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
Hands-on research in action: CELS to host Research and Extension Fellowship Symposium Dec. 10 December 4, 2025 - The annual symposium showcases the work of URI Fellows in energy, agriculture and food systems, summer research and outreach, on topics from brain health to veggie trials.
URI receives grants from The Champlin Foundation for hands-on learning technologies December 4, 2025 - The Champlin Foundation has awarded URI $500,000 to purchase equipment and technology that will benefit more than 850 students annually. Funds will support three interdisciplinary proposals submitted by faculty from URI’s Colleges of the Environment and Life Sciences, Engineering, and Pharmacy.
URI faculty receive funding from National Science Foundation December 4, 2025 - Laura Meyerson in Natural Resources Science and Simona Trandafir (pictured) in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics are among the URI faculty receiving grants.
From Plant Science to Entrepreneurial Success December 4, 2025 - Drawing on the hands-on experience and mentorship he got while at URI, Joseph V Andreozzi IV ‘14, founder of Sherlock Hemp, LLC, has turned his passion for plant science into a thriving business.
