President Parlange to welcome U.S. Sen. Whitehouse, U.S. Rep. Magaziner, and state lawmakers
Sept. 30, 2024
University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange will welcome federal and state leaders – along with renowned oceanographer Robert Ballard – on Thursday, Oct. 3, to celebrate the progress of the sweeping transformation of the Narragansett Bay Campus. The event will take place at 9 a.m. on the Knauss Quad at the Bay Campus, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett.
The Bay Campus is in the middle of a multi-year modernization of facilities and infrastructure – work that will expand the University’s global excellence in ocean science and leadership in the Blue Economy. Overlooking beautiful Narragansett Bay, the campus is home to the URI Graduate School of Oceanography – a global leader in ocean research, exploration and education – along with the Department of Ocean Engineering and programs from several other URI colleges. The revitalization of the campus has been supported by Rhode Island voters, who have approved two bond referenda totaling $145 million.
As part of the Bay Campus initiative, the University has already unveiled a modern pier that will serve as the homeport for URI’s new regional class research vessel, Narragansett Dawn. The state-of-the-art, $125 million ship – one of only three such vessels in the nation – will replace the University’s nearly 50-year-old research vessel, Endeavor, when it arrives in 2027.
The first phase of building improvements includes a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory. When completed, the 32,000-square-foot Ocean Robotics Lab will bolster the design and development of technology-driven solutions and spur collaboration and innovation within URI, among University partners, and through public-private ventures.
Equipment and robotics pioneered in the lab will work hand-in-glove with Narragansett Dawn and its advanced overboard-handling systems for launch and recovery of scientific equipment at sea. The lab, which will include a two-story, high-bay staging area with freshwater test tank and 10-ton bridge crane, is scheduled to be completed in May 2026.
The first phase of the investment in the Bay Campus started last spring with a new parking facility that included start-of-the-art electric vehicle charging stations and utility work needed to sustain future phases. The parking lot work was needed to make room for the Ocean Robotics Lab project that immediately followed, starting in February 2024.
Two additional buildings for the GSO and College of Engineering, both of which are in the design phase, will provide world-class facilities for research and education in ocean science and engineering. The Ocean Frontiers Building will be the new home for researchers at the GSO, replacing the 55-year-old Horn Laboratory with modern environmentally controlled labs to support advanced scientific instruments. The Ocean Engineering Facility will house dedicated office, laboratory, and classroom space for the Department of Ocean Engineering, along with a 100-meter-long wave/tow tank, 30x30x30 foot acoustics tank, and additional flumes for conducting coastal research.
WHO: U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed (recorded remarks), U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, R.I. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, R.I. Secretary of Commerce Elizabeth Tanner, URI President Marc Parlange, URI Board of Trustees Vice Chair Armand Sabitoni, Dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography Paula Bontempi, Dean of the College of Engineering Anthony Marchese, and members of the R.I. Senate and House of Representatives.
WHAT: Celebration of progress of Narragansett Bay Campus revitalization. Event will include speaking program; beam signing; tours of the Inner Space Center with URI oceanography professor Robert Ballard; and exhibits showcasing robotics systems used to explore the ocean, geological samples from the seafloor, and information on R/V Narragansett Dawn.
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 3, 9 to 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: The Knauss Quad behind the Ocean Science and Technology Center. Parking is available on Pier Road.