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.
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Building Ocean Equity at URI: Q&A with Delia Fuller September 10, 2026 - Through the CELS Summer Fellowship Program, Delia Fuller, a senior studying marine affairs at the University of Rhode Island, has been exploring what ocean equity means and how it can be incorporated into the URI community. Under the mentorship of Dr. Yoshitaka Ota, professor of marine affairs, she has been researching ocean equity, reviewing academic literature and documentaries, and laying the groundwork for an Ocean Equity Club at URI. 
URI Students Help Build Statewide Atlas of Tick Species September 8, 2026 - By tracking tick populations across Rhode Island, two URI students are helping researchers map where different species occur and provide the public with information to reduce the risk of tick-borne disease.
Mentors / sponsors welcomed to host, work with URI students in Cooperative Extension Fellows programs September 8, 2026 - Local industries and organizations can gain extra help on projects by hosting a URI student fellow, while students gain valuable skills and get to make an impact. There are a variety of ways that companies and organizations can partner with the University, to help welcome and work with top undergraduate and graduate students from URI, selected in a competitive process.
URI water expert from Nepal shares insight into recent flood in South Asian nation September 8, 2026 - For URI water scientist Dr. Soni Pradhanang, the recent avalanche and flooding in Nepal is both a scientific event and a deeply personal one. Raised in Kathmandu, Pradhanang studies flooding, water resources and mountain hazards. Alongside Ph.D. student Pratik Singh Thakuri, also from Nepal, she is examining the Aug. 26 event using satellite imagery and hydrologic expertise.
