By Dr. Barclay P. Collins, Chair, Dean’s Advisory Council
Before a new dean takes the helm later this year, it is important and exciting to review Bruce Corliss’ achievements during his seven-plus years as dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography, and how the initiatives and programs implemented during his tenure will impact the future of GSO and the entire University of Rhode Island.
A model for collaboration
Major accomplishments during Dean Corliss’ tenure include the strategic decision to establish the East Coast Oceanographic Consortium (ECOC). The ECOC brings together the resources and expertise of 16 circum-Atlantic oceanographic institutions and is a model for interdisciplinary collaboration in research, education and outreach. ECOC brings to URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus a global perspective on collaborative oceanographic institution cooperation.
The future of ocean research
Building on this was the National Science Foundation’s selection of GSO to operate, on behalf of the ECOC, the new $125 million oceanographic research vessel, Resolution. Under GSO’s leadership, the ECOC made a compelling case to be awarded one of only three new generation research vessels, leveraging GSO’s decades-long history of successful ship operations and the capabilities of the ECOC’s three founding institutions: GSO at URI, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering at the University of New Hampshire.
Campus renewal
Fundamental to the exciting future of GSO is the Narragansett Bay Campus Master Plan, a comprehensive proposal that will create state-of-the-art facilities for GSO and Ocean Engineering. A successful 2018 state bond provided $45 million to construct a new pier for the R/V Resolution, a marine operations building, and an ocean technology building that will be shared by GSO and Ocean Engineering. This is the initial phase of a ten-year program that will rejuvenate the Narragansett Bay Campus.
Growing academic opportunities
With dean Corliss’ educational priorities, GSO professors now teach over 1,200 undergraduate students each academic year, primarily though URI’s interdisciplinary “Grand Challenge” courses that address critical global issues. Enrollment has grown more than two-fold since 2012. A revised non-thesis Master of Oceanography degree was launched in 2016, allowing students to create tailored programs of study in coastal systems, fisheries, ocean technology or general oceanography that support the students’ career development as well as employers’ needs.
Dean Corliss has significantly contributed to the revitalization of GSO’s faculty. Eleven new faculty hires occurred during his tenure with searches currently underway for two additional faculty addressing local and global research priorities.
Looking forward
Bruce Corliss’ extraordinary vision and leadership have put GSO on the right course. Thanks to his legacy we begin 2020 and a new decade confident that GSO will continue to advance and expand its role as one of the world’s premier academic institutions for ocean education, research and outreach.