The sixteenth annual Distinguish Achievement Awards was held Saturday, October 22, 2022, at the Newport Marriott, Newport, Rhode Island.

View the event photo gallery and watch the video.

Congratulations to the Award Recipients

President’s Award

Michael Anders ’95
Founding Partner, ICONIQ Capital

Michael Anders is a founding partner of ICONIQ Capital, a global investment firm that channels ideas, talent, and capital to initiatives that advance society. Founded in 2011, ICONIQ advises and invests on behalf of some of the world’s most influential families and organizations. Prior to this role, Anders worked at Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Franklin Templeton, Fidelity Investments, and Societe General, and founded GivingCapital, a turnkey charitable products developer for large financial service firms. He received his B.A in political science and communication studies from URI, as well as a certificate in international economics from Columbia University. He serves on the boards of Global Citizen, the San Francisco Symphony, the World Surf League, and Firewire Surfboards. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

Diane Chace Fannon ’74
Principal/Brand Management, Retired
The Richards Group

With a B.A. in English and education from URI, Diane Fannon landed a job as a first-grade teacher. Later her English studies became the foundation of her decades-long career in advertising, starting as a copywriter at Grey in New York and retiring as a principal of The Richards Group in Dallas. Her clients included The Home Depot, American Airlines, Fruit of the Loom, Pepsi, and Frito-Lay, among other national brands. Her work and leadership earned her recognition as one of the top 25 women in business in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She serves on the board of Dallas nonprofit The Senior Source, and the URIFAE board, chairing the marketing committees for both. She is also on the URI College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and participates in its mentor program.

 

S. Kent Fannon ’74
Partner, Retired
Chartwell Partners

A retired multi-industry executive, Kent Fannon began his career at American Airlines and held positions in broadcasting and retail. He later moved to health care, initially in a national hospital company, and then served as chief development and chief financial officer of EmCare Inc., a Nasdaq physician management company. He was CEO of two more physician management companies before joining Chartwell Partners, a national retained executive search practice. He holds a B.S. in accounting from URI and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He chaired the URI College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and is a URIFAE board member, as well as a board member of the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, the largest nonprofit health care system in Texas. He and his wife Diane live in Dallas.

 

Charlotte S. Metcalf
President, Telaka Foundation Inc.

A graduate of Vassar College, Charlotte Metcalf worked in systems and programming before moving to Providence with her husband Michael Metcalf, publisher of The Providence Journal. While raising their family, the Metcalfs were devoted to their community. Charlotte served on boards at Women & Infants Hospital, Gordon and Providence Country Day schools, and the first R.I. chapter of the Nature Conservancy; Michael was a charter advisory board member of the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. Since his passing, Charlotte has continued their legacy of community involvement, supporting conservation efforts through her Telaka Foundation, recognizing young people furthering careers in journalism, and revitalizing a sustainable farm in Vermont. She has also shepherded URI’s Metcalf Institute for marine and environmental reporting, named in Michael’s memory, continuing URI’s commitment to communication education across disciplines.

 

Next Generation 
Andrew Burnap ’13
Tony Award-Winning Actor

Andrew Burnap is a Tony Award-winning actor, best known for originating the role of Toby Darling in Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance at the Barrymore Theatre on Broadway, The Young Vic Theatre, and the Noël Coward Theatre in London. He has performed at the Geffen Playhouse, Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. His work includes Disney’s Snow White (upcoming), A24’s The Front Room (upcoming), Debbie, Spare Room, The Chaperone, WeCrashed, Under the Banner of Heaven, The Good Fight, Younger, Instinct, and The Code. He received his B.F.A. from URI and graduated from the Yale School of Drama, earning the Herschel Williams Prize for Outstanding Ability in Acting. He serves on the board of the Chorus of Westerly and is a member of Forbes 30 Under 30.

 

Corporate 
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments Inc.

Established in 1975, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI), the North American subsidiary of Shimadzu’s Analytical and Measuring Division, is a leader in the development of advanced technologies, providing a comprehensive range of analytical and testing instrumentation to laboratories throughout North, Central, and parts of South America. The company maintains 10 regional offices across the United States as well as a solution center for applications development and an innovation center housing a team of scientists who collaborate with universities, government agencies, and industry centers. Shimadzu’s instruments are used by top researchers across the globe, and they continue to develop products that deliver results faster and more efficiently than ever before to meet the needs of researchers, scientists, and manufacturers.

 

Rising Star Award

Amitesh Saha, M.S. ’10, Ph.D. ’15
Senior IC Research and Development Engineer
Intel Corporation

Athletic Director’s Award

John V. Priore ’87, P ’07, P ’12, P ’20
Board of Directors and Former Vice Chairman, Priority Technology Holdings
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Priority Payment Systems

Shiela I. Priore P ’07, P ’12, P ’20
Event Coordinator, Priority Payment Systems
Registered Nurse, Retired, Westerly Hospital

Deans’ Awards

Graduate School of Oceanography
Catalina M. Martinez ’97, M.S. ’00, M.M.A. ’02, M.B.A. ’14
Regional Program Manager
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ocean Exploration

College of Arts and Sciences
Col. John Petrella Jr. ’68, P ’97, P ’01
U.S. Army, Retired

College of Business
Monica J. Garnes ’94
Division President
Fry’s Food Stores

Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies
Caroline R. Ricci ’72
Retired Educator

College of Engineering
Vittorio Ricci, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’01
Chief Technology Officer
Naval Undersea Warfare Center

College of the Environment and Life Sciences
Rear Admiral Glenn E. Whisler Jr., M.M.A. ’72
U.S. Navy, Retired
Chairman Emeritus, Board of Trustees, Naval War College Foundation

College of Health Sciences
Jeffrey A. Ross ’75
Associate Professor
Baylor College of Medicine

College of Nursing
Paula A. Viau ’69, P ’97
Associate Dean Emerita
College of Nursing, University of Rhode Island

College of Pharmacy
Christine (Berard) Collins ’90
Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer
Lifespan