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From left, RIC Class of 2016 nursing students Dorothy Emeline Allen, Eric Hartley, Alexander Averill and
Emma Romano with Dean of the School of Nursing Jane Williams.
RIC’s 10th President, Dr. Frank D. Sánchez
Advanced Manufacturing
Technology and Therapy
Preparing the 21st-Century Workforce
A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E | Fall/Winter 2016/17
PRESIDENT’S
Message
Dear Alumni and Friends,
It’s a very exciting time to be joining the RIC community. We are growing new programs and facilities, innovating new ways to help build Rhode Island’s workforce and launching entirely new student-centered approaches to education. I thank the Rhode Island College Alumni
Association for the opportunity to keep our alumni, “the conscience of the college,” updated on how the college is leading across the state and region.
My entire career in higher education has been to improve experi-ences and outcomes for students. I was drawn to Rhode Island College because so much of what’s happening on campus right now aligns with my belief that, in higher education, students are at the center of our work. I could not be more honored to be named the 10th President of this storied school and join a community that values students and their success the way RIC does.
Our college provides a crucial link to career advancement for so many Rhode Islanders, especially first-generation college students. RIC graduates represent the working professionals and educators of the future who will help grow the state’s economy. With nearly 80 percent of our alumni residing right here in the Ocean State, over the coming years RIC will strengthen our academic programs to further contribute to the development of Rhode Island’s 21st Century workforce.
Rhode Island College possesses national and regionally recognized programs. Nursing students recently achieved a 93 percent pass rate, making the RN to BSN program #1 in New England. Our accounting program has been ranked in the top 10 percent in the nation by Best-Accounting-Schools.com. The School of Social Work is the only publicly funded social work program in the state. And RIC will soon host a freshmen class of which 43 percent identify as first-generation college students.
Over the last five years the college has experienced record enroll-ment of first-year students due to our affordability and quality of education. More and more families are seeing RIC as a first-choice institution. These are but a few of the reasons why I am thrilled to begin serving as your president. I look forward to meeting you in the weeks and months ahead.
Yours in Education,
Dr. Frank D. Sánchez President
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FALL/WINTER 2016/17
IN THIS
Issue600 Mt. Pleasant AvenueProvidence, RI 02908-1996
The Rhode Island College Alumni Association, founded in 1887, has existed to serve
and promote interest in Rhode Island College. The association
assists the college with its mission through its time,
talent and resources – financial and otherwise.
The Rhode Island College Alumni Magazine is published
twice a year by the Rhode Island College Alumni Association.
EditorsSuzy Alba ’05Chad Minnich
Editorial StaffGita Brown
Nancy Hoogasian Emerizialina Moreira ’17
Marcia Selinger Jeff Theodore
Guest WriterJohn Taraborelli ’02
PhotographerGene St. Pierre ’77
Correspondence to:Office of Alumni and
College RelationsRhode Island College600 Mt. Pleasant Ave.
Providence, RI 02908-1996
Phone: (401) 456-8086Fax: (401) 456-8851
Email: [email protected]
©Rhode Island College Fall/Winter 2016/17
FEATURESSánchez Selected 10th President of Rhode Island College ................................................. 12
The School of Nursing Prepares to Launch RIC’s First Independent Doctoral Program .... 14
RIC’s New Institute for Education in Healthcare Aims to Move the
Workforce Forward ........................................................................................................ 17
Technology Takes Therapy out of the Office and onto Electronic Platform ..................... 19
Future Social Workers Train in Virtual World and Real World ........................................ 21
RIC Prepares ESL Teachers for Rhode Island’s Changing Demographics ........................ 23
Manufacturing for the Future ............................................................................................. 24
Workforce in Transition ...................................................................................................... 26
Success is More Than Just Trophies for RIC Student-Athletes .......................................... 33
Award-Winning School of Education Alumni Share Their Wisdom ................................. 34
HIGHLIGHTSAlumni Events ..................................................................................................................... 6
Commencement .................................................................................................................. 8
Alumni Awards .................................................................................................................... 10
Golden Years Reunion ......................................................................................................... 35
Class Notes .......................................................................................................................... 36
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ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONPRESIDENT’S
Message
Dear Rhode Island College Alumni and Friends,
I am honored and excited to lead our Alumni Association as the newly elected president as together we continue to build and strengthen alumni ties to the college. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate and welcome the members of the Class of 2016, our newest graduates, into the alumni community. Welcome also to our newest members of the RIC community, our new college president, Dr. Frank D. Sánchez, his wife Lori and their children.
I started at Rhode Island College in the 1970s, after serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1965-1969. Charles Willard ’34 was president and the campus was growing by leaps and bounds. The School of Social Work was established, as were the Bachelor of General Studies degree, the Management program and the Film Studies major. (Full disclosure: I actually started, or tried to start, my RIC career in 1965, when I graduated from Hope High School, but was politely rejected at that time.)
When I did arrive to the RIC campus and began my studies, my time here was incredibly rewarding. In addition to academics, I got to know the college community as an employee, working first in the Office of Residential Life as director of Weber Hall and, later, of Willard Hall. I also worked in the Student Union for the Office of Student Activities as well as in the Offices of Student Financial Aid and (then) Career Development. My time in Student Affairs provided me the opportunity to be part of the incredible staff at RIC and to help guide and mentor many generations of students to ensure their growth and success.
I left RIC for the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and later worked in the Governor’s Office
as senior policy analyst for Education, Economic Development, Military Affairs and Minority Affairs. My years of service in government, the Rhode Island National Guard and, now, in the Providence VA Medical Center bring me into constant contact with Rhode Islanders; not a week goes by without running into someone associated with Rhode Island College. The number of RIC graduates serving the state in public office and in civic affairs is striking.
For me and many other first-generation college students, RIC was our first choice, the gateway to upward mobility and so many other opportunities. And today many RIC students are also children or grandchildren, nieces and nephews or siblings of those who have gone before them and proudly graduated from this college. It is no wonder that Rhode Island College has such a strong impact on our state and the lives of so many.
I am honored to begin my tenure as the 2016-2018 Alumni Association President. I have had the privilege of serving on the Alumni Association Board on two occasions. I am excited to work with our new president, the administration, faculty, students and especially our alumni to promote the goals and mission of our college and our Alumni Association.
Please read about our past and upcoming events and initiatives in this issue. We have included dates worth noting in your calendar. Above all, I value your feedback as one of RIC’s graduates. I want to hear from you. Please contact me with any ideas and suggestions at [email protected]. I look forward to serving the college in my new role. With your help, I know it will be an exciting time for our students and our alumni.
Best wishes,
Mathies J. Santos ’82 RIC Alumni Association President
OFFICERS
Mathies Santos ’82 President
Michael Smith ’79 Vice President
Corsino Delgado ’82 Treasurer
Mariam Boyajian ’70, M.A. ’72 Secretary
William Fazioli ’86 Past President
DIRECTORSDavid Bradley ’13Colleen Callahan ’72, M.Ed. ’76Hillary Costa ’14Mark Cousineau ’88Harold Devine ’65, M.Ed. ’70, C.A.G.S. ’76Thomas Fitzgerald ’99Georgia Fortunato ’81, M.Ed. ’85Sharen Gleckman ’84Diane Mederos ’74Monica Page ’96Karen Schnabel ’06Christopher Schuler ’06Barbara Smith ’70Ronda Warrener ’89, MA ’12
Alumni Association Officer Photo L-R Corsino Delgado ’82, Treasurer; Michael Smith ’79, Vice President;
Mariam Boyajian ’70, M.A. ’72, Secretary; Mathies Santos ’82, President; and William Fazioli ’86, Past President
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Dear RIC graduate,
As we welcome winter in New England and here on our beautiful campus, we are reminded of the changes taking place at Rhode Island College. For one, our academic and campus buildings have received much needed enhancements over the past several years. Next time you’re on campus, stop by our state-of-the art brand-new School of Nursing wing in the Fogarty Life Science Building, ALEX AND ANI Hall, which is home to the Art Department, Penfield
Residence Hall and the Recreation Center. In the near future Gaige and Craig-Lee Halls will also be completely renovated. You won’t believe how much the campus has grown and changed.
Our new president, Dr. Frank D. Sánchez, has settled in nicely and is already making a positive impact on our students, our campus community and our alumni. We had the pleasure of introducing the president and his family to our alumni at our recent Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, as well as at numerous events on and off campus. The college is proud to announce that the Inauguration of President Sánchez will be held on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 in the Auditorium in Roberts Hall. Please look for an invitation in the mail or in your inbox. Starting on Sunday, Feb. 12, throughout the week leading up to the inauguration there will be many opportunities for our graduates to meet and talk with President Sánchez about any issue or ideas you may have about how alumni can work together to forward his vision for the college.
MESSAGE FROM THE
Director
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Alumni engagement is a priority of our Alumni Association, and we continue to think of new and innovative ways to connect with and support generations of alumni. In addition to the many regular events and activities we host on a monthly basis, for the second year, in partnership with RIC’s Career Development Center, we will be hosting our Personal and Professional Development series in which we offer a variety of workshops to assist our graduates with managing life and career transitions and milestones. These on-campus programs, facilitated by professional experts, are offered free of charge to our alumni. Our Alumni Association also hosts yearly reunions for our 5th-45th reunions, as well as our decades-old 50th Golden Anniversary celebration. For graduates living outside of Rhode Island, our new Boston and New York City RIC Alumni Chapters host gatherings for alumni who live and work in these regions.
What has not changed is our commitment to serving and engaging with our alumni and encouraging and facilitating lifelong relationships between our graduates and current students. Our graduates have much to offer our students and the college. We hope that you will stay connected, get involved and offer your time, talents and treasure so that Rhode Island College continues to deliver the education that we have all benefited from.
I wish you and your families a very happy and healthy holiday season and new year.
Warm regards,
Suzy Alba ’05 Director, Alumni Affairs and College Relations
Alumni Association Board of Directors Photo L-R David Bradley ’13, Corsino Delgado ’82, Barbara Smith ’70, Harold Devine ’65, M.Ed. ’70, C.A.G.S. ’76, Georgia Fortunato ’81, M.Ed. ’85, Michael Smith ’79, Sharen Gleckman ’84,
Hillary Costa ’14, Christopher Schuler ’06, Diane Mederos ’74, Mariam Boyajian ’70, M.A. ’72, Mathies Santos ’82, Karen Schnabel ’06, Monica Paige ’96, Colleen Callahan ’72, M.Ed. ’76, William Fazioli ’86
*Not pictured: Mark Cousineau ’88, Thomas Fitzgerald ’99 and Ronda Warrener ’89, M.A. ’12
President Sánchez and Alumni Association Board member Sharen Gleckman ’84
Roberta DeAndrade ’59, Patricia Maciel ’61, Marianne Needham ’59, Fred Reinhardt, Al DeAndrade ’59, President Frank Sánchez and Alice Reinhardt ’59
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Scott Kane, Hillary Costa ’14 and
Robert Sanchas ’16
Amy Glidden ’16, Alexander Hoffman ’15 and Aaron Buckley ’12
Chirin Ashkar ’14 and Phillip Ashkar
John J. Smith ’63, Vin Cullen ’55 and Tom Izzo ’64
RIC Alumni Board and Volunteers Welcome President and Mrs. Sánchez at Newport Vineyards
New and Recent Graduate Welcome Party at AQUA
ALUMNI
Events
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Upcoming Alumni Events
Register now to attend one of our events at http://www.ric.edu/go/alumniregistration.
