Marketing and Communications News Releases for 2007

If you have any questions, please contact:

Kristen Cyr
Public Relations Officer
klcyr@ccri.edu

Dennis Moore
Director of Marketing & Communications
dwmoore@ccri.edu

Marketing & Communications

News Releases 2007

December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

November

CCRI recognized with communications excellence awards

Warwick, R.I. – Nov. 9, 2007: The Community College of Rhode was recognized with Gold Medallion awards earlier this week at the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations District One Annual Medallion Awards for excellence in two categories. Professionals from community colleges throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic, Eastern Canada and the U.K. were represented in the awards submissions for excellence in publications, advertising, promotions and electronic media. CCRI was honored in the Special Events category for the March 2007 Inauguration of President Ray Di Pasquale, and in the Media Success Story Category for the media relations and coverage that occurred as part of Inauguration week. In presenting the awards, judging chair Lynn M. Holl, director of Marketing and Public Information for Mercer County Community College in New Jersey, cited the college for its hard work in “presenting a top-notch community event, engaging many and including all.”

CCRI Assistant to the President and Director of Marketing Communications Dennis Moore accepted the awards on behalf of the college. “The excellence of the Inauguration event and the resulting media coverage of the college and its people were the result of months of teamwork and collaboration. Members of the business community and the college community all stepped up to make this event a memorable, successful one,” he said. “We’re proud to have been recognized by our peers in higher education, and we bring this award home to honor all who contributed their time and talent.”

The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest community college, has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport County. Currently CCRI enrolls more than 16,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes.

CCRI Players present evening of one-act plays

Warwick, R.I. – Nov. 8, 2007: The CCRI Players will present “Perchance to Dream: Two One-Act Plays” from Nov. 15 to 18 at the Knight Campus in Warwick.

Student Cassia Chipman will direct “Solitaire” by Robert Anderson. Set in a future time when marriage has been abolished and people live in mechanized motel rooms, Sam Bradley seeks out an illicit, underground operation that provides surrogate domesticity.

Theodore R. Clement, an associate professor of English at CCRI, will direct the second play, “The Actor’s Nightmare” by Christopher Durang. In this piece, an actor is told he must fill in for another, but nobody seems to know what the play is. He finds himself in a scene from “Private Lives,” and then “Hamlet,” a Beckett play and what might be “A Man for All Seasons.”

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 16 and 17; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18.

This event is the first in the 2007-08 season for the CCRI Players. They also will present “The Member of the Wedding” by Carson McCullers in February at the Knight Campus and “Prin” by Andrew Davies at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln next April.

Season subscription rates are $23 for general admission and $17 for students, seniors and CCRI staff members.

Art show focuses on invasion of personal space

Warwick, R.I. – Nov. 1, 2007: North Kingstown resident Jill Cook will display “Personal Space,” a series of small works that seek to portray a feeling of the invasion that often occurs when one is looked at as a physical body, at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Knight Campus Art Gallery this month.

The show will open with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, and will run through Dec. 7.

Close-ups of particular body parts are captured within tight formats to recreate a sense of violated personal space. Cook, who is gallery director at the Wickford Art Association, says she stresses this invasive focus to “recall the vulnerable feelings resultant from exposure to an inappropriate, visual touch, such as to a probing eye or a penetrating gaze. Phrases such as, ‘I could feel him undress me with his eyes’ and, ‘Her eyes bore into me,’ are evocative of the emotional traumas caused by extreme physical awareness.”

Tugged-at and pushed-at areas of flesh are contained within box-like compositions, which Cook said serves to exaggerate the “body-as-object” quality of the images.

“The displays of flesh within my images often flicker between the categories of shame and pleasure, presentation and exploitation, vulnerability and accessibility and the endurance of the unwanted touch,” Cook said in an artist’s statement. “The formal aspects of my work often entail a manifestation of these issues relating to the body. Tension is derived from opposing forces of large to small elements within the compositions. Issues of domination are played with as single, smaller areas impose themselves upon the larger surrounding masses of each image.”

