April 22, 2026
URI Board of Trustees chair, spouse gift $2.145 million for new endowed scholars program
Gift from Margo Cook ’86 and Renee Cohen will provide full four-year scholarships to help students succeed in any field.
KINGSTON, R.I. – April 22, 2026 – University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees Chair Margo Cook ’86 and her spouse, Renee Cohen, have gifted the state’s land- and sea-grant institution $2.145 million to create a new endowed scholars program and support other various academic and athletic programs at URI.
The majority of the gift—$1.82 million—will help launch the Cook-Cohen Scholars Program to attract the most highly sought-after students from around the United States and the world. The program will establish in the fall of 2026 its inaugural cohort of scholars possessing exceptional academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, and demonstrated leadership potential and performance.
Cook-Cohen scholars will receive full, four-year scholarships that cover tuition and fees, housing and dining, and a global travel experience during URI’s Winter J Term. The scholarships will apply to any field of study at URI.
“This extraordinary gift reflects both a deep belief in the transformative power of education and a lifelong commitment to the URI community,” URI President Marc Parlange said. “As chair of the Board of Trustees, Margo has helped shape our vision and strengthen our mission. And as an accomplished professional, she has exemplified the leadership, curiosity, and excellence we seek to cultivate in our students. Together with Renee, their generous investment will open doors for future scholars of exceptional promise—students whose academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, and demonstrated leadership will position them to make meaningful contributions to society. We are profoundly grateful to Margo and Renee for their enduring confidence in the potential of our students.”
More than a financial scholarship, the cohort model also offers access to the University’s Honors Program and Colloquium, URI’s Leadership Institute, special advising, priority course registration, donor mentoring, and access to special University events.
Cook-Cohen scholarship nominations will be based on a holistic review of prospective student scholars by a URI admission team and review committee, including reviewing the strength of the students’ high school coursework, and academic and extracurricular interests; leadership service; and unique talents and impact on their community. After applying to the University, Cook-Cohen finalists will be invited to campus to interview with a selection committee and take part in several scholar activities.
The remaining $325,000 of the gift will be split among four established University programs and initiatives—the URI Women’s Basketball Cook and Cohen Wellness Program, URI College of Business, URI President’s 21st Century Fund for Excellence, and the Margo Cook Internship/Study Abroad Scholarship.
“Margo and Renee have been steadfast supporters of URI, and this latest investment builds on the powerful momentum we’re seeing across our donor community—propelling the University’s work to support student achievement to an entirely new level.” URI Foundation CEO and Vice President for Advancement Mark Antonucci said. “Their investment spans the entirety of URI—a powerful testament not only to our mission of helping students succeed, but also to the strength and vibrancy of the University community as a whole.”
Dean Libutti, URI’s associate vice president for enrollment management and student success, says Cook and Cohen’s gift also comes as the University is experiencing tremendous momentum amidst national challenges surrounding student recruitment. URI saw a record 29,000 applications from prospective students, supported by the University’s various scholarship programs.
“Having premier scholarships at a time when enrollment in higher education is challenging is a beacon for URI to maintain our momentum, and making education affordable is paramount to who we are as an institution,” Libutti said. “Margo and Renee’s gift is about more than just providing students financial support, it is also about bringing a cohort together to do great things at the University and be part of our amazing programs. We are grateful to both Margo and Renee for their generous support.”
Relieving financial burdens
Cook saw early on how transformational donations to URI can impact a student’s future.
She had attended dinners commemorating substantial monetary gifts from former CVS chair, CEO and president Thomas M. Ryan ’75 Hon. ’99, and his wife, Cathy Ryan; and former Hasbro CEO Alfred J. Verrecchia ’67, M.B.A. ’72, Hon. ’04, and his wife, Geraldine Verrecchia. Those gifts helped launch scholars programs ensuring students receive an education at URI.
In meeting parents at those dinners, Cook not only was excited to see students eager to collaborate in cohorts and build bonds with one another, but also felt grateful to see the families’ appreciation for scholarship aid. Both Cook and Cohen were subsequently driven to further that mission in their own way through this new scholars program.
“Our motivation is to help remove that financial anxiety for students and their parents so that we can unlock students to be the best they can be,” said Cook, who graduated from URI with a degree in finance and worked close to four decades within the asset management industry, including as an executive leader.
Cook also loves when students from other educational backgrounds create a melting pot to better understand both each other and what the URI community is all about—further enriching their overall University experience. She also said ensuring public flagship universities such as URI can thrive through gift-giving is critical to society.
Cohen also said URI elevated its academics to where it once again was ranked the No. 1 public university in New England by The Wall Street Journal and has maintained its R1 designation as a top research institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The new Cook-Cohen Scholars program will be a win-win for the University, she says, where the scholarships will bring in exceptional students to pursue strong academic offerings, and in turn further build on URI’s global educational reputation.
Continued alumni support
Over the last seven years, URI has received approximately $120 million in major gifts from alumni to help students succeed at the University and beyond. Most notably, URI in 2024 received a landmark $65 million gift—the largest in URI’s history—from the estate of the late alumna Helen Izzi Schilling to create an endowment to award scholarships to high-achieving students majoring in science, technology, engineering, or math.
This academic year, Mark S. Cruise ’81, ’84, a URI football stand-out, and his wife, Sue Cruise ’84, gifted their alma mater $2 million to establish an endowment fund to support URI’s student-athletes. Also, Joseph F. Matthews ’80, chair of Westerly-based Maxson Automatic Machinery Co. and a URI trustee, recently awarded the University $1.6 million to financially support engineering students transferring to URI from the Community College of Rhode Island.
Also, Cook’s and Cohen’s latest financial gift follows a $1.05 million donation they gave URI in 2019 to establish the Margo L. Cook Executive-in-Residence Fund to address the gender gap in the finance industry.
“We as alums have to support this University for it to grow,” Cook said. “It is an obligation based on the gratitude I feel for getting an education here at URI. It’s every alum’s responsibility to ensure future students can have the same experience at URI that they had.”
Acknowledgment: This article was reposted from Rhody Today.
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