RIC Alumni at Providence Bruins
Young Alumni and Recent Graduates Mentoring Social
The Lion King at PPAC
• Friday, January 20, 2017
• 7:05 p.m. Providence Bruins vs. Rochester
• $10 per person
• Game ticket, popcorn and a brew or soda
• Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence
• Thursday, February 2, 2017
• 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
• $5 per person includes appetizers, beer tastings, brewery tour and mentoring event and speaker
• Brutopia Kitchen and Revival Brewery, Cranston
• Thursday, March 9, 2017
• 6 – 7:30 p.m. Private Reception hosted by alumnus Alan Chille ’82, PPAC General Manager
• 7:30 p.m. Lion King Show
• $68 per person includes show ticket, premier parking, light fare, cocktails, dessert and coffee reception
• Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence
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Commencement 2016
Members of the 1966 Golden Anniversary Class march in the procession.
Fiona Adams ’16, Adetoro Adekeye ’16, Kyle Albano ’16 and Nicole Alvernaz ’16
Ross McCurdy ’98, M.Ed. ’02, honorary degree recipient
Deloris Davis Grant ’88, MAT ’94, undergraduate commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient
Gerard Lessard ’66, president of the Class of 1966, addresses the 2016 graduates and presents the Class of 1966 Golden Anniversary Gift.
Josh Estrella ’16, Class of 2016 president, addresses his classmates.
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Jonathan Soto ’16 Henry Lim ’16 and Alee Khang ’16
Douglas Hood ’16 receives his diploma.
Alumna of the Year Betsy C. Balzano ’56 Distinguished Service Professor Emerita The College at Brockport, SUNY
Alumni Service Award Ann C. Morrill ’56 Retired Teacher Seekonk Public Schools
Alumni Faculty Award Ellen Bigler Professor of Educational Studies & Anthropology Rhode Island College
Alumni Staff Award Gregory Gammell Associate Director of Facilities & Head Coach, Men’s Golf Rhode Island College
Young Alumni Award Travis Escobar ’13 Project Manager Public Policy United Way of Rhode Island
2016 Alumni Award Honorees
Charles B. Willard Achievement Award Alan Tenreiro ’98, M.Ed. ’05 Principal Cumberland High School
Walter Musto ’00 Honor Roll Co-Chair
Alumni Awards Dinner EmceesMike Montecalvo ’84 WPRI TV 12
2016Alumni Awards
Dinner
Rhode Island College Alumni Awards DinnerEach spring, the Rhode Island College
Alumni Association presents awards to
exceptional graduates and community
leaders. Candidates are chosen on the basis
of professional achievement, community
service and service to the college or Alumni
Association. We also recognize seven
outstanding students with $1,000
scholarships made possible by the RIC
Alumni Association.
The Alumni Awards dinner is a time-honored
tradition at Rhode Island College.
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RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE FACULTY OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Communication Al Gomes ’86 Founder/CEO Big Noise
Communication Ashley Sadlier ’07 Director - Rhode Island Skilled Pediatric & Adult Nursing Office Bayada Home Health Care
Theatre Jason Rainone ’98 Senior Lighting Designer Abernathy Lighting Design, Inc.
2016 Honor Roll Recipients
Nursing Mary Leveillee ’87 B.S.N. Ph.D., R.N., PMHCNS BC Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer Butler Hospital
SCHOOL OF NURSING
Social Work Michael Nordé ’12, MSW ’13 Inpatient Case Manager Providence VA Medical Center
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Accounting Danny Saccoccio ’99 CPA, CFE Financial Auditor Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office - District of Rhode Island
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Elementary Education Early Childhood Melinda Smith ’80 Superintendent North Providence School Department
FEINSTEIN SCHOOL OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Maria Dunphy ’95, Professor Ellen Bigler and Judy Almy-Coutu ’95
Alan Tenreiro ’98, M.Ed. ’05 and daughter
Al Gomes ’86 and guests
Ann Cassidy Morrill ’56, M. Ed. ’71 and daughter Rebecca Holter
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The Council on Postsecondary Education named Frank D. Sánchez, Ph.D., as the new president of Rhode Island College at its meeting on May 11. The council’s vote concluded a five-month search process that began with over 40 applicants from across the nation. Sánchez succeeds Nancy Carriuolo as the 10th president in RIC’s storied 162-year history.
Sánchez, former vice chancellor for student affairs at the City University of New York (CUNY), was one of four candidates recommended for the position by the 11-member presidential search committee that included representatives from the RIC faculty, staff and student body, as well as council members and community leaders.
Chair of the Council on Postsecondary Education and of the RIC Presidential Search Committee Bill Foulkes said that the search process yielded four extremely qualified, diverse candidates.
“While it was a difficult decision, we selected Dr. Sánchez because of his commitment to students,” said Foulkes. “Specifically, we were impressed with his track record in implementing effective student success and enrollment management initiatives as well as his history of leadership in supporting innovative teaching and learning efforts while expanding financial resources for students. The council feels confident that Dr. Sánchez will have an equally positive impact on RIC students, while creating opportunities for Rhode Island College to play a broader role in the community.”
Sánchez earned his B.S. in psychology from the University of Nebraska, his M.S. in student affairs and higher education from Colorado State University and his Ph.D. in higher education administration from Indiana University.
For over 20 years, Sánchez has advanced teaching and learning by supporting innovative public-private partnerships, student services, programs, policies and external funding aimed at increasing student success and degree completion. From 2011 to this July Sánchez provided university-wide leadership for CUNY’s 24 distinct colleges, educating 500,000 students within the largest urban, public university in the United States. He has also partnered with the Robin Hood Foundation and Single Stop USA to expand access to legal and financial counseling, tax preparation, health insurance and other benefits for the university’s most financially vulnerable students. In four years, the financial resources allocated to CUNY’s students
grew from $11.8 million to $40 million.
Sánchez was appointed to Colorado Governor Bill Ritter’s P-20 Education Taskforce in 2008 and, in 2015, was appointed to the New York State Board of Regents Workgroup to Improve Outcomes for Boys and Young Men of Color. Prior to moving to CUNY, Sánchez served as associate vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Colorado Denver and as the vice president for student affairs at Adams State University. During his tenure at Adams State, the graduation rates for Hispanic students improved from 15 percent to 51 percent in three years. Sánchez is also a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) board of directors and is the chair of the NASPA Taskforce on Program Review.
President Sánchez began his tenure at the college on July 1 and will be officially inaugurated on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.
“Specifically, we were impressed with his track record in implementing effective student success and enrollment management initiatives as well as his history of
leadership in supporting innovative teaching and learning efforts while expanding financial resources for students.”
— Chair of the Council on Postsecondary Education and of the RIC Presidential Search Committee Bill Foulkes
Sánchez Selected 10th President of Rhode Island College
RIC President Frank D. Sánchez engages in conversation with RIC Associate Professor of Chemistry Chin Hin Leung.
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The School of Nursing Prepares to Launch RIC’s First Independent Doctoral ProgramBy John Taraborelli ’02
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Health care is the largest workforce in Rhode Island and nurses are the largest workforce in health care. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting a shortage of 1 million nurses by 2020, and Rhode Island alone is expected to need 4,000. But what people may not realize is that the demand in the industry is not just for more nurses, it’s for nurses with more advanced training.
Advanced practice nurses (those with a post-graduate degree) are in high demand and come in several varieties: N.P. (nurse practitioner), C.R.N.A. (certified nurse anesthetist), C.N.S. (clinical nurse specialist) and C.N.M. (certified nurse midwife); and all require a master’s degree. However, in 2010 the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) issued a report called “The Future of Nursing,” which recommended doubling the number of nurses with a doctoral degree by 2020. This echoed a 2004 position paper by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the governing body that oversees colleges, that called for moving advanced nursing practice from the master’s to the doctorate level by 2015.
This is a sweeping change – especially when you consider the fact that
“It’s great to have it in our backyard. It will create a pathway for more of us to reach that higher level and pursue some really interesting questions that will help us contribute to the nursing profession. I can’t think of a better place to do it than at RIC.” — Wendy Doremus
doctorate degrees for nursing have only existed since 1979. Case Western Reserve University introduced the first one – a nonspecialized degree on par with a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). Other options have been developed since, but they were primarily research focused: either the Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc) or the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in nursing. It wasn’t until 1999 that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center pioneered the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), focused on clinical practice and leadership training.
As a result of AACN’s 2004 position paper and its enthusiastic support of the DNP degree, demand for such programs has exploded across the country. In 2006 there were approximately 20 DNP programs nationwide; by 2014 that number was 264. This fall, Rhode Island College will enroll its first DNP class, which also happens to be the first independent doctoral degree at the school as well. (RIC and URI currently offer a joint Ph.D. in education program.)
“This is truly significant in meeting the needs of health populations throughout the state,” said Marie Wilks, director of the new DNP program. “The critical
importance of increasing the number of advanced practice nurses in the state is emphasized in ‘The Future of Nursing.’”
Planning for the program has been underway since 2014, when a needs assessment was conducted that showed existing demand for the DNP degree on campus and in the field. “The need for the program was immediately understood and embraced,” explained Dean Jane Williams of RIC’s School of Nursing. “When we proposed our DNP program we had immediate, amazing, strong support from the nursing community.”
The move is in line with both RIC’s history of educating nurses for Rhode Island and its more recent focus on responding to the state’s need for a more advanced, highly skilled workforce. “This program really means we are future- focused and meeting the demands of our profession and the whole health care community,” said Williams.
The DNP is a very different kind of nursing degree. The emphasis is not just on clinical nursing practice but also on developing the high-level leadership skills necessary to improve outcomes across the health care system. “It’s a complex
RIC DNP student Wendy Doremus and Dean of the School of Nursing Jane Williams
The students enrolled in the School of Nursing’s new DNP program will have the opportunity to learn in new facilities that are expanding both the school’s footprint and its capabilities. Two capital projects – one on campus and the other Downtown – are building capacity for a School of Nursing that is rapidly becoming larger and more technologically advanced.
On the RIC campus, nursing has outgrown its now cramped space in Fogarty Life Science. Funded through a voter-approved bond, a 9,000-square-foot addition was recently completed to the east of the original building. Designed by RCG Architects of Baltimore, the addition includes a number of enhancements to the current program: a new fundamentals lab, health assessment lab, a human patient simulator room and a debriefing room. A light-filled lounge area with floor to ceiling windows and an outdoor patio gives nursing students a much-needed area for studying and congregating.
professional area of practice,” Williams explained. “You have to be knowledgeable about nursing care and health problems, and also about information technology, quality improvement, current research, leadership and teamwork.”
