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
Offshore research update: results of wind development discussions at New Bedford presentation, May 6 April 16, 2026 - David Bidwell, professor of marine affairs at the University of Rhode Island, will share research results on offshore wind community discussions at a free public presentation on Wednesday, May 6, at 6 p.m., at the New Bedford Free Public Library, 613 Pleasant St., New Bedford.
Spinach study: URI researcher awarded $296,000 USDA grant for core plant research April 15, 2026 - Plant Sciences’ Camilo Villouta's lab has been awarded a $296,000 USDA grant to study hydroponic spinach cultivation in controlled-environment agriculture. This is Villouta’s first time receiving an award from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and his first award of this size.
Mind your bee’s and q’s April 15, 2026 - With a new exhibit on insects opening at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Steve Alm and Casey Johnson in URI's Bee Lab answer questions on the local bee population. 
Mapping What Matters April 13, 2026 - Lincoln Dark '21, M.E.S.M '22 uses geographic information systems technology to manage critical water infrastructure for Rhode Island communities.
