QUADangles
WINTER 2009, VOL. 16, NO. 2
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Behind the Scenes AT the palm Beach Opera With Andrew Henschel ’92 New! Web Extras
Big Thinkers Series
Los Angeles • New York City advance.uri.edu/programming
URI kicked off its Big Thinkers Series with a reception and buffet dinner at the Marina del Rey Marriott in Los Angeles on Oct. 30 featuring Harold Katersky ’64, chairman, Pacifica Ventures, seen at top left with his wife, Hilary, and Vice President of University Advancement Robert Beagle; and a reception at the Union League Club in New York City on Nov. 3 featuring Wesley Card ’70, CEO and president, Jones Apparel Group, Inc., seen in the center photo.
QUADangles
QUAD ANGLES ON THE WEB: uri.edu/quadangles
Winter 2009, VOL. 16, NO. 2
DEPARTMENTS Up Front 3 News and views PRESS BOX 8 Alumni Chapters 26 Upcoming events and contacts Photo Page 29 Homecoming 2008 Looking Back 30 Class Acts 31 News from your classmates and alumni profiles Back Page 40 Wooden Animals at Alton Jones INSIDE BACK COVER Norman ’49 and Robert Saute ’50 BACK COVER The Electronic Quad Angles
New! Web Extras Rhody Postcards: Paul DePace from Bejing Web Chat: Maureen Moakley on Election 2008 New Leaves Press at URI
FEATURES 10
FILM MEDIA PROGRAM REELING FROM SUCCESS By Jan Wenzel ’87 URI’s film media program is sizzling with student enthusiasm. When the major was first offered in 2005, 30 students enrolled. Today that number is 130 and counting
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MEET PROVOST DONALD DeHAYES By Dave Lavallee ’79, M.P.A. ’87 URI’s new provost, who began his job last April, shares some of his thoughts about the direction of the University
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BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE PALM BEACH OPERA By Jennifer Sherwood ’89 As a property master for the Palm Beach Opera, camels, which were used in a recent production of Aida, are among the many items that have fallen under Andrew Henschel’s job description
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HOUSE CALLS By Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92 In 1988 Elaine Riley decided to establish her own company—a bold move given that at the time nonprofit organizations dominated the home health care industry
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COLLEGIATE CRUSTACEAN TO QUEEN OF COMEDY By Marybeth Reilly-McGreen When URI theater student Poppy Champlin made a name for herself on campus performing in Oceantics, a cabaret-style show, she found there was an appreciative audience for her salty wit
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THE THIRD ANNUAL DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS The University of Rhode Island recognizes its top achieving alumni, faculty, and friends
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Clarice Odhiambo from Africa Freshmen Partner with Siravo Foundation
Cover: Courtesy Palm Beach Opera Company Inside Front Cover: Courtesy Joanne Esposito; Nora Lewis Contents: Nora Lewis; Courtesy Palm Beach Opera; Courtesy URI Film Media Program
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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.
Web Extras at uri.edu/quadangles NEW! There’s a new icon in town. When you see , go to uri.edu/quadangles for exlusive Web only extras, additional story content, audio/video and interactive features.
That means more stories, more photos, more videos, more you!
In this issue: Exclusive Web only extras n n n n n
Clarice Odhiambo M’88 on her work in Africa Freshmen in URI 101 raise awareness and funds for epilepsy New Leaves Press, the University’s own letterpress Paul DePace ’66, MBA ’75, Rhody Postcard from Bejiing Professor Maureen Moakley on the 2008 Election
Additional story content n Check out student films from URI Film Media Program n G o behind the scenes at the Palm Beach Opera with props
manager Andrew Henschel ‘92 n View video Q&A with Provost Donald DeHayes
Interactive features React to stories, share your own stories, photos, videos. We want to hear from you!
uri.edu/quadangles.
We want to hear from you!
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 61,000 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 Editor Barbara Caron, Online Edition Jan Wenzel ’87 Art Director Kim Robertson Interim Director of Publications Russell Kolton Director of Communications Linda Acciardo ’77 Contributing Editors 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 Historic Lippitt Hall Reopens With a snip of scissors through white and blue ribbons, Lippitt Hall, URI’s third oldest building, re-opened in the fall after an $8.9 million basement-to-roof renovation. The four-story building, built with locally quarried granite, is now fully equipped with wireless technology and the latest teaching tools in its seminar rooms, classrooms, and 96-seat auditorium. All the utilities in the basement have been upgraded, and a new slate roof has replaced the original. URI’s popular Honors Program returned to the building’s third and fourth floors, which feature a workroom for preparing students for prestigious scholarship competitions and graduate exams. Last fall, nearly 600 students representing all of the University’s colleges and nearly every discipline were enrolled in honors courses. The Department of Mathematics, which plays a large and critical role in URI’s general education program and delivers calculus and linear algebra to science, engineering, and mathematics majors, makes its new home on Lippitt’s first and second floors. PHOTOs BY NORA LEWIS and Special Collections
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 3
PHOTOs BY NORA LEWIS
URI Makes Explosive News With the touch of a lighter to specially treated gauze, Jay M. Cohen of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched the federal department’s new Center of Excellence in Explosives, Detection, Mitigation, Response and Characterization at URI. The University’s Center, one of only 12 such centers in the nation, will bring $5.15 million to URI during the next three years. Northeastern University is a co-leader of the center. “We’re excited about the work this center will do,” Cohen said to officials from federal, state, and local governments and to members of various military and law enforcement agencies who participated in the launch. “Detecting, defeating, and destroying explosive devices before they can get to their target is a critically important goal. If you get the bomber, you don’t need to worry about the bomb.”
Jimmie Oxley, professor of chemistry and co-director of URI’s Forensic Science Partnership, is the center’s co-director. Being named a center of excellence in explosives research adds to URI’s growing reputation as a world leader in the field, with the governments of Israel and the United Kingdom and U.S. agencies such as the FBI, Department of Defense, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms relying on URI expertise in the research of explosives, energetic materials, and pyrotechnics during the past 15 years. In addition, international and national reporters make Oxley their first call when they need expert commentary on an attack involving explosives. Oxley has assembled a nationally and internationally renowned team for the research and education project that will
enhance teacher training in science in kindergarten through high school, and in undergraduate and graduate science education at participating universities. It will also stimulate explosives research in the areas of detection, mitigation, response, and characterization. “This award speaks to URI’s ability to bring diverse researchers with wide ranging perspectives and expertise to bear on significant societal issues and crises,” said President Robert L. Carothers. “We take great pride in the work of Dr. Oxley and her colleagues. Because of her team’s work, our world is becoming a safer place.”
URI Textile Expert: Mayans Produced Fine Fabrics Photos Fabric fragments found in the 5th they all had a different fabric structure, By Michael Salerno century tomb of a female member of color, and yarn size, so Mayan royalty rival today’s textiles in it’s likely that their complexity and quality, accordthe tomb was ing to textiles conservator Margaret reopened— Ordoñez, a professor in our College perhaps several of Human Science and Services. times—and Few textiles from the Mayan culadditional layers ture were known to have survived, of textiles were so considerable excitement was laid there years generated when a treasure trove after her death,” of fabrics was found in the tomb said Ordoñez. at the Copán ruins in Honduras, One fabric in one of three excavated by arparticular had an chaeologists from the University of Pennsylespecially high thread vania during the 1990s. count—100 yarns per Ordoñez spent a month at the site in 2004 inch—that Ordoñez said is considered high even in examining 100 textile samples found in a tomb. She modern textiles. “It speaks to the technology they brought back tiny fragments of 49 samples to her had at the time for making very fine fabrics. It’s lab, which she has since analyzed. gratifying that we’ve been able to document that “What was most amazing was that there were the Mayans were quite skillful at spinning as many as 25 layers of fabrics on an offertory and weaving.” platform and covering pottery in the tomb, and
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Photos By Michael Salerno
Peaceful Lessons violence in the movement to restore independence to Tibet, which has been part of China since the 1950s. The monk’s classmates at the Institute included a woman from Tanzania who works with women fighting gender violence and a man who negotiates peace with gangs in Washington, D.C. Tendhar said hearing firsthand about the experiences of the center’s director,
Bernard LaFayette, who played several important roles in the Civil Rights Movement, was
inspirational. “Kingian nonviolence is so practical,” the monk said, “and so inter-related with the peaceful aims of Buddhist philosophy.” After leaving URI, Tendhar was granted political asylum in the U.S. He hopes to return to URI this winter and become one of the first students to enroll in the center’s planned and soon-to-be Graduate Certificate Program in Nonviolence and Peace Studies.
Photo By Chuck Morse
Thupten Tendhar, 32, a Tibetan monk, was drawn to campus to learn more about Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles and methods of nonviolent protest at a twoweek Summer Institute offered by the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies. Tendhar escaped from Tibet when he was 11, walking two months across the Himalayas to reach India and enter the Drepung Loseling Monastery. He hopes to apply Kingian non-
Songs of Social Justice Available on CD URI hosted musical history when the 2006 Honors Colloquium, “Songs of Social Justice: The Rhetoric of Music,” explored how music has, and will always be, a constant theme in shaping the political and social experience. Such accomplished musicians as Buffy Sainte-Marie, Tom Paxton, and the late Utah Phillips participated, sharing their thoughts and their music live Edwards Auditorium. The series was captured in a just released two-disc compilation CD, fittingly called Songs of Social Justice.
“The recordings are stunningly good, beautifully recorded, nicely edited, and capture some wonderfully unique performances. These may be the best recordings ever made of some of these artists, ” said musical legend and flatpicking pioneer Dan Crary. CDs are available for a $25 contribution to the URI Stephen Myles Social Justice Scholarship. Myles was the assistant director of URI’s Counseling Center and an accomplished musician. He was eager to help organize the colloquium and to share with students the power
of music and art as catalysts for social change. Sadly, he died shortly before he could see his dream come to fruition. All money raised from CD sales will go directly to the scholarship fund. Once endowed, the scholarship will be awarded to a student or students in any major engaged in the pursuit of social justice. For more information on purchasing a CD go to songsofjustice.com or email Professor of Communication Studies Stephen Wood at DocWood@mail.uri. edu. Happy listening! UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 5
Photos By Michael Salerno
Vice President of University Advancement Robert Beagle with, left to right, Martha Murphy, manager of communications, South County Hospital and Regina Bell, director of the public relations major in the Department of Communication Studies.
Public Relations Series Makes Connections Students Click With Presidential Debates About 400 students enrolled in two sections of Political Science Professor Maureen Moakley’s introductory course on American Politics watched the last presidential debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain in the Chafee Social Science Center. Prior to the debate, students were given digital clickers and asked to respond to questions about their debate expectations and political preferences. Their collective answers appeared in graph form on PowerPoint. After the debate, students were asked to evaluate each candidate’s performance and his positions. Students were then asked to register any changes in their own position on the election. “Mostly the idea of ‘selective perception’ worked; that is students with a preference for one candidate or another beforehand tended to think that candidate performed better and were more likely to support their initial choice after the debate,” Moakley reports. The purpose of the experience was to engage students in the democratic process by using the latest technology. Judging from the students’ collective enthusiasm, it definitely succeeded.
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Students interested in public relations had some of their questions answered this fall by experts in the field with the launching of a four-part series called Public Relations Summit: Making Connections. “Anytime we can give students the chance to meet and talk with experts, the better prepared they become. Our goal as educators should be to give our students a thorough, practical base of knowledge, and also do whatever we can to help them establish career relationships,” said Robert Beagle, vice president, University Advancement, commenting on the series. “Although this is the first year for the PR Summit, my goal is to continue this exciting learning opportunity next year so that students can explore the many facets of the world of public relations,” said series coordinator Regina Bell, director of the Public Relations Program in URI’s Communication Studies Department. “As career opportunities continue to evolve, it is critical we encourage students to consider the various options available to them. The series is designed to give students an informal yet informative way to make connections with leading public relations professionals.”
Keith Labelle and Jenn Longa Moio (holding baby Luke) stand with peer advocate and 2007 URI football team captain Dan Heffron and Dan’s mom and brother.
Award-Winning Team Promotes Healthy Relationships Keith LaBelle ’00, ’03 captained the baseball team as an undergraduate. Today, he’s a co-captain of a different type of team, one that is hitting home runs with its messages—on campus and across the country. LaBelle coordinates and Jenn Longa Moio directs the University’s award-winning Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services Program, which provides education and awareness about sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. It also provides advocacy to victims of these crimes. The target audience is students, particularly freshmen. When he was a student athlete, LaBelle attended an awareness workshop and learned that one in four women will experience sexual assault sometime during her lifetime. “I had never thought about it before,” he says. “Then I started thinking, ‘wait a minute, I have two sisters, a mom, and many aunts, female cousins, and friends.‘” Each semester, peer advocates—all of whom have taken a women’s studies course on violence against women— are busy hosting events and making presentations, including presentations to all 130 sections of URI 101 classes. Sixteen of the 28 peer advocates are NCAA student-athletes, including four members of the football team and three members of the basketball team. Stereotypically, athletes tend to be viewed as perpetrators of sexual assault and not as promoters of healthy
relationships, notes Labelle, who argues that athletes and leaders of Greek organizations are high profile students and as such make great role models. “When someone like [basketball star] Jimmy Baron says ‘This isn’t cool. This isn’t right,’ students really listen.” Originally funded by a Department of Justice grant seven years ago, the program has not only been institutionalized but is gathering national recognition in combating violent crimes against women on campus. Labelle and Longa Maio are in demand as speakers at conferences, colleges, and high schools, and most times they are asked to give repeat performances. URI peer advocates won the 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Peacemaker Award, the 2006 A. Robert Rainville Team Leadership Award, and the 2006 National Violence Goes to College Award for outstanding student programming.
Yes, M’am! Lieutenant Colonel Deborah Wilson represents the third generation in her family to serve as a military officer, but she’s a first at URI. She made ROTC history by becoming the first female to head the Military Science Program since it was established in 1894. “I’m an Army brat,” the world-traveler says with a laugh. Commissioned in the Quartermaster Corps in 1987, she received distinguished military graduate honors from the University of Tampa. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Troy State University in 1996. She served in a number of key staff positions including Officer in Charge of the Emergency Operations Center in Coraopolis, Pa., after 9/11 for Operation Noble Eagle. Prior to arriving at URI, she completed a 13-month tour with 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Balad, Iraq. “Being at URI is a wonderful opportunity for me to return to an ROTC classroom and to be able to share my experience with the cadets and help prepare the next generation of leaders,” says the military officer, whose URI tour will last three years.