To understand the difference between other advanced nursing degrees and the DNP, think of the difference between caring for patients and improving patient outcomes across the system. As Williams summarized, “The advanced practice nurse knows how to work very well within the health care system; the DNP knows how to change the system.”
This means the DNP is focused less on delivering care to patients and more on how to improve the way care is being delivered. “A master’s prepared nurse is going to understand how to take care of a certain population. That nurse will be very well informed about the latest diabetic care or management of chronic diseases – the practice area,” said Williams. “The DNP nurse is going to know more about what kinds of changes to the model would make care more efficient or cost effective. In the end, the care will be of higher quality and outcomes will be better.”
The launch of the program also creates somewhat of a virtuous cycle for a college that has traditionally been focused on educating educators. The demand for nurses means more students are going to be enrolling in RIC’s nursing programs. That means more advanced practice nurses achieving doctoral degrees through this program, which in turn means there will
be more potential faculty members to teach at the doctoral level.
The program is two years and 36 credits, with 1,000 clinical/practical hours. At the end, doctoral candidates will complete a capstone project focused on improving care. Students will design a solution for a specific area of health care, implement it and demonstrate that it actually improves outcomes.
DNP students will also have the chance to take advantage of the newest and best facilities the college has to offer. In addition to being based at the Yellow Cottage, the traditional home of the nursing school’s M.S.N. program, it will also use the simulation/learning resource center in the new addition to the Fogarty Life Science Building. But the real excitement comes next year with the opening of the new joint RIC-URI Nursing Education Center in the former South Street power station. There, Wilks promised, “DNP students will have access to an outstanding simulation center and resources with an emphasis on inter-collaborative and inter-professional learning.”
Wendy Doremus will be part of the DNP program’s inaugural class in the fall. She is already an instructor at the RIC School of Nursing and will now pursue her terminal degree here. “It’s great to have it in our backyard. It will create a pathway for more of us to reach that higher level and pursue some really interesting questions that will help us contribute to the nursing profession,” she said, adding, “I can’t think of a better place to do it than at RIC.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the opening of the addition on Friday, October 7.
Across town, in a reimagining of an old power plant, the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center is bringing more than 120,000 square feet of classrooms and technology to the nursing programs at RIC and the University of Rhode Island. Currently known as South Street Landing, the building, located in Providence’s Jewelry District, will house a shared nursing facility for both RIC and URI’s separate programs, giving both institutions access to state-of-the-art simulation labs, clinical teaching labs, mock hospital areas and classrooms. The first public-private partnership of its kind in Rhode Island, South Street Landing also includes Brown University offices, graduate student housing and a parking garage.
The project developer, Commonwealth Ventures, is leveraging existing tax breaks connected to the former power
station, thereby making the project economically feasible. Under the terms of the lease with the developer – vetted and approved by the General Assembly, Board of Education and State Properties Committee – the state will enter into a 15-year lease with an option to purchase after six years.
The Nursing Education Center represents a significant investment by the state in Rhode Island’s number one industry sector, health care and social services, and serves as an anchor building for what is envisioned as a regional hub for health care education. The advanced simulation equipment will allow both RIC and URI to conduct more in-depth and complex training than is currently available in a clinical setting, and the breadth of the center’s capabilities may become a valuable recruitment tool for faculty and students.
The center is expected to open in fall 2017.
Room for ImprovementNew facilities expand the School of Nursing’s capabilities
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Let’s imagine for a moment that you work for a health care organization. You went to college, earned your certification, got a job and worked your way up through the ranks. Now, you’ve been promoted to a management position within your organization. It’s the next logical step in your career, but there’s just one problem: all your education focused on your field of practice, not big-picture thinking about the health care delivery system. What do you do? Where do you go to learn the skills your new role requires?
If Marianne Raimondo is successful in bringing her vision to life, you will go to Rhode Island College, where the
RIC’s New Institute for Education in Healthcare Aims to
Move the Workforce ForwardInstitute for Education in Healthcare will provide training and certification programs for one of the state’s strongest growth industries. “We want to be the go-to organization for health care education,” she declares.
Raimondo is assistant professor in the School of Management, where she directs the Health Care Administration Program. She identified educational needs in the state’s health care industry and the institute is her response.
“I recognized that health care was changing. We’re trying to move toward collaborative models of providing care – that means collaborating across different
types of health care organizations, as well as more team approaches to taking care of patients within organizations,” she explains.
Health care is already the state’s biggest industry and more growth is expected in the next decade. Many of the new jobs created will exist on the periphery of direct medical care, such as community health, administration and behavioral health, or at the nexus of several fields, coordinating care for patients across several institutions. For many workers in these fields, advancement will depend on specialized training programs, professional development and new certifications.
RIC Executive Director of the Institute for Education in Healthcare and Assistant Professor of Management Marianne Raimondo and Director Tonya Glantz
“I recognized that health care was changing. We’re trying to move toward collaborative models of providing care – that means collaborating across different types of health care organizations, as well as more team approaches to taking care of patients within organizations.” — Marianne Raimondo
By John Taraborelli ’02
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“Recognizing all these changes means education needs to change. We can’t continue to teach health care the way we always have, siloed by department,” explains Raimondo. “If we as faculty in health-related programs – nursing, health care administration, life sciences, social work and behavioral health – all came together collaboratively, we could create new education programs that better serve the industry.”
The Institute for Education in Healthcare was announced in April, but Raimondo has been working on it for more than 18 months. She formed a steering committee and commissioned a nine-month feasibility study that asked a variety of health care providers about their workforce needs. Many responses focused on soft skills: customer service, quality management, teamwork, cultural diversity and leadership development for mid-level managers.
“We often hear that nurses are promoted to management positions without a lot of management education,” she cites as an example. “We also hear that health care now is a collaboration of nurse, doctor, physical therapist, pharmacist, behavioral therapist – but nobody’s taught them how to work as a team.”
What Raimondo and her steering committee proposed is an on-campus collaboration that reflects the industry’s needs. Based in the School of Management, which includes the Health Care Administration program, the institute also involves the Schools of Nursing and Social Work; the Psychology Department’s Chemical Dependency/Addiction Studies program; the Biology Department, which houses RIC’s Health
Sciences Programs; the Community Health and Wellness Program from the Department of Health and Physical Education; and the Mental Health Counseling graduate programs. The institute is also partnering with RIC’s Office of Professional Studies and Continuing Education, the Center for Addiction and Behavioral Health Studies and the Office of Research and Grants Administration. In addition, external partners to date include CharterCARE Health Partners, the Hospital Association of Rhode Island and Gateway Healthcare.
“The really brilliant thing about Marianne’s vision is that we’re using the college to model the optimum practices we want to see in the field,” says Tonya Glantz, who was appointed in May to direct the institute. “We’re partnering directly with different departments and institutions to put infrastructure around that vision.”
The institute’s early projects are indicative of its focus on responding to industry needs. For instance, many paraprofessional and entry-level workers at health care providers lack training in behavioral health, which combines mental health and substance abuse treatment. The Department of Labor and Training awarded the institute a Real Jobs RI grant to integrate the basics of behavioral health into training programs. “We’re in the vanguard with infusing behavioral health for staff that may be missing that component,” says Glantz.
The industry is also shifting towards community care models – in essence, treating entire populations through preventative care instead of simply treating individual patients. The institute
is working with the state Department of Health to develop training and certification programs for community health workers.
Raimondo envisions “a lot of customized programs that will go into health care organizations and provide training for their staff. I see us constantly responding to their needs. The institute will improve individuals already working in health care organizations.”
This emphasis on workforce-focused education will also eventually feed back into RIC’s core mission of providing innovative programs that prepare an educated citizenry. “We envision this will create new academic programs for students,” Raimondo says. “We know it will create new internship opportunities for our students, and connections to jobs.”
Though several programs are already underway, Raimondo and Glantz are working to formally launch the institute in fall. They plan to host a conference around the theme of integrating behavioral and physical health that will bring together leaders from across the industry. The event will include prominent keynote speakers, panel discussions focused on local models of integration and more, but the primary goal will be to introduce the institute to the health care industry.
“We’re looking forward to being able to coordinate all those pieces and build capacity within the industry,” says Glantz. “Our goal is that when people think about developing the health care workforce, the first place they think of is RIC’s Institute for Education in Healthcare.”
“Recognizing all these changes means education needs to change. We can’t continue to teach health care the way we always have, siloed by department,” explains Raimondo. “If we as faculty in health-related programs – nursing, health care administration, life sciences, social work and behavioral health – all came together collaboratively, we could create new education programs that better serve the industry.”
“Our goal is that when people think about developing the health care workforce, the first place they think of is RIC’s Institute for Education in Healthcare.” — Tonya Glantz
Traditionally, service delivery between a professional counselor and his or her client was a person-to-person live interaction in the counselor’s office.
We live in a world now where most of the population communi-cates via email, text messaging, smartphone apps, videos, Facebook and Skype. Thus, counseling practices have evolved to treat clients using these technologies. The new catchword in therapeutic circles is electronic counseling or e-counseling.
“Not everyone is comfortable with this reality, but technology is here. You can’t un-ring the bell,” said RIC Professor of Social Work Frederic Reamer. “As faculty, our job is to educate future clinical social workers about the kind of technology they will be encountering in the field.”
A simple Internet search for “online counseling” produces pages of websites offering services for as low as $25 an hour. Appoint-ments are booked online, conducted online and paid for by PayPal or credit card. Moreover, clients can remain completely anonymous.
Technology Takes Therapy out of the Office and onto Electronic Platform
By Gita Brown
Reamer also cited avatar therapy, a form of e-counseling that mimics computer gaming. Both client and provider create an avatar (an animated image) of themselves, place their virtual images in a three-dimensional, virtual-reality environment and interact either in one-on-one or group therapy sessions by typing in their responses.
“This can be helpful for a client who is resistant to treatment and is too traumatized to come in for counseling,” said Reamer. “For example, there are veterans who have major social anxiety and won’t leave their homes or who live too far away from a VA medical center. Avatar therapy allows them to receive therapy that they might not otherwise receive.”
How effective is e-counseling? Researchers say that the online therapeutic relationship is as effective as the live therapeutic relationship in producing positive outcomes (“Journal of Technol-ogy in Human Services,” 2008). As human beings become more attuned to and more dependent on technology in their everyday lives, human problems can be effectively addressed through electronic means.
RIC Professor of Social Work Frederic Reamer
“There are veterans who have major social anxiety and won’t leave their homes or who live too far away from a VA medical center. Avatar therapy allows them to receive therapy that they might not otherwise receive.” — Frederic Reamer
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What’s more, mobile apps are being used to supplement face-to-face therapy. Tech-savvy teenagers who prefer text messaging, can text their counselor when they are in crisis rather than wait for an in-office appointment.
High-risk teens who have difficulty self-regulating (calming down when angry or anxious) can download an app to their smartphone and follow cues from the app to help them self-manage their emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
Suicide interventions are also being conducted online. A new partnership between Facebook and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline enables Facebook users to report a suicidal comment posted on Facebook. The person who posted the comment immediately receives an email from Facebook
encouraging them to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or to click on a link to begin a confidential chat session with a crisis worker.