She says that, as an artist, she is able to make peace with these insecurities regarding the body by organizing its beauty into an objectively controlled composition. “My own vulnerabilities become neutralized when they are re-cast and ordered into these isolated specimens of flesh-suggesting paint. Even better, when the illusion does succeed, and the viewer becomes somewhat uncomfortable at what they are looking at, I find that I am not just another onlooker; rather, I am a willing presenter – an exhibitionist, if you will – which returns to me a certain bit of power. Furthermore, where these images are self-portraits, I become separated from the vulnerability of being looked at by removing my likeness onto a two-dimensional, inanimate surface. It is here that I have, at last, escaped the body and have become, instead, an objective observer.

Cook, a former assistant to the director/curator and gallery assistant at the Warwick Museum of Art, earned her associate degree in fine arts at CCRI in May 1999, and both her bachelor’s in art history and bachelor’s of fine arts in painting at Rhode Island College in January 2007. This is her first show at CCRI.

The gallery, which is located in room 3500 in the round building at CCRI’s Warwick campus, 400 East Ave., is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. For more information, call the Art Department at 825-2220.

Landmark doctor gives radiography scholarship

Warwick, R.I. – Nov. 1, 2007: Dr. Nicholas Iannuccilli, chief of diagnostic imaging at Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, has donated a $10,000 scholarship to CCRI’s radiography program. The endowed scholarship, which is part of an institutional fund-raising effort to improve the college’s radiography lab facilities with new technology, will benefit a student majoring in the program for perpetuity.

“The future of Rhode Island and southern New England depends on the success of the students in the programs at CCRI,” said Iannuccilli, a Cranston resident. “Out of all the graduates from institutions in Rhode Island, CCRI graduates are the ones who tend to stay, energizing the state’s economic development.” Iannuccilli, a radiologist and private practitioner, is a graduate of Providence College and the University of Bologna in Italy. He completed his residency at Rhode Island Hospital. Born in Providence, he was raised by his mother, a church organist, after his father was killed in Normandy during World War II. “We lived week to week,” Iannuccilli said. “While I was studying in Bologna, my mother and stepfather would send me her paycheck for room and board.” Acknowledging his humble beginnings, he gave the scholarship to help a deserving student receive an education. “I’ve always been a strong advocate of education,” Iannuccilli said. “Without it I don’t know where I’d be today.” Iannuccilli will present the scholarship during a reception for alumni of CCRI’s radiography program on Nov. 7 from 5-7 p.m. at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. The event coincides with National Radiologic Technology Week, which highlights the importance of medical imaging and radiation oncology as well as recognizes radiologic technology and the professionals who use it. Attendees will meet CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale, take a tour of the lab, which is in the process of being renovated and refurbished, and see the new equipment the college has purchased, including a digital imaging system and a new X-ray room.

CCRI’s radiography program was established in 1973. With 1,000 graduates to date, it is the largest supplier of radiographers in the state. There were 28 graduates from the program in 2007, and 80 students are presently enrolled. Since the inception of the program, every CCRI radiography graduate has passed the national American Registry of Radiologic Technologists exam, which is a requirement for licensure in most states, including Rhode Island.

October

Grads earn near-perfect scores on national radiography test

Warwick, R.I. – Oct. 24, 2007: Three of the 28 Community College of Rhode Island students who took the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) exam this summer following graduation scored a 95 or higher out of 100.

Jacqueline Foshey of Johnston, Jim Lemieux of South Attleboro, Mass., and Susan Palmer of Warwick excelled on the test. The ARRT administers the exam to students who have completed an accredited radiography program at an institution of higher education. The exam is a requirement for certification in the profession, and most states, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts, require successful completion for licensure.

“In my 31 years of experience in the radiography program, it is highly unusual to have that many students score so well on the national exam,” said Sharon Perkins, chair of the Allied Health Department at CCRI. “I am also proud of the fact that all of our students in the program passed the exam on their first attempt this year.”

