Panhia Lee

A $1 million gift makes summer research and internships possible for nine students

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Thanks to a $1 million gift to Providence College, four students are engaged in research with faculty this summer, while five others are receiving financial support to intern with nonprofit organizations. 

The College used $600,000 from the gift to establish the Veritas Research Fund, which will support undergraduate students in research with faculty mentors, and $300,000 to establish the Veritas Distinguished Internships, which will provide stipends for students working with nonprofits. Another $100,000 was donated to the PC Fund, which supports the College’s operational needs, including financial aid.

“Both these programs keep students engaged with their fields of study during the summer and give them wonderful learning experiences outside the classroom,” said the donor, who attended PC and wishes to remain anonymous. “I admire people who give their lives to working with nonprofits, especially in human services, and I’m very pleased to have been able to play a part in encouraging that at the College.”

The first four Veritas scholars received $4,000 stipends to assist them in their summer research. They are Meaghan Creamer ’17 (Syracuse, N.Y.), an elementary special education major; Joan Miller ’18 (Oakdale, Conn.), a music performance and art history double major; Blaine Payer ’18 (Fall River, Mass.), a philosophy major; and Kimberly Pena Maida ’17 (Marlborough, Mass.), a global studies major. 

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Innovative academic facilities, creative faculty are models for peer institutions

From Bello 102 and the Ideation Lab to the Academic Innovation Center, Bryant’s investment in state-of-the art academic facilities has enhanced active learning so well that other colleges and universities are taking note.

Members of Bryant’s Academic Affairs and Information Services teams have been featured presenters at national conferences focusing on some of the most important topics in education – including active teaching, experiential learning, and the state-of-the-art technology that supports them. Most recently, Glenn M. Sulmasy, J.D., L.L.M, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, was a delegate to the New York Times Higher Ed Leaders Forum June 20-21, where he took part in collaborative, peer-to-peer roundtables for select presidents, provosts and chancellors.

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Continuing a family legacy of generosity for higher education

For Skip Hebert ’72 and his wife, Katherine, higher education is an inseparable part of their family heritage. “Education is very important in both of our families,” explains Hebert. “Both my grandparents and my wife’s grandparents created trust funds for each of their grandchildren’s college education as they were born,” he adds, recognizing what a significant gift that was. That’s why the Heberts have made a $10,000 pledge to Bryant’s Partners in Scholarship Fund, in support of Expanding the World of Opportunity: The Campaign for Bryant’s Bold Future. Increasing access to a Bryant education through student scholarships is one of the pillars of the campaign.

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RWU Marine Scientists to Work Toward Reef Conservation at International Coral Reef Symposium

In sharing their latest research, professors Andrew Rhyne and Koty Sharp collaborate on coral reef conservation strategies among 2,500 scientists and policy makers

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Two marine science experts from Roger Williams University joined 2,500 scientists, policy makers and environmental managers from 70 nations this week to share the latest research and devise strategies for conserving and protecting coral reefs around the world at the 13th Annual International Coral Reef Symposium in Honolulu.

Andrew Rhyne, an assistant professor of marine biology at RWU and research scientist at New England Aquarium, will present an original invention and an online database – both developed in partnership with Michael Tlusty of New England Aquarium – and discuss how real-time information on the aquarium trade can help inform policy decisions for more effective fisheries management. With Aquariumtradedata.org, Rhyne and Tlusty have synthesized several years’ of tropical fish export invoices for the aquarium trade into an interactive map that allows users to query by species and location for information on export numbers and sources. As a spinoff from that database, the scientists also created a tool that digitizes export invoices and feeds it into an online data system that automatically checks species identity and origin using optical character software to advance the port inspection process and, potentially, curb the illegal wildlife trade.

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