Basketball players (from left) Ben Eaves, Kahiem Seawright, Jim Baron and Caitlin Kearns join Jenn Moio, 3rd from left, at this fall’s Silent Witness March. The candles honor men, women, and children who have been victims of domestic violence in Rhode Island.
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URI Athletics Hall of Fame Inductions Six former Rhody greats will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame on the weekend of Feb. 13-15, 2009. Events kick off on Friday, Feb. 13, with an induction ceremony and dinner at the Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown. On Saturday, Feb. 14, the Hall of Fame class will be honored at halftime of the men’s basketball game vs. Saint Louis. Tony Hill ’87 was a two-sport star for the Rams from 1982-86. The Lynn, Mass., native was an All-New England selection in football and baseball for three consecutive years. On the gridiron, he was twice selected to The Sporting News’ preseason all-American squad and ranks second on URI’s all-time interception list, with 15. His 94-yard return for a touchdown off an interception against Northeastern on Oct. 8, 1983, ranks as the program’s second-longest in history. On the baseball diamond, he had nine home runs while slugging .667 in 1985. He finished his URI baseball career with a .368 batting average and 21 homers. Lance Klima ’89 was a four-year starting goalkeeper for URI’s men’s soccer team from 1985-88. In 56 career games for the Rams, he registered 284 saves and a .787 save percentage. During the 1988 season, he recorded six shutout victories, en route to earning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors. He was also an All-New England and National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region selection that year. He graduated with a degree in finance and marketing. Phil Kydd ’81was a four-year letterman for the Rhody men’s basketball program from 1977-81, captaining the squad as a senior. Known as one of the team’s unsung heroes during that span, the Bronx, N.Y., native finished his 105-game career with 675 points while shooting 50.8% from the floor (245-482). Widely regarded as one of the team’s top sixth man performers, the 6-4 forward helped guide the Rams to an 80-37 mark, including three 20-win seasons and a trip to the 1978 NCAA Tournament. Kydd earned his degree in studio art. Cuttino Mobley ’98 was one of the best guards in the history of the men’s basketball program, helping guide the team to the Elite Eight of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. That season, the Philadelphia native scored 586 points—the eighth-best single season scoring mark (17.1 ppg)—and led the team to a 25-9 record en route to being named the 1998 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. Over his 93-game career, Mobley tallied 1,334 points, which ranks 21st on the all-time scoring list. He currently ranks second on URI’s career free throw percentage list (256-312, .821). Mobley earned his degree in communications studies and was drafted in the second round (41st overall) in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He currently stars with the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Jessica Salmans ’98 was one of the best setters in Rhode Island volleyball history. A four-year starter, she helped guide the Rams to a 104-34 (.754) record during that span, including a 70-10 (.875) mark in Atlantic 10 play. URI advanced to the 1996 NCAA Tournament and finished among the top two teams in the Atlantic 10 in each of her four years of play. A native of Fountain Valley, Calif., Salmans holds all of the school’s assist records, including single-match (81), single-season (1,637), and career (5,770). A three-time All-A-10 selection for her play on the court, Salmans was a two-time recipient of Academic All-Conference honors in the classroom. She is also the school record holder in career digs (1,378) and was a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-District I team member. Her degree is in biology. Dayna Smith ’96 was one of the top point guards in Atlantic 10 history while starring for Rhode Island from 1992-96. One of just 11 players at the NCAA Division I level to record more than 1,000 points and 750 assists, Smith was a key component of the Rams’ run to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. That season, the Pittsburgh native dished out 233 assists and helped guide URI to a 21-8 mark and the A-10 East regular season title. She finished her career with 1,174 points—good for ninth on Rhody’s The Hall of Fame all-time scoring list—and 184 threeweekend is a point field goals, which ranks second collaborative effort all-time in the URI record book. Smith between the recently made a return to the NCAA Athletics DepartTournament, this time as the head coach ment and the of Cornell. In her seventh season with Alumni Association the Big Red, she led the 2008 squad to as part of Big Chill the Big Dance. She earned her degree Weekend. For more in business management. information on the Hall of Fame, contact the Athletics Development Office at 401.874.7490 or visit GoRhody. com; for the Big Chill Weekend, contact the Alumni Relations Office at 401.874.5808 or visit advance.uri.edu/ alumni/bigchill/ default.htm
Remembering Yngve Ramstad On Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008, over 200 members of the URI community walked four laps around the Quadrangle in memory of Professor Yngve Ramstad. Ramstad, who was URI’s former faculty athletics representative, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) in December 2006. He died on July 5, 2008. Ramstad was honored with the Brian Dickinson Courage Award as part of the ALS Association-Rhode Island Chapter’s
2008 Evening of Hope on June 12, 2008. In the fall of 2007, a committee comprised of student-athletes, administrators, staff, and faculty, formed Ramstad’s Rams. The group organized a charity Walk Around the Quad (part of the statewide Walk to D’Feet ALS) to honor the former chair of URI’s Economics Department, who watched the walkers from his wheelchair. The event raised more than $10,000 for ALS research.
Derek Cassidy Earns Gold Helmet Award Rhode Island senior quarterback Derek Cassidy was honored as the winner of the Boston Globe Gold Helmet Award during the New England Football Writers weekly luncheon on October 8, 2008. Cassidy received the honor after he threw for a career-high five touchdown passes in the Rams’ 37-13 Governor’s Cup victory over Brown on October 4. The Winter Haven, Fla., native was 25-of-37 for 298 yards, completing passes to eight different receivers. Cassidy joins former URI All-America quarterback Tom Ehrhardt as the only players in school history to throw for five touchdowns in a single game. Cassidy was also honored as the CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week on October 6, 2008.
Bill Beck Field Upgrades Under Way The URI baseball team won more games than any other Division I program in New England en route to qualifying for its sixthconsecutive Atlantic 10 tournament—the conference’s longest active streak. This spring, the Rams will have a new field in place to start the 2009 campaign. Thanks to a generous $1 million gift to URI Athletics, a new playing surface is being installed at Bill Beck Field. The new surface (which will be the same artificial
surface used by the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays) will allow the Rams to spend more time on the field throughout the year. Also included in the renovation project is a new backstop, fencing, bullpens, and scoreboard. Those wishing to extend additional support should contact head coach Jim Foster at 401-874-4550 or jimfoster@mail.uri.edu.
Casey Pereira Receives ECAC Medal of Valor On September 15, 2008, Rhode Island gymnast Casey Pereira was named as one of four Eastern College Athletic Conference athletes to receive the ECAC Award of Valor. Pereira was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma three days before practice began in her sophomore season. Sometimes sick, bald, and nauseous, Pereira still made it to every meet during the 2006 season. After waking up at 5 a.m. every Wednesday for seven-hour sessions of chemotherapy, blood work, and CAT scans in Boston, Pereira returned to the mats for the start of her junior season. Weakened from her treatments, the once strong Pereira was unable to do push ups or run around the block without getting winded. She managed to work herself back into shape through grueling workouts and went on to earn ECAC Specialist of the Year honors. As a freshman, Pereira helped the Rams to a second place finish at the ECACs; as a junior, she helped URI to a third place showing at the ECAC Championship. During the 2007-08 season, she was a key member of the Rams’ second-place squad at the ECAC Championship. UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 9
URI Film Media The unique curriculum is taught by faculty members who bring creative expertise from a variety of disciplines—art, communication studies, education, journalism, English, French, Italian, Spanish and more. URI’s film media program is sizzling with student enthusiasm. Here’s proof: When the major was first offered in 2005, 30 students enrolled. Today that number is 130 and counting. “I was surprised how fast the program took off,” says Gerald DeSchepper who helped spearhead the major. “We projected 10 to 15 students would enroll each year after the initial offering, but enrollment actually quadrupled the second year.” Several factors account for the program’s popularity including the escalating number of career opportunities: corporate video creation, advertising, independent filmmaking, Web site design, science or art animation, production, lighting, editing, and set design to name a few. “Moving images are part of students’ lives in ways we never could have imagined,” says Thomas Zorabedian, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and adjunct professor of communication studies. “Today’s affordable equipment allows students to create films, edit them on a computer, place them on YouTube and even enter them in one of an increasing number of film festivals.” John Leo, professor of English and former director of the film media program, is equally as enthusiastic. He credits the program’s appeal to its unique curriculum taught by faculty members who bring creative expertise from a variety of disciplines—art, English, education, communication studies, journalism, French, Italian,
uri.edu/artsci/film
Check out student films uri.edu/quadangles
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Spanish, and more. The program is flexible and collaborative and has an international emphasis. Under Leo’s leadership from 2006 to 2008, the major expanded its offerings at URI’s Providence Campus, increased the variety and number of production and critical studies courses, and became more involved with outreach, recruitment, and retention of students. Alain-Philippe Durand, honors professor of French, film media, and comparative literature, became the program’s interim director this fall. He teaches, in English, the popular FRN 320 Studies in French Cinema, French Film Comedies, and Films of Luc Besson. “I’m very proud to be part of this program and to continue promoting a discipline that started with the Lumière brothers in my native France,” he says. The program’s international influence interested Kyle Keough ’08 who studied under Rebecca Romanow, a well-published scholar and the program’s only full-time lecturer. As a teen-ager he hung out at the Cumberland Public Library looking for Japanese films, especially those directed by Akira Kurosawa. “My passion was always in film,” the 21-year-old alumnus said shortly before he graduated, “but I didn’t consider it a realistic career option until my first film class at URI. After that, I was hooked.” Like a number of his classmates, Keough’s zeal was not focused from the lens of a camera, but on critical theory. Last fall, Keough began graduate studies at the University of Iowa, considered one of the premier film schools in the nation.
Program Keough isn’t the only alum pursuing film studies in graduate school. Others include Reshad Kulenovic ’04, ‘06 at Boston University, Carson Smith ’08 at Columbia University, and Michael Shawyer ’06 at the University of Southern California. Stephan Stifano ‘06 is examining the role of emotion in films en route to his doctorate at the University of Connecticut. He’s sold on a joint career as a filmmaker and an academician. His second film, The Summer of .45, which he wrote and directed, is in post-production. Dana Neugent, the URI Providence Campus media supervisor and adjunct assistant professor of film media, teaches production courses that instruct students how to shoot, light, and edit. Sound and special effects are also part of the class that requires each student to create a two-minute video incorporating the different elements. The completed projects run the gamut from TV commercials, to educational videos, to music videos, to movie trailers. “I’ve had some students come to class with a low cumulative average and do outstanding work. Film lets them discover and develop their own creative talents,” says Neugent. He and student Beth Czerny were part of a team that won the 2008 Best of Providence award in the local 48 Hour Film Project, besting 54 other teams all of which were given a line of dialogue, a character, and props and just two days to produce a complete short movie. Roy Bergstrom, lead information technologist and an assistant adjunct professor of film ©iStock
media, taught an innovative course last summer that brought together five film media students and 15 scholar-athletes competing in the 2008 U.S. Scholar Athlete Games that are hosted on the Kingston Campus by the Institute for International Sport. The film media students worked closely with the scholar-athletes, some of whom had never held a camera before. They videotaped the games’ keynote speakers, including Vint Cerf, most often referred to as father of the Internet, and Colin Powell, former U.S. secretary of state and retired Army general; they shot footage of numerous events that they compressed and added graphics and photos to and then posted to the Institute’s Web site—all within 24 hours; and they created a montage of the event, producing a 60-minute DVD of the games— all within five-weeks. Film media alumni are forming their own production companies. Take Rickie Laprade ’07. He picked up his first VHS recorder when he was 6, began shooting, and hasn’t stopped since. For five years he worked at Bonnet Video in Narragansett, watching every film in the store (it took him two-and-a-half years). Today, he heads Karate Werewolf Productions/Anubis Films Limited, a Narragansett production company that he formed. He is busily creating features, a neo-noir Web series, short films, a music video, and a documentary, often with the help Brit MacFarland ’08 and other URI students and alumni. UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 11
Visualizations Film Festival A Decade of Encouraging Budding Filmmakers No story about the popularity of the film media program would be complete without mentioning URI’s own Visualizations, the College of Arts and Sciences Student Film Festival. Open to all undergraduates interested in film, the annual spring festival just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Since its inception, more than 500 budding filmmakers have competed for cash prizes in diverse film and writing categories: animation, experimental, commercials/public service announcements, narrative/ open, news segment, critical essay, and film treatment. The Dean’s Choice Award and the Fred Joyal Best of Festival also come with cash prizes. All told, more than $60,000 has been awarded. Perhaps more importantly, the festival provides students with a venue to have their work screened and an opportunity to meet film professionals. Fred Joyal ‘79 of Manhattan Beach, Calif., has provided major funding for the festival, which has been also supported by R.I. International Film Festival, the Richard Beaupre Hope & Heritage Fund, and Scott Randall ’76 & Brand Games.
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Tony Nunes ’08 spent a month in Tanzania filming a short documentary on AIDS; he will soon return there to help the Allyu Initiative launch a youth transition program aimed at keeping kids off the streets. The group hopes to expand operations from Tanzania to Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda next fall. Above: Tony Nunes on location in Tanzania. Opposite, above: Steve Stephano filming in the Documentary Production class. Opposite, below, clockwise from left: film students on location at Monomoy Islands, Mass. filming for a Coastal Institute project; Tony Nunes; filming on Monomoy Islands; Mary Healey Jamiel, left, and Kylie Hagos.
A Westerly high school video production class not only sold another alum, Tony Nunes ’08, on filmmaking, it also introduced him to his future wife, Marybeth. While interning at Tango Pix, a film and video production company in Providence, Nunes met two filmmakers who rented space nearby and produced straight-to-DVD horror movies. That eventually led to Nunes’ first feature horror film, Zombie Allegiance, which he wrote and directed and describes as a slasher movie with political overtones. Horror films help pay the bills, but Nunes (and his start-up production company Solipsist Media Group) has his sites on other film horizons, including a pilot children’s television program. Nunes also has an African connection. He spent a month in 2006 in Tanzania filming a short documentary on AIDS; he will soon return there to help the Allyu Initiative launch a youth transition program aimed at keeping kids off the streets. The group hopes to expand operations from Tanzania to Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda next fall. Another filmmaker Dan Riordan ’03 cofounded Gnarly Bay Productions with longtime friend and collaborator Dana Saint and recently opened an office in Westerly. Riordan got hooked on film watching Fight Club starring Brad Pitt and Ed Norton. He keeps the wolf away from the door by creating television commercials for such diverse clients as Feet First, Bank R.I., 94HJY, Rhode Island Blood Center, and the Connecticut Sun Basketball team.
