The 2007
Award Recipients
Candace Oviatt, Scholarly
Excellence Award
Candace Oviatt is the anchor of our Graduate
School of Oceanography where her stellar
scholarship in marine biology is recognized
worldwide. She knows more about Narragansett
Bay than any number of old salts. Her
four decades of research on our state's
most treasured resource have helped save
the bay by guiding its resource management
and conservation. Her steady publications
about the bay range from the historical
impact of over-fishing to the alarming
consequences of climate change. While
her focus is local, her work provides
a worldwide understanding of coastal ecology.
During the last seven years, she has been
the principal investigator or co-investigator
of $7 million in prestigious grants. She
is a role model to a myriad of students
and former students, many of whom have
become leaders in coastal and marine research,
management, and policy. For contributing
to our outstanding oceanography reputation,
we proudly present Candace Oviatt the
2007 URI Foundation Scholarly Excellence
Award.
Damon Rarick, Teaching
Excellence Award
Damon Rarick sure knows how to keep college
students engaged in their studies. The
unconventional German professor makes
it entertaining to learn as fun and games
aren't verboten. For example, in an intermediate
"German for Engineers" course, he incorporated
automobile engines into his lessons. By
the end of the semester, the class became
a "functional" human engine model, according
to one student who was the intake valve.
To this day, the student says he can tell
you the process of every stroke in a four-stroke
engine in German without referring to
a textbook. While laughter is encouraged,
this professor's classroom goals are serious:
proficiency in listening, writing, speaking,
and reading German and an understanding
of the German culture. For his enthusiasm
and innovation, we gratefully present
Damon Rarick the 2007 URI Foundation Teaching
Excellence Award.
Kathryn S. Meier, Administrative
Excellence Award
Kathryn Meier, assistant director of our
Cancer Prevention Research Center, is
a master juggler. She doesn't juggle bowling
balls or chain saws. That would be much
too easy. Instead, she juggles the administration
of grant accounts-currently she's overseeing
25 of them-an amazing feat given the challenges
of People Soft, grant accounting, and
changing federal guidelines. But Meier's
impressive versatility doesn't stop there.
She can keep the Center's large-scale,
community-based intervention programs
on time and on task. She ensures that
the Center has the people, space, equipment,
and all other resources it needs for its
research programs. She also is a Polaris
for graduate students, the guiding light
that illuminates their path to success.
Her leadership is reflected by her election
as the new president of the Society for
Public Health Education. For her dazzling
ability to keep things moving, we gladly
present Kathryn Meier the 2007 URI Foundation
Administrative Excellence Award.
Michael P. McDonald,
Staff Excellence Award
Michael P. McDonald, a property control
and supply officer for the Department
of Housing and Residential Life, is a
mover and shaker. He oversees the ordering
and delivery of equipment and custodial
supplies for our 22 residence halls and
three apartment complexes, including nailing
down orders for all carpet and furnishings.
He's the person responsible for moving
truckloads of furniture for conferences,
orientation, and fall move-in. He coordinated
the furniture delivery and installation
for our three newest residence halls.
A man for all seasons, he keeps the linen
supplies flowing during summer conferences
and brings rock salt to the doorstep in
the winter. And he does it all with a
smile. He is also vice president of Council
94/Local 528 and known for his leadership
and fairness. For making his multiple
labors look easy, we gladly present Michael
P. McDonald the 2007 URI Foundation Staff
Excellence Award.
Previous Award Recipients
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