Foshey, Lemieux and Palmer all graduated from CCRI in May with 4.0 GPAs and took the exam during the summer. Foshey is employed by Rhode Island Medical Imaging in Providence and is training for a specialization in mammography on the job. Lemieux is working 65 to 70 hours per week, splitting time between jobs at Caritas Norwood Hospital and Brockton Hospital in Massachusetts. Palmer is studying radiation therapy at UMASS Medical Center in Worcester and is employed at Women & Infants’ Hospital. Upon completion of the UMASS program she will work for North Main Radiation Oncology in Providence.

Radiography grads invited to meet president, tour lab

Warwick, R.I. – Oct. 22, 2007: All radiography graduates are invited to reconnect with faculty and friends during an event coinciding with National Radiologic Technology Week at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, in the lab at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln.

Attendees will meet CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale, take a tour of the lab, which is in the process of being renovated and refurbished, and see the new equipment the college has purchased, including a digital imaging system and a new X-ray room.

CCRI’s radiography program has produced 1,000 graduates since it was established in 1973 and is the largest supplier of radiographers in the state. Forty-three students graduated from the program in 2007 and 80 students are now enrolled. Since the inception of the program, every CCRI student has passed the national radiologic exam.

National Radiologic Technology Week highlights the importance of medical imaging and radiation oncology as well as recognizes radiologic technology and the professionals who use it. The designated week purposely coincides with the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen on Nov. 8, 1895. The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest comprehensive community college, enrolls more than 16,800 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. CCRI has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport County, as well as satellite locations in downcity Providence and Westerly.

Public invited to explore night skies at observatory

Warwick, R.I. – Oct. 19, 2007: Weather permitting, the public is invited to explore the cosmos at the Margaret M. Jacoby Observatory on the Knight Campus in Warwick from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Guided by Assistant Professor Brendon Britton of the Physics Department, visitors can view the moon and other nighttime objects through the college’s 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.

There is no admission fee. Cloudy or rainy skies will cancel the event; call 825-2212 for updates.

Student honored with scholarship

Warwick, R.I. – Oct. 12, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island recently selected Timothy Taylor of Newport as the recipient of the 2007 John Clarke Scholarship.

This award was established to provide financial assistance to Newport residents attending the CCRI Newport County Campus who meet income criteria. Taylor was awarded $500. The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest comprehensive community college, enrolls more than 16,800 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. CCRI has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport County, as well as satellite locations in downcity Providence and Westerly.

Student receives award for book costs

Warwick, R.I. – Oct. 12, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island recently awarded Kelly K. Lury of Warwick the 2007 Warwick Women’s Book Club Award.

This award was established to provide financial assistance – $250 per semester to cover the cost of books – to a female resident of Warwick who is matriculated at CCRI and is at least 25 years old. The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest comprehensive community college, enrolls more than 16,800 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. CCRI has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport County, as well as satellite locations in downcity Providence and Westerly.

CCRI Italian Club presents subtitled films this fall

Warwick, R.I. – Oct. 11, 2007: The Italian Club at CCRI will present a series of Italian films with English subtitles this fall. The schedule is: • Friday, Oct. 19: The 1992 comedy “Ciao, Professore!” about an elementary school teacher from northern Italy who is sent by mistake to an impoverished town in the Naples province of southern Italy.

• Friday, Nov. 2: “Tre fratelli,” an Academy Award-nominated 1981 film about three brothers summoned home by their father after the death of their mother in southern Italy.

• Friday, Nov. 9: “Amarcord,” a 1974 film directed by Federico Fellini about a nostalgic, fantastic and funny reminiscence of growing up in Fellini’s hometown of Rimini. All films are free and open to the public and will be screened at 7 p.m. in room 4080 of the Knight Campus in Warwick.

September

CCRI Alumni Association to honor nine on Oct. 19

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 27, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association will honor six of its own and name three others as honorary alumni during A Knight of Stars event on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. Six will be inducted into the Alumni Association’s Society of the Knights. This honor is presented to CCRI alumni who have been active as community leaders, attained personal and professional success, provided volunteer service to the college community and have brought honor upon themselves and the college. They are Donald B. Baker ’74 of Johnston; Peter E. Bouley ’66 of Pascoag; Joseph T. Fleming ’74 of Pawtucket; Walter P. Jachna ’98 of Newport; John A. Napolitano ’71 of Middletown; and Anne Riccitelli ’66 of New York, N.Y.

