University of Rhode Island Foundation
 

 

 

KINGSTON, R.I. – April 7, 2008-- John and Meg DeCubellis, on behalf of the Katie DeCubellis Memorial Foundation (KDMF), today pledged a gift of $100,000 to the University of Rhode Island.

 

The donation is specifically targeted to support the construction of the planned, state-of-the-art Student-Athlete Development Center (SADC) which will be built adjacent to Keaney Gymnasium. Their gift is part of URI’s Making A Difference capital campaign.

 

The DeCubellis’, of Narragansett, RI, are the parents of Katie, who was killed by a drunk driver just after her thirteenth birthday on October 29, 1999. The KDMF was established shortly thereafter and since then, the couple has addressed over 75,000 high school and college students, parents and military personnel throughout the country on the importance of making responsible decisions, particularly concerning drunk driving and substance abuse.

 

The DeCubellis’ announced their gift before delivering an address to an audience of hundreds of students, including Varsity student-athletes, at Keaney Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. The event was sponsored by URI’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), in conjunction with the Office of Greek Life. On-campus fraternities and sororities were also invited to the event, which was open to the public.

 

The DeCubellis’ focus was on the deadly consequences that can result from making poor choices and acting irresponsibly. They gave a snapshot into the life of their oldest daughter and discussed the impact the tragedy has had on their lives.

 

John DeCubellis, ’82, who currently serves as President of the Rhode Island Rams Athletic Association (RIRAA) said, “The KDMF is extremely pleased for the opportunity to continue Katie’s legacy and spirit by supporting URI’s Student-Athlete Academic Advising and Counseling Center. This opportunity encompasses every facet of the KDMF’s mission to promote youth leadership, support education and generate public awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and substance abuse. Our gift will forever support all of these objectives in Katie’s memory!”

 

Their gift of $100,000 will contribute to overall construction of the new SADC and will specifically support the establishment of the Academic Advising & Counseling Center, one of three major components of the SADC, in addition to the Strength & Conditioning Center and the Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center. The Academic Advising & Counseling Center will house the student-athlete computer lab and provide study hall space, academic tutoring, and meeting space. It will also be home to URI’s NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program and coordinator, dealing with alcohol issues and awareness and other areas of concern that impact the overall health and well-being of student-athletes.

 

“We are truly humbled that the Katie DeCubellis Memorial Foundation has committed to the naming rights of the Academic Enhancement Area within the Student-Athlete Development Center,” Thorr Bjorn, URI Director of Athletics said. “The Academic Enhancement Center will also house our NCAA Life Skills program, which John and Meg DeCubellis continue to play a major role in.” “It is a tremendous tribute by the foundation to the memory of Katie and all she stood for in her short time in this world and all those she touched and affected in a positive manner,” Bjorn added.

 

The KDMF has a history of partnering with the University of Rhode Island on these issues. The Foundation has supported the Rhody Rides program, which provides safe alternative transportation for URI students who might otherwise drive under the influence or ride with someone who is intoxicated. It also partnered with the Center for Student Leadership Development’s Citizen-Leader Activist Alliance to support service learning and alcohol awareness education. URI sororities and fraternities helped raise awareness of these issues within the Greek system on campus by making the KDMF the recipient of theirPhilanthropy Week fundraising activities recently.

 

Glen Kerkian, president of the URI Foundation, which administers the Making A Difference campaign, noted, “This generous gift, as well as the broader, ongoing support from the DeCubellis family and the Foundation, is a wonderful example of how both entities – the KDMF and URI – have identified common areas of concern and have partnered to maximize the impact of their efforts. We look forward to the construction of the SADC and to the naming of the Academic Advising Center in Katie’s honor.”

 

The SADC capital building project includes the construction of 10,000 square feet of new space and 17,000 square feet of renovated space. The new facility, located on the west side of the existing athletics complex, will serve as the gateway to the practice fields. The total cost of the SADC and related improvements will be approximately $10 million; half of which will be sought via charitable gifts. The remaining $5 million will be a match provided by the University. Approximately $7 million will finance the SADC directly, with the remaining $3 million financing related projects including continued improvements to the football field.

 

The Student-Athlete Development Center is an important part of the Making A Difference campaign. The campaign seeks at least $100 million to recruit and retain outstanding faculty, enhance the student-centered campus experience, provide scholarships and fund cutting-edge academic and research initiatives. For more information on the SADC, contact Kevin McGinniss, Director of Athletic Development & Associate Director of Athletics at 401.874.5287 or email at kmcginniss@foundation.uri.edu. To learn more visit the Foundation's Making A Difference page.

 

 

KINGSTON, R.I., - March 12, 2008 – The Rhode Island Criminalistics Association (RICA) recently made a gift of $5,000 to the Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory at URI. This most recent gift brings the dollar value of cumulative annual donations from RICA to over $24,000 since 1993 and was made as part of URI’s Making a Difference capital campaign.

 

This latest gift from the RICA will be used for supplementing the expenses of the state crime laboratory in both assisting law enforcement in the examination of crime scene evidence and the continued training of law enforcement officers in crime scene investigation. URI Foundation president Glen Kerkian said the long-term commitment and record of giving from RICA should be applauded. “The RICA membership has placed a high value on continuing to support the crime lab at the University and they have chosen to do that, in part, by making an annual gift. This groups’ generosity has translated into real and measurable program enhancements. Those enhancements have helped elevate both the educational experience for URI students in this field and the lab’s value as a resource to law enforcement agencies looking for forensic assistance.”

 

“RICA has been a long term supporter of the State Crime Laboratory going back to its first meeting in East Providence, RI in March of 1953,” says Dennis Hilliard, the current director of the state crime laboratory. “Even before RICA began making cash donations to the URI Foundation on behalf of the laboratory, they provided funding to purchase materials and to provide educational opportunities for law enforcement officers at the University, particularly in the Criminal Investigation: Scientific Evidence course which has been offered thirty-six times at URI since 1952 and which has trained nearly 1150 law enforcement officers.”

