The fourteenth annual Distinguished Achievement Awards ceremony was held
Saturday, October 5, 2019, at the Newport Marriott, Newport, Rhode Island.

Watch the awards ceremony and view photos from the event.

Congratulations to the 2019 recipients.

President's Award

Karen L. Adams, Hon. ’10
Retired News Anchor, WPRI Eyewitness News and FOX Providence

With over 30 years experience in news broadcasting, Karen Adams is a leader in her field and a strong advocate for female journalists. Originally from Missouri, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University and began her career in radio, quickly moving into television news. Now a resident of Narragansett, R.I., she anchored the evening news on WPRI from 1989 until her retirement in 2010. She earned an Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Anchoring and was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle. In 2010, she received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Rhode Island, and in 2016, she established an endowment for female students from Rhode Island who are enrolled in the University’s Harrington School of Communication and Media.

Stephen M. Greenlee, M.S. ’82
President, ExxonMobil Upstream Business Development Company, and Vice President, ExxonMobil Corporation

Stephen Greenlee joined ExxonMobil soon after earning a bachelor’s degree in geology from Duke University in 1979 and a Master of Science in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) in 1982. His career has focused on geological research, petroleum exploration and production, and business development. He currently oversees ExxonMobil’s global exploration, acquisition and divestment, and portfolio management activities. A resident of Texas, he chairs the University of Houston’s Energy Advisory Board, is a vice chair of the GSO Dean’s Advisory Board, and is a member of Houston’s Alley Theater board of directors. He and his wife Donna, a native Rhode Islander and fellow geoscientist, raised their three children while living in Europe and the Middle East, along with the U.S.

General Leon J. LaPorte ’68, Hon. ’04
U.S. Army, Retired
Chief Executive Officer, LaPorte & Associates

General Leon LaPorte served in the U.S. Army for 38 years, rising to the rank of four-star general. A native Rhode Islander, he was commissioned through the Army ROTC Program at URI, and in 1968, the day after Commencement, he entered the Army. He served in worldwide operational assignments where he commanded at every level from second lieutenant to general. In May 2002, he assumed command of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and the United States Forces Korea, located in South Korea. In April 2006, he retired from active duty. He holds a master’s degree in administration from the University of California, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from URI, and currently serves as chief executive officer of LaPorte & Associates, a global strategic planning company.

Corporate Award

For 120 years, General Dynamics Electric Boat has worked to ensure the security and superiority of our nation by designing, constructing, and sustaining the world’s finest submarines. From the first nuclear-powered submarine, Nautilus, to the fast and capable Virginia-class attack submarines, Electric Boat builds some of the most complicated machines in the world. A leader in a demanding industry defined by technical superiority and unrelenting quality standards, Electric Boat and its 17,000 employees are dedicated to solving the most challenging of problems and developing innovative, effective, and affordable solutions. A proud corporate partner of the University of Rhode Island, Electric Boat’s primary operations include a shipyard in Groton, Conn., an automated hull-fabrication and outfitting facility at Quonset Point in North Kingstown, R.I., and an engineering building in New London, Conn.

Rising Star Award

Melissa M. Husband, M.P.A. ’10
Deputy Secretary of State, Rhode Island Department of State

Athletic Director's Award

Jeff Cammans, P ’12, Retired Founder, Shoreline Business Solutions
Kathy Cammans, P ’12

Deans' Awards

Graduate School of Oceanography
Charles W. Mandeville ’81, Ph.D. ’95
Volcano Hazards Program Coordinator, U.S. Geological Survey

College of Arts and Sciences
Pete Bassi ’70, M.B.A. ’73
Retired Chairman, Yum Restaurants International

College of Business
James A. Hopkins ’62
Retired Vice President of Operations, Wardwell Braiding Machine Company

Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies
Peter R. MacDougall ’61
President Emeritus, Santa Barbara City College

College of Engineering
Joseph F. Matthews ’80, P ’08, P ’10
President, Maxson Automatic Machinery Company

College of the Environment and Life Sciences
Larry Mayer ’73
Director, School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering and Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire

College of Health Sciences
Susan Hamer Kaplan ’78, M.S. ’80
Speech and Language Therapist

College of Nursing
Deborah Doucette O’Brien ’85, M.P.A. ’96, P ’14, P ’20
President and Chief Operating Officer, The Providence Center
Senior Vice President of Nursing, Care New England

College of Pharmacy
Susan Carson Petrovas ’92
Co-Founder and President, CDMI Magellan Rx