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
Watching Rhode Island’s Wildlife October 22, 2026 - Motion-activated trail cameras at two Rhode Island locations are helping graduate student Madalyn Stoltz and URI contribute to the Smithsonian’s Snapshot USA, a national effort to track how wildlife communities change over time.
URI junior on board with research October 20, 2026 - Experiential learning opportunities abound for students willing to make the first step
Ocean Equity October 20, 2026 - Marine affairs professor and social anthropologist Yoshitaka Ota says the ocean is not a zero-sum game. The world’s oceans can provide for all—if we use them wisely and fairly.
“She loved plants”: Remembering Bridget Ruemmele October 16, 2026 - URI community members reflect on the plant sciences professor whose care for the people she taught reached well past the greenhouse.
