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
The Professor Behind the Plan: Farhad Atash Shaped Communities and Generations of Students June 10, 2026 - After more than four decades at the University of Rhode Island, planning professor Farhad Atash's legacy can be seen in Rhode Island communities, the students he guided, and the profession he helped strengthen.
URI corpse flower countdown June 8, 2026 - A rare Titan Arum (better known as the corpse flower) is preparing to bloom at the University of Rhode Island's Horridge Conservatory. This remarkable plant flowers only once every 5-7 years, stays open for just 24-8 hours, and produces its infamous rotting-flesh scent to attract pollinators.
World’s longest-running bioblitz event comes to URI June 5 and 6 June 4, 2026 - Starting at 2pm June 5, some 300 volunteers will have just 24 hours to find as
many species of life as possible at two sites in Kingston in the 27th annual Rhode
Island BioBlitz, organized by the Rhode Island Natural History Survey.
URI professor Tom Mather talks ticks with Daily Show host Michael Kosta June 3, 2026 - University of Rhode Island professor Thomas Mather recently visited The Daily Show to talk all things ticks with host Michael Kosta. Also known as “The Tick Guy,” Mather is a renowned researcher and expert in public health entomology.
