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News Releases 2008

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September

CCRI golf classic raises funds for scholarships

Warwick, R.I. – Oct. 6, 2008: The Community College of Rhode Island raised nearly $30,000 for student scholarships through its 2008 CCRI Golf Classic held at the Warwick Country Club on Sept. 22. More than 120 golfers participated in the tournament to support the college’s Ferland/DiMaria Student Assistance Fund, which provides the scholarships as well as financial assistance to students with special needs such as child care and medical problems.

Key sponsors of the tournament included Honeywell, Independent Insurance Agents of Rhode Island, Chase Bank, National Grid, Sovereign Bank and Pare Corporation. More than a dozen corporate foursome sponsors and 20 tee and green sponsors also provided key contributions. The event concluded with a raffle and an auction moderated by NBC 10 Sports Anchor Frank Carpano with prizes provided by more than 50 companies and individuals.

The annual tournament was established by Joe DiMaria and Ray Ferland, two former college administrators, 14 years ago. Since its inception, proceeds from the tournament have provided more than $250,000 for deserving students, who have benefited from scholarship and financial assistance in order to help them attain their college degree and to become part of the economic vitality of the state of Rhode Island. CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale and Tournament Director Dennis Moore honored DiMaria and Ferland as tournament co-chair emeriti for their leadership and accomplishments.

To see photos of the tournament, go to http://www.ccri.edu/publicrelations/TheFallClassic08/index.shtml.

Culinary program orientation is Sept. 30
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 22, 2008: The Community College of Rhode Island will hold an orientation for the Culinary Arts Assistant Certificate Program at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Newport County Campus.

Students can meet Chef Ken Collins, program adviser with more than 35 years in the Rhode Island culinary industry, and learn more about the 15-week program in Newport that will begin on Nov. 10 and run through March 2, 2009.

During the course, students will learn about food sanitation and safety and restaurant operations/management and will spend a significant amount of time in the hands-on kitchen lab. Students also spend a minimum of 72 hours in internships provided by area hospitality, dining and food service establishments.

The orientation will be held in Room 200 at CCRI’s Newport County Campus, 1 John H. Chafee Blvd., Newport. Job placement and financial assistance are available for eligible students through netWORKri. For full course details, visit www.ccri.edu/cwce or call 825-2320.

Benton to exhibit works from decade at CCRI
‘Revisited Memories Two’ will run through Oct. 24

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2008: A reception for Community College of Rhode Island Art Professor Mary Benton’s exhibition “Revisited Memories Two,” works from her decade at the college, will be held from 4 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Knight Campus Art Gallery in room 3500 on the third floor of the round building at the Warwick campus.

In her work, Benton said she plays with the photographic image as a representation of what she saw and what the camera recorded. Pieces in this exhibition include altered Polaroids that she scanned, then further altered digitally, digital mergers of photographs with painted still lifes (such as “Pink Flower Still Life” pictured at right) and a digitally altered series of images of women wearing mink coats whom she photographed while on sabbatical in Italy in 2006.

“Reworking the images lets me revisit the experience and reconfigure the memory it evokes through my own cultural, political or personal resonances,” she said. “I can waltz between the pleasure of memory and the more complex and difficult larger picture we know as life. Focus is affected by time, edges are blurred and attention to details is diverted by experience.”

Benton’s altered Polaroids – shot with a SX-70 and manipulated using a toothpick, dental tool, finger or whatever was handy while developing, then again after they were scanned into a computer – include a series of chairs as well as scenics, including “Altered Appleton,” a photograph taken in the Wisconsin town where she earned her bachelor’s degree at Lawrence University. In “Almost Little Compton,” she digitally merged elements from other photographs and added some hand-coloring. Benton said she changed her focus from Polaroids in 2001 while in Europe when she couldn’t find the film she needed. She mailed her cameras home and took another tack; merging photographs of still lifes with scanned versions of her oil paintings of them. She sometimes adds oil paint to the finished print, as well.

Benton who earned her Master of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design, teaches graphic design and digital art courses at CCRI.

Gallery hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The show will run through Oct. 24.

College fair at CCRI Newport on Sept. 13
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 3, 2008: A college fair geared toward students on Aquidneck Island and the surrounding area will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, at CCRI’s Newport County Campus, One John H. Chafee Blvd., Newport.

The event, sponsored by the Rhode Island Office of Higher Education, will include a seminar on financing a college education presented by the Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and a student panel called “The College Experience” from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. focusing on the obstacles and benefits of going to college.

Representatives from about a dozen colleges, universities and technical schools, as well as the College Planning Center, the Higher Education Assistance Authority and the Youth Services Division of the Department of Labor and Training, will be available to answer questions.

The East Bay Community Action Program will provide free child care, and light refreshments will be served from 11 to 11:30 a.m. For more information about preparing for college, visit www.ribghe.org/col-prep.htm.

August

Orientation set for new pharmacy tech program
Warwick, R.I. – Aug. 8, 2008: The Community College of Rhode Island will hold an orientation session for those interested in the college’s new pharmacy technician program from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, in Room 4080 at the college’s Knight Campus in Warwick.

CCRI’s Division for Lifelong Learning will offer the 155-hour introductory program, which aims to quell the recent shortage of pharmacy technicians while giving future pharmacists a taste of the profession. Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists, including filling, packaging and distributing medications as well as maintaining patient records and inventory. They work in retail pharmacies, hospitals and home health care pharmacies.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for pharmacy technicians are expected to be good for full-time and part-time work, especially for those with certification or previous work experience. The technicians start earning about $10 to $15 an hour but certified technicians can earn 20 percent to 30 percent more.

Health care workers who want to enhance their knowledge of prescription drugs also can benefit from the program, which includes training in pharmacy math, generics, pharmacy law, insurance and interpreting prescriptions.

The class will run from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 9 to Jan. 20, 2009.

June

CCRI’s Health Care Futures Grant to host more than 200 industry professionals at summit
Warwick, R.I. – June 9, 2008: The Community College of Rhode Island’s Health Care Futures Grant, a federally funded community-based job training grant in support of students, faculty development and clinical education, will hold a one-day educational summit this Friday featuring nationally known leaders in nursing education, practice and research.

One in three qualified nursing applicants is turned away from nursing schools because of the nurse faculty shortage. The focus of this educational offering is to examine the nursing education system, the faculty shortage and address new ways to provide clinical education for students through partnerships with health care organizations.

Jack Warner, commissioner of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, and CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale will welcome presenters from across the country and more than 200 participants from Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts at “Nursing Education and Practice: Partnering for Change,” which will include four presentations and a panel discussion. The summit will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Radisson Hotel in Warwick

Patricia Benner, from the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, and Molly Sutphen, a research scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, will discuss both sides of the complex, caring practice of nursing – teaching it and learning it.

Sacred Heart University’s Dori Taylor Sullivan, chair and associate professor of nursing, will make a presentation about quality and safety education for nurses, a competency-based curriculum.

Maureen Sroczynski of Farley Associates Inc. will talk about creativity and connections – building the framework for the future of nursing education and practice, citing “the Massachusetts model” as an example. Several panel discussions will follow about Rhode Island partnership initiatives including those between CCRI, Care New England and Lifespan; Rhode Island College and Veterans Administration Medical Center; Rhode Island College and The Miriam Hospital; The University of Rhode Island and The Miriam Hospital; University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Hospital; and the Rhode Island State Nurses’ Association and the Hospital Association of Rhode Island.

The program will end with a discussion about the importance of partnerships to the future of nursing and education by Rose Sherman of the Nursing Leadership Institute at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University.

“This summit is really a unique opportunity for nursing professionals to learn about the latest nursing educational research, explore innovative approaches to partnering for nursing education and practice and to be inspired by nationally recognized leaders who have a vision and passion for excellence,” said Jeanette Matrone, manager of the Health Care Futures Grant.

The event is the result of a collaborative effort by members of a committee chaired by Matrone and composed of professionals from CCRI, URI’s School of Nursing, RIC and Rhode Island Nurse Registration and Nursing Education.

Kids’ College
For the first time, CCRI’s popular Kids’ College will be offered at the Newport County Campus this summer.

For 10 years, children across the state have enjoyed Kids’ College at the Knight Campus in Warwick. But this summer, island residents can join in the fun at the college’s state-of-the-art facility in Newport.

The program offers children age 8 to 12 hands-on enrichment programs taught by creative, caring professional teachers. Two weeklong sessions will be held: July 14 to 18 and July 21 to 25. Children may register for one or both sessions.

A half-day program runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon. An optional Afternoon Adventure program will run from noon to 3 p.m. and will give children a chance to visit places such as Ballard Park, Newport’s only nature preserve; the Norman Bird Sanctuary; the Naval War College Museum; and the Newport Exploration Center Aquarium. Participants also can explore the universe at the Krupowicz Planetarium; tour the Newport Daily News and see a paper roll off the presses; and learn about boats, lighthouses and Narragansett Bay history during a Wickford Harbor adventure.

Class choices are varied. From 8:30 to 10 a.m., children can explore studio fundamentals of drawing, painting, sculpting, working with color and more in Art Adventure; learn about the solar system, re-enact the first step on the moon and design a moon colony in Explore Space; learn the basics of stage acting, improvisation, speech and movement, then prepare scenes and monologues and write their own plays in Let’s Act Up; research, write, edit and star in their own movie with Windows-based movie-making software in Make a Movie; or make slime, lava, crystals and more in Science Wizardry.

From 10:30 a.m. to noon, participants can choose to build bridges with spaghetti and test their strength in Building Bridges; study the “crime scene” and conduct crime lab tests on the evidence to solve the mystery in Catch a Criminal; immerse themselves in the French culture in Discover France; prepare choreographed routines for the musical genre in Let’s Dance; or learn to use photo editing software to improve photos or turn them into digital works of art in Picture Perfect.

The cost is $145 per week for the morning session (a snack is provided) and $130 per week to add the Afternoon Adventure session. To download a brochure or register, visit http://www.ccri.edu/lifelong/personal/kidscollege.shtml.

May

CCRI celebrates 43rd commencement
Warwick, R.I. – May 19, 2008: More than 1,490 associate degrees and certificates were conferred as the college celebrated its 43rd commencement Friday in the Vincent A. Cullen Field House at the Knight Campus in Warwick.