“These are the major technologies and they’re transforming the way social work faculty think about educating their students. Students should know about them, whether or not they use them, because more and more of their clients are going to ask about them,” Reamer said.
The benefit of the Internet is its rich source of information. Clinical social workers can now go online, join a network of other clinicians who specialize in different areas and work as a team on a case.
“In the past, you just walked down the hall and knocked on a faculty member’s door for advice or you found a local expert. Online networks allow you to connect with professionals from all over the world,” Reamer said.
Yet for all its benefits, the integration of technology into counseling practice does not come without its trade-offs.
Reamer’s expertise is in social work ethics as it relates to federal laws, Rhode Island laws and informs the Social Work Code of Ethics. Much of his research involves ensuring that online counseling services are safe, fair and ethical.
He said it is important for social workers and their clients to be clear about the risks of communicating via the Internet and email sources. He explained that when you use these technolo-
gies there is the possibility that you are making sensitive information available to the software developer or publisher and also to third parties.
“Because clients now have full access to their medical records, a social worker may make a note in a client’s electronic record, such as ‘Client shows borderline features.’ And by simply typing in their user name and password, the client can read the counselor’s note and become triggered by it,” said Reamer. “So, technology is also changing the way we input records. We teach our students to think very differently about who is going to have access to those records.”
Major national and international efforts are underway to develop ethical standards regarding the use of technology in
social work. Reamer recently chaired an international task force that developed model regulatory standards for use around the world by social work licensing boards.
He is also currently chairing an ambitious effort to develop model social work practice standards surrounding the use of technology. This effort features unprecedented collaboration
among four prominent national social work organizations: the National Association of Social Workers, the Association of Social Work Boards, the Council on Social Work Education and the Clinical Social Work Association.
There remains a great deal of controversy about the extent to which digital technology should be used to help people in need.
Futurists believe that “human counseling” will become a thing of the past, that we will be able to map out a person’s conscious-ness and download it to “computerized counselors” programmed to address just about any issue that that person might encounter. These humanlike programs will act as surrogate counselors and will interact with users much like another human being would.
Others doubt that computers could adequately replicate the complexity of human-to-human communication, especially when one’s mental health is at issue.
However, judging by how far we have already come technologi-cally, futurists counter that computerized counselors – the stuff of science fiction – are fast becoming tomorrow’s reality.
“Students should know about these debates and learn how to critically examine the pros and cons of technology in social work,” Reamer said, which is why he brings these debates to the classroom. He teaches students to avoid making premature for-or-against judgments.
“Letting go of what we know can be hard,” he said. “I once loved my manual typewriter, too,” he smiled.
“These are the major technologies and they’re transforming the way social work faculty think about educating their students. Students should know about them, whether or not they use them, because more and more of their clients are going to ask about them,” Reamer said.
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The field of social work is a “social” discipline that requires expertise in face-to-face communication, yet in RIC’s School of Social Work the platform on which future social workers are trained is largely electronic via online courses.
Online courses come without lecterns and whiteboards. There is no face-to-face interaction with professors and peers. But electronic classrooms do fit the needs of today’s students, say RIC social work faculty. They also maintain that they are able to impart a broader array of knowledge to their students.
Professor of Social Work E. Belle Evans was one of the first faculty members to move her traditional classroom to an electronic platform. She teaches both fully online courses and blended courses (courses taught both online and in the class-room). She said the benefits haven’t changed in the 18 years since she first implemented her course.
“Online learning broadens students’ access to knowledge,” said Evans. “Information is literally at their fingertips. Online learning also individualizes learning because students are able to work at their own pace and in their own time. This is particularly true for RIC students, many of whom work full time and commute to campus.”
“Online learning also brings learning to life,” she said. “One of the online videos I have my students watch is called ‘The Invisible War.’ To see what the war has done to the lives of
veterans rather than simply read about it in a textbook is a very powerful learning tool for social workers who will be helping veterans heal from trauma.”
Social work major Heather Gaydos concurred with Evans. In her blended course taught by Professor of Social Work Frederic Reamer she watches podcasts, webcasts and videos. “Not only do we engage with class material in ways that we wouldn’t be able to in a traditional classroom, we’re exposed to other perspectives and hear from other experts in the field,” said Gaydos.
After viewing a video, Evans’ students are required to react to what they have seen via the Blackboard discussion board. She explained that “in a classroom situation, participation can be very uneven – some students who speak and others who do not. Discussion boards give everyone an opportunity to speak.”
However, along with increased student benefits, online courses carry increased teaching demands, she said. All of the resources that faculty want students to have access to must be uploaded into the Blackboard learning management system, and teachers must remain “visible,” maintaining a consistent online presence. Faculty check in regularly on discussion boards to make sure students are focused and following the guidelines, they respond to students’ inquiries and intervene when students encounter problems, and they engage in frequent email communication with students who send email at all hours of the day and night.
Future Social Workers Train in Virtual World and Real World
By Gita Brown
RIC Professor of Social Work E. Belle Evans and Dean of Social Work Sue Pearlmutter
“Online learning broadens students’ access to knowledge. Information is literally at their fingertips. Online learning also individualizes learning because students are able to work at their own pace and in their own time. This is particularly true for RIC students, many of whom work full time and commute to campus.” — E. Belle Evans
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Yet how does one teach interpersonal skills in an online setting? That is the conundrum and the reason why social work faculty decided not to create a fully online graduate degree program.
“We are in a very competitive environment for social work,” said Dean of Social Work Sue Pearlmutter. “There are fully online M.S.W. programs all over New England and throughout the country. There are companies that are able to set up a college’s or university’s entire online program for them. They help faculty write the course syllabi, they manage recruitment and admis-sions and all of the courses are fully online. Students are earning their degrees without ever having done fieldwork.”
Meanwhile, accrediting organizations are struggling with quality control. In accrediting a school, licensers look at, among other things, the number of hours students spend in the field.
“Rhode Island College has the only M.S.W. program in the state, producing about 80 graduates a year. In our B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs, we can demonstrate the kind of quality accreditors are looking for,” Pearlmutter said. “We can show that we work on particular competencies in our courses and in the field. Fully online programs haven’t had to meet the same demands.”
One of the most critical competencies social work students must learn in the field is face-to-face interpersonal communication.
“Most of our students are going to be employed in a social services, mental health or child welfare agency and have daily interactions with individuals, families and groups,” Pearlmutter explained. “In order to understand a challenge that an individu-al may be facing, in order to make an assessment, they will need to know how to read the behavior, the facial expressions and the body language that they’re seeing. They will have to know how to draw a client into an exchange and build trust and rapport. And engagement doesn’t happen in one encounter. It happens over time. I don’t think it’s easy to learn that in fully online programs.”
She pointed to a training she gave years ago in which M.S.W. students were asked to observe a list of behaviors and interac-tions between caregivers and children. Pearlmutter found that it took many trials before two students, observing the same interaction, agreed on what they had observed.
Her colleague recently repeated the same study and ran into the same difficulty. Their studies showed that students are finding it difficult to focus for an hour without being distracted by their electronic devices.
“If I’m sitting with you and I’m not used to making eye contact with you, I’m used to looking at my cell phone, I’m going to have difficulty engaging with you and drawing you into an exchange,” said Pearlmutter. “People have become acculturated to attune to their phone or to texting while talking to a friend. I think there is a lot of personal noise in the system and the ability to focus may be leaving us.”
That is why the majority of undergraduate courses in RIC’s School of Social Work are taught in the classroom. B.S.W. students learn the skill of close observation over four semesters of practice and many hours in the field at various agencies throughout the state. In addition, both B.S.W. and M.S.W. students receive hands-on experiential learning through RIC’s simulation lab.
In the simulation lab students practice problem-solving around particular cases and practice working with an interdisciplinary team of graduate and undergraduate students from Brown’s medical school, RIC’s nursing school and URI’s pharmacy school.
In the lab, they conduct interviews, make assessments and determine the most effective, evidence-based treatment for particular cases. Simulations are then videotaped and critiqued at debriefings.
Pearlmutter noted that there are only a small group of social work programs across the country that currently makes use of simulation.
A fully online M.S.W. degree program is not in RIC’s future, Pearlmutter said, and it is still not apparent what the effects will be of those programs that are already being offered around the country. “The majority of these programs are two to three years old,” she said. “The effects will be more apparent in the next two to three years when a cadre of social workers will be graduating from these programs.”
She concluded, “I think the future keeps coming toward us, and I don’t think we have the answers yet about how to do the kinds of tasks that need to be done with the same degree of objectivity and measurement that we’ve had before.”
The School of Social Work will continue to move forward, embracing technology and all of its benefits, while training students in the basic tenets of interpersonal communication and producing truly effective social workers.
“Rhode Island College has the only M.S.W. program in the state, producing about 80 graduates a year. In our B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs, we can
demonstrate the kind of quality accreditors are looking for,” Pearlmutter said. “We can show that we work on particular competencies in our courses and in the
field. Fully online programs haven’t had to meet the same demands.”
More than 70 percent of all English language learners (ELLs) in Rhode Island speak Spanish as their first language, with Creole, Portuguese, Central Khmer and Chinese following in decreasing order (Migration Policy Institute, 2015). However, statewide, only 9 percent of all ELLs met reading and writing standards on the 2016 PARCC test (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Assessment Test).
In the last four decades Rhode Island has seen explosive growth in its Hispanic community. According to the Providence Journal, the Hispanic population has risen from 5,596 in 1970, to 19,707 in 1980, to 43,932 in 1990, to 90,820 in 2000, to 130,655 in 2010.
By 2010 Rhode Island’s smallest city, Central Falls, became the first city in the state with a Hispanic majority. These changing demographics have also brought an increased need for teachers of ELLs.
To close the achievement gap for ELLs and to support Rhode Island’s need for educators who are ESL certified, in 2013 Rhode Island College’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development established a program with the city of Central Falls to provide teachers with ESL instruction and a pathway to ESL certification.
Teachers were able to complete their coursework at a reduced tuition rate, have their classes held in Central Falls to reduce travel time and were ultimately provided a pathway to ESL certification and the possibility of transitioning to RIC’s master’s program in teaching English as a second language. In the past three years, approximately 80 Central Falls teachers have completed the program and gone on to become ESL certified.
Inspired by the RIC/Central Falls model, in 2016 the Rhode Island Foundation,
along with state and local education officials, announced a $480,000 initiative to provide 60 additional public school teachers with ESL instruction.
The initiative targets five school districts with the greatest need for ESL educa-tors: Central Falls, Cranston, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket, and consists of 18 months of ESL course-work. Forty teachers will be taught on site by Rhode Island College faculty, and 20 teachers will be taught by University of Rhode Island faculty via online courses.
Funding will be provided by a $160,000 grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, with an additional $160,000 in partial scholarships from RIC and URI, and another $160,000 through a combined effort by the participating school districts. Teachers will only be responsi-ble for one-third of the tuition.
