{"id":183816,"date":"2024-03-25T11:07:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/?p=183816"},"modified":"2024-03-25T11:08:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T15:08:20","slug":"state-leaders-express-support-for-rhode-islands-university-during-uri-day-at-state-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/uncategorized\/state-leaders-express-support-for-rhode-islands-university-during-uri-day-at-state-house\/","title":{"rendered":"State leaders express support for \u2018Rhode Island\u2019s university\u2019 during URI Day at State House"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

URI representatives showcase University\u2019s research, academic prowess, and statewide impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRhody, Rhody, Rhody! Rams, Rams, Rams!,\u201d echoed through the Rhode Island State House rotunda as University of Rhode Island cheerleaders led hundreds of onlookers in the URI chant while representatives of \u201cRhode Island\u2019s university\u201d showcased the work and impact of the state\u2019s flagship research institution during URI Day at the State House March 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of lawmakers and other state leaders received a first-hand look at the impact URI has across the state, New England region, and nation. Students, faculty, and staff presented interactive exhibits highlighting the University\u2019s broad educational and research activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Our state\u2019s greatest asset\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet it be known that this Providence College graduate will say that the University of Rhode Island is our state\u2019s greatest asset,\u201d Secretary of State Gregg Amore said during a rally on the rotunda steps. \u201cWe have nothing but pride around URI. I\u2019m proud to be at the forefront of the funding battles, and I\u2019m proud every time I get the opportunity to talk about how great URI is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi reiterated the significant support URI has in the General Assembly and expressed his desire to continue investing in the University for the benefit of the entire state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the House of Representatives, you have a contingency of supporters like no other group in the state,\u201d Shekarchi said, noting the number of URI graduates who hold elected office. \u201cURI teaches students to dream big and achieve great things. As you can see, you are doing just that. I\u2019m really proud that Rhode Island\u2019s public university offers a world-class education, which is affordable and attainable. We in the General Assembly, and me as speaker, we have your back. I\u2019m proud of the commitments we\u2019ve made to help this University thrive and grow together. We value URI\u2019s role in the state\u2019s economy and we want to build on that partnership going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
URI trustee Cortney Nicolato, center, talks with Secretary of State Gregg Amore, right, and fellow trustee Jay Placencia, left, at Thursday\u2019s State House celebration. (URI Photo\/Catherine Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, who recently visited the Narragansett Bay Campus, spoke about the leadership role the University and state play in the blue economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have an opportunity in this state to be on the forefront of the blue economy and the green economy, and URI has an outstanding research facility right on the bay,\u201d Ruggerio said. \u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous opportunity that we have to fund and we have to make available to the students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cURI is on the map and we\u2019re going to have a great opportunity to attract people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other state officials addressed the State House crowd, including Gov. Dan McKee\u2019s Chief of Staff Antonio Alfonso, who delivered a citation from the governor, and General Treasurer James Diossa, who said URI is a point of pride for the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are all proud of all URI grads and the contributions they have made to our state, to our economy, to our government, to innovation,\u201d Diossa said. \u201cThat\u2019s why we must continue supporting URI every step of the way. The legislature has been very supportive of URI and we must continue investing, supporting and ensuring that innovation continues to grow in our state through URI.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diossa praised Parlange, who he said \u201chas brought a new energy and a new sense of collaboration that I think we can all get behind and support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parlange, for his part, thanked state leaders for their support and offered a special thanks to a delegation he called \u201ccommitted ambassadors and champions of the University,\u201d including Senators Sue Sosnowski and Alana DiMario, and Representatives Carol McEntee, Kathy Fogarty, Teresa Tanzi, and Tina Spears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elected leaders also praised the work of the University\u2019s Board of Trustees and Chair Margo Cook and Vice Chair Armand Sabitoni. Sabitoni opened the speaking program, emphasizing \u201cwe are Rhode Island\u2019s university, and at URI, we are working hard to address the state and the governor\u2019s priorities.\u201d Sabitonio noted URI\u2019s work to support education, positive health outcomes, and access to jobs that will increase incomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accelerating Rhode Island\u2019s work in biomedical and life sciences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio speaks during URI Day. (URI Photo\/Nora Lewis)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Several displays featured work in the biomedical and life sciences. The state of Rhode Island, through its newly launched Rhode Island Life Sciences Hub, is poised to be a life sciences leader, accelerating important medical advances and scientific breakthroughs. URI is a key partner in advancing this state priority with a strong foundation for leading cutting-edge research and education in the biomedical sciences, including neuroscience. Gov. Dan McKee recently included a proposed $80 million general obligation bond for a biomedical sciences building on URI\u2019s Kingston Campus in his annual budget request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nursing students discussed health and health care, while pharmacy students and faculty members talked about vaccines and opioid use disorder. Nutrition and food science experts featured their \u201cVeggie Meter,\u201d testing attendees\u2019 levels of carotenoids, pigments from plants that act as antioxidants in the human body, while students and faculty members in kinesiology displayed wearable technology that can monitor the body\u2019s vital signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presentations from the George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience and the Rhode Island IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) further bolstered the biomedical advances being made at URI, as did the College of Engineering, which displayed a robotic arm in motion, as well as wearable biosensing devices that collect physiological data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe collect medical grade data through wearable sensors for diagnostic information or to measure treatment efficacy,\u201d said engineering professor Kunal Mankodiya, noting that biotech company EchoWEAR has its roots in the program. \u201cSeveral state representatives came by and tried our demos and could see the health impact of this work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018You have given us momentum and we are on our way\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Additional displays throughout the rotunda put the full breadth of the University\u2019s work on display. The Department of Geosciences exhibited a variety of rocks and fossils, including the state rock, Cumberlandite; the state mineral, bowenite; and the soon-to-be state fossil, trilobite. The Graduate School of Oceanography<\/strong> showcased research of hurricanes, ocean robotics and offshore wind. There were also opportunities to engage with members of the College of Engineering, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education and College of Business, as well as with members of the Talent Development program, URI Foundation and Alumni Engagement, and Honors Program, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several dozen coaches, student-athletes, and spirit squad members\u2014including Rhody the Ram\u2014were on hand to raise the Rhody spirit, which was evident among legislators and other state leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really great to hear this warm welcome and the love for URI,\u201d Parlange said as he closed the program. \u201cTo the faculty, staff, students, the coaches, I am so proud of you. You are the best, the strongest, the brightest. URI is indeed Rhode Island\u2019s university, he continued. \u201cWe are grateful to Rhode Islanders for their support over the years, and we are incredibly grateful to the state for an historic reinvestment in URI. You have given us momentum and we are on our way to building a university of the future\u2014together.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week, GSO participated in a showcase of the work and impact of the state\u2019s flagship research institution during URI Day at the State House.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4762,"featured_media":183819,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[79,1],"tags":[2008],"class_list":["post-183816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorized","tag-steep"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4762"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183816"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":183822,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183816\/revisions\/183822"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}