Several dignitaries – among them Gov. Donald Carcieri, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and Congressman Jim Langevin – gave congratulations to the Class of 2008.

Rhode Island television journalist Karen Adams, an award-winning anchor for Channel 12’s Eyewitness News, delivered the commencement address. She shared her own story of working her way up through radio and broadcast ranks to attain the position she has today and urged graduates to persistent in pursuing their dreams.

CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale provided a snapshot of this year’s graduating class during his remarks by highlighting several stories of outstanding students.

Representing her class was student speaker Karen Finn of Coventry, who earned her GED in 1971 and worked for the IRS and in the banking industry and raised two children before returning to school in 2004 to study early childhood education. Finn completed her associate degree requirements in December and since has transferred to the University of Rhode Island to complete her bachelor’s degree in the same major. She hopes to work in early childhood intervention.

West Bay residents honored for work at CCRI
Warwick, R.I. – May 20, 2008: Four employees at the Community College of Rhode Island were recognized for their commitment to the community college and willingness to help students, faculty and staff beyond the requirements of their position.

Deborah Carr of Coventry, assistant business management officer, was honored in the Office Services category. Her nominators called her the “go to” person for countless physical plant and security issues and said she has been known to personally walk students to enrollment services or financial aid to make sure their problems are resolved. “From spreadsheets to a distraught student calling about a missing purse to a food service request, Deb will move with seamless effectiveness to make certain all is handled successfully,” one nominee wrote. Carr has worked for the college for 10 years.

Christine Farrell of East Greenwich, an accountant in the controller’s office, was honored in the Professional Staff category for her willingness to help with whatever task is needed, accommodating late requests even when she has other checks to process that day and taking on extra work during her co-workers’ vacations or sick days. She has worked for many years on the Dollars for Scholars Committee to benefit students and recently organized a pot-luck luncheon to raise money for a staff member who was in a rehabilitation facility after she was seriously injured at another job. “Chris is always thinking of others,” her nominators wrote. Farrell has worked at CCRI for 37 years.

Thomas Kurowski of Warwick, a college police officer at the Newport County Campus, was honored in the Building Maintenance/Security category and was called “Officer Friendly” for “leaving every campus visitor feeling good about the college,” personally escorting students and visitors to their destinations and helping with heavy bundles. “This sort of personal attention extends beyond the building to the parking lot, where he will at times hold an umbrella for others on a rainy day,” one of his nominators wrote. Kurowski has worked at the college for seven years.

Carol Ferrer of Cranston, a technical staff assistant for the Clinical Laboratory Technology program, was honored in the Technical Services category. Beyond preparing materials and the labs for student sessions, she has established contacts with facilities throughout the state to procure specimens for student use and then drives to pick up the materials and prepares them for students. She also was instrumental in helping prepare for an accreditation site visit that resulted in a full accreditation for the program for the maximum, seven years. “She is viewed by faculty and students alike as a true professional, and she performs her job with a great deal of responsibility and pride,” her nominator wrote. Ferrer has worked at the college for 27 years.

The Employee Recognition Program was established in 1989 to honor employees in four categories: Office Services, Technical Services, Building Maintenance/Security and Professional Staff. A committee composed of six members representing CCRI’s four campuses reviewed nominations and chose the winners, who were honored at a recent Employee Recognition Awards Luncheon. Their names also will be added to the plaque located in the Human Resources Office on the Knight Campus in Warwick.

CCRI to celebrate 43rd commencement
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: More than 1,450 associate degrees and certificates will be conferred as the college celebrates its 43rd commencement starting at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the Vincent A. Cullen Field House at the Knight Campus in Warwick.

Several dignitaries – among them Gov. Donald Carcieri, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and Congressman Jim Langevin – will be on hand to give congratulations to the Class of 2008.

Rhode Island television journalist Karen Adams, anchor for Channel 12’s Eyewitness News, will deliver the commencement address. Adams has won many awards for her work – including the coveted Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Individual Achievement in Anchoring for all of New England – and is known for her far-reaching and extensive community involvement, serving on various boards and volunteering her time and talents for various fund-raising events.

CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale will provide a snapshot of this year’s graduating class during his remarks by highlighting several stories of outstanding students.

Representing her class will be student speaker Karen Finn of Coventry, who earned her GED in 1971 and worked for the IRS and in the banking industry and raised two children before returning to school in 2004 to study early childhood education. Finn completed her associate degree requirements in December and since has transferred to the University of Rhode Island to complete her bachelor’s degree in the same major. She hopes to work in early childhood intervention.

The commencement exercise will be the culmination of two weeks of events honoring members of the Class of 2008 including pinning ceremonies for graduates in the radiography, dental assisting, dental hygiene diagnostic medical sonography, physical therapist assistant and nursing programs. The college also held an Access Recognition Luncheon, an athletic awards/media day event, a Graduation Awards Luncheon and a Phi Theta Kappa Golden Tassel Luncheon.

For more information about commencement, visit www.ccri.edu/web/commencement/ 2008/info.shtml.

CCRI Foundation to honor community leaders
Warwick, R.I. – May 12, 2008: The CCRI Foundation will hold its second annual “Changing Lives Celebration,” honoring three outstanding community leaders while raising funds to help even more students achieve their dreams.

The Foundation will honor Rhode Island Sen. Juan Pichardo ’92, Miriam Hospital President Dr. Kathleen Hittner and Rhode Island Distribution President for National Grid Michael F. Ryan as leaders in education, community and business, respectively, during an event held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, at the Knight Campus in Warwick.

The event will feature South American wines and hors d’oeuvres from Blackstone Catering and include music by CCRI students and 2000 alumna Lois Vaughan. Silent and live auction items – including Red Sox tickets, a weeklong trip to Mexico, a $2,000 AAA travel voucher, a fully stocked 30-bottle wine cooler, dinner with CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale and more – also will also be available

Established by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1979, the CCRI Foundation is an independent nonprofit corporation created to encourage and provide college support from private sources. Foundation funds are used to build a self-perpetuating endowment for the college and for scholarships. These funds are also used to support college-wide projects, such as faculty enrichment and development, cultural activities, educational equipment purchases, campus beautification, athletics and library acquisitions.

Tickets to the event cost $65. Corporate and individual sponsorships are available. For tickets and more information, call 333-7150 or e-mail gpeixoto@ccri.edu.

Following is biographical information on our award recipients:

Sen. Juan Pichardo ’92 Education Champion

Juan M. Pichardo, who represents state Senate District 2 in Providence, is the first Latino elected to a R.I. Senate seat and the first Dominican American elected to a state senate seat in the United States. He serves as Senate Deputy Majority Leader and as a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, where he serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Services and Transportation and secretary of the Health and Human Services Committee. Pichardo was elected in 2002, defeating an incumbent of 18 years in a primary and garnering 74 percent of the vote against two Independent candidates and a Republican candidate in the general election. Pichardo’s success is credited to his long-term service to his community, from his time as a student activist at the Community College of Rhode Island to his many visits to Providence schools to speak with youth. He remains extremely active in the community, co-founding a nonprofit organization, Quisqueya In Action, which works to maintain the Dominican-American cultural relationship and assists and promotes the pursuit of higher education among young people and families in the city of Providence. Senator Pichardo also co-founded the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee. Pichardo had a 17-year career at the largest health care facility in Rhode Island, Rhode Island Hospital/Lifespan, where he held several positions. He joined the 143rd Military Security Force as a security police specialist and obtained the rank of staff sergeant within three years. He cross-trained into the 143rd Communication Flight in the Multimedia Unit as a combat video specialist and was promoted to technical sergeant. In 2004, he re-enlisted and cross-trained into his current position as a Military Equal Opportunity Advisor, where he plans, organizes and directs MEO and Human Relations Education activities. He came to the United States in 1975 at age 9 and lived in New York City with his mother and two sisters prior to moving to Providence in 1979 and attending schools in the city. He holds an associate degree in arts from CCRI, an associate degree in applied science audio visual production services from the Community College of the Air Force and completed the Air National Guard NCO Academy. He is married to Janet, a parent facilitator for community and family partnerships in the Providence School Department, and has two children, Cristian and Tiffanie.

Dr. Kathleen Hittner Community Champion

Since April 2000, Dr. Kathleen C. Hittner of Warwick has served as the president and chief executive officer of The Miriam Hospital, a 247-bed, tertiary care hospital on the East Side of Providence noted for its excellence in cardiac care. Dr. Hittner has been active in community and business organizations as an advocate of improving the health and economic status of Rhode Island residents. She is a member of the boards of directors of the American Heart Association, Bryant University and the Urban League of Rhode Island and is chairwoman of Hospital Association of Rhode Island. Last March, the governor appointed Dr. Hittner chairwoman of the Rhode Island Airport Corp., an organization in which she has been active since 2001. Along with her husband, Barry, she co-chaired the American Heart Association Heart Ball and the American Cancer Society Cancer Ball in 2001. She co-chaired the Gold Heart Luncheon in 2006 for the Rhode Island division of the American Heart Association. She represented Lifespan Corp. for the United Way Campaign from 1999 – 2001, completed the Leadership Rhode Island program in 2001 and has been a member of the Rhode Island Commodores since 2003. In addition to her numerous administrative duties at The Miriam Hospital, Dr. Hittner still practices as an anesthesiologist one day per week and has been on the faculty of Brown Medical School since 1979, where she is currently a clinical professor of surgery in anesthesiology. She received the School of Medicine’s “Distinguished Teacher Award” in 2000 and 2004. She is a graduate of Albright College and Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in clinical anesthesiology in 1976 at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., where she became chief resident in anesthesiology. Her activities as a researcher have resulted in scientific publications and numerous speaker invitations to conferences regionally and nationally. She maintains membership in myriad professional societies and has held officer positions in many of them and has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards for her many accomplishments.