©istock; Mary Healey Jamiel; Judith Swift; COURTESY FILM MEDIA PROGRAM
He also created a yoga video and a sea duck hunting documentary for YouTube. Currently he’s creating promotional videos for Schick and a prominent online university. “Forms of film media have become part and parcel of nearly every business transaction in modern markets,” says assistant professor of communications studies and film media Mary Healy-Jamiel, whose prize-winning film Holy Water-Gate was broadcast on SHOWTIME NETWORKS. She teaches critical studies and production courses. “Classes are taught by both film scholars and filmmakers, and our respective areas of expertise offer the film media student unique opportunities to develop his or her own critical voice and to graduate from our program with the essential writing, production, and research skills needed in today’s competitive environment,” she says. One of Healy-Jamiel’s former students, Kylie Tanner ’08, a graduate student in URI’s Computer Science Department, comments that “multimedia is a part of everyday life, and many of the skills I acquired as a film student I have continued to use in the realm of computer science. “No matter what I do after I complete my graduate studies, I know that I will remain passionate about film throughout my life. My undergraduate studies in film media have provided me with multiple career opportunities ranging from digital art used in Web development to feature film productions.” — By Jan Wenzel ‘87 UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 13
Meet Provost
Donald DeHayes Donald H. DeHayes began his official duties as provost and vice president of Academic Affairs in April. He was interviewed for this article in November, just two days after Barack Obama was elected president.
Check out Q&A video uri.edu/quadangles
Do you have any reaction to the outcome of the election? The Obama campaign–at least as it came out in the political campaign–was advocating for education, renewable energy, and green economic development. My sense is what Obama says he stands for would depend on higher education, and I think it positions the University of Rhode Island pretty well. His priorities would line up with ours.
Photo by NORA LEWIS
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What is happening here at the University in academic planning, and what is being considered to move it forward? I am not sure we fully understood the strength and the expertise that we have. We have somewhere in the range of 120 to 140 faculty in each of three or four broadly defined areas that are really important to the University and equally important to the world. When we look at the broad field of integrated health sciences and health systems, we have faculty scattered across all the academic units of the campus. I am not sure any of us knew that. Clearly, we have international prowess in oceans and marine systems and in the broad dimensions of life sciences and sustainability that cuts across all the colleges.
What’s it been like for you since you arrived? I actually love it here. I’ve been asked many, many times, by many, many people across the campus if I knew then what I know now, would I still be here, which is pretty much referring to the budget mess I walked into. This is what I came to do; I love the challenge. I found the community to be warm and empathetic. There are big challenges here, and we can’t control a lot of them. But there is a lot we can influence, and that’s where we need to spend our time. It’s going to be up to all of us to reclaim our University, to take it back and design it the way we think it needs to operate.
Are you surprised at the optimism and energy among faculty for their work here? I’ve said several times, and publicly on campus, I am amazed at the accomplishments of our faculty and our students, and many times against all odds, of people working in less than ideal facilities, certainly with fewer resources than we would like them to have or that they would like to have. Maybe that brings out the best in us. It might be easy to not notice that great faculty love what they do. One of the things that is really special about this University in my view—and I really, really mean this—was evident in
Professor Jimmie Oxley’s comments [during a fall press conference announcing the $5.15 million Center of Excellence in Explosives Research]. She talked with pride about her students in the audience, and the students had posters surrounding the press conference. She found a way to bridge the nationally renowned research and scholarship she is doing with educating students. A lot of universities talk about that, but not a lot of universities do that. She is doing it, and many other URI faculty are doing it. That creates a special learning environment for our students and a special opportunity for our faculty. People have found a way to do what they love to do. It’s not only evident in their productivity; it’s evident in their joy.
A state study made several recommendations to enhance the research enterprise at URI, including a $100 million bond issue to support hiring new faculty researchers. What are your thoughts regarding the commission’s recommendations and their applicability to our strategic plan? I love the interplay of teaching and research. I like less talking about teaching and research as oppositional factors— sometimes universities do that. If we teach a lot, we can’t do research, and if we do research a lot, we can’t teach. I am pretty convinced our best teachers are our best scholars. I think the report offered many good suggestions that we can do better internally. We need to smooth the process of research, but I think they were a little more harsh on us than we deserve. That’s not to say that we can’t do better. Some of the comparisons they made included medical schools. You subtract the medical schools and out-and-out funding here is probably 30 or 40 percent higher than the University of Vermont, which was one of the comparisons. We’d have to be very thoughtful about how we would use bond money to enhance the research program. It would be great if we could do it, but as soon as you put that into hiring personnel, I do worry about how you sustain the models.
The commission focused primarily on research that has a direct economic benefit. What about the need to make sure that the liberal arts and humanities remain strong? The University will continue to support the broadest definition of scholarship, including the creative arts. That really is the backbone of the learning enterprise. You are correct that the commission report was really trying to draw the connection between research in certain areas and economic development and workforce development. That’s not inappropriate to do in my view. That should not be interpreted as undermining the importance of the many forms of scholarship that don’t depend on external funding and don’t lead directly to professional job opportunities. In many ways the non-funded scholarship done by our humanists, creative artists, and social scientists is more affordable to us. It takes less infrastructure to support. It’s more easily woven into the student learning experience. It produces books, art exhibits, and concerts that not only enrich the campus but also the surrounding community. That’s an important piece of what makes a university a university.
What is your hope for URI students? Working closely with deans, faculty, and students, we want to build a great University. It ought to be something that relates to global awareness. Students should be actively engaged; students ought to be able to touch, feel, and smell learning in this world. We ought to be able to use the media and technology not just as toys, but as a way to promote active learning. I’d love to have a student say, “I am not going to go to UConn. I am going to go to URI because I will have a better experience.” By Dave Lavallee ’79, M.P.A. ’87
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 15
Behind at the Palm Beach Opera the Scenes Photos by Andrew Henschel.
Check out Andy's work uri.edu/quadangles
OPERA PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PALM BEACH OPERA COMPANY
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Andrew Henschel '92 knows a thing or two about camels. Not for the reason you might think, though. He doesn’t work in a zoo and he’s never been to Egypt. But as a property master for the Palm Beach Opera, camels, which were used in a recent production of Aida, are among the many items that have fallen under his job description. A property master is responsible for purchasing, acquiring, or manufacturing any props needed for a stage production. So if a moment on stage calls for a nine-inch switchblade, Henschel will find it. Camels, while perhaps not technically props, are something of a concern to a props master. “I became responsible for making sure the animals were heading in the right direction. And, if something starting coming out of one of them, I had to grab a bucket and run,” laughed Henschel. Founded in 1961, the fully professional Palm Beach Opera presents main stage performances from December through April at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in
West Palm Beach. Henschel, who has been with the opera since 2004, is one of two props masters. “It’s great because I’ve worked with some tremendous directors and artists from all over the world,” said Henschel. And, after four years and more than 16 shows, he’s gotten to know a lot about opera. “I always try to go over a synopsis of the libretto before meeting with a director,” he explained. “It’s funny because everything I knew about opera before I learned from Bugs Bunny.” Being a props master means adhering to a grueling schedule. Guest directors only come in for one month, so everyone has to hit the ground running. And you better be handy, too, because if a prop cannot be bought, then it must be made. Just three weeks before the show, Henschel gets to actually meet the director to learn what items he will need to round up. “Usually I work with a props list, although I really shouldn’t say usually because almost every time is completely different,” he mused. To jump start the production, Henschel scrambles to find smaller props so that the performers have something to help them get the action down: “It doesn’t matter if they’re just hanging onto an electrical pipe covered with tape instead of a sword; it will help them learn the role.” Next he searches for props either locally or through the Web. Over the years he has assembled a list of contacts and places to search. “It’s a lot like being on a big scavenger hunt,” he explained. As with any arts organization, budget constraints must
always be kept in mind. Sometimes it’s cheaper to make the prop: “You name it, we make it,” chuckled Henschel. “Chairs, beds, tables, anything!” For the first two weeks of the process, it’s just Henschel and the other props master. As opening night gets closer, they bring in a union crew from Local 500 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) to help them out: “Usually about a week before the opening we’ll hire anywhere from two to eight people to work with us. At that point, we’re overseeing everything that is being built, painted, sculpted, and fixed.” And then, of course, there are the dreaded last minute changes. For all the aggravations, Henschel has an obvious love of the job: “Working for the opera is great because it’s all the fine arts in one. And props involve so many of the visual arts—scenic painting, sculpture, furniture repair, paint touch ups, color matches, the list just goes on. It all relates.” It’s not surprising that Henschel is a successful props master. He has the perfect combination of artistic skills and résumé for such an eclectic job. After graduating from URI with a degree in fine arts, he made his way to Florida where he worked for Design Line in Tampa as part of a team that was building the “Edge of Africa” exhibit in Busch Gardens. The goal was to create a Land Rover in which people could be safely photographed with a live lion in the back. “Because you couldn’t import the authentic African Land Rovers, we ended up building them. We bought Land Rover station wagons, took them apart, and re-welded them back
together again to look like the original.” He looks back fondly on the experience. “It really prepared me for leading a team. Artists are very eclectic people and being in charge requires really good people skills.” Henschel also added to his broad range of experience when he worked for Trident Shipworks fabricating metal parts for yachts and spray painting boat bottoms. Apart from being a master with props, Henschel is also a gifted visual artist with a background in sculpture and photography. “I’ve really enjoyed photo and printmaking, but I’ve worked more in sculpture, although I tend to go back and forth.” Currently, he has two pieces of sculpture that are on display (and for sale) at the Gallery Biba in Palm Beach. Ironically, during his time at URI Henschel actually left a job working in the theatre scene shop: “I had already done a lot of construction work, so I left and took a job in a print and photo shop because I felt like it was more in line with my artistic aspirations.” Just like an opera, life has a way of coming full circle. “I unexpectedly ran into the guy that I worked for in the URI scene shop,” said Henschel. “He got a real kick out of hearing that I’m now a props master.” If you are one of our Florida alumni, or are visiting the state, you can check out the Palm Beach Opera Company’s productions at pbopera.org. And if you attend a performance, savor the music and drama, but don’t overlook the props and scenery that create the appropriate setting for the singers and musicians to work their magic. By Jennifer Sherwood ’89
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 17
House Calls HomeCare Advantage provides skilled nursing and non-skilled personal care; physical, occupational and speech therapy; and social services to more than 300 patients per day throughout Rhode Island.
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Observing Elaine and Jim Riley work in tandem to break into their office after locking themselves and a visitor out was akin to watching an expertly conducted symphony. Elaine used her cell phone, calling nearby family and employees who had a key, while Jim tried to jimmy the lock. Almost simultaneously, Elaine reached her daughter and Jim’s efforts gave way to an open door. With that bullet dodged, the couple sat down to discuss how they came to run HomeCare Advantage, their award-winning home healthcare agency. As young professionals, each worked separately. Elaine ‘68 worked as a medical surgical nurse at Kent Hospital in Warwick, R.I., and later, as a psychiatric nurse at Fuller Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, Mass. Jim, who earned a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1966 and an M.B.A. in 1972, both from URI, enjoyed a career at Verizon and its predecessor companies. Although Elaine earned invaluable experience in the hospitals, she walked away from the job security those settings offer to join a medical supply company and sell anti-decubitus mattresses and related products that help prevent bed sores. “I took a chance because I knew that I had to learn sales if I wanted to get ahead. I was on the road, cold calling hospitals, nursing homes, and durable medical equipment companies.”
Elaine soon learned that her marketing skills were as sharp as her nursing acumen and continued to pursue opportunities that would allow her to utilize her unique blend of sales and direct patient care experiences. A position as marketing supervisor for a national home healthcare organization proved to be the turning point for Elaine. “It was my first exposure to home healthcare, and I loved it. It is the only venue where you can see the entire patient—how she or he interacts with family members and how that interaction impacts care and recovery.” Drawing on the same entrepreneurial spirit that drove her earlier career decisions, in 1988 Elaine decided to establish her own company—a bold move given that nonprofit organizations dominated the home healthcare industry. Now, more than 20 years later, HomeCare Advantage, accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, provides skilled nursing and non-skilled personal care; physical, occupational and speech therapy; and social services to more than 300 patients per day throughout Rhode Island. As the company grew, so did the Riley family’s involvement. Jim, who retired from Verizon’s marketing department in 1996 after 30 years of service, became the company’s chief financial officer, and daughter Cheryl, who was called upon to PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS
unlock the office doors, serves as director of patient services. “I always helped with the accounting and billing, but now she asks me to fix things around the office,” says Jim with a laugh. Since assuming his leadership role, Jim has introduced high-tech benefits to this company that bases its success on caring personal interactions with its clients. “I have given all the nurses laptops loaded with CareAnyware, Inc., software, a Web-based application that allows them to complete lengthy evaluation forms and enter patient notes electronically,” Jim explains. “Information is uploaded every 12 hours to a secure server, saving our nurses a great deal of documentation time.” These time-saving measures allow the nurses to provide more handson care. Demand for this personalized, in-home service is growing rapidly as the population ages. The need is especially keen in Rhode Island. According to 2006 Census Bureau figures, nearly 14 percent of the state’s residents are 65 or older, ranking it eighth in the nation. “No one wants to go to a costly nursing home, and with the services we provide, many can stay at home—even centenarians. We service a 100+-year-old client who still bowls,” says Elaine. The need is also rising for pediatric home care. “Rhode Island has been a frontrunner in providing care for the young and has allocated a great deal of money to physically handicapped children,” says Elaine. “Of course, the nursing shortage limits how much work we can take on. Nurses are in high demand. They can name where they want to work and at what price. But I have been very fortunate; 45 out of 200 current employees have been with me for five years, and another 30 have 10 or more years of service. I offer them a great deal of flexibility. Some are moms who only want to work weekends, and others are full-time employees who rarely have to work a weekend. That is almost unheard of in a hospital.” Elaine cites HomeCare Advantage’s stellar reputation as another reason she attracts and retains employees. The HomeCare Elite 2007 report ranks it among the most successful Medicare-certified home healthcare providers in the United States. Published by Outcomes Concept Systems, a
URI nursing students can complete their community health clinical practicum through HomeCare Advantage, where four staff nurses serve as preceptors. national healthcare outcomes reporting agency, the report recognizes the top 25 percent of agencies whose performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement, and financial performance are the best nationwide. Moreover, Quality Partners of Rhode Island, a healthcare quality improvement agency, honored HomeCare Advantage with its 2007 Advancing Innovation in Healthcare Award. The company was recognized for its work in improving the quality of life for clients with congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Given these accolades, it is not surprising that current URI nursing students can learn from the best and complete their community health clinical practicum through HomeCare Advantage, where four staff nurses serve as preceptors. In addition to the applied knowledge gained through this experience, the students also benefit from Elaine’s personal lessons learned during her journey from hospital nurse to business owner. “I tell the students to keep their options open. I always wanted to own a business, and I saw an opportunity to do both things I love. It has been my greatest thrill in life. That is not to say that it has not been without risk or sacrifice, but you have to have a dream and believe in yourself.” — By Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92 UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 19
Collegiate Crustacean to
Queen of Comedy Can the right fish role catapult comedians to certain stardom? Disney’s The Incredible Mr. Limpet made an icon of Don Knotts’ bespectacled bluefish. Ellen Degeneres was Disney’s second choice for Finding Nemo’s ditsy tang fish, Dory, yet Degeneres stole every scene and soon thereafter landed a talk show, no pun intended. When URI theater student Poppy Champlin made a name for herself on campus performing in Oceantics, a cabaretstyle, dinner theatre-type show with a watery theme, Champlin found there was an appreciative audience for her salty wit. “I was many things: Siren of the Sea, an Atlantic salmon, a squid who did ‘The Masochim Tango,’” she recalled. “Oceantics was probably the most exciting show I did at URI. The amount of laughs I got and the reaction I got were so exhilarating.”