“Supporting English learners has never been more critical,” said Don Halquist, dean of RIC’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development. “RIC has a long history of preparing ESL teachers and we’re proud to partner with the Rhode Island Foundation and administrators and educators from the five school districts to offer programs that increase the number of teachers who are certified in English as a second language.”
By Gita Brown
“We prepare educators to become knowledgeable about second language acquisition, English linguistics and the sociocultural contexts in which English is learned as an additional language,” he said, “and all of our programs promote best practices for English language learners.”
RIC President Frank D. Sánchez added that Rhode Island College is “committed to addressing the many needs of the 21st-century educational system. RIC leads the way in overall professional development for educators who are already in the field and our partnership with the lab in Central Falls prepares our graduates for the classroom and positions them for future employment. Through these efforts, RIC and our partners are raising the bar for the Rhode Island pre-K-12 educational system.”
Sánchez also expressed gratitude to President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation Neil Steinberg, as well as Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Ken Wagner and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, for investing in ESL education. Sánchez stressed the importance of government leadership in education, stating, “The collective support, guidance and investment bolsters existing momentum on this important Rhode Island State ESL initiative.”
Graduate students Brian Parmentier ’12 and Nadya Mathews in RIC Assistant Professor of Education Studies Sarah Hesson’s Assessment of English Language Learners course.
RIC Prepares ESL Teachers for Rhode Island’s Changing Demographics
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An orthopedic device company, S2S Surgical, LLC, of East Greenwich, which develops minimally invasive products for hand, wrist and elbow surgery, won a Commerce RI Innovation Voucher grant last spring to develop new orthopedic treatment processes and has partnered with Rhode Island College on the research and development phase.
RIC Professor of Technology Charles McLaughlin, RIC graduate student Aleksandar Todorovich ’15 and Dr. Manuel DaSilva ’86 of S2S Surgical are working together to develop a replacement implant for the trapezium, a small bone between the thumb and wrist that can crack or turn arthritic with age. The work is being carried out at RIC’s Langevin Center for Design, Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing, located in Whipple Hall.
Developing a medical implant prototype for this bone has proven easier said than done, because you can’t get full mobility unless it fits exactly, said McLaughlin. However, using sophisticated 3-D modeling and printing, the team developed a possible solution. They will convert medical imaging data from CAT scans and MRIs of cadaver arms into 3-D-printable, patient-specific models – meaning exact copies of the originals. Using a photopolymer that cures with ultraviolet light, the team will “print” replacement trapeziums, insert them into the cadavers and test them for mobility. If the replacements work, the prototypes will be sent to a manufacturer who can recreate them using biocompatible material. Assuming the experiment succeeds, the development team will have made a medical breakthrough.
“We are providing ‘proof of concept’ to see if 3-D printing can be used for this type of medical modeling,” McLaughlin said. “If we are able to pull this off, there are many other applications with shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, and we will have taken a giant leap in bridging medical science and technology. What’s more, it’s happening here at the Langevin Center.”
The fully updated 5,100-square-foot center is part of RIC’s ongoing effort to position itself as a leader in the kind of STEAM education that will create the
Manufacturing the Future
RIC’s Langevin Center is upping the technology game for students
and teachers alike
By John Taraborelli ’02
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workforce of the future. It has all the cutting-edge equipment you’d expect for an innovative tech center: design software, robots, CNC mills, a laser cutter and, of course, 3-D printers. “When people walk in and see this, it has a wow factor,” said McLaughlin. The center has all the hardware and software to take design ideas and turn them into physical pieces. But the advanced technology does more than just attract attention – it attracts talent.
Todorovich was an undergrad in biology at RIC, with a minor in chemistry, working on his senior seminar scientific review about the potential applications of 3-D printing in regenerative medical treatments. He was also working as a technician at RIC’s User Support Services Help Desk.
“I found out about the 3-D printers when I read the work order submitted by Dr. McLaughlin requesting computer terminals for the printers,” Todorovich recalled. “Dr. McLaughlin was kind enough to take me under his wing by offering continuing education and employment.”
Todorovich not only found a reason to stick around, but a mentor, too. He’s now enrolled in an individualized master’s degree program at RIC in technology studies, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, and he works closely with McLaughlin at the Langevin Center.
“My undergraduate education taught me how to think critically and introduced me to problems in modern medicine,” Todorovich said. “My graduate education allows me to learn about and utilize the advanced technology at the center to create solutions to these problems.”
The Langevin Center is a part of RIC’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, and a crucial piece of McLaughlin’s vision for the center is creating opportunities for teacher candidates and practicing technology teachers to get hands-on experience with advanced technologies.
“The center is giving teachers and teacher candidates an opportunity to work with technology that’s not available in schools,” he said, adding that if you want a well-trained STEAM workforce, you must put money into programs that train teachers to use advanced technology.
That’s why he is positioning the Langevin Center as a teaching resource for the entire state. The center hosts programs such as “STEM in the Middle,” which teaches middle school students how to design 3-D objects using customizable templates and allows them to walk out with a laser cut version of it in hand.
McLaughlin is also working with the International Yacht Restoration School on another innovation grant and he has led workshops for technology teachers, hosted the Rhode Island Technology Education Association and collaborated with the Rhode Island STEAM Center at Rhode Island College.
Next year McLaughlin plans to launch a series of workshops for middle and high school teachers. Lab activities will familiarize teachers with design processes and how to use the equipment. Teachers will be sent back to their classrooms with design challenges and then return with their students to the center to work on solutions.
In all, McLaughlin said, about 80 different groups have passed through the Langevin Center.
McLaughlin is also working across departments to provide teaching tools for RIC students in chemistry, biology, anthropology and other disciplines. For instance, students are making physical representations of DNA strands to assist the study of cancer. In a traditional classroom environment, “you’re looking at something 3-D on a 2-D screen,” Todorovich explained. “It’s different when you can actually hold it in your hands.”
McLaughlin said that the work being done at the Langevin Center could have ripple effects that are more profound than mere workforce development: “You will have more qualified teachers who use technology. You will have students with more capability to go out and manage design, prototyping and manufacturing processes. There’s your talented workforce right there. If everybody buys into this, we will have raised the level of technological literacy in Rhode Island.”
Top: RIC graduate student Aleksandar Todorovich ’15 and RIC Professor of Technology Charles McLaughlin next to one of the Langevin Center’s 3-D printers. Bottom: Todorovich works on a 3-D model.
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Rhode Island College students, particularly those approaching graduation, have typically arrived at the Career Development Center (CDC) in Craig Lee Hall seeking the resources and connections they need to launch a career. RIC alumni and working professionals come to the Office of Professional Studies and Continuing Education (PSCE) at Roberts Hall because they’re in need of the skills and development opportunities to move their careers forward, or perhaps change them entirely. Two separate offices in two different buildings with two distinct missions – but with a single underlying need in common: developing the skill sets and expertise that potential employers need. That’s why these two offices recently came together under one roof in Roberts Hall.
The move is about more than just upgrading CDC’s space. It’s about recognizing that their missions overlap and complement each other, and that combining their efforts will enable them to better serve that common need. “The CDC has been part of PSCE for the past year,” explained Associate Vice President for Professional Studies and Continuing Education Jen Giroux. “During this time, we have been able to serve as one point of contact for the business community. Greater collaboration between our two offices has led to an increase in internship opportunities for RIC students and adults enrolled in our workforce development training programs, as well as continuing education programming for alumni.”
The move was completed in March, and the new home places CDC in a more central location on campus, providing conve-
nient access (and ample parking) to students, alumni and employers, and creating a more visible presence for the office. More important than the physical proximity, however, is moving the missions and resources closer together. “The Center is positioned alongside all the other externally focused offices: professional studies, continuing education, workforce develop-ment, leadership and economic development – all the offices that engage with employers,” said CDC Interim Director Demetria Moran. “This allows us to work together as a division.”
That collaboration means a greater concentration of resources. “An important function of PSCE is to develop work-site educational programs and community-based professional development opportunities for the business community,” explained Giroux. “The addition of CDC has allowed us to share contacts and networks and to also develop a comprehensive set of services available to employers and industry associations.”
This new hub for business also enables RIC to create more opportunities for face-to-face engagement between students and potential employers. “Our office intends to invite employers – especially our alumni – from a range of sectors to work with students both in the office as employers in residence and to host visits to their organizations,” Moran explained. “We also hope to use technology to create unique opportunities to bring employers and students.”
That technology is one of the most tangible benefits of CDC’s new home. “We can’t wait to use our new large screens,” she
Career Development and Professional Studies come together under one roof – and a unified mission
Workforce in Transition
RIC’s Career Development Center’s in Roberts Hall now provides students an expanded array of resources.
By Laura Hart and John Taraborelli ’02
Last year, Governor Raimondo introduced Real Jobs RI, a $1.3 million grant program to jumpstart the economy through employer-focused workforce development. The program called for partnerships to identify employer needs and produce plans to meet those needs by training workers. Rhode Island College answered that call with Healthy Jobs for Rhode Island, a collaborative effort to help workers adapt and advance in the ever-changing health care industry. In November, it was awarded one of 26 Real Jobs RI Implementation Grants by the Department of Labor and Training.
Rhode Island College is partnering with some of the state’s leading health care employers, including Care New England, South County Hospital and CharterCARE, as well as several school districts, government agencies and advocacy organizations to create Healthy Jobs for Rhode Island. The program will leverage the combined resources and expertise of more than a dozen partners to address the interlocking needs of employers and workers: health care employers often struggle to find workers with in-demand skills and training, while workers can easily be left behind in a rapidly advancing industry.
The Department of Labor and Training predicts that paraprofessional health workers – the wide range of support staffers who perform many of the industry’s day-to-day responsibilities – will be among the most in-demand in Rhode Island through 2020. This sector requires a nimble workforce that can adapt to an environment of evolving healthcare standards, technology, and billing and compliance processes. Healthy Jobs for Rhode Island will help create that workforce by establishing a recruitment pipeline, and offering the progressive training and development opportunities workers need to advance in their careers. Its goal is to build a career ladder on which the next level is always real, achievable and clearly visible, and provide workers with the supports they need to climb it.
Of course, the crucial bridge between job training and a successful career is access to opportunity, and this is where RIC’s industry partnerships are crucial. Healthy Jobs for Rhode Island will engage health care employers to create programs that connect with their needs, setting up a direct pipeline from recruitment to training to job openings. In fact, these industry partners have already committed to hiring 70 paraprofessionals trained through this partnership.
“This grant is going to greatly impact the way in which we offer short-term training programs,” explained Jen Giroux, RIC’s Associate Vice President for Professional Studies and Continuing Education. “We really want to get the word out about the opportunities it will bring to RIC.” Real training plus real jobs will enable Rhode Island College to make a real impact in developing the workforce the state needs for a healthy economy.
A Healthy Approach to Job Training
enthused. “Workshops, webinars, and teleconferencing are all on my list for implementing delivery of programming and events.” She envisioned students video conferencing with mentors, or perhaps remotely reviewing their resumes with counselors while on break from internships or student teaching placements. Giroux pointed out that unlike its previous home, CDC’s new space is specifically designed as an innovative, dynamic opportunity hub, and the technological upgrades will make its services more accessible.