Michael F. Ryan Business Champion

Michael F. Ryan of Warwick is president of the Rhode Island distribution company of National Grid. He joined the former Narragansett Electric Co. in 1994 and previously served for eight years as the Rhode Island director of the offices of U.S. Sen. John H. Chafee. He spent almost 10 years in the executive branch of Rhode Island state government – first as a legislative assistant to the lieutenant governor and later as special assistant and press secretary to Gov. J. Joseph Garrahy. He serves as vice chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education and chairs its Finance Committee. He was appointed by Gov. Donald L. Carcieri to serve as a member of the Board of Governors of the Rhode Island Commodores and the Rhode Island Economic Policy Council. He is the former chairman of Grow Smart Rhode Island and serves on the boards of several organizations, including Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Kent Hospital, Professional Facilities Management, Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council and Navigant Credit Union. He also serves as chairman of Boys Town New England, is on the board of trustees for the John E. Fogarty Foundation, is a council member on The Governor’s Growth Planning Council and is a member of the Providence College President’s Council and the Junior Achievement CEO Council. He is a 1974 graduate of Rhode Island College, a 1993 graduate of Leadership Rhode Island and has been named to the Rhode Island College Alumni Honor Roll. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Alumni Service Award from Rhode Island College.

Public invited to explore night skies at observatory
Warwick, R.I. – May 1, 2008: Weather permitting, the public is invited to explore the cosmos at the Margaret M. Jacoby Observatory on the Knight Campus in Warwick from 8 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7.

Guided by Assistant Professor Brendan Britton of the Physics Department, visitors can view the moon and other nighttime objects in the spring sky through the college’s 14-inch reflective telescope.

There is no admission fee. The observatory is not heated, so remember to dress for the weather. Cloudy or rainy skies will cancel the event; call 825-2212 for updates.

Smithsonian scientist to present images of Mars
Warwick, R.I. – April 24, 2008: A recognized expert on the polar ice caps of Mars will give a visual tour of the planet during CCRI’s annual Honors Forum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, at the Knight Campus in Warwick.

Dr. Kathryn E. Fishbaugh Russell, a postdoctoral research scientist at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., will present “Spying on Mars,” which will include images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE, camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Fishbaugh Russell is a participating scientist in the HiRISE team. The camera takes three-color images of Mars at unprecedented resolution – you could easily see your kitchen table on Mars, she said – and it has been nicknamed “the people’s camera” because data is released quickly to the public. Soon, she said, anyone will be able to suggest image targets. More information and images from the camera can be found online at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/.

She was named to the HiRISE team following a NASA competition. She said the original instrument teams are assembled long before the mission starts, at the time the instrument is proposed for the mission. That means the original HiRISE science team was composed when she was in graduate school or even earlier. But when the main missions begin, NASA holds a competition for scientists to be added to the original teams. She submitted a proposal and was selected. “Several of the chosen participating scientists are young, like I am, so there was no bias towards the more experienced set,” she wrote in an e-mail from Paris, where she was attending a conference this week.

During her presentation, she plans to show several HiRISE images and discuss the science behind them as well as talking about her role on the team and the many possible jobs in planetary science and other possible ways to be involved in planetary missions. She also will answer questions.

Fishbaugh Russell, who taught at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln during the 2000-01 academic year, said she is looking forward to returning to the college. “I loved my time at CCRI and am very excited to come back for a visit!” she wrote.

She received her bachelor’s degree in astronomy and physics from Boston University, where she wrote an undergraduate thesis in magnetospheric physics. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in geology from Brown University, studying the Mars polar caps.

From 2004 to 2007, she worked as a postdoctoral scientist at the International Space Science Institute in Bern, Switzerland, where she studied the Mars polar caps, organized an international workshop on the geology and habitability of terrestrial planets and edited the associated book. While there, she received a fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation and worked with glaciologists at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen as a visiting scientist. She also was a convener for the 4th International Mars Polar Science and Exploration Conference in 2006.

The presentation is free and open to the public and will take place in the Board Room on the fourth floor at the Warwick campus, 400 East Ave. A coffee reception will follow and CCRI’s Honors students will present their honors projects. For more information, call 825-2034.

Warren woman wants to pursue forensic science
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: On the same day aspiring forensic scientist Amanda Salzat, 22, of Warren graduates from the Community College of Rhode Island with an associate degree in law enforcement, her 4-year-old daughter Jalynn will “graduate” from a preschool program at Head Start in Warren.

Mother and daughter have many accomplishments to honor on Friday, May 16, at their respective ceremonies and, while each celebration signifies the end of a journey, it also marks the start of a new one full of growth and opportunity.

Salzat is waiting to hear if she has been accepted to the University of New Haven to study forensic science. Jalynn will start taking the bus to full-day kindergarten in the fall. The new challenges that await them do not seem the least bit daunting to Salzat, who is eager to continue her education. After what she has learned juggling responsibilities as a mother, student, worker of two part-time jobs and intern with the Rhode Island Department of Health, the future holds nothing but possibility.

“A lot of people who were in my situation as a young mom would have given up, but I stayed focused,” she said. “My mom brought me up to always stay focused on school.”

Pregnant with Jalynn during her senior year at Coventry High School, Salzat never lost sight of her dream to go to college and entered CCRI when Jalynn was 6 months old. Her mother, Helen Henry, a 1994 graduate of the college, baby-sat while Salzat jockeyed between classes, studying and getting to work at 3:30 a.m. for the start of her shift at UPS in Warwick to load the delivery trucks. She has worked her way up to supervisor since she started there four years ago. On the weekends, she waitresses at a local restaurant.

“I don’t sleep and it’s hard to get work done, but you make sacrifices,” Salzat said. “When I’m here at school, I don’t socialize. I study.”

She also takes advantage of learning opportunities. Salzat has been an intern at the state Department of Health for two semesters, participating through CCRI’s Cooperative Education and Career Placement program, which gives students the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in their field and develop contacts for course credit. The experience has been invaluable for Salzat, who worked in the labs at the Chapin Building on Orms Street in Providence. The internship exposed her to possible career fields in the industry and new technology that’s been put into practice. In the toxicology lab, she tested samples of blood and urine, disposed of hazardous waste and cataloged samples using an online database. She also had the unusual experience of witnessing an autopsy performed by a state medical examiner.

“It’s not for everybody,” Salzat said. “Ever since I was little I was interested in science and gathering evidence at a crime scene. I chose law enforcement as my major because some forensic scientists start out as police officers before they become investigators.”

Salzat is graduating with a 3.6 GPA. If she is not accepted to the University of New Haven – one of few schools in the area offering a forensic science program – she has a back-up plan to study chemistry. Either way, she is confident her future will work out as long as she doesn’t stop to rest.

“I know my hard work will pay off one day,” she said. “I’ll have plenty of time to rest when I retire.”

Depression can’t keep this graduate down
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: George Garcia of Providence battles depression every day to make life better for those around him. Admittedly a man who does not accept – or even ask for – help, he gives it freely so those around him can be happy.

“I get frustrated when other people aren’t happy,” said Garcia. “If my family and the others around me are happy, then I’ve reached my goal.”

But the journey toward his goal has been anything but easy. Garcia, 39, now a father of seven, had his first child when he was 17. He dropped out of high school, but immediately received his high school equivalency diploma. In order to stay out of trouble in his tough Paterson, N.J. neighborhood, Garcia kept as busy as possible, including working as a corrections officer in the local county jail. He provided a safe, secure environment for prisoners for almost three years when a sports injury kept him out of work for so long that he decided to resign.

This injury and job loss sent him spiraling into a deep depression, during which he found comfort in food. He surpassed 300 pounds. His weight and all the side effects of obesity led him further into depression, which he tried to hide from his family. Simultaneously, Garcia’s Paterson neighborhood became more gang and drug infested. He wasn’t strong enough to stay out of trouble anymore, so he and his wife, Carmen, decided to move the family in with his mother-in-law in Providence at the end of 1992.

But it was a life-changing event on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 1994 that set Garcia on a new life course. While he was at the grocery store, his home was invaded. His wife and two boys, though physically unharmed, were tied up while the criminals waited for his return. He was bound, blindfolded and beaten beyond recognition. Though the thieves left with few material things, they left a permanent imprint on Garcia’s life.

The family returned to New Jersey to try to escape the memories of that November night. Though his family found rent-free housing for six months, Garcia still struggled to find motivation in his life, while still fighting the physical side effects of his obesity – brutally high blood pressure, apnea, exhaustion and osteoarthritis. Always fearful of and analyzing his surroundings, Garcia found himself isolated from those around him.

Though his wife worked at a day care center, the family still struggled for survival, so they decided to make another change and move back to Providence with one main goal in mind – to own a home and pay no more rent.

He moved into his mother-in-law’s apartment house and within a year, some light appeared at the end of the tunnel. The house went up for sale and, when it sold, Garcia did odd jobs for his new landlord. They quickly developed a father-son-like relationship.

While working to fix his credit, Garcia’s car was totaled in an accident, for which he received a small sum of money. Simultaneously, his landlord put the house up for sale and sold it to Garcia, who used the money from the car insurance company to make the down payment. He achieved his primary goal of owning a home.

Now onto the next one: finishing his education. “Everyone was happier once we bought the house,” said Garcia. “My marriage survived many rocky times. Our relationship got better and resulted in the birth of our fraternal twins.”

Before the twins were born, Garcia underwent gastric bypass surgery and slimmed down to a trim 165 pounds. After his wife went back to work as teaching assistant at Hope High School in Providence, Garcia decided to go back to school.

He enrolled at CCRI in the spring of 2006. He juggled family life, schedules and school to become the first in his family to earn a college degree. Now he is graduating with an associate degree in Liberal Arts, with a psychology major and a 3.3 GPA.

“My depression is the reason I went into psychology,” Garcia explained. “Depression is an ongoing battle and by studying it, I can try to understand this disease.

“I hope to be a high school psychologist and set a model for those who come after me,” said Garcia, who plans to enroll at Rhode Island College in the fall. Though he hopes to transfer again to an Ivy League school, Garcia expects to earn his master’s and doctorate degrees in psychology within the next few years.

“Nothing is ever about the money for me,” said Garcia. “It’s about personal satisfaction and I’ve always enjoyed working with kids.

“I see so many kids who don’t care and it’s sad,” he continued. “I would tell them that they can be the exception to the rule, but if you don’t start with yourself, you can’t make a difference at all.”

Graduate working his way up at Teknor Apex
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: Jody Draine of Cumberland started his first day of work at Teknor Apex in Pawtucket at the bottom of a barrel. Wearing gloves and a mask, and using mineral oil, a squeegee and an air hose, he cleaned a 5,000-pound blender that had been drained of a chemical compound heated at 200 degrees. It was summer 1996.

“It was the middle of August and well over 100 degrees,” Draine recalled. “It wasn’t exactly my dream job.”

