Former URI Vice President of University Advancement Robert (Bob) Beagle and his wife Gerri recently celebrated the garden that’s an offshoot of the scholarship fund they created.

The Robert M. Beagle Family Endowment, established in 2012, chiefly assists students at URI’s Harrington School of Communication and Media looking to participate in off-campus experiential learning. Beagle, a fixture at URI from 1991 until his retirement in 2012, knew many students would love to participate in hands-on, real-world opportunities beyond Kingston. But while internships earn college credits, they generally don’t pay. Many students “can’t afford to do internships,” says Beagle. “And many of the students getting good jobs out of college were the ones who’d had a good internship experience, because it was an added dimension to their undergraduate degree.”

In addition to its internship mission, the endowment provides operating funds for the enhancement and support of the URI Alumni Center and its grounds. The Beagle Garden showcases native perennials and is the setting for many alumni events.