff members. You are permitted to play “pick-up” basketball or softball games, continue neighborhood picnics or backyard barbecues and engage in your normal activities with prospects and their parents who are family friends. Again, you simply cannot attempt to recruit the prospect. PLEASE feel free to attend a public event (e.g. an awards banquet or dinner) at which prospects are in attendance. No attempt should be made to recruit the prospect. PLEASE send to the University of Rhode Island’s coaching staff any information about prospects that you think would be of interest. Your assistance in this manner is very helpful. The coaching staff will then make contact with the prospect. PLEASE feel free to offer assistance to members of the University of Rhode Island’s coaching staff who are recruiting in your community. HOWEVER ... AVOID becoming directly or indirectly involved in making arrangements for a prospect, the prospect’s family or friends to receive money or financial aid of any kind.

AVOID providing ANYTHING to or for a prospect, relatives or friends, without first checking with the Athletics Department administration. AVOID making any contact with a prospect or the prospect’s family on or off campus. If a coach has a recruit at an athletic event, you should not approach the coach until the prospect and family have gone elsewhere. If the prospect approaches you off campus regarding the athletic program, explain that NCAA rules do not allow you to discuss the program. Suggest that the prospect contact the head coach of the sport for more information. AVOID transporting, paying for or arranging for payment of transportation costs for a prospect, relatives or friends to visit campus or elsewhere. While it is permissible for a friend or neighbor to transport a high school or community college student who is NOT an athlete to the campus, NCAA regulations prohibit that activity for a prospective student-athlete. AVOID providing room and/or board, transportation of any kind or any other benefit to a recruited studentathlete during the summer prior to enrollment for fall classes at the University of Rhode Island. AVOID entertaining high school, prep school or community college COACHES at ANY location. AVOID providing tickets or transportation for high school, prep school or community college COACHES at any location. Only the Athletics Department of the University of Rhode Island can provide complimentary admissions and only to home athletic events for those coaches. AVOID entertaining or providing tickets at no or reduced cost to the University of Rhode Island’s home or away athletic or non athletic events for prospects, their relatives or friends. Only the University of Rhode Island’s Athletics Department can provide complimentary admissions to prospects and only for HOME athletic events. AVOID contacting an enrolled student-athlete at another institution for the purpose of encouraging transfer to the University of Rhode Island and for participation in the University of Rhode Island’s athletic programs. AVOID paying for or offering to pay the registration fees for summer sports camps for a prospect. AVOID contacting the prospect’s coach, principal or counselor for the purpose of evaluating the prospect. You are not permitted to pick up films or transcripts from the prospect’s educational institution. AVOID inviting ONLY SELECTED junior or senior high school or community college prospective studentathletes to alumni events. Since the NCAA prohibits


Howard Wemmer ’70 of Punta Gorda, Fla., on March 9, 2009.

Mary Jane Tremblay ’80 of Brooklyn, Conn., on March 4, 2009.

Joseph Colan ’71 of Boston, Mass., on February 7, 2009.

John Willis ’81 of Mansfield, Mass., on January 17, 2009.

Mildred DeSimone Giusti ’71 of East Providence, R.I., on January 26, 2009.

Thomas Nally ’84 of Kingston, R.I., on February 1, 2009.

Francis Quetta ’71 of Pascoag, R.I., on January 6, 2009. Elizabeth Adams ’73 of Yarmouth Port, Mass., on March 9, 2009. Marion Dangleman Perreault ’74 of Wakefield, R.I., on January 6, 2009. Mitchell Benbenek ’77 of Barrington, R.I., on February 1, 2009. Barbara Ross ’77 of Wethersfield, Conn., on February 15, 2009. David Russell ’77 of Annapolis, Md., on January 11, 2009. Anne Graham ’78 of Durham, N.H., on February 13, 2009. Robert DiCarlo ’80 of West Warwick, R.I., on February 8, 2009. Cheryl Ladd ’80 of Wakefield, R.I., on January 31, 2009.

contact between prospects and alumni and “athletic representatives,” care must be taken to invite, for instance, all high school seniors who have received academic and athletic awards. Can “I” be involved with Currently Enrolled StudentAthletes PLEASE feel free to invite a student-athlete to your home for a home cooked meal but only for a special occasion (e.g. Thanksgiving, birthday). Remember, the student-athlete must provide his/her own transportation. PLEASE feel free to invite a team for dinner or to meet with a group of alumni in a city where they are competing. The NCAA permits student-athletes AS A TEAM to receive special benefits not permitted as individuals. Arrangements for such events must be made in advance with the head coach or the Athletic Department. HOWEVER ... AVOID providing a student-athlete or friend any benefit or special arrangement. The NCAA considers these as an “extra benefit” and they are specifically prohibited. AVOID providing room and/or board or any type of transportation during the summer for a student athlete with eligibility remaining. AVOID providing room, board or transportation costs incurred by friends or family of an enrolled studentathlete to visit campus or attend any away contest. AVOID expending funds to entertain student-athletes, their friends or relatives. You are not even permitted to buy a soft drink or cup of coffee for them. AVOID using the name or picture of an enrolled studentathlete to directly advertise, recommend or promote sales or use of a commercial product or service of any kind. The SALE of a picture of an enrolled student-athlete will jeopardize eligibility. AVOID providing any payment of expense or loan of any automobile for a student-athlete to return home or to any other location for ANY reason. AVOID providing awards or gifts to a student-athlete for his or her athletic performance. All awards must conform to NCAA regulations and must be approved by The University of Rhode Island and the Atlantic 10 Conference. AVOID providing an honorarium to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement. Only necessary travel expenses can be given when speaking to educational or charitable groups. All speaking engagements must be approved in advance by the University of Rhode Island Athletics Department. AVOID allowing a student-athlete, his or her friends or relatives to use your telephone to make free long

Anita Mahoney Lehto ’90 of Lynn, Mass., on January 13, 2009. Thomas Preston ’91 of West New York, N.J., on March 13, 2009.