That her sexuality should be the thing upon which she would build a career surprised no one more than Champlin herself.
PHOTO COURTESY OF POPPY CHAMPLIN
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Champlin’s crowning skit was her stand-up routine. Entitled “Fish Shtick,” it comprised 135 puns on the ocean. “People loved it,” Champlin recalled. “They were spitting up stuff and choking.” Spurred by the enthusiastic reception of local audiences, Champlin, who graduated in 1982 with a B.F.A. in theater, took her act to New York City. The Big Apple, though, wasn’t biting. “I had a Fish Schtick that wasn’t funny,” Champlin recalled. Instead, what would win the Los Angeles-based Champlin her audience was something else entirely: her sexuality. Her 20-plus year career as an openly lesbian comedian would outstrip her headiest dreams. Champlin has opened shows for Ray Romano, Denis Leary, and Bill Maher. She’s told how-hot-is-it jokes on the Oprah show and won the 1993 America’s Funniest Real Woman competition on the Joan Rivers Morning Show in New York City. Two years ago, Champlin performed in her largest venue yet: Chicago’s Wrigley Field where she was the closing act for the Gay Games and performed before an audience of 40,000. That her sexuality should be the thing upon which she would build a career surprised no one more than Champlin herself. “In the beginning I was terrified to tell anybody about it,” Champlin said. “So I didn’t tell anybody about my sexuality for a long time. I realized, though, that my career was not going to be hurt if I were to come out.” Far from it. Champlin chose the audience at The Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles to first share her sexuality. Far from being a career breaker, Champlin’s
frank sexual humor resonated not only with the crowd, but also with agents and club owners in the audience. Champlin was booked at another club the next day. Bookings at clubs all over the world followed. In 2006, Champlin traveled to Africa to appear in the Cape Town International Comedy Festival. Champlin is also never far from the sea that gave her her start. She performs on the R Family Cruises and the Atlantis cruises, both of which cater to the gay and lesbian populations. “I love the gay men,” Champlin says of the Atlantis audiences. “The guys are great.” But that by no means implies that they are an easy audience. “You have 1,200 gay men watching you and judging you ’cause they do judge you, girl,” she said. “They may be gay men, but they’re still men.” Like many in her line of work, Champlin has her share of the-one-thatgot-away stories. You just can’t get away from the marine metaphors. Champlin learned early in her career that it is the savvy entrepreneur who stays on stage. Being funny is a prerequisite for the comedy business; understanding the business of comedy is a requirement for longevity. It is a business of perseverance. When Champlin arrived in Los Angeles a decade ago it was to pitch a sitcom, The Oddest Couple, about a gay man and a lesbian living together. She had representation: an agent with the prestigious William Morris Agency. Champlin waited patiently to hear from the agent about the fate of the sitcom. To no avail. “I later learned he went into the nuthouse,” she deadpans.
Ten years later, Champlin is still working on selling the sitcom. She said she intends to take it to Logo, the new gay and lesbian network. In the meantime, she’s also created a touring show called the Queer Queens of Comedy. Champlin and two other lesbian comedians perform at college campus venues. Champlin manages the bookings and the show’s earnings. It’s a role she’s grown used to performing. Early in her career, Champlin would book rooms at different clubs and then bring in name talent to sell seats. In this way, she could guarantee the talent for the club owner and the audience for the performer. Champlin would open for the bigger act, which afforded her a place to perform. “It’s pretty competitive,” Champlin said. “And it’s hard for women. Club owners are usually guys. Audiences are guys. The owners would say things like, ‘okay, we’re gonna have a chick now.’ Women had to be twice as good as the men.” Champlin is proud of the success of Queer Queens of Comedy. “We all do our own thing,” Champlin said. “I host and hold it together.” Champlin has also written a screenplay entitled Buggin’ Out. It’s a bee story about two sisters and their “crazy scientist parents.” The comedian may also reprise a fish role or two someday. She recently was a featured performer on a children’s audio book called Tell Me a Story. She played a raccoon for one episode and a loon in another. “My loon,” Champlin said, “is always right on.” By Marybeth Reilly-McGreen
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 21
URI’s third annual Distinguished Achievement Awards, held on Saturday evening, Oct. 18, at the Westin Hotel, Providence, celebrated the achievements of four President’s Award winners and 27 Dean’s List recipients.
The President’s Award winners are, left to right, John C. King ’85, chief national correspondent for CNN; William J. Flynn ’75, president, CEO, and director of Atlas Worldwide Holdings; Clarice Owiti Odhiambo, M.S. ’88, founder of AfricaCenter for Engineering Social Solutions; and Bruce S. Sherman ’68, CEO and chief investment officer of Private Capital Management. PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS
The Third Annual Distinguished Achievement Awards
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College of Business Administration
Left to right, Ann Marie Rathbun ’01, a sales manager at Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina who is a strong advocate of educational opportunities for adult students; Vice Provost for Urban Programs John H. McCray Jr.; and Virginia A. Nardone ’68, M.S. ‘78, who served for 15 years as ASFCCE’s director of special programs.
College of Arts and Sciences
Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Continuing Education
The Dean’s List Award recipients were joined in most cases by the deans of their colleges for these photo sessions.
Left to right, Daniel A. Procaccini ’74, associate justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court; Pamela Watts ’76, anchor/reporter for WPRI’s Eyewitness News; and Gerald P. Keane ’74, a board certified physiatrist for the Stanford University and University of California-Berkley athletic programs and a consultant for the San Francisco 49ers.
Standing, left to right, Deborah A. Ciolfi ’80, principal of Providence Investors, LLC, a private wealth management and strategy firm; Richard Vangermeersch, M.S. ’64, professor emeritus of accounting; Stephen H. Hopkins ’79, a partner of Roundtable Investment Partners; and seated, Dean Mark Higgins.
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 23
Standing, left to right, Dean Lynn McKinney; Meredith A. Caswell ’75, principal of Slater Junior High School in Pawtucket; seated, left to right, Evelyn S. Kennedy Commentucci ’69, M.S. ’72, founder of Sewtique, a textile restoration company, and founder and executive director of P.R.I.D.E (Promote Real Independence for the Disabled and Elderly); and Paul A. McCaffrey ’79, a health and physical education teacher at Narragansett Elementary School. 24 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
College of the Environment and Life Sciences
College of Human Science and Services
College of Engineering
Standing, left to right, Kenneth J. Hylander ’80, senior vice president and chief safety officer for Northwest Airlines; Dean Raymond Wright; seated, left to right, Steven A. Bouley ’80, general manager, California Operations, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne; and Kenneth A. Epstein ’69, principal for NewCap Partners, Inc.
Standing, left to right, Dean Jeffrey Seemann; H. Curtis Spalding, former executive director of Save The Bay; Peter B. Lord, M.M.A.’07, a reporter for The Providence Journal; and seated, Kimball Hall, vice president of Amgen Rhode Island.
Graduate School of Oceanography
College of Nursing College of Pharmacy Back row, left to right, Saul Kaplan ’79, executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and executive counselor to the Governor on Economic Growth and Community Development; Stephen J. Allen ’76, executive vice president and CEO of the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists’ Research and Education Foundation; Interim Dean Ronald Jordan; front, left to right, Evangeline R. Lausier ’75, assistant professor of medicine at Duke University; and Vasant G. Telang ’68, associate provost, Howard University.
Standing, left to right, Elaine Reimels ’68, M.S. ’76, senior director of heart and vascular care at AnMed Health in South Carolina; Joanne V. Hickey, M.S. ’74, the Patricia L. Starck Endowed Professor of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston; Martha E. Griffin, Ph.D. ’00, a well-known speaker on lateral violence in the nursing field; and seated, Dean Dayle Joseph. Not in photo, Diann Uustal ’68, founder and president of Resources in HealthCare, Inc.
Left to right, John M. Hoenig, M.S. ’79, M.S. ’81, Ph.D ’83, professor of marine science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; and James A. Yoder, M.S. ’74, Ph.D ’79, vice president for academic programs at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and former associate dean and interim dean of the GSO.
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 25
ALUMNIchapters
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!
advance.uri.edu/alumni/events/chapters
Calendar of events Upcoming events
Events Gone By
January 6 The Ohio Alumni Chapter is planning a reception at Ferdos Restaurant before the URI-Toledo men's basketball game. Register online at advance.uri.edu/alumni/chapters, or contact Brittany Manseau at 401-874-4536 or bmanseau@advance.uri.edu for more information.
More than 80 URI alumni turned out for the 13th annual Northern California Chapter clambake in San Mateo. The September 20 event raised over $2,000 for student scholarships.
January 9-11 The fifth annual Alumni Ski Weekend will be held at Mount Snow, Vermont. The weekend includes a casual group dinner on Friday night, accommodations for two nights at the Grand Summit Hotel, and a one- or two-day ski pass. Register online by going to advance.uri.edu/alumni/chapters or contact Sarah Howard at 401-874-2438 or showard@advance.uri.edu for further details. January 17 Al '59 and Barbara Bateman will host an alumni mixer for URI grads living in the Villages, Florida, and their guests, from 4-6 p.m. For details or to register, contact Al or Barbara at 352-259-6670 or acbnaples@aol.com. January 22 Join the Rhode Island Chapter for a “Rhody Rush-Hour” in Westerly. Get together with fellow URI alumni from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Venice Restaurant for appetizers and a cash bar. This event is $5 for pre-registration (or $10 at the door). Register online at advance. uri.edu/alumni/chapters or contact Brittany Manseau at 401-8744536 or at bmanseau@advance.uri.edu for more information. January 24 The Minnesota Alumni Chapter is hosting a wine tasting with appetizers at France 44 Wine and Spirits in Edina. Contact Kate Serafini at kserafini@advance.uri.edu or 401-874-4679 for more information, or register online at advance.uri.edu/alumni/chapters. January 25 Join members of the Southern California Alumni Chapter from 4-8 p.m. at Pinz, located at 12655 Ventura Blvd in Studio City, for an evening of bowling, food, cocktails, prizes, and more! Hosted by Animal Planet's Matt Gallant '86, Hon. '04, this special event is held every year to to raise money for the MakeA-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. This event is sold out. To get on the waiting list, contact Gina Simonelli at 401-874-5808 or gsimonelli@advance.uri.edu.
The Rhode Island Alumni Chapter hosted a "Rhody Rush Hour" event at Table 28 on September 25. Thirty alumni got together after work for networking and socializing at the East Greenwich favorite. Members of the Massachusetts Alumni Chapter got together on September 27 for the URI-BC football game and pre-game reception in Lyons Hall on the Newton Campus. Two hundred Phi Mu Delta alumni attended the annual Phi Mu Delta Golf Tournament at Fenner Hill Golf Course on October 4. The Washington D.C./Baltimore Alumni Chapter hosted a tailgating event in Towson, Maryland, before cheering on the Rams at the October 11 URI-Towson game. The Theta Chi Affinity Chapter held a dinner at the University Club during Homecoming Weekend. “Rhody Rush-Hour” went on the road to Denver for a Colorado Alumni Chapter event at My Brothers Bar, a downtown favorite. Fifteen alumni and guests came out for the October 23 event. The Theta Chi Affinity Chapter met for their annual New Hampshire weekend at Lake Winnipesaukee, October 23-26. The Arizona Alumni Chapter hosted a "Thank You" brunch at the Phoenix Art Museum on November 2 to honor outgoing chapter leaders Art '51 and Laura Levin, Hon.'96. Art founded the Arizona Alumni Chapter in 1988. Our sincere thanks go to Art and Laura for all their years of support. We wish them the very best. The Rhode Island Alumni Chapter gathered at Farmstead in Providence for an artisan cheese and boutique beverage pairing on November 2.
January 31 Join the Southwest Florida Gators as they host guest speaker Professor John Grandin of the URI International Engineering Program. For details, contact Chapter Leader Gerry Leonard '63 at 941-475-3529 or samlen381@aol.com. February 27-March 1 Enjoy a great winter weekend getaway in Grafton, Vermont! The weekend consists of a Friday night group dinner, Friday and Saturday night accommodations at the Old Tavern at Grafton, weekend breakfasts, and winter activities at Grafton Ponds. Register online at advance.uri.edu/chapters or contact Sarah Howard at 401-874-2438 or showard@advance.uri.edu. March 28 Join the Southwest Florida Gators for their annual Steakout at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex. For details, contact Chapter Leader Gerry Leonard '63 at 941-475-3529 or samlen381@aol.com.
26 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
WINNIPESAUKEE WEEKEND The Theta Chi Affinity Chapter got together for their annual New Hampshire getaway weekend at Lake Winnipesaukee, October 23-26.
SAY "CHEESE" On November 2, the Rhode Island Chapter held an event at Farmstead in Providence that included an artisan cheese and boutique beverage tasting.
TAILGATING AT TOWSON Members of the Washington D.C./Baltimore Chapter and friends enjoyed tailgating before the URI-Towson game on October 11.
RHODY RUSH HOUR The Massachusetts Chapter held a “Rhody Rush Hour” at Red Sky Restaurant in Boston on November 21 featuring special guest URI Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn (top photo, far right).
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 27
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES The Arizona Chapter honored longtime chapter leaders Art ’51 and Laura Levin, Hon. ’96, at a special brunch at the Phoenix Art Museum on November 2.
