A Message from the Dean

Greetings and welcome to the first issue of the Graduate School Newsletter. In this newsletter you will read some of the stories of accomplishments and changes that have occurred at URI.

The Graduate School has undergone many changes this year and has retooled to serve the mission of building a strong research university. We have rebranded and reworked our website and converted many forms into an online electronic format. We further developed thesis templates online and programs to help students prepare proposals and theses. The Graduate School has also streamlined the admissions process and is developing a paperless system for centralized processing of applications...

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Harold D. Bibb, Professor and Associate Dean Emeritus

Development. That was his passion. As a developmental biologist, Professor Harold D. Bibb studied the ontogeny of organisms as diverse as frogs and chicks. Fowl chicks, that is. But perhaps the development he was best known for was the development of the graduate program at the University of Rhode Island. Professor Harold D. Bibb retired from his positions as Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Biological Sciences in January 2010 after more than 37 years of exemplary service.

For 15 of those years, Harold served as Associate Dean of the Graduate School. That in itself is a laudable accomplishment. At a recent national meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools, the hundreds of graduate school administrators assembled were asked to stand when their number of years of graduate school service had been reached. By the time the number reached 12 years, Harold was one of a mere handful of deans who had not yet stood to be counted.

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Mini Grants Open Doors for Student Research

A joint initiative by the Division of Research & Economic Development and the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs was created last semester to award grants supporting research, creative, artistic and scholarly work of undergraduate and graduate students. Forty-one students exhibiting quality projects representing a wide variety of disciplines within the University were awarded Enhancement of Graduate Research and Scholarship (EGRS) grants of $1,000. EGRS money funds elements of student's research projects.

"Thanks to the grant funding, I'll now be able to travel to Stirling, Scotland to the 6th Biennial Stevenson Association conference, where I'll be presenting my work in July," said Rebekah Greene, a second year Ph.D. student in the Department of English, focusing on British Victorianism and Postcolonial Studies. The theme of this year's conference is "Locating Stevenson", which ties in to Greene's dissertation focusing on late Victorian ideals of travel, adventure, and literature as ways of learning more about the world while simultaneously enhancing and expanding the British Empire...

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Revitalization of Graduate School Boosts Enrollment

The current job market and recent decline in economic growth have sent those finding themselves unemployed searching for alternative avenues of success. Some have decided to pursue advanced degrees during this time in order to make themselves more competitive when the market begins to climb again. Schools across the country have seen an increase in applications as well as enrollment as a result. URI is no exception. However, according to Dean Nasser Zawia, Ph.D., of The Graduate School, the increase in Graduate School applications, now at a 40% increase for 2010, far exceeds the weak job market or the approximately five percent increase in unemployment.

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Preparing your Dissertation for Success

Graduate students pursuing Doctor of Philosophy degrees must submit and defend dissertations for approval prior to graduating. This process can take years to complete and must be formatted to fit requirements set by The University. It is recommended that students consult the Statement on Thesis Preparation, as well as the Instructions for Thesis Defense, available from the Graduate School Office in order to confirm proper submittal of their work.

According to Al Gerheim, Ph.D., formatter of the Graduate School, there is general confusion regarding numbering dissertation pages, especially the pre-pages. He advises students look at recent submitted and approved work from other students since it will be a better guideline than a blank template at what is approved by the current formatter. He said this is particularly true for the Math and Chemistry disciplines where special formatting exists.

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Graduate Student Association

Getting involved on campus is a great way to meet other graduate students at URI while also having your voice be heard on issues related to the graduate student body. The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is one organization on campus hosting social and service events for all to take part in. GSA is a government body maintained by and for the graduate students of URI with the purpose of enhancing the academic, intellectual, and social opportunities of its members. Officers and members of the GSA Senate distribute GSA funds to graduate students and other qualifying groups, organize social events, and serve as graduate student representatives on University-wide committees.

On February 6th, GSA hosted the annual Winter Bash semi-formal at the Village Inn in Narragansett. It was a night full of dancing and fun. The event sold out with 125 graduate students and their guests in attendance. An ice skating social was also held on March 4th at the Boss Arena.

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URI and FEU to Create Academic Opportunities in Korea and Rhode Island

On February 17th, University President David M. Dooley and Far East University President Kee Il Lyu signed a formal memorandum of understanding. The two have agreed to promote and support opportunities for their faculty and students to visit the other university in an effort to grow learning, research and teaching.

Last fall, faculty and students from the Korean university visited URI. At a luncheon hosted by URI Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Donald DeHayes said, "As outlined in our academic plan, Charting Our Path to the Future, one of our goals is to create global citizens. We want to strengthen the emphasis on global education across the curriculum and develop a model that expands our international/global programs, partnerships, and opportunities."

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A True Global Citizen

Laura Baracaldo has lived a fascinating life. She grew up in Bogota, Colombia, arguably one of the most dangerous places in the world. Her family has experienced the violence of the area first hand, losing one of their own to a vicious and thoughtless murder. Growing up in the shadow of a society so very much in conflict could easily have steered her young life in a negative direction; she used her experiences, and some sage advice from her mother, as a catalyst for change. If you ask her, she will say that her determined effort at all tasks and "can-do" spirit are largely inspired by her mother. She believes, as her mother told her, that her job in this world is to make things better and that she can do exactly that with the tools that she is garnering here at URI.

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