PRESIDENT’S AWARDS

David Bergeron ’78
Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
For more than three decades, David Bergeron served in the U.S. Department of Education, most recently as acting assistant secretary and deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Postsecondary Education, where he led work on key policy issues including the agency’s highly praised response to students and universities affected by Hurricane Katrina. Since leaving the Department in 2013, as vice president for postsecondary education policy and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, he worked on a wide range of higher education topics, from student debt and loan refinancing to alternative modes of educational delivery and quality assurance. A member of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Council, he spoke about higher education issues at URI’s first Leadership Forum and at the 2013 Honors Colloquium.

Cynthia Marcille Deysher ’78
Principal, Deysher 
Advisory Services
Cynthia Deysher is president of Deysher Advisory Services, an interior design company focused on residential properties. She previously served as the vice president of operations and chief financial officer for ArrowPoint Communications and held leadership positions at Shiva Corporation and Bytex Corporation. A longtime supporter of URI, she established the Cynthia and Bryon Deysher Business Scholarship and, with members of her family, the Robert Edmund Marcille Memorial Scholarship. She is a member of the Business Advisory Council for the College of Business Administration, as well as the President’s Advisory Council. She earned her master’s degree in finance from Bentley College.

Rear Admiral Robert P. Girrier, M.M.A. ’90
Director, Unmanned Warfare Systems, United States Navy
Rear Adm. Girrier’s Navy ­career has included leadership positions around the world. A surface warfare officer, he recently served as deputy commander, Pacific Fleet and as director of operations for the U.S. Pacific Command, overseeing military activities throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific. He commanded two carrier strike groups, supporting operation Enduring Freedom, and disaster response for Japan during Operation Tomodachi. Earlier, he commanded USS Roosevelt, Destroyer Squadron 15 and USS Guardian operating throughout the Mediterranean and the Pacific respectively. Co-author of three professional naval books, he has served as an instructor in seamanship and navigation, and as a policy planner to NATO. In addition to his URI M.M.A., he received master’s degrees from American University and ­Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Mostafa Omar, Ph.D. ’82
President, PhytoCeuticals, Inc.
Mostafa Omar has been researching and developing medicines derived from natural sources for more than 40 years. His cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical formulations—based primarily on the modern application of ancient herbal medicines—have built him a reputation as a world leader in medicinal natural product chemistry. He invented the world’s only stabilized liquid creatine and liquid vitamin C, earning him the moniker “Father of L-Ascorbic Acid.” Formerly a scientific advisor to the Ministry of Health in Egypt and to Egypt’s leading pharmaceutical company, he is the author of two books about toxic plants in Egypt. A major benefactor to the College of Pharmacy, he established the Youngken-Omar Distinguished Chair in Natural Product Chemistry and provided leadership gifts to other campus programs. He received his M.S. from Cairo University.

President’s Corporate Award

CVS Health is the second largest pharmacy chain in the United States and ranks as the 10th largest company of the Fortune 500 in 2015. It has been recognized multiple times as a Best Employer for Healthy Lifestyles, a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality, one of the Top 10 Companies for ­Veterans, and scored 100 percent on the 2015 Corporate Equality Index. The company employs more than 400 URI graduates and interns and has a long relationship with the URI Center for Career and Experiential Education. It has been extremely generous to URI through the years, with gifts totaling more than $6.3 million supporting numerous programs and colleges. CVS Health is the largest single corporate donor to the College of Pharmacy.

Rising Star Award

Robinson W. Fulweiler, 
M.S. ’03, Ph.D. ’07
Associate Professor, 
Boston University
Robinson Fulweiler holds appointments in both the Biology Department and the Earth & Environment Department at Boston University, where she has also served as associate director of the university’s Marine Program—and will take over as director in summer 2016. Her research focuses on the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and other nutrients in aquatic systems like Narragansett Bay and other watersheds in New England. She has already published more than 40 research papers, including one based on her doctoral dissertation, which appeared in the prestigious journal, Nature. A board member of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, she was named a Sloan Research Fellow in 2012 as a “scholar of outstanding promise.”

Athletic Director’s Award

Anthony J. Rose Jr. ’54, Hon. ’91
Chairman, Technical Industries, Inc.
Anthony Rose has been a leading supporter of the University of Rhode Island and its athletics program for decades. A trustee of the URI Foundation, he served on the executive committee of the Fifth Quarter Club and the Men’s Basketball Fast Break Club. He has contributed to numerous scholarship funds and the Ryan Center and Mead Stadium projects, and he made the lead gift to the Anthony J. Rose Athletic Training and Sports Medicine Center. He is the recipient of the Alumni Ram Award and the Athletic Appreciation Award, and he was inducted into the URI Athletics Hall of Fame and the College of Business Administration Hall of Fame.