Additionally, three others will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications; East Greenwich Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs; and Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer.

The event, which will begin with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m., will include hors d’oeuvres, the induction ceremony and dinner of either boneless chicken or swordfish steak. Lloyd Kaplan and the Aristocrats will provide entertainment. Tickets for this fund-raiser for student scholarships and alumni programs cost $75 each. Call 333-7150 or e-mail alumni@ccri.edu.

Napolitano to receive alumni honor
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: John A. Napolitano of Middletown will be inducted into the Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association’s Society of the Knights on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. This honor is presented to CCRI alumni who have been active as community leaders, attained personal and professional success, provided volunteer service to the college community and have brought honor upon themselves and the college.

Napolitano, a member of the Class of 1971 has complimentary things to say about his fellow trustees of the CCRI Foundation. “They make time to get things done for the growth of college,” he said. “The busier a person is, the more they accomplish.”

Napolitano’s observation could also be applied to his own work ethic. From serving in Vietnam to studying at CCRI to starting his own business, his career path has been a consistent climb upward to achieve his dreams.

Napolitano, a financial services professional, is the owner of Newport Financial Associates in Middletown. The firm has been in business for 36 years and specializes in helping people reduce their taxes and protect their assets. He lectures around the country on a variety of financial topics and is a former instructor of the Life Underwriter’s Training Council. He has authored two books and was the host of “Smart Money” on WADK radio in Newport County.

But Napolitano is the first to acknowledge his humble background. A high school dropout, he earned his GED while serving in Vietnam. Returning to his native Newport with a wife, two small children, two jobs and no car, he turned to CCRI, which then was called Rhode Island Junior College, to get an associate degree. He recalls his early rises to catch the 6:30 a.m. bus to Providence for class.

After graduating in 1971, Napolitano worked for Assumption Mutual Life and then New England Financial, both insurance companies, before launching his own business. Elected to the Foundation board in September 2005, Napolitano has taken a vested interest in the development of the college and continuing its tradition of providing a quality education at an economical price.

As a trustee, he has made presentations to college officials on the benefits of charitable giving, advocates that employers match their employees’ donations and has been involved in fund-raising activities. “The enthusiasm of the staff and the alumni is just contagious and I’m really enjoying my role as trustee,” he said.

Napolitano maintains a Certified Long Term Care designation and is a member of the Middletown Rotary Club, the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, the Rhode Island Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and the Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club. He also is a registered representative of New England Securities. Napolitano lives with his wife Jeanne-Marie, a member of the Newport City Council. They will celebrate their 39th anniversary in November. They have four children and one granddaughter.

Five other alumni will be inducted into the Society of the Knights. They are Donald B. Baker ’74 of Johnston; Peter E. Bouley ’66 of Pascoag; Joseph T. Fleming ’74 of Pawtucket; Walter P. Jachna ’98 of Newport; and Anne Riccitelli ’66 of New York, N.Y.

Additionally, three others will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications; East Greenwich resident Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs; and Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer.

Pitts to be named honorary alumnus
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr. will be named an honorary alumnus of the Community College of Rhode Island during A Knight of Stars event on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.

With every appearance at campus events alongside his wife, Sondra Pitts, a member of CCRI’s first graduating class in 1966 and president of the Alumni Association, Pitts has become an equally familiar face in the college community. The retired lawyer is an adviser to the president’s council and staunch supporter of his wife’s leadership. “CCRI has meant so much to Sondra and to me,” Pitts said. “I have always felt a certain connection to the school.”

Pitts first met Sondra at Cranston East and the two were high school sweethearts. She was a member of the Class of 1964. He was the valedictorian of the Class of 1965. She went on to CCRI later earned her bachelor’s degree in education. He went on to Yale University, graduating magna cum laude with a major in political science and economics in 1969. They married in June of that year.