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 Minnesota
Arizona Rhode Runners
John ’92 & Kristen Turcotte ’95, Saint Louis Park 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, New York, NY Phone: 917-701-4631 Email: Kenneth.gambone@ barclayscapital.com
Rob Constantine ’95, Plainfield Phone: 603-469-3012 (h) Email: rconstantine@unity.edu
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
Christopher ’93 & Lisa O'Connell ’94 Goodyear, AZ Phone: 623-476-7303 (h) Email: lisa.oconnell@cox.net
California Northern Pat Ludes ’79 & Greg Passant ’78, Pleasanton Phone: 925-227-1878 Mel Rodinsky ’63, San Jose Phone: 408-857-7269
New Jersey
INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS
Jim DeNuccio, East Greenwich, RI Phone: 401-884-2993 (w) Fax: 401-885-2228 (w)
REGIONAL Chapters
Lauri Pietruszka ’84, West Paterson Phone: 973-890-1623 (h)
GREECE
Southern
New York: Metro
Jeff Bolognese ’02 Phone: 760-945-4560 Email: jeff@richmondfinancial.net
Debbie McGowan ’99, New York
44 Achileos Pal Faleron 17562, Athens, Greece Phone: 011-30-1-981-3559 (h)
Colorado Mile High Rams Christy L. Gallese ’03, Denver Phone: 303-561-4979 Email: christygallese@gmail.com
Florida Southeast
We are currently seeking chapter leadership. Please contact Sarah Howard at 401-874-2438 for details.
Southwest Gators Gerry Leonard ’63, Englewood Phone: 941-475-3529 Email: samlen381@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 Anne-Marie Enderby ’76, Attleboro Phone: 508-226-6239 (h) Email: teamenderby@verizon.net Nicholas G. Chigas ’03, Waltham Phone: 978-505-7161 (h) 781-672-5170 (w) Email: nicholas.g.chigas@smithBarney.com Michael P. Sams ’90, Westborough Phone: 508-665-4299 (w) Email: mpsams@kandSlegal.com
Michigan David Diana ’84, Warren Phone: 586-268-0048 Email: dianad@flash.net
Phone: 646-295-5320 Email: debbie.mcgowan@gmail.com Janet Irlander ’78, New York Phone: 917-612-7276 Email: jirlander@paramount-group.com
North Carolina Ed Doughty ’93, Charlotte Phone: 704-995-9300 (h) 704-331-2219 (w) Email: edoughty@carolina.rr.com
Ohio Tom Noyes ’67, Wooster Phone: 330-345-6516 (h) 330-264-8722 (w) Email: noyes.1@osu.edu Danielle Pray ’88, Cincinnati Phone: 859-485-6790 Email: d@prayzpaws.com Bill ’74 & Betty ’74 Sepe, Hudson Phone: 330-650-6715 Email: OHRhody@hotmail.com
Irene Kesse Theodoropoulou '69
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)
ROTC John Breguet, 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
Theta Chi
Nancy Lundgren ’54, Tiverton, RI Phone: 401-624-6364 (h)
E. Gale Eaton ’74, Kingston, RI Phone: 401-874-4651
Hasbro
Texas Rhode Horns
Mary Laurence ’80 Phone: 401-431-8434 (w)
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
28 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
Christos Xenophontos ’84, Exeter, RI Email: xenopon@dot.ri.gov Charles St. Martin ’92, Coventry, RI Email: cstm@cox.net; cstmartin@dot.ri.gov
Delta Zeta
Allison Field ’95, Providence Phone: 401-808-9463 Email: allison@conderi.com
Hank Nardone ’90, Laytonsville, MD Phone: 301-803-2910 (w) 301-482-1062 (h) Email: henryjn@us.ibm.com Brooke Bondur ’93, Baltimore Phone: 443-756-3977 (h) 410-527-9328 (w) Email: bbondur@aol.com
RIDOT
Joyce Dolbec ’95, Slatersville, RI Phone: 401-766-2209 (h)
Graduate School of Library and Information Studies
Washington, D.C./ Baltimore
Al Killilea, Kingston, RI Phone: 401-874-2183 (w)
Mark Trovato ’89, Wakefield, RI Phone: 401-782-0064 (h) Email: mtrovato@riag.state.ri.us Web site: www.rhodysig.com
Continuing Education
Rhode Island
Jeffrey A. Ross ’75, Houston Phone: 713-668-3746 (h) 713-791-9521 (w) Email: jross67785@aol.com
Phi Sigma Kappa
John Eastman ’62, North Kingstown, RI Phone: 401-295-1956 (h) Email: joneastman@aol.com Mike Testa, 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@morganstanley.com
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 Sarah Howard at showard@advance.uri.edu or 401-874-2438.
2008 Homecoming
PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS AND MICHAEL SALERNO
29 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
LOOKING back The Story Behind the Shot He called it “the shot,” but that is an understatement when describing the events of March 6, 1999. Lamar Odom was about thirty or so feet from the basket, the game versus Temple was tied at 59-59, and he had the ball with a chance at the Big Dance—the NCAA Tournament. “I wanted to shoot it with no time on the clock, and instincts just took over,” Odom said. “I had some room, daylight and rhythm, and when I let it go, it felt so good.” It was good, sending ESPN’s Dave Sims and the Rhody bench into a frenzy. Odom’s teammates Preston Murphy and Antonio Reynolds-Dean each had different views of “the shot” as they were in different spots on the court of the Spectrum in Philadelphia, but both had the same final reaction.
For Murphy and Reynolds-Dean, “the shot” helped ease the pain of what could be another gross understatement in Rhode Island basketball annals: “the Stanford loss.” In 1998, URI was just under 60 seconds away from beating the Cardinals and advancing to the first Final Four in program history. But fate would not smile kindly on the Rams that day at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Mo. “It was no secret that the 1998 season was magical, but we lost four seniors from that team, including two NBA draft picks in Cuttino Mobley and Tyson Wheeler,” Reynolds-Dean said. “Those two guys made me better, and I became a better leader because of them.”
“I knew if he got the ball, he’d take it,” Murphy said of the championship-winning trifecta. “I never thought it would be a 30-footer, but once it left his hand, I knew.”
With the wunderkind Odom taking the court for his first collegiate season and Murphy suffering a severe ankle injury in the first half of the first game of the season, Reynolds-Dean stepped up and asserted himself as the team’s solid rock.
Reynolds-Dean was Rhody’s captain and model of consistency. Odom called the 6-5, 220 lb. forward “a father figure.” Murphy pointed to the vocal, emotional leader as the key to URI’s postseason run.
“Lamar was going to be the leader on the court, I needed to be the leader off the court and in the locker room,” he said. “Antonio kept us together and kept making us see the glass as half-full,” Odom recalled.
“I was under the basket, and if you watch the film, my reaction was delayed,” the Douglass, Ga., native said. “I saw it go in the net and hit the floor, but I was in shock. Then I started running around. It was a good shock.”
“He was always so constant and consistent,” Murphy added. “I am so proud to have had the opportunity to play with Antonio for four years.”
30 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
By Mike Laprey
Preston Murphy
Lamar Odom
Antonio Reynolds Dean
CLASSacts
Read Class Notes Online at advance.uri.edu/quadangles/classnotes Submit Class Notes Online at advance.uri.edu/eservices
‘51
‘64
Mary Louise Hill, A&S, of Fayetteville, Ark., writes: “After living in Rotonda West, Fla., for 28 years, I am now with my daughter Judy H. Harrison in Fayetteville, Ark. I’m wondering if any classmates live nearby and did any of our class go to reunions. My best friend, Katie Abbott Fisher ‘36, (married to Earl Fisher ‘36) died five years ago shortly after our 50th reunion. Another friend, Jean Randall Brown ‘36, died last year. Katie and I were Chi Omega, and Jean was Delta Zeta.”
Alton William Wiley, CBA, of Naples, Fla., the first AfricanAmerican judge to serve on the Rhode Island District Court and on the Rhode Island Superior Court, attended a fund-raiser on June 18 at Local 121 that brought in $17,000 for the community organizing agency named after his late brother, George Alvin Wiley ‘53. About 80 friends and family members gathered to hear Pulitzer prize winning author and civil rights movement historian Nick Kotz and biographer Lynn Kotz reflect on the relevance of George Wiley’s success in building several networks of community organizing agencies for people living in persistent poverty from the early 1960s until his untimely death in 1973.
Richard W. Durfee, ENG, of Plymouth, Mass., writes: “In June ‘07, I retired from AutoGenomics (Carlsbad, Calif.) as director of electrical engineering. While living in the San Diego area, I met one of my Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity brothers, Norman Shorrock ‘64, who was living in Coronado, Calif. After I retired, my wife and I returned to our home in Hollliston, Mass. where I generated a business plan modeled after a company my wife worked for during the three years she was in California. Since the new business was to be located in Plymouth, Mass, I moved to South Plymouth in May ‘08. Mayflower Mobility sells residential stairflits, wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, lift-chairs, and vehicle lifts to the elderly and partially disabled. As soon as the business is financially secure, my oldest son will join my wife and myself. Eventually, when I want to fully retire, my son will take over the business.” David Gerald Katz, CBA, of Marietta, Ga., and his wife, Rosalind, are
Morris Fabricant, HS&S, of Delray Beach, Fla., writes: “Hall of Famers never die—we just cheer for the new members. I’m still hanging on. Enjoying life—playing golf and socializing with my companion, Jeanne Schwartz. My son Andy welcomes all URI alumni at Downtown Market at Wolfsboro, N.H. Hello to all my friends at URI.”
‘48
PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS
STAY
CONNECTED
‘36
‘39
A Legacy Breakfast held at the Alumni Center on Nov. 1 celebrated alumni parents and their undergraduate children. Shown from top to bottom are: The Fletcher family: Christopher ’84, Katie ’12, and Beth. Laura Carderelli ’83 and her daughter Angela ’12. The Chronley family: Kevin ’82, Peggy, and Brittany ’12. Dr. Dimitri Kazantzis ’82 and his daughter Chrysta ’10. The Oaklund family: Earl, Andrew ’12, and Angela ’83.
ALUMNI DIRECTORY
Patricia Ballentine Weeden, HS&S, of Kingston, R.I., writes: “I just attended my 64th South Kingstown High School reunion at the Laurel Lane Golf Club in West Kingston. Among the 24 who planned to come were many URI graduates from the classes of ‘48, ‘50, ‘51 and ‘54. They included Caroline Barlow Bender ‘48, Christine Bills Whitaker ‘48, Beverly Fletcher Lucas ‘48, and Pat Ballentine Weeden ‘48. Other URI graduates attending were Norman Poppe ‘50, Robert Gates ‘50, Evelyn Holman Gates ‘54 and Joyce Gammon Kuschke ‘51. We have had several reunions since our 50th was held at URI’s Faculty Center with some coming from quite a distance to attend. A few of the group are still working, either full time or part time at jobs they love. Several are active with volunteer jobs. We hope to meet again next summer.”
‘50 George A. Gilbert, CBA, of Pensacola, Fla., writes: “Recently called as interim rector at St. Monica’s Episcopal Church in Cantonment, Florida.”
‘55 Arthur J. Ohlsten, A&S, of Bronxville, N.Y., writes: “I am retired and share my time between two homes, one in New York and one in Florida. We celebrated our 56th wedding anniversary in June ‘08.”
Read Us Online—Now with Expanded Content Sign up now for the new expanded QUAD ANGLES Online. Simply go to advance.uri.edu/ esubscriptions, and choose from our esubscription options. We’ll email you an announcement of each new issue and save the University printing and postage costs. Go to advance.uri. edu/esubscriptions and stay connected. It’s easy!
ESERVICES
QUADan gles
WIN TER 2009 , VOL. 16, NO. 2
UNIVERS
ITY OF R HODE IS LAND
ALUMNI
MAGAZIN
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Behind the Scenes AT The pAl m BeAch Ope rA WiTh Andr eW henSch el ’92 New! web extras
Your online resource for information exchange.
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 31
SHARE YOUR RHODY PRIDE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION! Would you like your child or grandchild to receive information from the URI Admission Office? Simply visit our new and improved URI Web site at uri.edu/admission. On the admission homepage you’ll find a link to a secure online form, Request Information. Encourage your family member to complete the form, including providing 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. owners of My Friend’s Place, with 25 restaurants mostly in Georgia and Mississippi.
‘66 L. Russell Watjen, CBA, of Abilene, Texas, an educator with more than 35 years of administrative experience in the areas of admissions, enrollment, and student services, has been named associate vice president for enrollment management at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
‘68 Linda F. Desmond, HS&S, of North Andover, Mass., writes: “My project management training/consulting business continues to keep me busy full time. However, to nurture my artistic side, I just launched a second business, Designs by Lifah,
a jewelry business specializing in dichroic glass, wire wrap, and precious metal clay. Hope to see some of you at an upcoming show.” Gregory J. Glover, CBA, of Annandale, N.J., is managing director, private client services at Marsh USA, Inc., in New York, N.Y.
Edward L. Cronan, HSS, of East Providence, R.I., and his wife MaryEllen Mercurio Cronan ‘73 write: “Jarrett Edward Cronan ‘03 was married to Vanessa Jenkins on February 29, 2008, in Mexico at the Iberostar Resort. It was a beautiful ceremony on the beach shared by family and friends. Jarrett and Vanessa are living in East Providence.” John C. Hansen, CBA, of Burke, Va., recently retired from the U.S. Government Accountability Office after 34 years of service. He plans to substitute teach in Fairfax, Va., and continue to umpire girl’s high school lacrosse. Richard R. Roy, CBA, of North Kingstown, R.I., is senior vice president corporate controller/treasurer at Gilbane Building Company. He joined Gilbane in 1978 and has held many positions. He is a member of the Construction Financial Management Association, the Financial Executives Institute, and the AGC Tax and Fiscal Affairs Committee.
‘71
‘73
Claudio A. Caprio, ENG, of Springfield, Va., writes: “Recently my wife, Kim Malcomson Caprio ’71, was appointed to the Senior National Intelligence Service as assistant inspector general for audits for the director of national intelligence.” Robert N. Zutty, CBA, of Hollywood, Fla., is senior vice president and wealth portfolio manager at Wachovia Wealth Management in Miami, Fla.
Peter A. Zutty, CBA, of Boca Raton, Fla., is president of Magellan Group Investments, LLC in Delray, Fla.
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 2009 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.
32 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
‘72
‘74 Gail M. Jeschke, HS&S, of Warwick, R.I., writes: “All in the family! I’ve been an elementary teacher in Cranston since 1976. My daughter Monica Jeschke Finelli ‘01 teaches Grade 4 in Cranston, and my daughter Alyssa Jeschke ‘04, our third URI graduate, teaches
physical education and health in Cranston too!” Jane Crisses Reiner, CBA, of Coral Springs, Fla., is with PROCON Management Services, Inc., in Coral Springs.
