At the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, you’ll deepen your understanding of the living world and your place within it.
The work that happens here is rooted in our land- and sea-grant mission, and connected to the needs of the local, regional, and global communities. Our faculty researchers work collaboratively across disciplines, drawing from a broad, inclusive field of human knowledge to make critical discoveries within their fields. URI’s core research facilities and specialized labs offer the latest technologies that will enable you to gather field data, synthesize vast amounts of information, and develop solutions to real world challenges. Whether you are interested in urban food systems; protecting marine wildlife; understanding what makes an organism adapt and an ecosystem thrive; or assisting policy makers in the shift towards renewable energy and sustainable natural resource management, you’ll find your place here.
URI Cooperative Extension
Education and engagement with Rhode Island communities is at the core of what we do. As a land-grant and sea-grant university, our mission is to ensure URI provides education and applied research that helps communities and improves the lives of Rhode Islanders.
learn moreNews and Stories
URI landscape architecture capstone earns statewide recognition for its vision of Jamestown’s waterfront February 3, 2026 - As rising seas and stronger storms reshape Rhode Island’s coastline, URI students transformed a vulnerable stretch of Jamestown into an award-winning vision for coastal resilience.
Coastal Atlantic Sargassum impact: Marine Affairs’ Tracey Dalton analyzes economic impact of harmful macroalgal blooms January 29, 2026 - URI’s Tracey Dalton is analyzing the economic impact of sargassum inundation in the Caribbean. The study, which included URI alumni Di Jin and Ken Hamel, shows that sargassum events are expected to cause multimillion dollar economic losses each year.
4-H Youth and Volunteer Leadership Training Workshop January 27, 2026 - Designed to equip youth leaders, adult leaders, and volunteers with practical tools to strengthen their impact across 4-H clubs and communities, our upcoming workshop will focus on leadership development, skill building, and community connection. 
Context matters: Looking at role in fishery sustainability could serve as a foundation to improve fisheries worldwide January 26, 2026 - Mateja Nenadović in URI Marine Affairs looks at governance models for small-scale fisheries, which provide 90% of total fisheries employment world-wide