Given the needs of students, alumni, working professionals, and potential employers, it seems fitting that CDC and PSCE are in transition. “Transition is the common thread,” Moran summarized. “Students are transitioning to a career, professionals are transitioning in a career, either to bigger and better or to increase their expertise. Jobs evolve daily and new skills sets need to be mastered to keep up. We hope to help students and professionals be successful in their transitions by providing programming and events and calling upon employers to help.”
CDC Interim Director Demetria Moran discusses career and internship options with RIC students.
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RICFest Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2016 Return to RIC Reunion RIC’s 5-45th Reunion Classes (1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991,
1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011) enjoyed a nice evening celebration on campus in ALEX AND ANI Hall commemorating their reunions and reconnecting with classmates and friends.
10th Reunion Classmates Justin Townsend ’06 and Jessica Signore ’06
Kristen Salemi ’861971 45th Reunion Classmates
Frederick Crossman ’06 and guest President Frank D. Sánchez addressing guests
Carol Goulet ’86 and Stephen Goulet
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RICFest Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2016
Michael Norde ’12, M.S.W. ’13
1991 25th Reunion Classmates
Sharon Lindholm ’91, Liz Roche ’91 and Kristen Salemi ’86
Class of 1986 30th Reunion
RICFest Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2016 Homecoming More than 1,000 alumni, guests and members of the campus community enjoyed a three-
day festival of fun and entertainment that featured live music, dancers, comedy, reunions, children’s activities, drumming circle, alumni and student volleyball match, athletic matches, 5k walk/run, open houses on campus, local artisans and authors, RIC Choir Concert, pottery making, photo booths, a special concert and salute to veterans, a BBQ and ice cream sundae bar, a meet and greet with President Frank D. Sánchez and so much more!
Elaine Walsh ’73, Assistant Professor, Kindergarten Teacher at HBS; Paul LaCava Associate Professor, Special Education;
Feinstein School of Education Dean Donald Halquist; and Henry Barnard Principal Jeannine Magliocco
School of Nursing Open House
Julie Teixeira ’01 and Tracy Teixeira
Peter Silveira ’08 and Megan Schmidt Student Activities crafts and games
Fraternidad Folklorica Boliviana Students Miguel Alcantara, Nicole Chagnon and Amanda Dubois ’16
Yury Cardona ’17, Leeshonel Ayala ’17 and Brendan Cody ’17
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RICFest Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2016
Patti Wojciechowski ’81 and Dean of School of Nursing Jane Williams
RIC ceramics students
Co-Op Preschool volunteer face painters
Maurice Eighme ’11The Company Bees
Homecoming 5k Run/Walk Kevin Herchen ’02
RIC Chamber Singers and Alumni Choir performance
Mime AmyBeth Parravano Pottery Making at ALEX AND ANI Pottery Studio RIC alumni and student volleyball match
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Class of 1966 50th Golden Anniversary Reunion
Class of 1966 50th Golden Anniversary Reunion Attendees
Charlie Wilkes ’64, Ron Clement ’66 and James Lennon ’66
Mary McLaren Quadrini ’66 and Peg McDade Dextradeur ’66
Pamela Blake Loeffler ’66, Deborah Geopfert Coletta ’66 and Loraine Hewson Coker ’66
Barbara Durand Traverse ’66 and Peg McDade Dextradeur ’66
Ron Clement ’66 and William McCaughey ’67
Barbara Blair McDonald ’66 and Helen Fiedorwicz Bryson ’66
Edward McDermott ’61 and Gary Bryson
1966 class members greet retired Dean of Students and Professor
Emerita Dorothy (Mierzwa) Pieniadz.
The 2015-16 academic year proved to be a strong year off the field for Anchormen and Anchorwomen. When not shining at local, regional and national competitions, RIC student- athletes were equally successful in academics and community service.
During the fall of 2015, 10 student-athletes posted a 4.0 GPA, 124 earned a 3.0 or better and 91 made the Dean’s List. The spring of 2016 was also a banner semester, as seven student-athletes posted a 4.0 GPA, 123 earned a 3.0 or better and 85 made the Dean’s List.
Contributing to the community was also part of the program. Under the auspices of RIC’s Student-Athlete Success Center, each of RIC’s 21 varsity sports participated in a Community Service Project.
“We have student-athletes do commu-nity service to set an example for the future,” said Coordinator of Student- Athlete Support Dolores Passarelli. “Giving to the community is a valuable lesson for all to learn. Our student- athletes typically have a lot of good things going for them and this is a chance to give back.”
The program is a staple of RIC athletics. This year’s biggest recipient of student- athlete assistance was the North Providence Elementary School System’s Kids Klub, an after-school program held at three of the town’s elementary schools: Whalen, Greystone and McGuire. RIC’s teams took two-hour shifts, working in the schools on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Student- athletes gave show-and-tell presentations about their particular sports, ran clinics for the kids and helped tutor them in various subjects. They also assisted Kids Klub instructors in playing various games with the children.
“The children at Kids Klub love having the student-
athletes from RIC come to participate in activities after school,” said Kids Klub Educational Enrichment Coordinator Aria Suzman. “Whether it’s receiving help with homework or learning a new game, the children look forward to the student-athletes volunteering their time. Even though it is for short periods at a time, the children build relation-ships that really encourage them to learn more about sports they might be interested in or focus on their homework that they may be struggling with. It’s a great opportunity for our children.”
The student-athletes seem to get as much from the program as they give. “The student-athletes I have spoken to liked the community service project,” Passarelli reflected. “They liked working with the children and they liked the fact that they did it as a team. They said it makes them feel good about themselves, their sports and, most importantly, their school.”
Coaches are also enthusiastic about the community service program, citing it as a positive influence on their players. Head Wrestling Coach Jay Jones praised the effort, noting, “Our student- athletes build character and a sense of team during community service efforts, which are absolutely essential as they strive for an excellent college degree and to eventually become young professionals. These efforts teach our student-athletes responsibility, cooper-ation and teamwork, and they gain a realization of how important they are to the world around them.”
Head Women’s Soccer Coach Christina Tavana seconds Jones’ enthusiasm. “One story, in particular, that resonated with me involved one of my student- athletes and one young girl, age 10,” she recalled. “They happened to be having a
conversation about what they wanted to be when they grew up. The little girl openly expressed how she really wanted to play soccer and go to college one day, but she didn’t know if her family had money to pay for it. My student-athlete proceeded to explain how important it was to get good grades, create goals and have faith that the work put in will pay off. It was a proud moment for me, knowing that the messages I try to instill in my own student-athletes can be further passed on to our youth.”
Though student-athletes gave the most time to North Providence’s Kids Klub, several other organizations also benefited from their efforts. The women’s volleyball team hosted an event for the McAuley House, a nonprofit that provides basic needs, such as food, clothing, shelter, health services, emotional support and guidance to the most vulnerable people in the area. The Anchorwomen welcomed single mothers and their children at RIC’s Recreation Center, where the guests were treated to swimming, use of the facility and a zumba fitness class. The softball team also took part in the Hit a Grand Slam to Be a Reader Program at North Providence’s Centredale School, where student-athletes read to elementary schoolers.
Junior Lauren Duvall, a center fielder on RIC’s softball team, said she enjoyed her time at Centredale. “My teammates and I had an enriching experience reading to the children,” she mused. “With all three of us aspiring to be teachers in the future, it was exciting to see such a willingness to learn and positive energy from the students.”
RIC’s athletics department motto is “Building Champions” – RIC student- athletes continue to present a well-rounded example of that philosophy for local children.
Head Women’s Basketball Coach Glenn Senecal and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Michael Byrnes, along with members of their teams, visited Robert F. Kennedy School in Providence on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 for a youth basketball clinic.
Success is More Than Just Trophies for RIC Student-Athletes
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Kendra Borden ’08English Teacher, Samuel Slater Junior High School (Pawtucket)2015-16 Milken Education Award Winner
Borden began her teaching career at Samuel Slater seven years ago. In addition to her position in the classroom, she serves as the facilitator for the school’s Positive Intervention and Support Team and as a member of both the Building Leadership and Curriculum Writing Teams. Last year, her students made a 47-point gain in scaled reading scores, and the school-wide writing scores have increased 14 percent during her tenure on the Curriculum Writing Team.
Georgia Fortunato ’81, M.Ed. ’85Superintendent, Lincoln Public Schools2016 Rhode Island Superintendent of the Year
Fortunato has served as Superintendent in Lincoln since 2007. She previously worked in the district as a special education teacher, transition coordinator and director of student services. She is a member of the RIC Alumni Board of Directors, and she serves as a guest lecturer at RIC, Providence College and Community College of Rhode Island. Under her leadership, the Lincoln school system has
received the Teaching American History grant, the World of Work grant and a Champlin Foundations grant to establish a broadcast studio.
Tracy Lafreniere ’98Reading Specialist/Literacy Coach, North Smithfield Elementary School2016 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year
Lafreniere has spent her entire 17-year career at North Smithfield Elementary. She is also an adjunct professor in Providence College’s Graduate Literacy Program. Lafreniere previously served on her local Common Core Ambassador Team and the Rhode Island Writing Project.
Alan Tenreiro ’98, M.Ed. ’05Principal, Cumberland High School2016 National Association of Secondary School Principals Principal of the Year
Tenreiro has served as principal at Cumberland High School since 2012. Prior to that, he served more than a decade on the Pawtucket School Committee and was a member of the Board of Trustees for Mount St. Charles Academy.
Award-Winning School of Education Alumni Share Their WisdomA special forum brings together some of RIC’s most decorated graduates
This past year has been a banner year for Rhode Island College alumni working in education, with four major award-winners among their ranks. Tracy Lafreniere ’98, a teacher at North Smithfield Elementary School, was named Rhode Island Teacher of the Year. Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Georgia Fortunato ’81, M.Ed. ’85, was honored as Rhode Island Superintendent of the Year. Cumberland High School Principal Alan Tenreiro ’98 was recognized as Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. And Kendra Borden ’04, an English teacher at Samuel Slater Junior High School in Pawtucket received the 2015-16 Milken Education Award, which Teacher Magazine has called “the Oscars of teaching.”
It was such an impressive haul that RIC decided to build an event around these outstanding alumni. “Award-Winning Educators: A Conversation with Alumni from the RIC Feinstein School of Education and Human Development” was an opportunity for all four of these exceptional educators to share a bit of what they have learned in their practice. Held on campus on April 5, the forum was organized by Dean of RIC’s
Feinstein School of Education and Human Development Donald Halquist and moderated by Rhode Island Public Radio Political Analyst Scott Mackay. The discussion covered a full range of education issues, from the struggles of students with social and emotional issues to the integration of technology into the classroom. It was a unique opportunity for the RIC community to learn from some of its highest achieving alumni.
2016’s Award-Winning Educators:
Award-winning educator-alumni Kendra Borden ’04, Tracy Lafreniere ’98 and Alan Tenreiro ’98, M.Ed ’05, are introduced by Dean of Feinstein School of Education and Human Development Don Halquist.