‘77 Richard M. Selznick, HSS, of Haddonfield, N.J., a nationally certified school psychologist, is happy to announce that his book, The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child, will be published this December. See shutdownlearner.com for more information.
‘78 John R. Washlick, CBA, of Mount Laurel, N.J., spoke on health law topics at a recent seminar. He lectured on “Developing & Maintaining Hospital-Employed or Affiliated Medical Groups” at the Healthcare Finance Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. He also spoke on “Exposing & Examining Vendor Relationships” at the American Health Lawyers Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco. He is co-chair of the health law practice group. John practices law in the Philadelphia and Cherry Hill offices of Cozen O’Connor.
‘79 Stephen H. Hopkins, CBA, of New Canaan, Conn., is managing director at Roundtable Investment Partners, LLC, in New York, N.Y. Paula C. LuPriore, A&S, of Menlo Park, Calif., is executive vice president and chief operating officer at Asyst Technologies, Inc., in Fremont, Calif. Karen M. Pasquazzi, CELS, of Cranston, R.I., a senior dietician in food and nutrition services, has received the Rhode Island Hospital Manager of the Year Award.
‘80 Michael J. Tamer, CBA, of Southlake, Texas, is president and CEO at Tamer Partners Corporation.
‘81 Kevin J. Kelley, CBA, of North Scituate, R.I., married Susan Fisher Henthorne ’79 on Sept 25, 2005. Kevin’s son Ryan Kelley is a computer science major at URI, and his step-daughter Emily Henthorne is enrolled in the College of Nursing.
‘82 Thomas G. Brennan, A&S, of Eagle, Idaho, writes: “Recently I was elected corresponding secretary and recording secretary of the Des Arab Arabian Horse Association in Treasure Valley, Idaho’s Region IV association. I am also serving as
Ray Carroll ’58
Jane Thierfeld Brown ’79, M.A. ’81, M.S. ’86
World Class Basketball Player Ray Carroll spent the last 10 years of his professional career as project manager of capital projects at URI. He retired six years ago. It was time, Carroll says. “I retired to improve my athletic career,” the 72-year-old says. He’s only half kidding. Carroll is a worldclass senior basketball player, a five-time Senior Olympian, and a veteran of the Huntsman World Senior Games, held in St. George, Utah. His team came in second in the basketball competition. Next year Carroll will head to California for the 2009 Summer National Senior Games. In Carroll’s competitions teams consist of PHOTO COURTESY OF RAY CARROLL three players playing half court. This would be a challenge for men half Carroll’s age. Not so for Carroll. He’s had a lifetime of conditioning. Carroll began playing basketball at five years of age; his father was the assistant basketball coach at Lockwood High School in Warwick, R.I. Though he did not make the URI basketball team, Carroll played in an intramural league during his years as a civil engineering student. He plays five days a week now with the Phantom Farm Team. The assistant coach of Warwick’s Pilgrim High School’s basketball team, Carroll also assists the URI basketball team’s Head Coach Jim Baron at the Jim Baron Summer Basketball Camps, held on campus. “It’s my thing,” he says of basketball. “I enjoy playing it. I enjoy teaching it.” Last June Carroll attended his 50th class reunion. It was not his year’s only milestone. Carroll’s favorite memory of his years at URI is not one that took place on a court. Rather, it is one of courting. Carroll had invited fellow student Nancy Wood ’59 to see On the Waterfront at Washburn Hall. “Because of fraternity pledging rules, I couldn’t speak to her, so I gave her notes,” he recalled. “We just had the one non-speaking date.” The Carrolls celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past November. They have four children and frequent conversations. —Marybeth Reilly-McGreen
Naiveté Can Take You Places
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEAN HARRINGTON
Jean Harrington ’74, M.A.’76
Romance Novelist
Philippa Gregory be forewarned: There’s a new novelist on the literary scene, and she’s got her Irish up. This year Jean Harrington saw the publication of her first historical romance novel, The Barefoot Queen, by Highland Press. The novel’s central character is Grace O’Malley, great-granddaughter and namesake of the legendary female Irish buccaneer. The historical Grace O’Malley was a pirate, trader, and chieftain who once had an audience with England’s Queen Elizabeth I. Harrington’s Grace follows her great-grandmother’s example, with a Robin Hood-like twist. A poacher, Grace leaves game for her impoverished Irish countrymen. The red-haired beauty also attracts plenty of male attention. “I always have had a fascination with Grace O’Malley,” Harrington said in a phone interview from her Naples, Fla., home. “And I thought, what if she had a descendant who has her fighting spirit?” And so a novel was born. Harrington earned an undergraduate degree in English literature from URI in 1974 and a master’s degree in 1976. She was a teaching assistant in the URI writing program while pursuing her master’s degree. Following graduation, Harrington taught English literature, writing, composition and poetry at Becker Junior College in Worcester, Mass., for 17 years before retiring in 1993. She also lectured at Providence College. Harrington credits her experiences in the University’s now-defunct Continuing Education for Women program with the success she enjoys in her professional life. “CEW was a life-changing experience for me,” Harrington says. “It enhanced my appreciation of the English language and deepened my awareness of literature. The experience also propelled me into teaching.” A sequel to The Barefoot Queen is planned for 2009. A third novel is also anticipated. Harrington said her novel has been garnering praise among critics, both professional and familial. “I’m very proud of my love scenes,” she said. “They even embarrassed my granddaughters.” The Barefoot Queen may be purchased on Amazon. com or ordered through local bookstores. For more information, go to www.jeanharrington.com. —Marybeth Reilly-McGreen
Jane Thierfeld Brown’s career in disabilities services began serendipitously at URI: After working the summer of 1978 at a camp for people with disabilities, she returned to campus for her senior year and noticed wheelchair ramps being installed. The speech pathology major saw that the ramps were too steep and “naively” reported the problem to the president’s office. To her surprise, President Frank Newman took her call and was so impressed that he put her on a newly formed campus accessibility committee. She did such a good job that on the day after commencement she was appointed to the new position of handicapped services specialist. In 1979, Brown says, URI was PHOTO COURTESY OF JANE THIERFELD BROWN one of only about 20 schools with such a position. “Naiveté can take you places,” attests Brown, now director of Student Services at UConn’s School of Law. She is also a consultant and speaker on college students with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism characterized by normal to above-average intelligence, a tendency to hyper-focus on particular topics, and difficulty reading social cues. She and colleague Lorraine Wolf recently published Students on the Autism Spectrum: A Guide for College Personnel. Ironically, Brown’s youngest child was diagnosed with autism in 1995 at the age of three. Informed by both personal and professional experience, she brings a unique perspective to her work. “Spend 24 hours caring for someone with special needs,” says Brown, and you “understand the challenges on a very different level.” In the last two decades, awareness and diagnosis of autism and Asperger’s have increased. The USCDC estimates one in 150 children has an autism spectrum disorder. The number of college students with Asperger’s is increasing as these children reach college age. “Many students with Asperger’s are very high functioning and therefore likely to go to college,” Brown says. Her message to colleges and universities: Be ready to teach and support this unique population so they can succeed in college and beyond. —Barbara Caron
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 33
show manager for the Treasure Valley Classic Region III and IV horse show. I am training my show horse Tuu Sensational (also known as Miss Daisy) for showing in the arena next year. My business, Pony Express Equine Services, will offer business and communications services for agribusinesses in Southwest Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Karen McKay Davis, CBA, of East Greenwich, R.I.,vice president of community relations at Hasbro, Inc., has been elected chair of the board of directors of the Association of Corporate Contributions Professionals. David J. Sousa, A&S, of Tacoma, Wash., was honored by the American Political Science Association for his book, American Environmental Policy, 1990-2006: Beyond Gridlock (MIT Press, 2008), co-authored by Middlbury College professor Chris Klysa. The book was named a winner of the 2008 Lynton Keith Caldwell Award as the best environmental politics and policy book, awarded by the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy section of the APSA.
‘83 Mark J. Barbosa, A&S, of Fort Eustis, Va., writes: “Greetings. I had the pleasure of hosting a visit from Col. Terry Hermans ’83a couple of weeks ago here at Contin-
gency Operating Base, Adder, Iraq. I command the 7th Sustainment Bde out of Ft. Eustis, Va., which is responsible for all logistics south of Baghdad and north of the Kuwait Border. Terry commands the 4th Sustainment Bde out of Ft. Hood, Texas, which is responsible for the movement of all theater commodities and equipment out of Kuwait to every corner of Iraq. He and his folks are doing awesome work, and we couldn’t do what we do without him. Col. Charlie Flynn ‘86 is also here at COB Adder. Charlie commands the 1/82nd Brigade Combat Team out of Ft. Bragg. N.C. He and his Devil Team have the largest brigade area to control in Iraq, but they’ve done an incredible job and will be a tough act to follow. URI has three brigade commanders in Iraq or Kuwait commanding at the same time. Please know, a positive difference is being made each and every day. We all miss and frequently reminisce about our college years at URI.” Louise Martineau Marcus, CBA, of East Greenwich, R.I., is an attorney mediator who also teaches mediation at Roger Williams University Law School and leadership at Johnson & Wales University.
‘85 Colleen M. Hastings, A&S, of Newport, R.I., was selected by Family Court Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah
Jr. for a Family Court magistrate’s job. Colleen has been assistant legal counsel to Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, since 2006 and has been president and owner of a Newport law firm called the Family Law Center of Rhode Island since 1993.
‘86 Michele B. Kaufman, PHM, of New York, N.Y., has recently become the primary researcher and writer for the Drug Watch Department in Formulary Journal, a peer reviewed drug management journal for managed care and hospital decision makers. As a freelance medical writer and editor, Michele has been involved in editing Drug Watch—A Heads-up on Pharmaceuticals in Late-Stage Development since its inception in the late 1990s. She serves on the editorial advisory board of Formulary Journal, as well as being a regular writer for The Hospitalist, Dialysis and Transplantation, and Drug Topics. Michele is also a medical writer and director of quality for PRIME® Inc, a fullservice accredited provider of innovative professional education. Joseph S. Matose, A&S, of Middletown, R.I., has opened a shop at the Sunrise Center, 164 Broadway in Newport with floral designer KayMarie Nugent of littleflowerflorals. com. The shop has more than 150
pieces of artwork and floral designs on display, including note cards and prints of local scenes. The pair also take freelance commissions for artwork and floral designs. Joseph’s philosophy is that “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” The store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Joseph can be reached at 401-885-3477 or 401-849-7119. Kay-Marie can be reached at 401- 835-5514. Marisa A. Quinn, A&S, of Jamestown, R.I., is vice president for public affairs and university relations at Brown University; she is a member of the president’s cabinet and the executive committee.
‘87 James Sheldon Snodgrass, A&S, of Williamsburg, Mass., is one of the featured authors in Guerrilla Marketing on the Front Lines: 35 World Class Strategies to Send Your Profits Soaring by Jay Conrad Levinson and Mitch Meyerson. Jay Conrad Levinson is the president of Guerrilla Marketing; Sheldon is a certified entrepreneurial business planning instructor from the NxLevel Foundation and is one of a handful of certified guerilla marketing coaches worldwide. Now in his 6th year of business, Sheldon works with sales people and small
Please join us for the Monday, January 26, 2009, 10 a.m., Flagg Road University of Rhode Island, Kingston Campus
Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences Ribbon Cutting Ceremony AND OPEN HOUSE
Refreshments • Exhibits • Tours RSVP 401.874.9455 or rsvp@advance.uri.edu
For more information, visit advance.uri.edu/programming
biotechnology bi·o·tech·nol·o·gy (bī’ō-těk-nŏl’ə-jē) n. The manipulation through genetic engineering of living organisms or their components to produce useful usually commercial products such as pest resistant crops, new bacterial strains, or novel pharmaceuticals.
switch grass
to gas
Parking will be available in the Chafee lot. Signs will be posted on campus to direct you to the event. If you have a disability and need an accommodation, please call 401.874.9455 at least three business days in advance. For TTY assistance, please call the R.I. Relay Service at 800.745.5555.
34 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
George “Hopper” McDonough ’93 & Tim Fitzpatrick ’86
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GEORGE McDONOUGH
Swim Vacation: Swim. Relax. Repeat.