Deans’ Awards

Graduate School of Oceanography

Barclay P. Collins, M.S. ’74, Ph.D. ’78
General Manager, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Barclay Collins has led successful oil and gas exploration and production and business development projects for Anadarko Petroleum in Africa and the Middle East for over twenty years. He is currently based in Mozambique, where Anadarko is developing one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas projects. His previous overseas assignments included Eritrea and Qatar. Prior to Anadarko, he led research and exploration programs for British Gas, Tenneco Oil and Gulf Oil. He began his professional career in the late 1970s as a research geophysicist, using his expertise in seismic processing and interpretation to develop and apply innovative analytical techniques and technologies for oil and gas exploration.

College of Arts and Sciences

Kathy O’Donnell-White ’90
Senior Vice President and Head of Public Affairs, Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Kathy O’Donnell-White leads Citizens Financial Group’s public affairs activities throughout the company’s 11-state retail operation, including management of its charitable contributions, community outreach, local sponsorships and colleague volunteerism. She serves on the board of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank where she recently chaired the agency’s successful “Empty Bowls” event. She served previously on the boards of Day One and Children’s Friend & Service where she chaired the development committee. Named to the Providence Business News list of “40 Under Forty,” she is a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Council, the advisory board for the Harrington School of Communications and Media, and the Alumni Association Executive Board. In 2011, she co-chaired the planning committee for the URI Alumni Association’s Big Chill Weekend.

Robert Vincent ’75
Senior Vice President for 
Human Resources and 
Public Affairs, International Game Technology, PLC
Robert Vincent is responsible for global human resources, facilities and support functions as well as corporate communications for the company formerly known as GTECH. He also leads the company’s branding and corporate social responsibility efforts. He previously served in a number of other capacities at GTECH, was a senior partner at the RDW Group, and held administrative positions in the offices of the Rhode Island governor and secretary of state and the Providence mayor. He is a member of the advisory board of the Harrington School of Communications and Media, a donor to the Al Killilea Professorship in Political Science, and an advocate for the Business Engagement Center.

College of Business Administration

William Eigen ’90
Managing Director, Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Absolute Return Fixed Income, J.P. Morgan Asset Management
William Eigen, manager of 
the $21 billion J.P. Morgan Strategic Income Opportunities Fund, is well known for his “common sense overlay” approach to managing money. International media outlets and investors value his “tell-it-like-it-is” communication style. During his 25-year career, he has pioneered democratization of hedge fund strategies that take “hedge” quite seriously. Before joining J.P. Morgan, he led Highbridge Capital Management’s Fixed Income Group and was lead portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments. He started his career at CIGNA. A member of the URI Foundation Investment Committee and a Foundation Trustee, he maintains strong ties with the College of Business Administration.

Deborah Imondi ’83, 
M.B.A. ’86
Executive Director, 
Rhode Island 4-H Club Foundation, Inc.
When Deborah Imondi retired from Textron in 2013, the former assistant treasurer chose to make a big investment in something close to her heart. The investment management executive with decades of experience at a Fortune 500 company was named executive director of the Rhode Island 4-H Club Foundation. She has been affiliated with 4-H for nearly 50 years, first as a young member and now as leader of the team dedicated to supporting 4-H programs and providing scholarships, awards, recognition, and travel opportunities for its youth. Imondi also supports her alma mater as a URI Foundation trustee, a lecturer, and by helping students skillfully manage the Ram Fund.

Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Continuing Education

Elaine A. Coderre ’89
Former Representative, District 60, Rhode Island House of Representatives
Elaine Coderre was the longest-serving member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives when she retired in 2014 after 30 years in office. She held roles on the House Oversight and House Rules Committees, served as Speaker Pro Tempore, and she authored several laws that strengthened penalties against domestic abusers and provided better protection for victims. She also sponsored a bill requiring health care providers to give mammogram patients more information, and a law providing temporary family paid leave for individuals caring for seriously ill relatives. Coderre also authored a law requiring wheelchair accessible taxis. She will be inducted into the City of Pawtucket Hall of Fame this year.

College of Engineering

Brent Cunningham ’96
Managing Director, 
Jefferies LLC
Brent Cunningham is a managing director and global head of packaging investment banking at Jefferies LLC, a global investment banking firm based in New York City. Brent has 15 years of investment banking experience, focusing on advising clients in the packaging and broader industrial and manufacturing sectors. His expertise is in mergers and acquisitions and general corporate finance activities, working on transactions with public and private companies of various sizes. Before joining Jefferies, Brent worked at Sagent Advisors and Bear Stearns & Co. He began his career as a manufacturing engineer at National Semiconductor Corp. Brent earned his M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina.

Bill Jasper ’75, M.S. ’77
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Unifi, Inc.
Bill Jasper is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Unifi, Inc., a leading producer of multi-filament polyester and nylon textured yarns and related raw materials. Prior to his role as chairman of the board, he served as president and CEO, vice president of sales, and general manager of Unifi’s polyester division. Before joining Unifi, Bill was the director of INVISTA’s DACRON® polyester filament business and held various management positions in operations, technology, sales and business for DuPont. Bill is a member of the board of trustees for Philadelphia University and past chairman of the American Fiber Manufacturers Association and the National Council of Textile Organizations.

