Summers are hot, but for urban areas without tree cover, the heat can be even more dangerous. CELS Communications Fellow Yvonne Wingard writes about the phenomenon of urban heat islands and their impact on cities like Providence.

A new journalism fellowship created by the University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute and Ocean Nexus, in collaboration with the The Uproot Project, took place this summer. The innovative program supports journalists exploring the deep connection between ocean issues and social justice.

Jessie (Kanozak) Holtham ‘06, an aquaculture and fisheries science graduate, began a grassroots shell recovery effort on Martha’s Vineyard.

Lane has previously served as professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences where he led a productive research program. Most recently he served as Interim Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College, bringing valuable experience to the position during the evolving research funding landscape

URI has been awarded its first-ever NIH T32 award for transdisciplinary biomedical research training, reflecting years of cross-campus collaboration and positioning the University as a national leader in this field. The $1.9 million dollar grant will fund pre-doctoral fellowships over five years. Combined with additional investment from URI, the program will support 56 pre-doctoral training positions.

Shelby A. Rinehart joins CELS this fall as an assistant professor of watershed ecology in the Department of Natural Resources.

This summer, landscape architecture students Julia Dever and Jose Andre Orozco Ortiz partnered with The Flower District—a nonprofit in Olneyville, Providence that rescues and redistributes over 100,000 flowers a year—to design a multifunctional green space that blends beauty, sustainability, and community.

Caitlin Murdoch joins the College of the Environment and Life Sciences this fall as an assistant professor of cell and molecular biology.