Student success, state investment celebrated at annual URI Day at the State House

March 31, 2026
Peter Hanlon, director of GSO Public Engagement, Mary Klimasewiski, GSO marine research associate, Maya Tabor, URI senior, at URI Day at the State House.

URI community members, state leaders applaud University’s impact

March 31, 2026

Keaney Blue was on full display in, around and above the Rhode Island capitol last week as dozens of state leaders and hundreds of University of Rhode Island students, faculty, and staff celebrated the University’s success and impact during URI Day at the State House in Providence.

URI students, faculty and staff publicly presented interactive exhibits from colleges across its campuses. Those exhibits not only showcased to URI Day attendees what the University offers both academically and in research, but they also represent what is possible with continued investment in the University and the impact URI has—and will have—on the community.

Representing GSO, members of J.P. Walsh’s COAST Lab shared research with clear local relevance, including work on microplastics and long-term beach monitoring. Researcher Victoria Fulfer, Ph.D. ’24, and Professor Walsh recently published a study documenting the exponential rise of microplastic pollution in Narragansett Bay since the 1940s. Using sediment cores collected throughout the Bay and Rhode Island Sound, the team estimates that 2,300–3,000 tonnes of microplastics have accumulated in seabed sediments over the past century. The group also highlighted URI’s Beach Survey Program, which tracks changes along sandy shorelines on Rhode Island’s south coast—data that is critical for understanding erosion and coastal dynamics.

Mary Klimasewiski, GSO marine research associate, Maya Tabor, URI senior undergraduate, J.P. Walsh, professor of oceanography, at URI Day at the State House.

“Rhode Island is in a place right now where we’re in lock step with URI making sure that this state not only provides opportunities for young people in our state, but also raises incomes for our families and makes sure we’re healthy enough to enjoy the opportunity to live in a great place like Rhode Island with a premier university leading the charge,” said Gov. Daniel McKee, who also lauded URI President Marc Parlange for being a “champion for URI.” 

The return on investment by URI, which once again was named the No. 1 public university in New England by The Wall Street Journal and maintains the prestigious R1 research designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, has been significant, according to URI Board of Trustees Chair Margo Cook ’86. A new URI economic impact study released yesterday reveals that the University generates $2 billion in annual economic activity across Rhode Island.

Additionally, the study noted that for every $1 invested by the state of Rhode Island in URI, $17.39 is returned to the state’s economy—one of the highest returns on investment of any public university in the U.S. And, the University supports 17,799 jobs statewide, meaning one out of every 33 jobs in Rhode Island is connected to URI.

Cook said robust and sustained investment in URI’s operating budget, capital infrastructure and general obligation bond will drive economic growth for all Rhode Islanders.

“Our work together is paying off—the numbers show it—and despite the challenges in the world, we can make our own future,” Cook said. “We must continue this momentum in order to unlock the full potential of the University for the state.”

Parlange told those at the State House the milestones that URI has achieved reflect decades of hard work by University faculty, staff and students. What URI achieved also demonstrates that the renewed investment in Rhode Island’s flagship land- and sea-grant university by state leaders is paying off, Parlange said.

“It is clear—URI is the best investment the state can make—because of the return it provides to all Rhode Islanders,” Parlange said. “With the leadership of our Board of Trustees and the support of state leaders, URI will continue this momentum and unlock the full potential of the University for the state.”

Parlange also acknowledged the ongoing support URI has received from elected leaders, including Gov. McKee, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, Speaker Shekarchi, Senate President Lawson, Secretary of State Gregg Amore, and Treasurer James Diossa. The Washington County delegation—Sens. Susan Sosnowski and Alana DiMario, and Reps. Carol McEntee, Kathleen Fogarty, Teresa Tanzi and Tina Spears—was also recognized by Parlange for their continued partnership with and support of the University.

Read more in Rhody Today.