March is Women’s History Month, and it seems a fitting time to celebrate some of the women who make up the broad diversity of the URI community, elevating the life of our campus and the lives of people throughout Rhode Island and the world.

In that vein, allow me to introduce We’re Offering Women Wisdom, an all-female student organization celebrating its tenth anniversary at URI. So popular that its alumnae return to campus for a reunion every year, the group reminds us of the importance of support and acceptance, inclusion and kindness, and of the key role mentoring plays for our students and for all of us, in our professional and personal lives.

One recent graduate you will read about achieved an impressive first for the University. Morgan Breene ’14 (summa cum laude) was one of 31 American winners of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. She will use her award to pursue two master’s degrees over two years of study in the United Kingdom. This Rhode Island native exemplifies what a URI education has come to embody: rigorous scholarship; creative inquiry; and preparation to compete in a global economy, all grounded in the University’s commitment to “enriching the lives of its students through its land, sea, and urban grant traditions.”

While we were delighted at this award, we were not surprised. In recent years, growing numbers of our students have pursued international study, travel abroad, and foreign languages. As part of our transformational goal of globalizing the University, international undergraduate enrollment has dramatically increased. Consider this: Even before the U.S. announced that it was normalizing relations with Cuba, 20 URI undergraduates were signed up to travel to Cuba over J Term. There, they explored culture, politics, sports, education, and economic reform, and spent time with Cuban families for a truly authentic experience. Other new J Term destinations included Chile, France, Korea, and the Philippines; travel programs overall have seen a 63-percent increase in enrollment.

Students who choose to stay closer to home are also forging brave new paths. It’s fitting to close with the story of another 2014 graduate, Clara Feliz. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she joined URI as a Talent Development Program participant. Her drive to give back to the community led her to an internship at the maximum security prison. Today, she works to help prisoners transition back into society. In this issue’s feature on alumnae working with Rhode Island’s correctional system, you will read about the challenges and rewards Clara and other URI women face in a setting that most of us would find more foreign than Cuba.

And that brings us right back where we started: Kindness, acceptance, and service, guiding lights for the women—and men—of URI.

Wishing you a warm and wonderful spring,

David M. Dooley