The British Virgin Islands have been called “God’s swimming pool” and “a sailor’s paradise,” but to George “Hopper” McDonough and Tim Fitzpatrick , the B.V.I. is simply “the office.” McDonough, who studied landscape architecture, and Fitzpatrick, who holds a degree in finance, do not operate souvenir shops or hotels in this tropical paradise. Rather, these former swim team captains guide open water swims between the islands during seven-day trips aboard the Promenade, a 65-foot trimaran sailing yacht. Their company, SwimVacation, provides guests with the luxury of gourmet meals along with stroke and open water swimming clinics and swimming technique instruction, such as race strategy. Yet customers need not swim competitively to enjoy these trips. In fact, racing is not part of the itinerary. SwimVacation welcomes all swimmers. “Our clients’ abilities range from first-time open water swimmer to Ironman triathlete. Our clients also include non-swimming partners who come to kayak and shop,” says McDonough. Three trips are planned for 2009, but given the growing popularity of open water swimming, others may be scheduled. McDonough offers a variety of reasons—including this summer’s Olympic Games —for the heightened interest in the sport. “The Olympics always gives swimming a boost, and the new open water event was a big success. Swimming is also a low-impact, lifelong event, so many boomers are either entering the sport or coming back to it. And the growing number of triathlon participants is helping.” Whether guiding fitness enthusiasts over massive coral reefs or planning longer swims for elite swimmers, McDonough and Fitzpatrick aim to offer their clients an unforgettable experience. Thus far, they are achieving their goal. Clients have described SwimVacation trips as “THE way to vacation if you’re a swimmer or triathlete,” and “a must-do adventure for triathletes and swimmers alike.” McDonough and Fitzpatrick are passionate about open water swimming and are eager to provide experiences to both new and returning clients. For more information, visit swimvacation.com. —Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ‘92 and Central Falls high schools participated, as did Jonathan L. Lewis ’00 a number of “elders,” adult community members committed to nonviolence. The high school students Nonviolence now: left the two-week program as certified instructors of a program of nonviolence education targeted It’s a message towards eighth-grade students. Jonathan L. Lewis’s mission is to teach students “to put posiLewis is tirelessly tive peer pressure on their brothers and sisters, to advocating. Lewis is the na- plant those seeds of positivity and alternatives to tional nonviolence violence, and to plant those seeds now.” “Violence is a choice. It’s not the only option. coordinator for The Gathering for Conflict is not negative in itself. It’s how we respond Justice, an orga- to that conflict that creates either constructive or destructive ends.” nization working Students spent more than 10 hours a day in instructo end juvenile tion, Lewis said. “And their enthusiasm has only injustice—the grown. You should see the synergy that happens.” incarceration of Lewis comes from a family committed to social youths tried and action. His mother conducts violence prevention convicted as adults. The Gathering has a threepronged approach: to organize conferences to teach programs in juvenile facilities. His father ran similar programs for the (Martin Luther) Kingian Mashantucket Pequots. Nonviolence Education, Lewis family members to coordinate efforts regularly volunteered with existing social in soup kitchens and action groups, and to walked in hunger support state- and marches. national policy initiaModeling social action tives fighting juvenile for youth is imperative, injustice. Lewis says. He urges Lewis, a URI graduate student whose undergraduate work is in human adults to mentor youth in their communities: “Kids are dying for mentors. They want someone to listen development and African-American history, conto them and to help them figure out what to do. We ducted a Gathering at the University this past July. want to help those kids.” Students from North Kingstown, South Kingstown, —Marybeth Reilly-McGreen
PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS
Social Activist
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH BLUMENTHAL
Josh Blumenthal ’03
Coaching Lacrosse at the International Level In the summer of 2007, Josh Blumenthal was playing an exhibition lacrosse game against the Bermuda National Men’s Lacrosse Team. His team struggled to generate offense, and Blumenthal found himself talking to Bermuda’s goalie. Blumenthal, the 2006 Miam-Dade County Coach of the Year, was coaching lacrosse at the Palmer Trinity School, a prep program in Miami, and one of his players was of Bermudian descent. Blumenthal asked about connecting this player with Bermuda’s team. As it happened, Bermuda needed coaches for its Under-19 program, so in the summer of 2008 Blumenthal—who was a member of the URI club team that won a Pioneer League championship—became an associate head coach for Bermuda’s coach, Steve Michel. In addition, two of Blumenthal’s Palmer Trinity players joined Bermuda’s team. Last July, the team competed at the 2008 International Lacrosse Federation Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships in British Columbia, Canada. The fledging program did well, tying for second place in its division and finishing 10th overall. Blumenthal will again be an assistant with Bermuda at the 2010 ILF World Championships in Manchester, England. “Coaching is always a lot of fun, but doing it at the international level is the most unique experience I’ve ever had in lacrosse,” he said. Blumenthal is now an assistant coach on Coach Gordon Purdie’s staff with Division II Adelphi University. Purdie was Blumenthal’s prep school coach, and he and Scott Shemenski are the coaches who have shaped Blumenthal’s approach to the game. It was Shemenski who gave Blumenthal his first coaching job as the junior varsity coach at Bishop Hendricken High School. Shemenski died shortly after, and Blumenthal honors him through the Scott A. Shemenski Memorial Foundation, which holds annual lacrosse and golf outings for charity. “His death made me see the game in a whole new light,” Blumenthal said. “I love to win; however, there are more important things in life, and many of those lessons can be realized through this sport.” —Shane Donaldson ’99
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 35
business owners who have to be CEO, COO, CFO, and chief rainmaker. As sales coach and guerilla marketer, Sheldon helps his clients develop low-cost action strategies that produce long term results. For more information about the book, visit steadysales.com.
‘89 Eric P. Andreozzi, CBA, of Charlotte, N.C., is a founding partner and managing director with McColl Partners, LLC, in Charlotte, N.C. Garrett M. Miller, CELS, of Andover, N.J., writes: “After working in corporate America for 18 years, I started a training company designed to help organizations recapture time that is currently being poorly utilized. In my networking, I came across the head of IT, Becton Dickinson ‘87. He was looking to bring some efficiencies to his company and used our services. This story highlights the very successful careers of two alumni and the rewards of networking.”
‘91 Kristen A. Della Volpe, A&S, of Harwinton, Conn., is principal at Litchfield High School. Kristen has been in education for 17 years. Andrew S. Dousa, PHM, of Mansfield, Mass., accepted a position as director of pharmacy at St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Mass., in July 2008.
Paul J. Ponte, CBA, of Cumming, Ga., is president and COO at Housing Systems, Inc., in Atlanta.
‘92 Kimberly A. Beauchamp, CELS, of Narragansett, R.I., co-founded South County Naturopaths in Wakefield. She practices as a birth doula and lectures on such topics as whole foods nutrition, detoxification, and women’s health.
‘93 Stacey R. Cohen, A&S, of Hoboken, N.J., is a project manager at Insight Express, a leading digital marketing research firm in Stamford, Conn. Edward R. Doughty, CBA, of Charlotte, N.C., is second vice president-wealth management and financial advisor for Citi Smith Barney in Charlotte, N.C.
‘94 Claire Kane Hall, A&S, of Narragansett, R.I., is proprietor of Did You Know? The green retail store celebrated its grand opening in Wakefield on July 17, 2008. Claire says, “I wanted a store that was about more than just selling green products. I wanted to provide people with information that would help them make eco-friendly choices in their everyday lives.” Claire was a practicing attorney for 10 years. Theodore J. Korth, A&S, of Bordentown, N.J., is director of policy
for the New Jersey Audubon Society and program manager of law and policy for the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. He was a gubernatorial appointee to New Jersey’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Development of Wind Turbine Facilities in Coastal Waters. Ted is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and Virginia. He is a member of the Energy Bar Association and the Society for Conservation Biology. Frances Collard Lambert, A&S, of Harrisville, R.I., writes: “I remarried and my new name is Lambert. I am employed by Abbott Diagnostics as a key account sales rep II. My daughter Jennifer Collard ‘08 just graduated from URI in textiles and fashion merchandising.” Margot L. White, A&S, of New York, N.Y., won the role of Sally Talley in a recent production of Lanford Wilson’s 1980 Pulitzer Prize winner Talley’s Folly. The play opened for a short run at the prestigious McCarter Theatre in Princeton, N.J., on October 12 and closed on November 2. The producers were pushing for a ‘name’ actress. Mary Louise Parker was Margot’s biggest competition, and Margot got the part!!
‘95 Michael J. Boone, CBA, of Alpharetta, Ga., is vice president, IT Services at possibleNOW in Duluth, Ga.
‘96 Michael V. Pearce, A&S, of Harker Heights, Texas, was appointed to the faculty of the Trinity Charter School at Cedar Crest in Belton, Texas. He serves as both a high school social studies and English/ language arts teacher. Michael is married to Melanie G. Pearce ’96, a Walgreens’ pharmacy manager, and they have six children: Arianna, Alexandra, Evan, Reganne, Jillian, and Laura.
‘99 Rebecca T. Branca, A&S, of Coventry, R.I., was promoted to vice president and training and communications manager in Citizens Bank’s Information Risk Management department. Rebecca joined Citizens in 1999.
‘00 Madalena G. Rodrigues, CBA, of North Providence, R.I., an audit supervisor in Citizens Bank’s Internal Audit department, has been promoted to vice president. She joined Citizens in 2005 as an assistant vice president in internal audit. She is a volunteer for the International Institute of Rhode Island and the March of Dimes.
‘02 Evangelos Giovanis, A&S, of Johnston, R.I., is the filmmaker of Run
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36 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
It, which was shot mostly on the Kingston Campus The film was named Best Feature at the Philadelphia International Film Festival in June 2008. Sara M. Meirowitz, A&S, of Sound Beach, N.Y., has been appointed director of education at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
‘03 Joshua S. Blumenthal, A&S, of Amityville, N.Y., is on the coaching staff at Adelphi University. Josh will assist with both the Panthers recruiting and coaching efforts. Edward A. Garcia, A&S, of Providence, R.I., was appointed by Governor Donald Carcieri to the Library Board of Rhode Island effective April 2008. For more information on the board go to olis.rigov/aboutus/lbri/ index.php
Erika L. Hansson ‘02 to Robert A. Rodehorst, on June 7, 2008. Rachel S. Hyssong ‘02 to Jason R. Correia, on July 3, 2008. Michael R. Lawson ‘02 to Filomena Gianfrancesco, on May 17, 2008. Jarrett E. Cronan ‘03 to Vanessa Jenkins, on February 29, 2008. Nicole L. Fitzgerald ‘03 to Sean O’Connor, on June 28, 2008. Angela Grant ‘03 to Jeffrey Goulart, on April 12, 2008. Kristin E. Morgan ‘03 to Johnathan P. Munko, on June 20, 2008. Kimberly L. Gaudette ‘04 to Gregory H. Kirwan, on August 8, 2008. Matthew Harrington ‘04 to Kate Laberge ‘05, on October 3, 2008.
Lauren A. McGovern ‘05 to Chad L. Amaral ‘05, on May 25, 2008. Paul C. Ruhle ‘06 to Jennfier Appleton, on June 27, 2008. Erin Elizabeth Morelle ‘07 to Nathan C. Neff, on May 22, 2008.
Births Deborah Lynn and David J. Buckanavage ‘80, a daughter, Anastasia Ruth, on October 8, 2008. Daniel J. and Melissa Box Iamarone ‘93, a son, Zachary Daniel, on July 18, 2007. Robert G. and Julie L. Dunn ‘93, a son, Logan Robert, on June 19, 2008. Brian S. and Dana M. Horton ‘94, a daughter, Sophia Elizabeth, on July 29, 2008.
Kevin Dionne and Jennifer L. Hassell Dionne ‘95, a son, Connor Joseph, on August 25, 2008. Derek ‘96 and Lisa Calabro ‘97, a son, Dylan John, on July 4, 2008. Charles A. ’96 and Katherine A. Johannesen Magri ‘97, a son, Charles Walter, on June 14, 2008. Peter D. and Holly A. Giuliano ‘97, a daughter, Nina Lucille, on September 20, 2008. Gregory A. and Jennifer Durand Stalb ‘97, twin sons, Max and Sam, on September 10, 2008. Michael ’99 and Cara Levien Miller ‘98, a daughter, Olivia Ann, on July 20, 2008. Brian and Michelle Dybala Midkiff ‘98, a daughter, Marley Lorelei, on August 12, 2008.
‘04 Susan J. Colucci, A&S, of Raleigh, N.C., is an area agent specializing in row crops at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Susan works with farmers in Henderson, Buncomber, and Haywood counties. The region had been without an agent who specializes in vegetables since last year. Victoria Crimmins, A&S, of Santa Cruz, Calif., has been appointed executive director of the Hedge Fund Business Operations A ssociation.
‘08 Patrick D. Bosworth, A&S, of Narragansett, R.I., and Jamie Dufault premiered their movie, Winner, in August at the 12th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival. Also appearing in the film are Amanda Ruggiero ‘08 and Patrick Poole ‘06.
Weddings Michelle Fontes ‘96 to Victor Barros ‘87, on June 21, 2008. Jill Oliveira Roosa ‘89 to Charles H. Townsend, on October 4, 2008. Tracy L. Coyle ‘95 to Michael Cipoletta, on June 14, 2008. Elizabeth Joan Martin ‘95 to Thomas W. Kenworthy, on July 19, 2008. Joseph M. Bowab ‘96 to Michelle Ferreira, on July 26, 2008. Dawn Marie Tobojka ‘96 to Jeff Jenison, on June 21, 2008. Cara R. Levien ‘98 to Michael Miller ‘99, on June 12, 2005. Michelle W. Van Houten ‘99 to Scott Walker, on September 7, 2008. Lauren M. Cabral ‘01 to Daniel M. Medeiros, on June 21, 2008. Matthew J. Koehler ‘01 to Laura DiTommaso, on August 9, 2008.
URI FOUNDATION
GIFT PLANNING NEWS AGE DOES HAVE ITS REWARDS!
Invest in a Gift Annuity for You and the Student You Help Gift annuity returns are higher than current CD and most other fixed income investments. They also provide an added tax savings bonus. The rates of return are calculated by age—the older you are, the higher the rate. Here are some examples. Two-life Charitable Gift Annuity Rates for $25,000 YourAnnual Charitable Tax After Tax Ages Rate Income Deduction Return @28% 60/62 5.2% $1,300 $3,706 6.6% 70/72 5.7% $1,425 $6,924 7.7% 80/82 6.7% $1,675 $10,370 9.7% Single-life Charitable Gift Annuity Rates for $25,000 Your Annual Charitable Tax After Tax Ages Rate Income Deduction Return 70 6.1% $1,525 $9,281 8.5% 80 7.6% $1,900 $12,004 11.3% 90 10.5% $2,625 $14,609 16.5%
Pictured above is gift annuity investor Janet Keegan Munroe ’46 who has created the Kenneth ’43 and Janet Munroe Endowment. Additional funding will be provided by her gift annuity. With Janet is this year’s Munroe Scholarship recipient, Katiann Grove.
For a personal gift illustration, contact Donna-Jean Rainville ’69, M.A. ’75, director of gift planning, toll free at 877-874-4555, direct line at 401-874-2296, or at djrainville@ foundation.uri.edu. Office of GIFT PLANNING, URI FOUNDATION, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881-2004 WWW.URIFOUNDATION.ORG | DONNA-JEAN RAINVILLE: 401.874.2296 DJRAINVILLE@FOUNDATION.URI.EDU
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 37
92,000 CUSTOMERS COULD SEE YOUR AD HERE. ADVERTISE IN QUAD ANGLES Go to: advance.uri.edu/ quadangles/ advertising
38 QUAD ANGLES WINTER 2009
Brian and Jennifer Lakoff Sklar ‘99, a son, Corey Adam, on May 14, 2008. Kristy L. Faiola-Cronan ‘01 and Patrick Cronan ‘01, a daughter, Ava Rose, on January 1, 2007.