 

In making the gift, RICA president Det. Lt. David N. Thatcher noted, “I graduated from the Scientific Evidence Course back in 1993. The training and education received have proven to be immeasurable resources during my career as a law enforcement office. I, as well as other graduates of this course, have been afforded the opportunity to assist federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including the URI Forensic Science Partnership by assisting in crime scene investigations and providing specialized training in crime scene investigations. RICA is proud to serve the State Crime Laboratory, considering it an honor and a lifetime commitment.”

 

The crime lab, which has its roots at URI beginning in 1952, was formally established by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1978 and is part of the University’s College of Pharmacy. It is the primary facility for the examination of physical crime evidence in Rhode Island and has earned a national reputation for providing expertise in matters of criminal forensic investigations. The crime lab’s services, facilities and experts are available to all law enforcement agencies within Rhode Island at the state, local and federal levels. Examples of services made available to the state’s law enforcement community include: latent print examination and comparison; fire arm and tool mark examination, impression pattern examination and trace examinations which includes hair, fibers, glass, soil, gunshot residue, and accelerant examination, according to Hilliard. The crime lab also provides training to those agencies, including crime scene processing, photography, latent print development and comparison. The crime lab was accredited in April of 2007 by Forensic Quality Services International and was the first multi-disciplinary lab in New England to earn accreditation under the ISO 17025 guidelines for forensic science laboratories.

 

“RICA’s generous support is helping our state and the University to stay at the forefront of developing areas of forensic sciences that are critical to the security of our nation and the world,” said Ronald P. Jordan, Interim Dean of the URI College of Pharmacy and Executive Secretary of the RI State Crime Lab. “The Crime Lab is a gem at the College that has for many years helped stimulate the forensic science work here at the University. RICA must be commended for their foresight and continued commitment to this area.”

 

The crime lab has also played a key role in developing URI’s Forensic Science Partnership. The Partnership is a collaboration of the Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory, the Rhode Island Department of Health, and URI’s College of Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Human Science and Services created to link the lab with related academic disciplines. It was established in 1999 to make URI a center of forensic excellence through research, curriculum development and community seminars. Its collaboration led to the creation, this past December, of a chemistry and forensic chemistry major at URI – the first of its kind in New England at any public university or college.

 

The RICA is made up of 380 active and associate members, most of whom are graduates of the scientific evidence course run by the lab. They are generally active or retired members of local, state and regional law enforcement agencies or fire investigation agencies, including the state fire marshal’s office.

 

For more information, contact Dennis Hilliard at 874-2893.

 

 

February, 2008 - URI Foundation Seeks Nominations for 2008 Excellence Awards- The University of Rhode Island Foundation recently opened nominations for its 2008 Excellence Awards. Nominations close Friday, March 7, 2008. Award winners will be announced in April.

The Excellence Awards were established in 1974 to recognize members of the staff or faculty of the University who go above and beyond their responsibilities to enhance the objectives of a particular department as well as the University as a whole. Nominated individuals should include those who approach their jobs with creativity and imagination and embody the spirit of dedication and humanism.

According to Foundation President Glen R. Kerkian, four winners are selected annually and each is recognized during spring graduation and fall Convocation. The also receive a framed citation, an "Excellence" pin and a $2,000 cash award.

Students and staff were invited to nominate candidates for this award by sending a letter detailing why a certain candidate should be nominated to the respective award chair c/o the Foundation at the address below, or by emailing jlewis@foundation.uri.edu. Candidates nominated in previous years may be re-nominated simply by sending a note or email asking, provided the candidates have been nominated within the past three years.

All Nominations were to be sent c/o the Foundation at 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881-2023 to the attention of one of the following:

  • Susan D. G. Warford, Chair, Administrative Excellence Award

  • Linda M. Welters, Chair, Scholarly Excellence Award

  • Kathleen A. Craig, Chair, Staff Excellence Award

  • Arthur Mead, Chair, Teaching Excellence Award

For more information on the award categories or the nomination process, please visit www.urifoundation.org/awards/callfornominations.

 

 

Anonymous donor pledges $1 Million to URI Athletics - The University of Rhode Island's baseball facilities will undergo major upgrades thanks to the first-ever $1 million pledge to the Department of Athletics as part of the Making a Difference campaign. A portion of the gift, which comes to the University from an anonymous donor, will go toward the Student-Athlete Development Center. The gift is the largest-ever donation made in University athletics history. More…

 

 

Real estate executive donates $1 million to help create Student Wellness Center - Michael Fascitelli '78 has donated $1 million to help create a Student Wellness Center on campus, a facility that will foster personal health and promote community among URI students. The former two-story Roger Williams Dining Hall, located in the heart of the the residential life community, will undergo a $5.5 million renovation and conversion into the wellness center. The gift was made to URI's Making A Difference campaign in honor of Fascitelli's mother, Anna Fascitelli. More...

 


Apple Pickers Foundation donates $100,000 to URI A private charitable foundation in Westerly has made a $100,000 contribution to the University's Center for Vector-Borne Disease in support of the Center’s public health education program for preventing tick bites and Lyme disease. The Apple Pickers Foundation made the contribution after meeting with URI Entomology Professor Thomas Mather, director of the Center, and learning about his numerous outreach programs aimed at reducing the risk of contracting Lyme disease. The gift is part of the Making a Difference campaign. More...

 

 

Archived Giving News

 

URI Foundation
79 Upper College Road
Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: 401-874-2145

Toll free: 877-874-4555

Fax: 401-874-5524
Email: campaign@uri.edu