William “Kohl” Brinkman ’13
grew up on—and in, and especially under the surface of—Long Island Sound. Small wonder he came to URI to major in history and minor in underwater archaeology, the only program of its kind in the world. Through the URI Research Diving Program, he earned certification as a Rescue Diver, Dive Master, and Scientific Diver, and interned with the URI diving safety officer, helping to educate more research divers. Our Office of Experiential Learning also helped him land internships with the Kingston Fire Department and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. While his fallback career is revitalizing the commercial diving and salvage business he founded in high school, Kohl’s dream job would be to continue what he’s doing for NOAA in Michigan this summer: “mapping shipwrecks, analyzing artifacts, preserving our submerged cultural heritage.”