Dear University of Rhode Island Family,
It is my deepest wish that this message finds you healthy, well and safe.
In recent days, many of you have expressed your care and concern about the impact this unprecedented health crisis is having on your University. I want to offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all of you who have reached out. We very much want to continue to hear from you.
We transitioned our entire curriculum to remote learning, and our more than 16,000 students and nearly 700 faculty are showing ingenuity and Rhody spirit in the ways they’ve embraced this sudden change.
Despite this massive shift, the important work of the University continues. A team of faculty from our renowned Graduate School of Oceanography is offering its expertise, lab equipment, and services to the Rhode Island Department of Health. Engineers are deploying our 3D printers in service to produce parts for ventilator modifications and fabrication, and scientists in our Pharmaceutical Development Institute are manufacturing hand sanitizer, Rhody Blue, and distributing bottles to clinics, health care workers, public safety officials, and other groups.
Our faculty are sharing their expertise in infectious diseases, supply chain management, and the economic response to the crisis. We are offering guidance on stress and anxiety, advice on staying physically active during self-isolation, and support for K–12 teachers to help them maintain their remote connections with students, as well as parents who are dealing with the stress of parenting and working from home. In true Rhody fashion, our experts are offering advice based on research, all while lending a sympathetic ear, an encouraging smile, or a bit of humor.
Of course, I offer my deepest thanks to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni on the frontlines of this response—the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and first responders, and yes those who are keeping our grocery stores stocked and the country’s infrastructure operating smoothly. Your work speaks volumes about who we are as a community.
The Rhody family is a strong one. These extraordinary circumstances will bring us closer together and leave us better prepared for the unforeseen challenges that lie ahead. Thank you for the support you have already extended to the University and to those who need this encouragement around the world. I remain grateful and honored to be a part of this caring community with you and your fellow Rams.
With best regards,
David M. Dooley
President, University of Rhode Island