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
Agricultural and Food Systems Fellow Spotlight: Hallie Grace Brown March 24, 2025 - Hallie Grace Brown completed the Agriculture and Food Systems Fellows Program through URI's Cooperative Extension. An animal science major and biology minor, she worked with RI Division of Environmental Management's Division of Agriculture to promote public health and safe local farming practices. 
Energy Fellow Spotlight: Atticus Makuch ’24 March 22, 2025 - Atticus Makuch '24 completed the Energy Fellows Program through URI's Cooperative Extension. Working with the energy efficiency policy and strategy team at Rhode Island Energy, he played a key role in helping the team understand and address the needs of diverse communities across Rhode Island.
Laura Eme, Associate Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology, on Exploring Evolutionary Biology with Bioinformatics March 19, 2025 - New associate professor of cell and molecular biology, Laura Eme, uses bioinformatics to study the evolutionary history and diversity of microbial life.
Camera trap images from URI’s North Woods survey contribute to nationwide research project March 17, 2025 - Since 2019, researchers in the Department of Natural Resources Science have captured camera trap data as part of the Smithsonian’s Snapshot USA