In Memoriam Howard Ericson ‘32 of East Greenwich, R.I., on July 4, 2008. Madeline Marks Gurwitz ‘35 of Providence, R.I., on August 25, 2008. Irmgard Wagner Habershaw ‘35 of Cumberland, R.I., on October 11, 2008. Constance Willis ‘35 of Doylestown, Pa., on August 30, 2008. Constant Simonini ‘37 of Warwick, R.I., on October 12, 2008. Richard Moberg ‘39 of Newport News, Va., on September 15, 2008. Norman Vaughn ‘39 of Warwick, R.I., on July 26, 2008. Clifton Horne ‘40 of Middlebury, Vt., on September 28, 2008. John Horseman ‘41 of Newport, R.I., on August 18, 2008. Phyllis Arnold Webb ‘41 of Vero Beach, Fla., on September 1, 2008. Ruth MacDonald Fagan ‘43 of Roswell, Ga., on February 5, 2008. Estella Durham Thorp ‘43 of Birmingham, Ala., on October 1, 2008. Philomena Caputi Koulbanis ‘44 of Westerly, R.I., on July 10, 2008. Phyllis Stedman Hansen ‘45 of Middle Haddam, Conn., on October 9, 2008. Henry Bessette ‘49 of Pompano Beach, Fla., on July 27, 2008. M. Delores Roderick Boyle ‘49 of Newport, R.I., on September 6, 2008. Barbara Neil Schwenk ‘49 of Wayne, Pa., on September 14, 2008. Shirley Seagal Strich ‘49 of Encinitas, Calif., on June 16, 2008. Dale Taft ‘49 of Flowery Branch, Ga., on September 26, 2008. Robert Stevenson ‘50 of Jackson, N.H., on September 20, 2008. Sally Hoyle Archer ‘51 of Syracuse, N.Y., on June 15, 2008. John Kennedy ‘51 of Warwick, R.I., on July 3, 2008. Frederick Wilson ‘51 of Abington, Mass., on October 12, 2008. Virginia Jones ‘52 of Wakefield, R.I., on September 7, 2008. Raymond Rossi ‘53 of Ocala, Fla., on July 9, 2008. Charles Wentworth ‘53 of Bradley, Maine, on July 16, 2008. Richard McNally ‘56 of Lakewood, Pa., on August 27, 2008.
Albert Ross ‘58 of Providence, R.I., on September 11, 2008. Ilse Giraud Smiley ‘59 of Richmond, Va., on January 26, 2007. Richard L’Europa ‘60 of Johnston, R.I., on August 1, 2008. Robert McElroy ‘60 of Providence, R.I., on July 14, 2008. Juliette DiCola Signore ‘60 of Charlestown, R.I., on October 17, 2008. John Inglis ‘61 of Bethlehem, Pa., on October 11, 2008. Gerald Lefebvre ‘61 of Baton Rouge, La., on August 14, 2008. Anthony Mancuso ‘61 of Narragansett, R.I., on September 5, 2008. Bruce Richmond ‘62 of Mystic, Conn., on March 8, 2008. Raymond Corona ‘64 of Newport, R.I., on July 24, 2008. Stephen Gordon ‘64 of East Greenwich, R.I., on April 29, 2008. Raymond Almeida ‘65 of Warren, R.I., on August 20, 2008. Dolores Murphy Moriarty ‘66 of Rogers, Ark., on July 13, 2008. Morris Perlow ‘66 of Seminole, Fla., on August 8, 2008. Zelda Fisher Gourse ‘67 of Providence, R.I., on August 25, 2008. Edward Costa ‘68 of Cranston, R.I., on September 5, 2008. James Giroux ‘68 of Warwick, R.I., on October 20, 2008. Helen Gabriel Reinholtz ‘68 of Salem, Va., on August 3, 2008. Diane Taylor Sprague ‘68 of Vero Beach, Fla., on July 18, 2008. Theodore Schmults ‘69 of Newport, R.I., on August 30, 2008. Katherine Fahey Helweg ‘70 of Kingston, R.I., on December 11, 2007. Katherine Winslow Howard ‘70 of South Kingstown, R.I., on August 25, 2008. Helen Carroll Madeiros ‘70 of Warwick, R.I., on October 26, 2008. Bonnie Nardone ‘71 of Westerly, R.I., on June 10, 2008. Antoine Lameraner ‘72 of North Attleboro, Mass., on August 24, 2008. Joseph Miller ‘72 of Combine, Texas, on June 24, 2008. Leah Niederman ‘72 of Riverside, R.I., on September 14, 2008. Audrey Brief Taylor ‘72 of Richmond, Texas, on July 3, 2008. Stephen Desposito ‘73 of Kingston, R.I., on September 5, 2008. Leroy Barrett ‘74 of Vienna, Va., on August 4, 2008. Ingeborg Deibrich McAllister ‘74 of Titusville, Fla., on April 16, 2008.
Michael Saladino ‘74 of Newark, Del., on July 27, 2008. Donna Arnold ‘76 of Old Greenwich, Conn., on August 29, 2008. Sheila Houghton Metcalf ‘76 of New York, N.Y., on July 25, 2008. Catherine Hampton Redden ‘84 of Exeter, N.H., on September 26, 2008. David Vendettuoli ‘86 of North Kingstown, R.I., on August 20, 2008. Jacqueline Botelho Mistretta ‘88 of Yarmouth, Maine, on July 1, 2008. Terryli Raine ‘92 of Costa Mesa, Calif., on October 12, 2006. Scott Kirton ‘93 of Jersey City, N.J., on August 24, 2008. Zachariah Gleason ‘95 of Fresno, Calif., on June 11, 2008.
In Memoriam FACULTY Philip L. Carpenter, 96, professor emeritus of microbiology, died at South Bay Manor, South Kingstown, R.I., on October 10, 2008. Professor Carpenter, who retired in 1975, was a member of the faculty for 30 years. Clifford James Cosgrove, M.S. ’57, age 81, professor emeritus of food science and nutrition. died on July 24 in Pinellas Park, Fla. He taught dairy science and food nutrition at URI from 1953 to 1990. During the 1970s, he took a four-year leave of absence to help establish and operate dairies in Chile and Brazil under the auspices of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. His specialty was the creation of high quality ice cream. He is survived by his three children: Matthew Cosgrove, Ann Thornton, and James Cosgrove, and three grandchildren. Richard A. Wing, M.A. ’77, age 64, professor emeritus of fisheries, animal, and veterinary science, died at his Port St. Lucie, Fla., home on August 14, 2008. A former resident of Jamestown, R.I., he was a lifetime member of the Jamestown Volunteer Fire Department. He is survived by his wife, Gail, and a daughter, Laurel Wing. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jamestown Fire Department Scholarship Fund, 50 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, RI 02835.
The URI Guide to
NCAA Rules & Regulations As members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Atlantic 10 Conference and URI’s Athletics Department are responsible for insuring that University staff, student-athletes, alumni, and friends abide by NCAA rules and regulations. Under those rules, alumni and friends can be categorized as “representatives of the University’s athletic interests.” The following is a guide to the many NCAA rules that apply to “athletic representatives.” Since it does not include all applicable s ituations, before having any contact with a student-athlete, either prospective or enrolled, please either: call the URI Compliance Officer at 401-8742281, or visit the Athletics Web site at www.gorhody. com, click on “Compliance,” on left side column, or visit the NCAA Web site at www.ncaa.org We appreciate your interest and support, but remind you that an inappropriate contact or an inadvertent action can jeopardize both the eligibility of student-athletes and prospects and URI’s compliance with NCAA and Atlantic 10 regulations. Am I a “Representative of Athletic I nterests?” Yes, If you have ever: been a member of URI’s booster organization or any of the sport specific groups under the Athletics Department; made a donation to any of the Atlantic 10 member schools’ men’s or women’s athletic programs; helped to arrange or have provided summer employment for student-athletes; contacted a high school student in any way to encourage him/her to participate in URI’s athletics programs; assisted in providing any benefit to studentathletes or their families; been involved in any way with the URI’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 Athletics program. Important Rules You Should Know 1. Only coaches and Athletics Department staff 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 URI’s athletics programs. 2. URI representatives cannot provide an “extra benefit” or special arrangement to either 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, and friends state that you may not: give cash or loans (or co-sign for a loan) in any amount; employ relatives or friends of a prospect as an inducement for the prospect’s enrollment at URI; give gifts of any kind or free services; provide special discounts for goods or services; provide regular hospitality in your home; provide transportation either on- or off-campus; entertain or contact a prospect or prospect’s family on- or off-campus; provide free or reduced rent housing; provide any benefit connected with on- or offcampus housing; promise financial aid for graduate education; promise a prospect employment after graduation.
Who is a Prospective Student-Athlete? Any high school student-athlete or junior college/ community college student-athlete. It is also possible for a younger student to be a prospect, so it is prudent to treat all athletes as prospects. Be careful to avoid: arranging for either a prospect or the prospect’s family or friends to receive money or financial aid of any kind; providing anything for either a prospect or a prospect’s relatives or friends without first checking with the Athletics Department’s compliance officer; ever contacting either a prospect or the prospect’s family: if a coach has a recruit at an athletic event, you should not approach the coach until the prospect and family have left; if the prospect approaches you off-campus, explain that NCAA rules do not allow you to discuss the athletics program and suggest the prospect contact the sport’s head coach; entertaining high school, prep school or community college coaches at any location; providing tickets or transportation for high school, prep school or community college coaches at any location; only the Athletics Department can provide complimentary admissions to home athletic events for those coaches; entertaining or providing t ickets free or at reduced cost to any URI events for prospects or their relatives and friends; Only the URI’s Athletics Department may only provide complimentary admission home events; contacting a student-athlete at any institution to encourage a transfer to URI in order to participate in the athletics program; paying or offering to pay a prospect’s registration fees for summer sports camps; contacting the prospect’s coach, principal, or counselor in order to evaluate the prospect; picking up films or transcripts from the prospect’s educational institution; inviting only selected high school or community college prospective student-athletes to alumni events—for instance, be careful to invite all high school seniors who have received academic and athletic awards. NCAA Rules on Contacts with Student-Athletes You may: invite a student-athlete to your home for a special occasion (Thanksgiving, birthday) as long as you have received pre-approval from the Head Coach and Compliance Office; invite a team for dinner or to meet with an alumni group in a city where they are competing— the NCAA permits student-athletes as a team to receive benefits not permitted to individuals; arrangements for such events must be made in advance with the head coach or the Athletics Department. Please call the Compliance Office if you have any questions.
Stay Connected With Your Classmates Have you registered for the URI Alumni Online Directory yet? Just go to advance.uri.edu/eservices, and register today. It’s easy, and best of all, it’s FREE! Search for friends and former classmates using a v ariety of criteria, such as class year and geographic area. The URI Alumni Online Directory is a secure, p assword-protected database. For your own privacy, you can access, modify, or hide all or part of your data at any time. Go to advance.uri.edu/eservices and stay connected!
ESERVICES Your online resource for information exchange.
CLASSnote
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note to: your life. Send your class Let us know what’s new in Center, i mn Alu n, atio mni Associ Class Acts Editor, URI Alu 11 200 81028 Kingston, RI 73 Upper College Road, u classacts@advance.uri.ed ail: Em , 957 Fax: 401-874-5
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Contacts: Jackie Campbell, Assistant Commissioner, Atlantic 10 Conference, 230 S. Broad St., Suite 1700, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Tel. 215-545-3342 Paul C. Kassabian, Compliance Coordinator, University of Rhode Island, Three Keaney Road, Suite One, Kingston, RI 02881. Tel. 401-874-2281
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UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 39
BACKpage Each year, for the past dozen years, woodcarvers from New England and beyond spend Columbus Day weekend at our pristine 2,300 acre W. Alton Jones Campus in West Greenwich eating, sleeping, carving, and socializing. At the end of their retreat, the group, sponsored by the Mystic, Conn., Woodcarvers Club, donates a carving to the growing wooden animal kingdom at Alton Jones. It’s a group effort. The carvers take turns carving, sanding, and sealing. All of the carvings are located in or outside of the main Environmental Education Center dining lodge. The biggest carving is a life-size moose, which stands in front of the building. There’s also a 7-foot bear, a life-size doe and her two fawns, and three geese in flight. One of the animals is fictional—the Lorax made famous by Dr. Seuss. Most of the 12 carvings were created with a mallet and chisels although the bear and a tree of raccoons were roughed out with a chain saw. All carvings are sealed with a clear matte coat. The bear was carved out of white pine and the raccoons were carved from a tulip tree; the other animals are from basswood, which comes from the Linden tree.
40 QUAD ANGLES Winter 2009
PHOTOs by Joe Giblin
Wooden Animals at Alton Jones Campus
Profile in Giving
They graduated a year apart from what was then the Rhode Island College of Pharmacy. Now, nearly 60 years after leaving what later became the University of Rhode Island, they have created scholarship endowments for students enrolled in URI’s expanding College of Pharmacy. Brothers Norman and Robert Saute, who followed different career paths on opposite coasts of the country, have donated $12,500 and $25,000 respectively to the University. Both gifts will be doubled as a result of the Ryan Challenge Grant. Funded by Tom ’75 and Cathy Ryan, the grant matches gifts pledged for the purpose of creating scholarships for pharmacy students. The Sautes’ collective gifts, which total $75,000, will provide valuable opportunities to a number of students pursuing graduate studies in pharmacy. The Saute brothers, who are three years apart in age, grew up in West Warwick, R.I. Their pharmacy careers, as Norman notes, grew out of after-school jobs they took at a local pharmacy. “We both got tired of the family fuel business, which was changing a lot back then,” Norman recalls. “I started college on an accelerated plan because I finished high school at 16. But when I was 18 I got drafted into the Navy.” After World War II, Norman joined Robert at the College of Pharmacy, but they headed in different directions after college. Norman opened a pharmacy in the Olneyville section of Providence, and later another in Scituate, and he kept the latter going through 1988 when he retired. “Being a pharmacist helped me to be
Saute Brothers’ PHOTO COURTESY OF NORMAN AND ROBERT SAUTE, student photo by Joe Giblin
Norman ’49 and Robert Saute ’50
a more caring and sharing person,” Norman says. “All we do in the pharmacy business reaches out to people all over the world.” Robert, who lives in California, took a more corporate route, holding senior research positions with Avon Products, Inc., and the Gillette Company after a stint in the Army and completion of advanced college degrees. Since 1975 he has been president of Saute Consultants in Los Angeles specializing in research and development in dermatological, cosmetic, and related product areas. “The Saute brothers,” says URI College of Pharmacy Interim Dean Ronald Jordan, “are exemplary alumni who model the attributes of successful pharmacists that we hope all our alumni aspire to. They still recognize the need to give back and help those who follow them at URI in the profession. We are grateful for their generosity and friendship.”
Scholarships for Pharmacy Students As they explain, the brothers have made their gift because pharmacy has provided them with their success. “I have had time to do a lot of volunteer work,” Norman says, “because I have the time and money. I realized one day: How did I make this money? It was pharmacy and my education that helped me succeed. Rhode Island has been good to me, and now I want to give back.” Robert has a simple explanation as well: “I have always considered education something that would help individuals and the country as well,” he says. “It’s tremendously important. Education is the route to success.” By John Pantalone ’71
THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN
For more information on the many giving opportunities at the University of Rhode Island, please visit our Web site at urifoundation.org, or contact the URI Foundation, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881. Please call 401-874-7900 or toll free 877-874-4555 or email campaign@uri.edu.
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