College of the Environment and Life Sciences

Aram Calhoun, M.S. ’89
Professor of Wetland Ecology, University of Maine
Aram Calhoun is a leader in vernal pool ecology and the conservation of wetlands in the Northeast. The former director of the University of Maine’s Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program, she has given hundreds of workshops and presentations about wetlands, appeared in countless news reports, organized two major citizen science initiatives to map vernal pools in Maine, and testified numerous times before the Maine legislature about wetland ecology. The recipient of more than $6.4 million in research grants, she has won three faculty awards—one each for teaching, public service, and research—from the University of Maine, where she earned her Ph.D. in plant biology and pathology.

John Grant III, M.S. ’86
Senior Geologist, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
John Grant is a member of several science teams involved in the exploration of Mars. He is one of the chairs of the Mars Exploration Rovers Science Operations Working Group, is a long-term planner for the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, and is a co-investigator of the high-resolution camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. In addition, he co-chairs the Mars Landing Site Steering Committee and he is developing a ground-penetrating radar for possible future deployment to Mars. He is involved in the day-to-day operations of the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers and was curator of exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Mars Exploration Rover mission to Mars and the Cassini mission to Saturn. He earned his Ph.D. in geology from Brown University.

College of Human Science and Services

Susan Corning ’75
Veterinary Advisor, World Organisation for Animal Health
A veterinarian and fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, Susan Corning has spent her career leading international programs addressing human and animal health and welfare. Specializing in “One Health” initiatives, she has consulted for Collaborating for Global Health and World Veterinary Consultants, led nonprofits, and held senior positions in the animal pharmaceuticals industry. Her experience working in developing countries motivated her to promote donor alliances, and she established the Global Health Philanthropy Summit, endorsed by Nobel Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Oscar Arias. She previously served as Deputy CEO of the International Federation of Health Funds. She completed advanced degrees in South Africa, earning an M.S. in psychology from University of the Witwatersrand and a B.VSc. from Onderstepoort School of Veterinary Medicine.

Steven Watterson ’79
Assistant Head Coach for Strength and Conditioning, Tennessee Titans
In his 32nd year with the NFL, Steve Watterson is considered a top strength and rehabilitation expert. His 30 years with the Titans is an NFL record for consecutive seasons by an assistant coach with the same organization. His innovative training methods are considered a standard for training elite athletes. Watterson has coached U.S. Army Special Forces instructors in kettlebell training and team building. He was named Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year and earned the Professional Football Strength Coaches Society’s President’s Award. He serves on the scientific advisory council for the National Research Council for Health and on the board of MoreActive.com. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Arizona.

College of Nursing

Mary Beth Mancini, M.S. ’82
Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Education Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation
Mary Beth Mancini is senior associate dean, professor and chair for undergraduate nursing programs at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation. Her research interests include innovative teaching strategies, collaboration between different professions, and the use of simulation to create high-performing health care teams. She previously was senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Parkland Health & Hospital System. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the American Heart Association, and the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education. She also received a Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Texas, where she earned her Ph.D. in public and urban affairs.

Anne Manton, Ph.D. ’95
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Cape Cod Hospital; and Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Emergency Nursing
A nurse for more than 40 years, Anne Manton has been involved in nursing education for more than two decades and currently serves as a mental health nurse practitioner at Cape Cod Hospital. She retired as associate professor of nursing from Fairfield University, where she also served as graduate program director and acting dean. Widely published in research journals and the editor of several nursing books, she is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Emergency Nursing. For her contributions to the advancement of emergency nursing in education, practice, research and public policy, she was named a fellow of the Academy of Emergency Nursing and inducted into the Emergency Nursing Hall of Fame.

College of Pharmacy

Matt Leonard ’88
Executive Vice President, Pharmaceutical Contracting, Purchasing & Network Administration, CVS Health
Matt Leonard leads strategy and operations for CVS Health’s pharmaceutical purchasing program, encompassing retail, mail and specialty pharmacies, while also managing relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers and whole-salers. He directs the trade strategy associated with CVS Health’s commercial, government and health plan customers. Over his twenty-year career with 
the company, Leonard has developed an extensive background in health care. A five-time recipient of the company’s CEO Award, he was named Chain Drug Pharmacy Executive of the Year in 2009. He and wife Jeanmarie ’86 endowed the Leonard Family Scholarship in the College of Pharmacy, donated to the Pharmacy Building campaign and the Dean Joan Lausier Pharmacy Future Fund, and support URI athletics. He is a trustee of the URI Foundation.

Richard V. Piacentini ’77
Executive Director, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Richard Piacentini has transformed one of the oldest and largest conservatories in North America into a bastion of sustainability. He is responsible for the greening of the buildings, operations and programs throughout the organization and providing leadership in developing and implementing a master plan for improving horticultural exhibits, collections, and public programs that build on traditions of the past. He is the recipient of leadership awards from the International Living Future Institute, U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Alliance. A licensed pharmacist in Washington, D.C., he volunteered his time and expertise in reviewing design options for the College of ­Pharmacy’s new building. He received an M.S. in botany from the University of Connecticut and an M.B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University.