At the time a single father, Draine took the job to escape a dead-end position at a convenience store, where he worked 85 to 100 hours per week to make ends meet and provide for his then 6-year-old son, Ryan. It didn’t matter that the work was more labor intensive and his pay was 50 cents less an hour – he took the position at Teknor Apex because it was “a company with a good reputation” where he could “move up the ladder and build a career,” he said.

Draine talked to his uncle, a technician at the company, who helped him get a foot in the door. From the first day forward, determination to get ahead was foremost on Draine’s mind. Curious, he started asking his co-worker’s questions about their positions and the inner workings of the company. “When I took chemical samples to the lab to be tested, I’d ask the technicians, ‘Why are you doing that? What is this machine for?’”

The more Draine learned, the more quickly he advanced within the company ranks. “In two years, I was making twice as much,” he said.

A supervisor approached Draine about going back to school to learn chemistry – the company would pay his tuition and expenses – if he wanted to continue working in product development. The subject, once daunting for him in high school, became a welcome challenge this time around.

“I had always wanted to go to school but, as a 19-year-old with a young son, I knew I didn’t have the time. Being a good father was more important,” he said.

Draine, now 37, graduated from high school in 1988, taking on the responsibilities of fatherhood soon after. He came to CCRI in 2001 at the suggestion of his supervisor and found a nurturing environment with professors willing to go the extra mile to help him through the program while he was working third shift full time, being a parent and coaching his son’s soccer and baseball teams.

To take General Chemistry II, a required course, Draine needed a background in algebra – something he lacked. Dr. Elizabeth Arendt, a chemistry professor at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln came to his rescue.

“She told me, ‘I’ll teach you the math if you’re willing to do the work.’” Arendt would stay after hours, sometimes as late as 11 p.m., to tutor her eager student before he went back to work. His hard work has paid off and he is graduating with a 3.73 GPA. He also is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

Draine is now a product development specialist at Teknor Apex. The position gives him new freedom to research and to develop new products while negotiating with companies from around the world that produce raw materials. The German classes he took with Professor Carol Panaccione came in handy while Draine was consulting with a company from that country recently.

Draine will continue to study chemistry at the University of Rhode Island in the fall. “CCRI has been the best experience for me personally and professionally,” he said. “It’s like home.”

Coventry woman chosen as student speaker
Karen Finn to represent Class of 2008 at commencement on Friday

Warwick, R.I. – May 14, 2008: Coventry resident Karen Finn could have finished out her career working in real estate lending at the local credit union. But she dreamed of helping others, and she decided to do something about it.

Raised in Chepachet, Finn, who will turn 57 next week, left high school at age 16 and earned her GED in 1971. She learned clerical skills and worked for the IRS for 10 years and then in banking and other jobs while raising her two children. In 2004, she decided to return to school to pursue a career she would really enjoy.

“I was making a dollar,” she said. “But it didn’t feel like I was fulfilling myself. I thought there was more I could give back.”

With the support of her husband, Jack, a 1974 alumnus of CCRI, she embarked on her academic career.

“I was a bit insecure at first. It was a big leap,” she said. “But now I can finish out my working career doing something that I enjoy and have a positive impact on these children.” Finn, who has been selected as student speaker at this year’s commencement ceremony on Friday, said she aced her placement tests in language, but math was a particular struggle for her. She spent her nights in the math lab, where she encountered “some of the best teachers I have ever seen. They were right there for me.”

Just as she was feeling frustrated with her calculations, she said she would look up and see the room monitors’ encouraging smiles. “People here never made me feel inferior or intimidated,” she said, but instead were always willing to help.

And when she passed an exam, there would be a smiley face sticker on her paper. “You might think those are just for young children, but I can’t tell you how good something like that makes you feel when you have worked so hard,” she said. When she first enrolled, she considered social work but also was interested in early childhood. Her instructors and advisers helped her find that her true passion was early childhood education.

“What was vague at first now has more clarity,” she said. “I have more focus as to where I will end up, and that’s all because of CCRI.”

She took a part-time job in a day care center to see if she really would enjoy working with young children and learned she did. Her interest in deaf culture, three classes in sign language at CCRI and an internship at the Trudeau Center in Warwick helped further narrow her field of study and piqued her interest in early childhood intervention.

“That’s opened up a whole new world for me and that’s because of CCRI,” she said. Early intervention, she said, is key to identifying and correcting problems as soon as possible – when the children are 2 or 3 years old.

“If you see a child who has difficulty with language, speech or hearing, that’s when you catch them,” she said. “If you wait until they’re in the school system, it’s too late.”

Her interest in deaf culture led her to create a book for her children’s literature class, illustrated by her son, Shawn. A story one of her professors told her about the prejudices she faced as a deaf child inspired the story. In the book, a new deaf student feels alone until another girl befriends her. She takes her to her house and shows her how the doorbell lights up instead of rings and how her bed shakes her awake because she can’t hear an alarm clock. Finn hopes to get the book published, as she has been told there is a need for this genre in children’s literature.

Finn said she wants to tell people considering returning to college, “Don’t underestimate your capabilities.”

“I had a very positive, enriching experience here,” she said. “Being an older student, I worked all my life. I had to build myself up in the ranks.”

She said CCRI’s availability of courses at four campuses and at all hours of the day and evening, coupled with its affordability, makes college a possibility for nearly anyone. “I was working but I was able to do my math at night,” she said. “If this were a school that was 9 to 5, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

She said she used tease her husband that soon he won’t be the only one in the family with an associate degree. And her family’s connection to CCRI goes even deeper; her daughter, Wendy, obtained her GED at CCRI and then enrolled to study science. She is now studying wildlife biology at URI.

Finn completed her associate degree requirements in December and has transferred to the University of Rhode Island to complete her bachelor’s degree. She said her transition was seamless. “I was so well guided at CCRI. I wasn’t spun around in courses that wasted my time and money,” she said. And, now that she has a semester under her belt, she can compare the two schools. “There are some good teachers there, but I got just as much bang for my buck at CCRI.”

For now, she is looking forward to returning to the place where it all started for her and basking in the achievement of graduating with highest honors – she has a 3.84 GPA – completing the Honors Program and being chosen to represent her class by speaking at commencement.

“You don’t realize when you’re doing it,” she said. “You’re just so focused. But then you look back and say, ‘Wow.’”

Lincoln man graduates with 4.0 after 27 years away from the classroom
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: Now that James LeShane of Lincoln has seen what education can do, nothing is stopping him.

On the way to the Warwick campus for an interview recently, he said he heard a Bob Seeger song, “I Feel Like a Number” and said he identified with it. “I felt like a number and all my dreams got pushed aside.”

LeShane, 46, returned to school 27 years after his high school graduation and will graduate from CCRI on Friday with a 4.0 GPA.

He will continue on to study political science and English at the University of Rhode Island in the fall; his participation in the Joint Admissions Agreement and his high GPA will earn him a 30 percent tuition reduction. But he received a recruitment letter from Harvard University recently that was geared toward top community college grads. He said he’s going to have to check that out. Later, he wants to attend law school and then run for political office: governor, then president. “I want to fix the financial mess that we’re in,” he said.

LeShane said his time at CCRI has taught him the value of education. “After 27 years of doing different jobs, even though I felt like I always had it in me, I didn’t go to school,” he said. “I didn’t have a push in that direction. I was taught that if you work hard, you get ahead in life.

“In this global economy we live in now, it’s increasingly important for our students to have the best education possible,” he said.

It’s something he wants to instill in his daughter, Mary Catherine, who will turn 13 in the fall.

“She will at least have someone push her in that direction. I want her to know that her father is successful, and that is going to be my legacy,” he said. “When life takes those inevitable turns for the worse, persistence, determination and education offer a way out.” Originally from Dorchester, Mass., he moved to Rhode Island and joined the R.I. Army National Guard. He was injured in Guatemala in 1994, was declared 20 percent disabled and received an honorable discharge. He also served as a military police instructor at the R.I. Military Academy.

He began taking classes at CCRI after he saw the notice about the tuition waiver for disabled American veterans in the course catalog.

“It felt almost overwhelming to come back to school after such a long period of time,” he said. “But there was an ease in the way I just glided back into it.”

A member of Phi Theta Kappa and the recipient of this year’s JAA Scholarship, among other awards, LeShane said he was “impressed by the level of knowledge of my professors and the quality of education I received.”

“We’re constantly reshaping ourselves. CCRI taught me to be a little more flexible and not so rigid. I learned to open my mind up to other ideas and points of view,” he said. “I really enjoyed my stay here. I look at it like the building blocks to my future education.”

His one regret? “I wished I had tried out for the baseball team.” He played in high school on a Lou Gehrig team and still can hit ’em in the batting cages.

He said he has thanked most of his professors already, but he hopes to see many of them at commencement. “I’d like to shake their hands again.”

Warwick woman fights depression to follow passion
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: Lindsay Gordon, 22, of Warwick has had to battle mental illness most of her life, while trying to pursue the passion she has for learning.

Basically homebound for several years because of depression that set in around the age of 8, she was held back in ninth grade because she missed so much school. Though she started high school on the honors track, she was removed from the program because of her frequent absences.

By the time Gordon reached her senior year in high school, the regular classes were not challenging enough, but her illness-based absences kept her from getting back on the honors track.

To quench her thirst for knowledge, Gordon dropped out of high school, earned her GED soon after and then enrolled at CCRI. After years of various treatments for her illness, Gordon found a medication that controlled her depression and allowed her to focus on her goals.

“The medicine finally made me feel like I had an actual life again,” said Gordon. “CCRI was a great transition point for me. I wouldn’t have gotten into my top choice school two years ago, but CCRI gave me this opportunity and now I can apply to those more selective schools.”

During her time at CCRI, Gordon, a liberal arts major, became a fixture in the theater department and took part in many productions. One of her toughest roles was as stage manager in this spring’s production, “Prin.”

“Theater is one of my passions, but it’s not practical for me and I am very pragmatic,” Gordon explained. “I want to make sure I have a future with a steady, interesting job.”

At CCRI, Gordon gained the knowledge and self-confidence she will need to study linguistics and eventually teach English as a second language.

“CCRI is a great place to grow up and get skills needed to be a serious student,” said Gordon. “I am in a better place as far as being disciplined at work and knowing what I want out of life; freshmen at four-year schools aren’t usually ready for that.”