IN MEMORIAM FACULTY Allan Berman, professor of psychology, 68, died on March 22, 2009, at Miriam Hospital. He taught clinical psychology and neuropsychology at URI for almost 40 years. He also co-led a team to create Delta Consultants, a private practice serving adults and families. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, he received his M.Ed. from Boston University and his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. He is survived by his wife, Jerianne; their children, Jennifer DeSisto, Andrew Berman, and Michael Berman; and four grand-

distance calls. Please Help: If you have knowledge of improprieties, intentional or otherwise, please let the Compliance Office at the University of Rhode Island know immediately so that we can take the necessary corrective actions. Whom Do I Contact? If you have any questions about contact with a prospective or enrolled student-athlete, please direct these questions to one of the following: Ed Pasque Assistant Commissioner/Compliance Atlantic 10 Conference, 230 South Broad St., Suite 1700 Philadelphia, PA 19102 Phone: (215) 545-6678, Fax: (215) 545-3342 e-mail: EPasque@atlantic10.org Paul Kassabian Associate Director of Athletics, Compliance University of Rhode Island, Three Keaney Road, Suite One, Kingston, RI 02881 Phone: (401) 874-2281, Fax: (401) 874-2158 What can “I” do regarding Employment of Prospective and Enrolled Student Athletes? PLEASE pay student-athletes employed by you only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate for similar services in the community and your own business. PLEASE notify the head coaches of job possibilities for student-athletes. HOWEVER ... AVOID employing or arranging for the employment of a prospective or enrolled studentathlete without checking first with the University of Rhode Island’s Athletics Department. The department is permitted to make arrangements for summer employment for prospects prior to enrollment as freshmen and to enrolled student-athletes during the summer and semester breaks. Stringent rules apply in these instances and written records must be kept regarding employment. AVOID providing transportation for prospects or studentathletes in your employ unless transportation is provided for all other employees. AVOID providing employment for student-athletes during the academic year without first contacting The University of Rhode Island’s Athletics Department. The NCAA has strict rules about the amount and source of outside funds during the academic year.

children. Donations in his memory may be made to St. Judes Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105 or to the Tomorrow Fund, Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy St., Providence, RI 02903. Janet I. Hirsch, Hon. ’06, age 77, professor emerita of nursing, died on April 4, 2009, at Miriam Hospital. A member of the faculty for 27 years, she retired in January 1999 but continued serving on faculty committees and helping graduate students. Professor Hirsch was actively involved in many medical-related organizations as well as in health and community services throughout Rhode Island. She received her R.N. from Rhode Island Hospital School of Nursing and her B.S., M.S., and Ed.D. from Boston University. In 1996 her colleagues, former students, family, and friends established the Dr. Janet I. Hirsch Endowment in her honor. It is dedicated to the education and advancement of College of Nursing faculty. Memorial donations may be made to

the Janet I. Hirsch Endowment, URI Foundation, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881. Leslie R. Stone Jr. ’40, M.S. ’49, aged 90, professor emeritus of physics, died at his Wakefield, R.I., home on April 28, 2009. He served in World War II in the South Pacific with the 182nd Infantry Regiment, American Division, and saw action in Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Philippines. After the war, he returned to Rhode Island State College to earn his M.S. and begin his teaching career in the Physics Department, where he taught for more than three decades. In retirement he enjoyed growing apples and daffodils, sailing, and fishing. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Margaret “Johnny” Stone ’41; their daughters Martha Fleishman and Jennifer Gaines ’69, and four granddaughters. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Narrow River Preservation Association, P.O. Box 8, Saunderstown, RI 02874.

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UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND  39


PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS

BACKpage

URI Library Dedication at the Kingston Campus URI faculty, staff, and students joined friends of the University, state legislatures, and members of the Carothers family on May 1 as the Kingston Campus library was named The Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons in honor of the University’s departing president. Held in the library’s main lobby, the dedication was accompanied by warm tributes to President Carothers from Provost Donald DeHayes and URI alumni Ann Hood ’78 and James A. Hopkins ’62. As the ceremony came to a close, President Carothers released confetti into the lobby and a banner bearing the library’s new name was unveiled behind him. Photo gallery uri.edu/quadangles

40  QUAD ANGLES  SUMMER 2009


PRIDE IN URI NIGHT Thursday, August 20

Show your Rhody spirit! Mark your calendars for August 20, the date for our 2009 Pride in URI Night at McCoy Stadium as the PawSox take on the Rochester Red  Wings. The URI Alumni Association and the Department of Athletics invites you to join alumni, family, and friends for a great evening of baseball, fun, food, and Rhody camaraderie. The event includes hot dogs & hamburgers, a free raffle, and special guests. Meet URI’s 11th president, David Dooley, who will be on hand for this popular annual event. Online registration is available at advance.uri.edu/alumni/ events/pridenight. For more information, call 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.

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PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS


ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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

Homecoming Weekend 2009 FIREWORKS  FOOTBALL  FAMILY FUN

SAVE THE DATE October 16–18 On Saturday, URI and PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS AND MIKE SALERNO

Hofstra will take to the field, and a variety of activities and events are being planned for the weekend.

advance.uri.edu/events/homecoming For more information, contact the Alumni Relations Office at 401.874.2242.


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