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Golden Years ReunionMore than 100 graduates from the classes of 1933-1961 gathered in June at the Donovan Dining Center for a luncheon in their honor. The annual event hosted by the Alumni Association, aims to reunite and celebrate RIC’s most cherished classes from the “golden years.”
Far left: Sandra Cunha Vandal ’61 and Muriel Frechette Dean ’61
Right: Performance by theatre performance students: Lauren Pothier ’17, Joe DeLeo ’17 and Mary Arnold ’18.
Back row: Judith Dodd Giblin ’58, Phyllis McDole Tracy ’58 and Georgette Bilodeau Fleuette ’58; front row: Elizabeth Goselin Parrillo ’58, Mary Pat Welch Eaton ’58 and Gail McCaughey Sweeney ’58
Far left: Ellen Fay Shannon ’47, A. Marion McCarthy Rooney ’47, Evelyn Gettler Silva ’47 and Helen Page Gilligan ’47
Right: Roz Smith McCoy ’40 and her granddaughter Jackie McCoy ’15
Far left: Richard Brassard ’56
Right: Georgette Bilodeau Fleuette ’58, Phyllis McDole Tracy ’58 and Mary Pat Welch Eaton ’58
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CLASS
Notes
1972Alfred Bettencourt retired from the Rhode Island Farm Bureau after 15 years of service. Bettencourt spent most of his life dedicated to agriculture, working as a farmer for over 50 years, and was an executive with the United States Depart-ment of Agriculture from 1981 to 1993.
1973 Francis J. O’Brien Jr., Ph.D., retired from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center with 34 years of federal service as a mathematician and program manager.
1975Mary R. Moore took on the role of the administrator of McAuley House. Moore has spent her career in the private nonprofit setting and also serves as a regu-lar special education substitute teacher in Warwick Public Schools.
1977Aleatha Dickerson was named a Woman of Achievement by YWCA Rhode Island at its 11th annual awards ceremony. Dickerson has served as a project manager for the Rhode Island Senior Medicare Patrol Project at the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, Division of Elderly Affairs.
Mitchell Malachowski, chemistry professor at the University of San Diego, was named the 2014 California Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
1978 Elizabeth Popiel received her third Emmy for art direction for Good Morning America and was promoted to full professor at Western Connecticut State University.
1979Gail M. Davis was recently promoted to team lead of the Long-Term Services and Supports team at Rhody Health Options.
1983 After nearly 33 years working with Warwick Public Schools, Richard D’Agostino has retired from his role as superintendent this past summer. During his time in Warwick, D’Agostino has served as guidance counselor, director of an alternative school, principal of Oakland Beach Elementary, summer school principal and director of special education services.
Anne C. (Perry) Bisson was featured in “Women Making History,” by Wicked Local Dighton. Bisson is the director of the Taunton Department of Human Services/Council on Aging.
Joseph Dziobek is new executive director of Welcome House of South County, a nonprofit organization that provides shelter to the homeless. Prior to this position, Dziobek served as CEO of Fellowship Health Resources, a nonprofit that provides mental health and sub-stance abuse counseling. He also founded Studio 35 through Fellowship Health Sources, which uses art to help individu-als on their journey to recovery.
1984 Elise Hedglen retired from the U.S. Air Force as liutenant colonel at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in October 2013. Hedglen was with U.S. Air Force for 28 years, active duty seven and a half years and reserves for 12 and a half years.
1985Alex Russo is now a member of the inaugural 14-member Teacher Advisory Council for the National Humanities Center in Durham, North Carolina for 2016.
1986Marilyn Bellemore published her second book, “Matunuck,” by Arcadia Publishing, for its “Images of America” series.
Kevin McHugh has been appointed vice president of tax at EdgeConneX. Kevin and his wife Margo reside in historic Beaufort, North Carolina.
Christopher Santilli has been appointed the new corporate relations officer at Roger Williams University. Santilli brings 15 years of business development experience to his new role and he will be responsible for expanding and cultivating the university’s relationship with the business community.
1988Viola Davis became the first black woman to receive an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her extraordinary role in “How to Get Away with Murder.” Davis continues to break down the status quo for roles portrayed by women of color.
1989The YWCA of Rhode Island named Carlene Casciano-McCann a Woman of Achievement. McCann has been director of St. Mary’s Home for Children since 2008, where she is focused on improving all facets of service delivery in order to provide trauma-informed services to youth and families.
1990Thomas D’Agostino has written 11 acclaimed books on ghosts, legends and folklore of New England. D’Agostino has been a featured public speaker at colleges, ComicCons and the 2014 Mensa Boston Annual Gatherin, and he has appeared in several television shows and documenta-ries regarding haunts and legends of New England.
George Wayne Hebert Jr. was recently promoted to senior branch operations manager of Charles Schwab in Sacramento, California, and recently celebrated 20 years of service with the company.
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1992Richard (Ace) Aceto helped organize a series of fundraising efforts to help raise proceeds and awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Last year, Aceto and his teammates raised about $20,000 in just 10 weeks for the society and was the first runner-up for LLS Rhode Island Man of the Year.
1993Stephen Morrison was awarded the Golden Apple Award, sponsored by NBC 10, Hasbro and the Rhode Island Department of Education. Morrison is a North Providence High School music teacher, who has been teaching in the district for 22 years.
1994This past November, Eileen Crudele was appointed director of special education for Smithfield Public Schools. Prior to her new position, Crudele worked for the East Providence School District and served as assistant director of special education and director of special education for the Pawtucket School Department.
ALUMNI
Weddings
1975 Yolande Riendeau to Heidi Gervais in January ’14
2005 Kristin Calouro to Kevin Amaral Sr. in December ’15
2007Carolyn S. Amitrano to Joshua D. Thompson in July ’15
Stephanie T. Boisvert to Robert A. Canal in July ’15
2008Umile Salvatore Guido to Angela Marie Mucci in June ’15
2010Dylan O’Leary to Rachel Naylor in June ’15
2012 Justin D. Bibee to Yousra Atrach in November ’15
Casey Mclntyre to Luis Rainha ’13 in October ’14
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Justin Bibee ’12 married Yousra Atrach in
November 2015.
Kim A. Ripoli was recognized as a Woman of Achievement by the YWCA of Rhode Island. Ripoli is associate director of the Division of Veterans Affairs for the State of Rhode Island. During her 26 years in the U.S. Navy she advanced through very competitive ranks and received a follow-up assignment to the Pentagon. She also has a range of military decorations, including three U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, eight U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and a Presidential Unit Citation.
1995Christopher Earnshaw brings more than 12 years of higher education and financial experience to his new role as director of business development for Sallie Mae Bank, New York. Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Earnshaw held positions at Nelnet Diversified Solutions, Key Bank and JP Morgan Chase.
Paula Mottshaw launched Paula Mottshaw Communications & Design, a freelance business focused on graphic and web design for health care and nonprofits.
Renee Palazzo has made a transition from assistant principal of Smithfield High School to principal of Ponaganset High School. Palazzo worked as a math teacher at Smithfield High School from 1996 until 2007, when she was appointed assistant principal.
1996Scott Beauregard of the Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts was honored with the Golden Apple Award, sponsored by NBC 10, Hasbro and the Rhode Island Department of Education, in recognition for his work ethic and devotion to his students, even after they have graduated.
Leslie Courtney has received a promotion from assistant vice president to vice president of Seven Hills Family Services.
George D. Duarte Jr. was named vice president, business development officer of BankNewport’s Business Banking Group. Duarte will be responsible for business development, commercial loan
production, cross-sales origination and cross-team collaboration in the East Bay.
1997Bethany Johnsen has joined Mortgage Network Inc. as a loan officer in the company’s Providence office, where she will be responsible for serving homebuyers and homeowners throughout the state.
1998Tracy Lafreniere was named Rhode Island Teacher of the Year for 2016. Lafreniere is currently a reading specialist and literacy coach at North Smithfield Elementary School. Lafreniere serves on the executive board of the Rhode Island Writing Project. She is also one of the Common Core Ambassadors for the Rhode Island Department of Education, the co-chair of the School Improvement Team at North Smithfield Elementary School and an adjunct professor in the Graduate Literacy Clinic at Providence College.
1999Emanuel T. Vincent was hired as managing director of Thunderbird Preparatory Academy in Cornelius, North Carolina. Vincent is an educational administrator with more than 14 years of experience leading faculty and scholars to academic success.
2000Yvonne Heredia has earned a Ph.D. from Walden University and is currently manager of care management at Neighborhood Health Plan of RI.
2001Sabina Matos was recognized as a Woman of Achievement by the YWCA of Rhode Island. She is president pro tempore of the Providence City Council. She was first elected councilperson for Ward 15 in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Matos is the first Latina council president pro tempore in Providence’s history.
David Salvatore was named government affairs director for the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. Salvatore will be primarily responsible for the association’s outreach efforts concerning legislative and regulatory initiatives that have potential impact on real estate and housing. Prior to his new position, Salvatore was policy analyst for the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
2002Michael Bento, current math teacher at Birchwood Middle School in North Providence, was the recipient of the Golden Apple Award, sponsored by NBC 10, Hasbro and the Rhode Island Department of Education.
Kristen Falso-Capaldi was awarded the Victoria A. Hudson Emerging Writer Prize and received a full scholarship to attend the 2015 San Francisco Writers Conference.
2004Antonio Crombie was promoted to consulting manager at Deloitte Advisory, one of the leading consulting companies in the world.
Amy Suffoletto took over as vice principal for Voluntown Elementary School after teaching there for eight years.
Nancy Lee Giordano was hired as Woonsocket High School’s new athletic director. She is believed to be the first female to assume the role in the depart-ment’s history and one of 10 female Interscholastic League athletic directors in the state.
2007Ashley Sadlier received RI Partnership for Home Care’s 2015 Inaugural Rising Star Award, which is presented to one home care or hospice agency executive in Rhode Island who demonstrates consistent leadership to enhance the home health care business climate within the first few years of his or her career. She is director of Rhode Island Skilled Pediatrics and Adult Nursing at BAYADA Home Health Care RI.
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Timothy Labonte was nominated for a 2015 Boston/New England Emmy in the Historical/Cultural Program/Special category for editing the documentary “One Day…The Story of a Storm.”
2008Kendra Borden, English teacher at Samuel Slate Jr. High School in Pawtucket, was awarded the 2015 Milken Educator Award. Borden has been at Slater since she began her teaching career seven years ago. This national award honors exceptional educators who further excellence in American schools.
Elizabeth Lee wrote the “Moon Travel Guide to Rhode Island,” published in April 2016.
2010Geoffrey M. Aptt obtained a new position of associate attorney at the law firm of Olenn & Penza, LLP, where he practices business law, insurance law, labor and employment, and real estate and related litigation.
Carolyn Fortuna, Ph.D., a high school teacher from Franklin, Massachusetts, was awarded the International Reading Association’s Grand Prize Award for Technology and Reading at the 2015 annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri.
2011Caitlin Massey was promoted to full-time senior academic advisor at Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College in January 2016, after working as an interim advisor in the fall 2015 semester. Massey also completed her M.S.Ed.-H.E.A. degree at Baruch College in the winter 2016 session.