Gordon looked back on her two years at CCRI. “You meet a lot of great people here and they all have their own reason for being here. You can always change the course of your life if you have the mind and discipline to do it.”

With her 3.8 GPA in hand, she plans to apply to Georgetown and University of Massachusetts-Amherst, but will spend the next year earning money to pay the higher tuition she will encounter at the school she chooses to continue her educational journey.

Woonsocket mother aspires to help women
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: Lisa Fortier, 33, of Woonsocket was working in a data entry job that soon would be eliminated by computers. “I turned 30 and I thought, ‘What am I going to do?’ I switched my whole life around and found an education.”

She was accepted to the Community College of Rhode Island and began taking classes in fall 2005 at the Liston Campus in Providence. “CCRI was the only entry point I had. I felt comfortable here. I thought it was an excellent idea to start at the community college level and transfer to a four-year school from there,” she said.

Fortier completed the last two years of her schooling at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln.

“I started in a sea of 18-year-olds, but I was never looked down upon,” she said. “CCRI lends itself to the hectic schedule and busy life of single mothers and those with children.” The General Studies major began studying psychology but found she that it wasn’t for her. Her catalyst for change, she said, was Margaret Connell’s “Readings in the Short Story” course that she took during her first semester at CCRI.

“Looking at my transcript and noticing that I had taken a few literature courses that weren’t even needed for my degree also pointed me in the right direction in regard to changing my major,” she said.

Fortier will transfer to Rhode Island College through the Joint Admissions Agreement, which provides a smooth transition and offers GPA-based tuition discounts for those planning to transfer to URI or RIC. Her high GPA will earn her a 30 percent tuition reduction at RIC, and she was able to fully cover the tuition cost through a variety of scholarships she received, including one of two $1,300 JAA scholarships this year.

“I am so blessed with so many scholarships that will enable me to continue my education at RIC without having to take out student loans,” she said.

She will double major in English and women’s studies with the eventual goal of working at a nonprofit that advocates for women and children. She also will pursue a master’s degree at RIC and wants to teach English at the college level. “I would love to come back to CCRI to instruct and inspire students,” she said.

“The JAA program propelled me to the next step of my educational master plan,” she said. “JAA is such a strong influence. It’s such an excellent tool for students and assists in keeping you on focused, structured and on task. It makes achieving a bachelor’s degree an attainable undertaking. How can you go wrong?”

After high school, Fortier joined City Year/AmeriCorps, a program that unites youths for a year of full-time community service, working mostly with disadvantaged youths in inner city Providence. “It instilled in me the importance of community service that resonates with me today in a very real way,” she said. “It inspired me to continue to give back.”

And she has. She is a mentor with the Women’s Mentoring Program at the Adult Correctional Facility. The program offers women inmates a mentor to ease, support and guide in the transition from incarceration to an independent life thus avoiding re-entry. She has participated in Earth Day events every April for the past 10 years, most recently involving her son, Elan Gabriel, 7, in the endeavor. “He asked me why we have to go clean up the beach and I told him, ‘If we don’t do it, who will?’ and he understood,” she said.

The two also serve as a host family for the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit agency that provides summer vacations to more than 1.7 million children from New York City’s toughest neighborhoods. They hosted DaiSean, a 6-year-old from the Bronx, for one week last August and plan to host another child again this summer.  In addition to her classes and volunteer work, Fortier also works as a staff assistant at CCRI’s Division for Lifelong Learning, helping to administer the Certified Nursing Assistant program.

“CCRI is such a wonderful springboard for higher education. I received such a remarkable education in the last two years,” she said. “Once you start out on a collegiate career your thirst for learning shows itself and you want to keep going. If you asked me five years ago if I had an educational plan for my future the answer would have been very different from the answer I would have for you today. Community college has proved itself to be a nurturing environment with concerned, caring and motivating teachers. CCRI is a magnificent example of where you can go and what you can do if given the chance.”

West Warwick man perseveres to get degree
Warwick, R.I. – May 14, 2008: Phil Plas, 46, of West Warwick isn’t the same person he used to be.

“I led a different lifestyle. Then I had a daughter,” he said. He has had custody since the day she was born. Nicole turned 10 last week.

He had worked for more than 20 years in solid waste management but his life changed one day in 2001 when a drunken driver hit and dragged him, then took off. His back was broken and doctors said he wouldn’t walk again.

“Being as adamant and belligerent as I was about not being a drain on society, I chose to fight. I didn’t want my daughter to look back and say her dad was disabled and didn’t work,” he said.

The road to recovery was a long one. It took several surgeries, but he was determined to walk again, even doing his own rehabilitative work.

“My insurance was terrible,” he said. “My doctors and surgeon described what exercises I should do and I did them myself and did them religiously.”

But the struggle forced him into poverty. His temporary disability insurance payments ended. He went on welfare for a while, which he said he found incredibly demeaning. The state declared him fully disabled just in time. “I was running out of things to sell to keep the family afloat.”

He was urged to sue the driver. “I could’ve been sitting pretty. But I didn’t sue him,” he said. “Basically I forgave him. There but for the grace of God goes everyone else.”

When he was unable to return to his previous job, he knew he wanted to go back to school. “I’m still on disability, but I’m fighting to get off it and get back to work,” he said. “I want to instill the importance of education and work ethic into my daughter by example.” He took an exam to find out what kind of career would be right for him and decided to focus on health care.

“I’m overly sensitive and very compassionate since I had my daughter,” he said with a laugh. “So I looked into allied health programs at CCRI.”

He originally considered nursing, but there was a wait list and he didn’t want to put off his education any longer. “I decided I had to get back to work as soon as possible,” he said. “I considered radiography, but it wasn’t as focused on patient care as I’d like to be. So I asked about respiratory therapy.”

He obtained a Pell Grant to finance his education. He said finding a sitter for his daughter was a challenge, but she understood the situation. “She is very patient and she knows I have to study,” he said.

He still finds time to volunteer as a member of the PTA at his daughter’s school. “I’m the only man there,” he said.

His graduation from CCRI on Friday with a 3.71 GPA is the culmination of a lifelong desire to obtain a higher education.

Born in Belgium, his parents moved here when he was an infant. He planned to attend college after his high school graduation in 1980, but a week before he was supposed to leave, he got a letter about a tuition hike, which he couldn’t afford. He joined the Marine Corps and later began working at his way up to management at the waste management company.

“As fulfilling as my job was, it was always a shallow victory because I wanted to go to school,” he said.

He chose CCRI because it had the programs that he wanted. “I feel the education I got at CCRI is comparable to anywhere else I could have gotten it,” he said.

Now that he is ready to make his way back into the work force, he looks forward to becoming a positive influence on society.

“My lifestyle has turned 180 degrees because I have my daughter,” he said. “I’m pretty happy with the way things have turned out. She’s my reason for being.” In fact, that’s the title of a poem for a class with Professor Deb Lilli – “My reason for being” – about his experience in court obtaining placement and custody of his daughter.

“I’m a fighter. I get knocked down, but I’m going to stand up again,” he said. “I hope my story inspires other parents and other adult learners.”

Chepachet woman pursuing two careers
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: Rebecca Snyder, 20, of Chepachet has a knack for making people smile, whether she’s performing on stage or caring for a patient at the dentist’s office.

The country and western singer, who is graduating from CCRI with a certificate in Dental Assisting, was one of a group of students that organized a “Smile Drive” to educate students at the Fifth Avenue Elementary School in Woonsocket on how to brush their teeth properly and maintain good oral hygiene last fall.

With the help of her classmates, Snyder collected more than 500 donations of dental supplies such as toothbrushes, tooth paste and dental floss to create care packages for the students. Dentist George Resnivic, whom she has worked for in the evenings after school, performed dental screenings on more than 200 children at the drive.

“It was wonderful to see the smiles on their faces,” Snyder said.

At the Dental Assistants’ pinning ceremony on May 7, Snyder was recognized by CCRI faculty with the Shooting Star award for her leadership in organizing this community service event. She has also been recognized by the American Dental Assistants Association with the Student Achievement Award for her academic accomplishments and her efforts as vice president of the CCRI Dental Assisting Club.

Snyder has been recognized in country music circles as well. Under her stage name Rebecca Lou Snyder, she has released four CDs and performed nationally and locally, including appearances at the Tennessee Country Music Alliance Convention and Awards Show and the annual Ancients and Horribles parade in Chepachet on the Fourth of July. In 2007, the Tennessee Country Music Alliance named her “Golden Elite Female Vocalist of the Year” and she received recognition for “Music Video of the Year.” Rhode Island Country Horizons named her “Rising Star,” and best female vocalist and best female entertainer in the age 17 to 20 categories. The organization also recognized her for “Video of the Year.”

Snyder credits her late grandmother, Mary Pafume, for encouraging her to pursue her vocal talent. At Pafume’s 74th birthday party, an 11-year-old Snyder sang “The Light In Your Eyes” and her performance made an impression. “My grandmother was an opera singer and when she started a family that didn’t give her a chance to pursue her talent,” Snyder said. “She told me I had a gift. I feel like she’s living her dream through me.”

Snyder sells her music online and at gigs, and has also sent CDs for the troops serving overseas to boost their morale. “They’re over there defending our country,” she said, “and it’s nice to get something from home.” She received a certificate of appreciation from the military for her efforts.

While her dream is to “make it big” in the music world – she has started learning to play guitar and writing lyrics – Snyder has also recognized the value of education if that does not happen. After graduating from Ponagansett High School, she opted not to attend the University of Connecticut, where she had been accepted, and took a year off from school to decide what she wanted to study. She came to CCRI with an interest in the dental program in fall 2006, juggling her music, a full-time job and her studies.

At CCRI, Snyder performed with the chamber singers in the spring of 2008. Now with a Dental Assisting certificate in hand, she will start a new position at the office of dentist Patrick McGuirk in Smithfield. “I’m really excited for what’s next,” she said.

A chance meeting at CCRI changed his future
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: Ronald Jones of Providence credits much of his success to his mother, Robin Brooks, who moved the family to the city from Brockton, Mass., when he was in high school and changed the course of his education.

Jones, 21, will graduate from CCRI with a 3.62 GPA and his mother will be there in the crowd, cheering him on. He will transfer to Bryant University to study accounting on a scholarship.

“She’s just amazed,” he said. “She’s been pushing me and she’s my role model.”

