URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences

New associate professor of cell and molecular biology, Laura Eme, uses bioinformatics to study the evolutionary history and diversity of microbial life. She says she’s excited to design courses at URI that challenge students to connect abstract concepts to the living world around them. “Beyond course material, I hope my students walk away with a mindset of curiosity and resilience,” she says. “I want them to see science not just as a collection of facts, but as a process of exploration and continuous questioning and critical thinking—skills that extend far beyond the classroom.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/e--WBw6p

Adjacent to URI’s main campus, North Woods encompasses 225 acres of forest, wetlands, and headwater streams. Thanks to our Department of Natural Resources Science, photos of the animals that call the area home are contributing to the Smithsonian’s Snapshot USA, a nationwide research project. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e8ZmpAAG

Owen Fleischer, a double major in aquaculture and fisheries science and biology, has found many ways to explore his interests at URI – including going on a trip to Mossel Bay, South Africa, to study the morphology of the area’s catshark species. “Not only were we very successful with capturing catsharks, I was also able to get in the water and dive with them,” Fleischer says. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzT2tT6M

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Becky Sartini has been named Interim Dean of the College of the Environment and Life Sciences. She has served as associate dean since 2020 and as a faculty member in the college since 2006. Please join us in welcoming Dean Sartini to her new position!

Please join us in wishing Dean John Kirby a happy last day! He has been the longest serving dean at URI. In his fifteen years of leadership, he’s been an incredible advocate for CELS. Among other things, he’s looking forward to cultivating his bonsai collection in retirement – a hobby of his that began in 1968. Thank you for everything, Dean Kirby. We wish you the best!

URI Cooperative Extension's Plant Diagnostic Lab helps farmers, gardeners and researchers identify plant diseases and pests. It's now expanding to tackle climate impacts and emerging threats.?Read more: https://lnkd.in/eYWTtZ6v

What happens when sea levels rise, extreme weather events cause flooding, droughts cause wells to run dry, or soil water intrudes into aquifers? The Department of Geosciences is offering a new specialization in water and climate science — the only one of its kind in the state — to prepare students to address these pressing environmental questions. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ezvzsSaA

A URI-based team has rewritten the book on animal schedule beliefs. Brian Gerber, Kadambari Devarajan and colleagues generated a massive dataset of animal images that is providing a comprehensive look at species’ response to environmental change. Their team collected data on 445 mammal species across Rhode Island and around the world. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eyTAPH2p

Marine Affairs’ Beth Mendenhall was recently honored for her work on the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which established the world’s first nuclear weapon-free zone. She was honored with Luis Rodriguez. The two received OPANAL’s Trindade Award for Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, named for the Brazilian jurist and scholar. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eCeavxXV

Maria Peterson, assistant professor of fisheries, animal, and veterinary science, sees her courses like sandboxes. “Students can play around with the information we are working with and build something great, but it takes practice,” she says. Read more about her and why she says animals have been her greatest teachers here: https://lnkd.in/er22dg8v