KINGSTON, R.I. – July 11, 2025 – On June 7, 2025, faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends gathered for a very special IEP alumni reunion and tribute celebrating the life and legacy of the program’s founder, Dr. John Grandin, who had passed away in November 2024. We appreciated the opportunity to bring together so many members of the IEP community, with alumni attendance spanning all the way from this year’s grads to some of the IEP’s first participants, demonstrating the enduring impact that Dr. Grandin has had on the lives of URI students and others throughout the decades since the IEP came into existence.

Dr. Sigrid Berka facilitated the gathering’s speaking program, inviting several colleagues, former students and family members to the podium to share remarks. This included Dr. Thomas Spengler from our partner university TU Braunschweig, Dean Emeritus of the College of Engineering Dr. Ray Wright, German professor Dr. Norbert Hedderich, and a number of IEP alumni – Kristen Riley, Erin Papa, Sarah Koenig, Chris Lepore and Dave Rego. Thank you all, as well as to the speakers from the Grandin family (Peter, Abbey, Ethan and Ashley), for your passionate speeches!

In response to our event invitation, we received many heartwarming remembrances and photos that we compiled into a slideshow to represent Dr. Grandin’s impact as a part of the IEP and beyond. The sharing of memories between groups of IEP alumni both continued long after the reunion was officially over, with many grads meeting up afterwards to continue to swap stories about their academic journeys and global adventures under the leadership of Dr. Grandin. J Terms in Germany, the opening of the IEP Living and Learning Community, mentorship moments and more – through the lives and careers of those he touched, Dr. Grandin’s legacy will live on.

For more photos from the event, click here.