Born in Wichita, Kan., he said he saw domestic violence and poverty at a young age. He moved to Brockton when he was 7, where his single mother worked full time and he was the oldest of three at the time. He had been identified for a gifted program in elementary school, but by high school, “I didn’t have a role model. I didn’t try my hardest,” he said. His mother wasn’t happy with what she was seeing and, in 2003, decided to move the family.

He started at Mount Pleasant High School as a sophomore. He became president of Best Buddies, a program that pairs students with developmentally or physically disabled youths for one-on-one activities.

After his graduation in 2005, he took a year off, unsure what he would do with his life. He was attending an advising session with a friend at CCRI when the adviser asked him what he was doing. “And I couldn’t give her an answer,” he said. “It struck me how she cared about me even though I wasn’t a student here.”

He enrolled, but had to withdraw from all five of his classes during his first semester after a car accident. Undeterred, he took classes in the summer to stay on track so he would finish on time.

He said that the adviser who had inspired him to enroll, Jackie Mane, has helped him every step of the way.

“The entire time I have been here has just been incredible,” he said. “I’ve been pushed and stretched the whole way.”

And now he wants to be a role model for his two brothers, ages 18 and 4, and his sister, 14. “I try to set the example, to set the bar for them,” he said.

In addition to his classes, he works third shift at Re-focus Inc. with developmentally disabled, taking clients on trips, talking with them and making dinner. “It’s very intrinsically rewarding,” he said. “At the end of the day, I feel really good. I just want to give back.”

A member of Phi Theta Kappa, he was chosen to represent Rhode Island as the flag bearer at the international convention in Philadelphia in April. There, he listened to author Amy Tan and CNN’s chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

He interned in the state Division of Taxation in the Department of Administration, where he helped review and desk audit insurance company tax returns, among other duties. At the end of this experience, he interviewed and was accepted into a pilot internship program with Vice President for Business Affairs Bob Shea.

His dreams include earning his MBA at Harvard University and starting a business. From here, he can go anywhere.

“I’m confident that the decision to attend CCRI was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” he said.

‘I didn’t want to be a stay-at-home mom’
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: Sophie Chea, 30, of South Attleboro, Mass., values her education at Community College of Rhode Island in part because she knows she couldn’t have achieved what she has in her native country.

She said her father never had the opportunity to go to school because his family was unable able to pay for it, and her mother was only able to finish grade school, which she said is the highest level of education a woman can achieve.

“It’s only in America where a woman has a chance to stand up to society and become who they want to be,” she said. “Graduating from CCRI means so much to me, but more importantly it means everything to my parents to know I made it this far and fulfilled their dreams.”

Chea was born in Cambodia in the time of the Khmer Rouge. She, her parents and siblings moved from refugee camp to refugee camp, often getting only a can of rice and two fish to feed all of them for the day.

The family moved to Washington State when Chea was about 5, then lived in California for 10 years. “Life out there isn’t as glamorous as people perceive it to be.” Her family had moved to a quiet area, but when gangs and violence moved in, her parents decided it was not the lifestyle in which they wanted to raise their children, and the family relocated to Attleboro.

What she values most about living in America is her freedom, she said. “I don’t like to take no for an answer. In my country, there are certain things you cannot do or say, especially as a woman, but here I can express myself.”

With two daughters of her own, Kaileen and Lorelei, now ages 10 and 7 respectively, she decided to attend CCRI.

“I didn’t want to be a stay-at-home mom,” she said. “I want my kids to have a better life. I wanted myself to have a better life. Besides, what’s life without a little bit of excitement?” It wasn’t always easy. Those around her asked who would baby-sit and where she would get the money. She spent four years at the college, first attending part time while her children were young, taking one or two classes per semester. She became more and more involved in the college, this year being elected by her peers as Student Government president at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln.

“CCRI has changed my life for the better and I have changed CCRI for the better, too,” she said. “I felt like my presence had an impact.”

She took two courses of study: General Studies and Science Track B, with hopes of one day becoming a pharmacist. “I love science, but I love the business side, too,” she said. “I thought, ‘Pharmacy, that’s so boring’” but then talked to a pharmacist who told her about the business aspects of the job – dealing with drug companies, keeping enough stock on hand, ordering – “I thought, ‘This is what I want.’” She will transfer to Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts to study biochemistry with hopes of later getting into a pharmacy program. “Pharmacy is job security, but the challenge is to get in and be accepted to a program.”

What she liked best about CCRI, she said, is that it is a community. “Even though we have four campuses throughout Rhode Island, I feel whole at any campus that I go to. We seem connected at any campus. We have a common goal to achieve.”

She said CCRI has given her the chance to join clubs and groups, travel to different places and participate in events and conferences. “It’s a lifelong change,” she said. “At CCRI, I feel like a big fish in a small pond. Most students feel like small fish in a big pond.”

After years of studying, this summer she is looking forward to a break and spending time with her girls – day trips to the beach and amusement parks, picnics and more.

“The future is always changing, but I’ll grow with it.”

Much-honored student-athlete heads to RIC
Warwick, R.I. – May 15, 2008: Soccer player and General Studies major Stephanie Grassini, 19, of Warwick is the definition of student-athlete at the Community College of Rhode Island. The talented midfielder and hard-working student has been the backbone of CCRI’s women’s soccer program with her speed and creative play, but a torn ACL in her right knee prematurely ended her 2007 season and threatened to halt her athletic career for good in October.

For most athletes, the injury is a devastating one with a long road to recovery. Grassini, one of the Lady Knights’ co-captains, took it in stride and continued to support her team from the sidelines while she endured surgery and physical therapy.

In May, during the CCRI Athletic Awards ceremony, Grassini received the Ann Cullen Scholarship Award for her active involvement in athletic program as a player and as a cheerleader – a testament to her sportsmanship during a difficult season. The award also recognizes academic success.

Modest about her accomplishments, Grassini lets her hard work speak for itself. The sport of soccer is in her blood, and it’s not just because her father, Dennis, was her coach at the college. The CCRI all star has racked up a host of accolades during her two years of collegiate play to prove her talent is more than genetic.

In 2007, she was named one of six national finalists for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Junior College Women Player of the Year Award, receiving the most votes of any player from the Northeast Region. She was also named First Team NSCAA All-American and Second Team NJCAA All-American. In 2006, she received the college’s Joseph Andre Jr. Student-Athlete Award, which recognizes a CCRI student-athlete who demonstrates leadership, academic success and sportsmanship. During her playing career she was twice named to the NSCAA All-Northeast Region Team and the NJCAA All-New England Region First Team. She helped lead the Lady Knights to two New England Championships, two Northeast District Finals, and national top 10 rankings in both the NJCAA and NSCAA national polls. She finished her CCRI career with 14 goals and 20 assists.

Grassini inevitably grew up around the game. As an infant, her parents brought her to the sidelines as they cheered on her older sisters while they competed in recreation and competitive leagues. She began playing around the age of 4, following in her sisters’ footsteps in the rec leagues. At 12, she began playing in the Massachusetts Premier League before going on to join her high school team at Pilgrim in her native Warwick.

Her father, a coach for more than 20 years and also a graduate of the college, has been at the helm of the CCRI women’s soccer program for the past eight seasons. His tenure includes winning the NJCAA National Championship in 2002. He has been coaching Stephanie, his youngest daughter, for the past two. What’s it like to have your father double as your coach? “I didn’t get any special treatment at all,” Grassini said. “He pushed me just as hard as the rest of the team.

“Playing soccer at CCRI has been a great experience for me and it’s enabled me to go to the next level. But academics are just as important. Without that, and my teammates, I could not have achieved what I have at this college,” she said.

Grassini is graduating from CCRI with a 3.20 GPA. She is a two-year CCRI Presidential Scholarship Award recipient and a 2008 R.I. House of Representatives Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. She also received the Rhode Island Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Scholar-Athlete award. She will transfer to Rhode Island College in the fall to continue her soccer career, study psychology and earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. One day, she would like to work with children.

Grassini could have played soccer at a number of colleges after graduating from high school, but she chose CCRI for its variety of general education offerings, athletic opportunities and proximity to home. “It’s a great place to come to figure out what you want to be and it prepares you for the next level, both academically and athletically,” she said. “It truly is a great place to start.”

Cape Verde native finds success at CCRI
Warwick, R.I. – May 19, 2008: Ailton Barbosa, 22, of Pawtucket has already transferred to Rhode Island College, where he is studying political science. But it was important for him to finish up one class at CCRI and to receive his associate degree on Friday.

“Many students don’t see it as an accomplishment, they see it as a transition. But it is a big deal. We have worked hard to get to this point, why not celebrate it?”

Barbosa, a native of Cape Verde, came to America when he was 15 and first attended Hope High School in Providence. He then moved to Pawtucket and graduated from Shea High School.

“I didn’t have a sense of what America would be like,” he said. After graduation, he attended a college prep program at Dorcas Place, a nonprofit agency that helps adults realize their full potential through literacy, employment, advocacy and community involvement. The nonprofit even paid for his first class at CCRI, a philosophy class. He began ESL classes at the Liston Campus in Providence. Interested in political science, he became a General Studies major and enrolled in JAA, the Joint Admissions Agreement program, to ensure a smooth transfer to RIC.

He eventually would like to obtain a master’s degree in international relations, and his dream job is in the international arena, perhaps as a diplomat. “The perfect job would be as a diplomat between America and Cape Verde,” he said. “I dream of that often enough.” Barbosa was elected Student Government President at the Liston Campus for the past academic year. He and his peers at the other campuses worked hard to unify the college’s four locations.

“It was an eye-opening experience. I grew up a lot,” he said. “The students were able to gain a lot of respect from the administration. We really do have a say.”

He said the position helped him with public speaking and gave him the confidence to stand up in front of a crowd and know that he was sure of what he was speaking about. “All of these tools will be necessary and are going to help me in my future,” he said.

This semester, he is taking three classes at RIC and one at CCRI. He said he believes he is well-prepared for his studies there. “The material is not necessarily more complex, but there is more volume. Whereas at CCRI we might be assigned 15 pages to read, at RIC, it’s 35 pages.”

Another difference he noted is the size of the campuses. At Liston, he knew so many people. He’d come in and say hi to the security staff and always could find friends in the Atrium. At RIC, he finds himself on his laptop in a corner of the cafeteria instead. But it’s only a matter of time before Barbosa finds his niche at RIC, too.