Daniel Reeves began a new position as a science/math teacher at the Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe, Washington.
2012Justin Bibee was a finalist for Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur Class of
2016. Bibee is the founder of the Global Human Rights Project, which strives to establish global solidarity for the advancement of human rights. Bibee also served in the Peace Corps in Morocco from 2014 to 2016 and is now a member of the World Affairs Council of Rhode Island and a member of the United Nations Association of the United States of America.
Jeffrey Church is artistic director of The Burbage Theatre Company, which in housed in the Aurora Providence cabaret lounge. To date, the theatre company has produced 13 shows.
Aaron C. Guckian joined BankNewport as vice president, branch sales manager of the East Greenwich office. Prior to this position, Guckian was sales coordinator for Washington Trust Company.
Justin Bibee was a finalist for Forbes’ “30 under 30” Social Entrepreneur Class of 2016. Bibee is the founder of the Global Human Rights Project, which strives to establish global solidarity for the advancement of human rights. Bibee also served in the Peace Corps in Morocco from 2014 to 2016 and is now serving as a member of the World Affairs Council of Rhode Island and the United Nations Association of the United States of America.
Casey McIntyre Rainha of Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy Elementary received the Golden Apple Award, sponsored by NBC10, Hasbro and the Rhode Island Department of Education, in recognition of her “true spirit of teaching.”
Charon Rose received a 2015 Women of Achievement Award from YWCA of Rhode Island. Rose is director of constituent relations for Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner. Rose is active in local politics and co-director of the New Leaders Council Rhode Island.
2013Stephanie Coro is playing pro basketball in Spain. The former RIC guard joined the Club Basquet Prat-Aigues team in January 2015.
Travis Escobar is cofounder and executive director of the Millennial Professional Group of Rhode Island. Escobar received the Young Alumni of the Year Award at the 2016 RIC Alumni Awards Dinner for his accomplishments and dedication to his alma mater.
Joseph M. Sieracki was named a staff accountant at Robert C. Alario, C.P.A., P.C.
2014Taylor Britto, Providence police officer and Warwick resident, was named one of the 2015 “Men Who Make a Difference” by the Women’s Resource Center. Britto is a youth pastor, community chaplain and founder of Journey Through Faith, a community center located in Providence that reaches out to the youth and families of the city to assist them in meeting a variety of needs. Additionally, he has done volunteer work in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, as well as locally. Britto is also a certified instructor for Rhode Island’s Violence Against Women Act Curriculum Committee.
Hillary Costa has taken a position with CVS Health as a marketing specialist, loyalty and personalization. Costa also serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors; her term is from 2016 to 2018.
2015Amber Lopez was selected from 100 candidates for the Nancy Prophet Fellowship at the RISD Museum. This is a two-year, full-time position for artists and scholars embarking on careers in art.
2016 Joyce Kutty has launched a career in paper floral creations. Kutty’s masterpieces have been showcased at the 2016 New York Fashion Week and in Harper’s Bazaar. Kutty has partnered with Rhode Island Hospital by donating handmade origami blankets to oncology patients.
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1934 Esther (Millman) Rothberg in July ’15
1937 Eileen S. (Slavin) Barker in February ’15
1938 B. Madonna (Emin) Mott in May ’15
1939 Dorothy (Clarke) Turnbeau in January ’15
1940 Arleen I. (Demers) Petti in April ’15
1941 Eleanor L. (McAuliffe) Tatro in June ’15
1942 Lucille I. Calabrese in April ’15 Gertrude (Fruit) Pansey in May ’15 Harry T. Prince Jr. in February ’15 Carolyn (Godfrey) Simmons in March ’15
1943 Ruth (Morrissey) Kessler in June ’15 Eileen (Riley) Leary in January ’15
1944 Winifred (Turner) Bennis in July ’15 Lilian (Castrovillari) Mastrati in April ’15 Francis K. Searle in May ’15 Shirley I. (Carr) Suorsa in March ’16
1946 Catherine M. (Rowley) Woodford in March ’15
1948 Phyllis E. (Horton) Eagleson in November ’14 Violet (Ciccone) Pari in July ’15 Beatrice (Oliver) Redies in February ’15
1949 Mary P. (Scanlon) Newman in March ’15
1950 Gertrude “Trudy” P. (Almeida) Cain in April ’15 Devillo Wayne Lougheed in July ’15 Alice W. Roe-Grenier in April ’15 (master’s)
1951 Joan F. (Carrigan) Bell in March ’15
1952 Carolyn F. Duggan in June ’15 Stanley F. Nawrocki in June ’15
1953 John D. Sousa in May ’15
1954 Martha A. Lennon in March ’15 Janet (Maddox) Shaughnessy in March ’15
1955 Beverly (Gorman) Rossi in June ’15
1958 Lois C. (O’Connell Haggerty) Dochterman in March ’15 Sara F. (Quinn) Hill in April ’15
1959 Henry P. Guillotte in April ’15
1960 Thomas R. Drury in May ’15
1961 John F. Grimes Jr. in February ’15 (master’s) Patricia Houlihan in July ’15 Gail F. (Munroe) King in February ’15
1962 Robert W. Del Guidice in April ’15 Richard Shadoian in August ’15
1963 Virginia “Ginny” (Mahoney) Boylan in March ’15 Edward A. Casey Jr. in February ’15
1965 Dolores A. (Petrocchi) Loiselle in January ’15 Leonard “Len” J. Meinhold in February ’15
1966 Margaret “Peg” A. Dwyer in May ’15 (master’s)
1967 David R. Bolton in July ’15 J. Michael Lenihan in February ’15 Sr. Mary F. Ryan in June ’15 (master’s)
1968 John J. McLaughlin in February ’15 (master’s) S. Robert “Bob” Salmani in May ’15 (master’s)
IN
Memoriam
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1969 Eileen A. (Lynch) Banks in March ’15 Sr. Mary A. Daley in July ’15 (master’s)
1970 William G. Burnett in February ’15 Maureen L. (Sisson) Delano in July ’15
1971 Dorothy (Partington) Crossley in May ’15 (master’s) Raymond L. Valaitis in May ’15 (master’s)
1972 Sandra L. (Driscoll) Deckett in April ’15 (master’s) Winifred M. (Rosa) Ricci in April ’15
1973 Arthur E. Cadoret in January ’15 (master’s) Marie A. (Cola) Granieri in May ’15 James A. Jankowski in March ’15 Joseph J. McGovern Jr. in January ’15 Arlene L. (Wink) McNamara Kelly in January ’15 Linda E. (Borst) Walden in July ’15
1975 Armand A. Arcand in February ’15 Barbara “Bobbie” M. Feinberg in March ’15 (master’s) John R. McCabe in August ’15
1976 M. Rachel (Sousa) Baxter in March ’15 (master’s) Blanche (Arzooyan) Novak in January ’15 (master’s)
1977 Joyce (Corey) Richard in January ’15 Anne M. (Connolly) Tremblay in June ’15 Raymond “Skip” W. Whorf in July ’15
1978 A.Lawrence “Lonnie” Foberg Jr. in April ’15
1979 Richard M. Vars in May ’15
1980 Julie A. (Cerroni) Kwolek in April ’15 Diane E. Warren in July ’15
1981 Francis H. Smith in February ’15
1982 Diane M. Bergeron-Coates in January ’15 Anna (Simeone) Dorsi- Lefebvre in August ’15
1984 Mamie L. (Saggers) Catlin in August ’15
1985 William E. McKenna in February ’15
1989 John F. Turner Sr. in August ’15
1991 Wanda S. Marchetti DeRouin in August ’15 Karon R. (Downers) Dionne in April ’15
1995 Patricia S. (Paradis) Wojcik in March ’15
2006 Kelly Ann Mullaly in March ’15
HONORARY DEGREE2003 Hon. Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. in July ’15
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As the new Annual Fund Manager, I am pleased to share my enthusiasm for Rhode Island College. RIC is quickly emerging to the forefront of higher education here in New England. I am excited to engage with RIC’s dedicated alumni and hardworking students to help propel the college into the future.
Your support to the Annual Fund is critical to enhancing the student experience at RIC. Whether through scholarship money or new and innovative teaching spaces on campus, the Annual Fund enriches the RIC community in so many ways and helps support the emerging themes of President Sánchez’s vision for the college.
To make a gift, please use the envelope provided or go to www.ric.edu/annualfund to make a gift online.
Please consider a gift to the RIC Annual Fund today.
Your support is truly appreciated and will have a positive impact on the lives of our students.
Feel free to contact me: Carolyn White, Annual Fund Manager Kauffman Center, 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave., Providence, RI 02908 (401) 456-8984 • [email protected]
Read our donor profile on the adjacent page and learn about how one couple is making a difference.
Your gift to the Annual Fund will be used to:
• Provide much-needed scholarship funds to our students to increase their opportunities and reduce their debt.
• Update learning environments throughout campus.
• Engage students with the technology and equipment needed to be successful in the economy of the future.
• Improve campus residence halls to provide students with quality places to live and study.
• Improve career services for current students and young alumni.
• Support events and activities for our large and diverse alumni network.
Annual Fund Manager Carolyn White and Yury Cardona ’17
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“We met in line at the bookstore,” recalls Leah Chesney.
“I was buying a giant anthology of English. She offered to lend me hers,” adds her husband, David Chesney.
It was the spring of 1986. Leah was a sophomore and David a freshman. They had been in the same chemistry class the previous semester, but had never spoken.
It was almost as if the school was trying to bring them together. After their chance meeting in the bookstore, they exited out opposite doors, only to encounter each other again on the quad. They struck up a conversation and realized that they were
both commuting and lived close to each other. They began sharing rides to school “and that’s all she wrote,” says Leah.
Love was not the only connection they found at RIC. Both of them cite the school’s tightknit community, which allows students to foster closer relation-ships to each other and to faculty, as one of the most important parts of their experience. The couple now has children attending larger schools, and they see a difference that matters. “It’s a great experience but they don’t have that personal connection I had with profes-sors,” he notes. “Teachers really cared about the kids. Somebody knew you were there.”
That’s why the Chesneys are regular contributors to the Annual Fund. They both came from families that could not afford to pay for their schooling and relied on scholarships to attend RIC. They want to make sure that the same opportunity is extended to other students in need.
Leah emphasizes that alumni don’t need to give much – just contributing something is what’s important. “The scholarships that I got allowed me to pay for most of my schooling on my own. It’s what I needed to do financially to get a good education,” she says. “If someone is willing to work hard to get the scholarship, I want to help. It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps.”
David ’89 and Leah Chesney ’91 found more than one type of connection at RIC
Our Reason for Giving“Alumni know how great the community is.
It’s like you’re helping out your own.”
“If someone is willing to work hard to get the scholarship, I want to help. It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps.”
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Rhode Island College 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue Providence, RI 02908-1996
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Providence, RI Permit No. 966
SAVE THE DATE
52nd AnnualAlumni Awards
DINNER AND CELEBRATIONWEDNESDAY, MAY 3