Barbosa is excited to relax a bit over the summer, although he won’t be still for long. He’ll spend some time visiting his relatives in Cape Verde and will travel to the Dominican Republic to help children with AIDS in hospitals there. It’s an opportunity he learned about from Natalia Yotharath, a coordinator and counselor at the Educational Opportunity Center at the Liston Campus.

“I definitely have a lot to thank them for,” he said of those who work at the Liston Campus. “Without the staff and faculty at the Providence campus, I would not have made it to where I am today.”

April

Karen Adams to speak at CCRI commencement
Warwick, R.I. – April 21, 2008: Rhode Island television journalist Karen Adams will deliver the commencement address at the Community College of Rhode Island’s 43rd commencement at 4:30 p.m., Friday, May 16, in the Vincent A. Cullen Field House on the Knight Campus in Warwick.

Adams is an award-winning anchor for Channel 12’s Eyewitness News. While she began her broadcasting career in radio, she advanced quickly into television news, previously working as a reporter, anchor and news director for television stations in Missouri, Maryland and North Carolina.

She will speak to more than 1,200 students who will receive associate degrees and certificates. More information on commencement is available at CCRI’s commencement Web site: www.ccri.edu/web/commencement/2008/info.shtml.

CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale said that the college is honored to have such an esteemed journalist as its commencement speaker. “In addition to being at the top of her profession in television journalism, Karen is a role model for community involvement. She is widely known for her volunteer efforts supporting numerous causes throughout the state, including her active involvement in several college fund-raising events.”

Her reporting has taken her from coverage of hurricanes in the South to political reporting in Washington, D.C. She traveled on a Far East trade mission with two U.S. governors, sending reports back to the States from Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; and Hong Kong. A trip to Cape Verde resulted in coverage of the country’s first democratic election. She covered the economic impact of the movement of factory jobs from New England to Mexico. Many of her live anchoring stints have included coverage of sporting events, most notably her trips to the Super Bowl to report on the New England Patriots.

During her years in broadcasting, Adams has won many awards for her work – including the coveted Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Individual Achievement in Anchoring for all of New England. She recently received another Emmy as part of an overall team effort for coverage of a breaking news story. Many Associated Press awards have come her way for outstanding reporting and feature reporting.

In 2005, she was inducted into the “Silver Circle” of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. This most prestigious honor goes to broadcasters who have at least 25 years in television and who have made a significant contribution to the industry through their work and service.

Adams’s community involvement is far-reaching and extensive. She is a director on the board of Bank RI; a board trustee with Community Preparatory School in Providence; a board trustee with Meeting Street; Friends of Lincoln School; and Friends of the Sophia Academy and is an honorary “Big Sister” with the Big Sisters of Rhode Island. Her past board member positions have included Trinity Repertory Company, Providence Animal Rescue League, Diabetes Foundation of Rhode Island and Eastman House. She recently co-chaired a $15 million capital campaign for the new Meeting Street building in Providence.

Born on the Fourth of July in Nevada, Mo., she graduated from Southwest Missouri State University with a degree in speech and theatre and minor in journalism. She lives in Lincoln with her husband, a native Rhode Islander.

CCRI hosts New Orleans jazz in Newport
Warwick, R.I. – April 17, 2008: The public is invited to a night of jazz at 8 p.m. Monday, April 28, at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Newport County Campus.

Matt Leder, an adjunct music faculty member, will celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month by sharing his knowledge of the New Orleans jazz culture in his latest project, “The New Orleans Collective.” The concert will include both traditional and contemporary New Orleans jazz, as performed by some of the top musicians in southern New England.

This free event will take place in the Newport campus auditorium, One John H. Chafee Blvd., Newport. For more information, please contact Matt Leder at lederjazz@aol.com or visit www.mattleder.com.

‘Blues extravaganza’ brings jazz talent to CCRI
Warwick, R.I. – April 16, 2008: Jazz musicians will gather under one roof for “A Piece of Blues” benefit performance at the Community College of Rhode Island on Thursday, April 24. The program, at 7 p.m. in the Bobby Hackett Theatre at the Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick, will feature a John Chan blues extravaganza with Duke Robillard and the James Montgomery Blues Band and special guest Grace Kelly. A dessert buffet will follow the performance.

Tickets to the event cost $35 and proceeds will support the Charles Sullivan Fund for the Arts and Humanities, created in honor of longtime CCRI professor and arts advocate Charles Sullivan, who last month was inducted into the CCRI Hall of Fame. The fund supports a variety of cultural opportunities at the community college’s four campuses. The fund was started by a group of about a half-dozen of Sullivan’s friends six years ago as a 58th birthday present. A committee of businesspeople and faculty members, directed by Leigh Martin of CCRI’s English Department, has a say in what projects the fund will support. “A Piece of Blues” is the second event featuring the arts the fund committee has organized. The first, held last May, featured a variety of performances by the state’s most prominent theater companies. To order tickets, call 333-7386 or visit http://faculty.ccri.edu/kbeauchene/sullivanfund/.

CCRI music students, faculty plan spring events
Warwick, R.I. – April 15, 2008: The Community College of Rhode Island’s Music Department invites the public to several music events this spring. For more information, call 825-2169 weekdays.

Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26 CCRI Chorus/Chamber Singers will perform the music of French composers, including Durufle’s “Requiem,” with the West Bay Chorale and the Beneficent Choir during “An Evening of La Musique Française” at 7 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Beneficent Congregational Church, 300 Weybossett St., Providence. The combined choir, under the direction of CCRI’s Dr. Joseph Amante y Zapata, will be joined by a small chamber ensemble and organist Susan Carroll. The cost is $5 at the door.

Friday, April 25 Classical voice and piano students studying privately for credit will perform a free concert at 1 p.m. in room 0540 at the Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick.

Sunday, April 27 A free tuba recital featuring Scott Senerchia with Audrey Kaiser as accompanist will be held at 7 p.m. in the Bobby Hackett Theater at the Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick.

Monday, April 28 Matt Leder, an adjunct music faculty member, will celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month by sharing his knowledge of the New Orleans jazz culture in his latest project, “The New Orleans Collective.” This concert, scheduled for 8 p.m. in the auditorium at the Newport County Campus, One John H. Chafee Blvd., Newport, will include both traditional and contemporary New Orleans jazz as performed by some of the top musicians in southern New England. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Matt Leder at lederjazz@aol.com.

Tuesday, April 29 The CCRI Jazz Ensembles will perform under the direction of Dr. Steve Lajoie in the Bobby Hackett Theater at the Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick. Admission costs $5 at the door.

Thursday, May 1 Classical and jazz students studying privately for credit will perform individually and in small ensembles during a free concert at 1 p.m. in room 0540 at the Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick.

Also, the CCRI Chamber Ensemble, directed by Kaiser, will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Bobby Hackett Theater at the Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick. Admission costs $5 at the door.

Friday, May 9 The CCRI Opera Workshop Performance, directed by Professor Amanda Santo, will take place at 7 p.m. in room 0540 at the Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick. Admission costs $5 at the door.

Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18 “Americana,” a choral showcase featuring the CCRI Chorus/Chamber Singers and the West Bay Chorale directed by Dr. Joseph Amante y Zapata, will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at St. Benedict Church, 135 Beach Ave., Warwick, and at 3 p.m. Sunday at St. Mary Star of the Sea, 866 Point Judith Road, Narragansett.

Upcoming events, April 15 to 28
The following upcoming events are open to the public:

Virginia Tech remembrance: CCRI will hold a remembrance service to honor the 32 victims of last year’s Virginia Tech shooting at noon Wednesday, April 16, in the Lower Commons on the first floor of the Knight Campus in Warwick. As part of the event, participants can sign condolence cards that will be sent to Virginia Tech. A tree with photos and names of the victims that was created as part of the VT Solidarity Project, which encouraged college campuses to create a memorial using 32 white ribbons, will be on display.

Forensic psychology lecture: Chuck Dawson of the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston will speak about forensic psychology at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 16, in room 2720 at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. The event is sponsored by the Psychology Club.

Transfer Day: Those hoping to transfer to Rhode Island College are invited to Transfer Day on Tuesday, April 22, in room 1040 at the Knight Campus in Warwick to meet with an academic adviser from RIC to learn about admissions, financial aid and transfer credits. Sessions will be held at 10 a.m. and at 1 p.m. Students must register by calling the Advising and Counseling Center at 825-2301. Space is limited. Students should bring an official or unofficial copy of their transcript to the event.

Health care career fair: A career fair sponsored by CCRI’s Health Care Futures Grant will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, in the Lower Commons on the first floor of the Knight Campus in Warwick. Learn about health care career opportunities, tour the nursing labs and speak to exhibitors about CCRI’s health and rehabilitative programs. For more information, call Marie Martone at 851-1648.

‘A Piece of Blues’: A John Chan blues extravaganza with Duke Robillard and the James Montgomery Blues Band with special guest Grace Kelly will take place at “A Piece of Blues” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in the Bobby Hackett Theater on the Knight Campus in Warwick. A dessert buffet will follow the performance. Tickets to the event cost $35 and proceeds will support the Charles Sullivan Fund for the Arts and Humanities, created in honor of longtime CCRI professor and arts advocate Charles Sullivan to provide cultural opportunities at CCRI’s four campuses. To order tickets, please send name, address, phone number and e-mail along with a check payable to “The Charles Sullivan Fund, CCRI Foundation” to: Charles Sullivan Fund for the Arts & Humanities, P.O. Box 272, Manville, RI 02838-9998.

Multicultural Talent Night: The Black American Student Association will hold its Multicultural Talent Night from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, in the auditorium on the Liston Campus in Providence. Students and community members will perform theatrical skits, rap, sing, dance, read poetry and participate in a runway fashion show. Tickets cost $5 for general admission, $3 for students with IDs and $1 for children younger than 8. Call Brenda McGill at 455-6051 or Ruby Morris-Jones at 333-7172 to purchase tickets.

Italian Club fund-raiser: Professor Kate Dunnigan will speak on the topic “Italy, The Day of Liberation: April 25, 1945” during an Italian Club fund-raising dinner at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, at Via Roma Restaurant on Federal Hill in Providence. Tickets cost $15 for students and $40 for others. To R.S.V.P. or for further information, call Professor Maria Mansella at 825-2011 or e-mail mmansella@ccri.edu.
 
Music events: CCRI Chorus/Chamber Singers will perform the music of French composers, including Durufle’s “Requiem,” with the West Bay Chorale and the Beneficent Choir during “An Evening of La Musique Française” at 7 p.m. Friday, April 25, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Beneficent Congregational Church, 300 Weybossett St., Providence. The combined choir, under the direction of CCRI’s Dr. Joseph Amante y Zapata, will be joined by a small chamber ensemble and organist Susan Carroll. The cost is $5 at the door. Also Friday, classical voice and piano students studying privately for credit will perform a free concert at 1 p.m. in room 0540 at the Knight Campus in Warwick.

Documentary showing: “The Naga Buddha,” a documentary short by Natalie Coletta, associate professor of art history, is showing continuously through Friday, April 25, in the Knight Campus art gallery in Warwick. The gallery, in room 3500 on the third floor in the round building, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

‘New Orleans Collective’: Matt Leder, an adjunct music faculty member, will celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month by sharing his knowledge of the New Orleans jazz culture in his latest project, “The New Orleans Collective.” This concert, scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday, April 28, in the Newport campus auditorium, will include both traditional and contemporary New Orleans jazz, as performed by some of the top musicians in southern New England. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Matt Leder at lederjazz@aol.com.

Stem cell researcher to speak at CCRI

Warwick, R.I. – April 4, 2008: Paola Arlotta, Ph.D., will present “A tale of many neurons: How does the cerebral cortex become so complex?” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, in the Bobby Hackett Theatre at the Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick.

Arlotta, of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute at Harvard University, is an internationally recognized expert in the area of stem cell research and development of the cerebral cortex. Her work has produced numerous scientific papers and reviews in leading journals including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Neuron, the Journal of Neuroscience and Nature Review Neuroscience.
Arlotta received her master’s degree at the University of Trieste in Italy and earned a Ph.D. in 2000 at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. Her post-doctoral work included fellowships at the Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. She holds academic positions at both Harvard Medical School in the Department of Surgery and the Massachusetts General Hospital and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors.
The event is sponsored by the CCRI Foundation and the Biology Department and is free and open to the public. A coffee reception will follow. To reserve a seat or for more information, call 333-7150 or e-mail foundation@ccri.edu.

Buy tickets for CCRI student dance

Warwick, R.I. – April 4, 2008: Tickets are on sale now for “CCRI’s Night of Enchantment” dance to be held on April 18 at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick.

Tickets are $10 for students who present a CCRI ID and $15 for guests. They are available for purchase at student government offices at each campus in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport.

The dance will take place from 6 p.m. to midnight. The event, organized by CCRI Student Government leaders, will feature a buffet meal, live music and a DJ. Those who attend will receive a surprise at the door.

Theater alumna returns to stage in ‘Prin’

Warwick, R.I. – April 3, 2008: Theater alumna Lisa Pardini (’85) will star in the title role of the CCRI Players’ performance of “Prin” at the Flanagan Campus Theatre in Lincoln from Thursday to Sunday, April 10 to 13.

First presented by Andrew Davies at London’s Lyric Theatre in 1989, “Prin” is a comedic drama that focuses on education and those who embrace the role of teacher. Directed by Theatre Program Director Bert Silverberg, “Prin” features a cast of stellar student performers.

After graduating from CCRI, Pardini attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and graduated from Emerson College with a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1997. She recently returned to New England after living and working in the Los Angeles area for many years, first as a professional actor and later as a public relations executive in the entertainment industry. Pardini is enrolled as a general studies major with a focus on nursing at CCRI.

Silverberg said the title role in this play, a middle-aged principal of a women’s teachers’ college in England, is an exceptionally large part. “As the director, I really had no idea of who I would be able to cast who might be capable of managing such a formidable role,” he said.

Enter Pardini. “She auditioned for Prin and has been cast in the eponymous role. I once again have the pleasure of working with her after having directed her in her first college production, ‘Time and the Conways,’ in 1982,” he said. “I’m pleased to be merging, as it were, two generations of CCRI theater students.”

Silverberg said the play reflects many of the problems confronting the educational system of our own country today. “We chose the play not only for its fine writing and vivid characters, but also for its strong message, one that I believe will resonate with those involved in education and with the community at large,” he said.

The egocentric and eccentric title character is the long-tenured principal of a women’s teachers’ college who fights unrelentingly against mediocrity in public education and the world in general. On the day we encounter her, Prin’s world is on the verge of falling apart. The directors plan to merge her school with the local polytechnic school, effectively removing her authority, and her relationship with a shy, quiet woman also appears to be on shaky ground. Though there is much about Prin to admire, her noble ideals are doomed by her arrogant insensitivity.

The cast of “Prin” also includes Lauren Bambera (Dibs), Beck Moss (Melanie), Adam Florio (Boyle), Alex Nichols (Walker) and Jonathan Safford (Kite).

Celebrated British writer Davies is renowned for his adaptation of literature for television and the screen. He was a lecturer at the University of Warwick for several years and drew upon this time to create some of his original pieces. Davies’ body of work includes the television adaptation of “Middlemarch” (1994), “Pride and Prejudice” (1995) and “Vanity Fair” (1998), as well as collaborating with author Helen Fielding on both “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.”

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday; 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $9 for the general public or $7 for students, seniors, and CCRI faculty and staff. For preferred seating, reserve by phone at 825-2219 or via e-mail at ccriplayers@aol.com. Tickets also may be purchased at the door for general admission seating.

Established in 1966, the CCRI Players is the oldest student-operated organization at the Community College of Rhode Island. Working in conjunction with faculty and staff, the CCRI Players provide opportunities for those interested in theater to gain hands-on experience in every aspect of theatrical production. The CCRI Players have been participating in the American College Theatre Festival since 1973.

The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest comprehensive community college, enrolls more than 16,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in noncredit and job training classes. CCRI has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport County, as well as satellite locations in downcity Providence and Westerly. For more information, visit www.ccri.edu.

Concert will celebrate CCRI’s Steinway piano

Warwick, R.I. – April 2, 2008: The public is invited to “Men, Women and a Piano,” a musical event to celebrate the college’s acquisition of a Steinway grand piano, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, in the Bobby Hackett Theatre at the Knight Campus in Warwick.

The program will celebrate the role of the piano in our culture and in all types of music including classical, ragtime, Scottish folk songs and Broadway shows.

The event will feature pianist Audrey Kaiser with guest performers Susie Swenson, Amanda Santo, Susan Rodgers and Carol Lyon playing the music of Chopin, Debussy, Villa-Lobos, Rachmaninoff, Robert Burns and Stephen Sondheim.

A suggested donation of $5 will be collected at the door.

Children can spend vacation at Kids’ College

Warwick, R.I. – April 2, 2008: This April vacation, children ages 8 to 12 can take the stage, practice crime scene investigation, build a rocket, learn Chinese and much more at Kids’ College.

Students can register for one or two 90-minute classes that meet each morning Monday through Friday, April 14 to 18, at the William M. Davies Career & Technical School in Lincoln.

The first sessions will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Offerings include An Adventure in Art, Hot Wheels and Roller Coasters, Science Wizardry and Totally Terrific Tees. The second session, including Broadway Bound, Cartooning, Catch a Criminal, Explore China and Rockets 101, will be held from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Each weeklong course costs $65 plus a $5 registration fee. For full course descriptions, view the brochure online at http://www.ccri.edu/lifelong/personal/kidscollege.shtml. Call 825-2033 for registration information.
 

March

Multilingual poets help CCRI celebrate diversity

Warwick, R.I. – March 18, 2008: The Community College of Rhode Island will celebrate its diversity with a program “Many Cultures: One People” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, in the Atrium at the Liston Campus in Providence.

The featured event will be a poetry reading during which students, faculty and staff members will read poems in several languages, accompanied by their English translations from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Student Marilyn L. Washington will open the program with a poem she wrote entitled, “Color.” Other student readers and their countries of origin include Lenore McCarthy (Estonia) reading a poem in Estonian; Verra Al-Haffar (Kuwait) reading a poem in Arabic; Jean Nsabumuremyi (Rwanda) reading a poem in Swahili; Myanh Nguyen (Vietnam) reading a poem in Vietnamese; Oretha Karfear (Liberia) reading a poem in Krahn; Kenira Varela (Cape Verde) reading a poem in Portuguese; Maria Farias (Dominican Republic) reading a poem in Spanish; staff member Naglaa Gaafar (Egypt) reading a poem in Arabic; and faculty member Steven Tegu reading a closing poem in Spanish.

Jason Roseman and the Tropical Gems Steel Band will entertain before the reading and during an international luncheon for members of the college community featuring Asian, Caribbean, Italian and Spanish food.

‘Athletes’ to battle in Lincoln on Friday

Warwick, R.I. – March 17, 2008: Teams of students, faculty and staff will compete for medals and bragging rights in a variety of fun athletic events from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, March 21, in the field house at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln.

This first-ever Battle of the Athletes Day is part of CCRI’s “All College Week: A celebration of excellence, innovation and community” from March 16 to 22. Members of the college community were invited to register as teams of three or as individuals to be matched with others competitors that day.

Activities in this friendly competition include 3-on-3 basketball, dodge ball, an obstacle course, water basketball and a home-run derby in the batting tunnel.

The Athletics Department is organizing this event with assistance from the college’s Wellness Committee. The first 100 registrants will receive a commemorative T-shirt and admission to a cookout and awards ceremony, which will be held at the conclusion of the competitions at about 1 p.m. All College Week will conclude with a double-header baseball game at noon on Saturday at the Knight Campus in Warwick, weather permitting.

Public invited to celebrate the arts at CCRI

Warwick, R.I. – March 10, 2008: Join the Music and Theatre departments for an evening of performances during a Celebration of the Arts beginning at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 in the Bobby Hackett Theatre at the Knight Campus in Warwick.

The evening will include a reading of the dramatic poem “Ithaka” by Acting II students, a piano duet of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” performances by the CCRI Chamber Trio and Jazz Quartet, a medley from “Porgy and Bess” by the CCRI Chamber Singers and Chorus, a monologue titled “Fat Men in Skirts,” scenes from “Other People’s Money,” “Angels in America,” “Compleat Female Stage Beauty,” “Everything Will Be Different” and the CCRI Players̵