Pitts entered the U.S. Navy, serving four years before attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He was an editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and graduated magna cum laude in 1976.

Pitts returned to Rhode Island to practice law with Edwards & Angell, a Providence firm, making partner in 1982. He left Rhode Island in 1990 to join Sidley & Austin, a general practice firm in Manhattan with more than 1,700 attorneys and 16 offices around the world. Pitts specialized in corporate reorganization and bankruptcy, publishing several articles on the subject.

During his career, Pitts has been a member of various bar associations, a board member of the Lawyers Alliance for New York and a member of the board of the Armenian Students Association. He also served on the board of trustees for Providence’s St. Sahag & St. Mesrob Armenian Church. In 1998, he was inducted into the Cranston Hall of Fame.

Now retired, Pitts has more time to devote to other interests, particularly education. He recently joined the board of trustees of the Community Preparatory School in Providence, which educates third- through eighth-graders of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

“Community Prep has been very successful placing students in top-notch secondary schools and colleges, and it’s exciting to be a part of its future,” he said. “Education has always been important to me. At both law firms, training and education were among my most rewarding responsibilities.”

Helping CCRI help students achieve more is also important to Pitts, who willingly supports his wife and the college any way he can. “Sondra does a great job,” he said, “and it’s fun to watch her.”

Two in addition to Pitts will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications, and East Greenwich resident Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs.

Also that night, six alumni will be inducted into the Society of the Knights. They are Donald B. Baker ’74 of Johnston; Peter E. Bouley ’66 of Pascoag; Joseph T. Fleming ’74 of Pawtucket; Walter P. Jachna ’98 of Newport; John A. Napolitano ’71 of Middletown; and Anne Riccitelli ’66 of New York, N.Y.

Alumni group to honor Riccitelli

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Anne Riccitelli of New York, N.Y., will be inducted into the Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association’s Society of the Knights on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. This honor is presented to CCRI alumni who have been active as community leaders, attained personal and professional success, provided volunteer service to the college community and have brought honor upon themselves and the college.

Riccitelli, a member of CCRI’s first graduating class in 1966, has fond memories of growing up in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Providence and she treasures the values her parents instilled in her. Her mother encouraged her to make the best of what she had; her father dreamed of sending all of his children to college.

Her father got his wish and then some – all three Riccitellis graduated from a community college and went on to continue their education at other institutions before launching successful careers. Although Anne Riccitelli said their accomplishments exceeded his expectations, she can’t help but wonder what he would think of her latest success as a nongovernmental organization, or NGO, representative at the United Nations.

Riccitelli served as a member of the planning committee for the 60th annual Department of Public Information/NGO Conference at the UN from Sept. 5 to 7, also serving as a co-chair of the conference’s media committee. Titled “Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All,” the meeting was an opportunity for 2,500 NGOs, working together with the UN, and governmental and community groups to discuss the ways and means for strengthening collaboration between local communities and global institutions.

“My father collected UN stamps,” Riccitelli said, recalling his curiosity of the world beyond Silver Lake. “I’ve had this wonderful nostalgia working in this environment because of my parents’ influence.”

Riccitelli is a media veteran who has 30 years of experience in the field. She is a former executive for ABC-TV and the former spokeswoman of the Rosie O’Donnell Show for Time/Warner Telepictures Productions.

Through her new position, she has been exposed to countless stories of pain and suffering of citizens of foreign countries. “All over the world millions of children are dying from malaria — from a mosquito bite. A UN Foundation program called ‘Nothing But Nets’ has NBA support. For just $10, an insecticide-treated bed net can be purchased and delivered to those in need. It’s a low-tech, cost effective way to prevent malaria transmission,” she said. To date, nearly a million nets have been distributed.

When she gave the keynote address at CCRI’s commencement in 2006, Riccitelli spoke about the influence of her parents’ values, changing the world and the great pride she takes as one of the members of the college’s first graduating class – or the “pioneers,” as she calls them.

“All of us benefit from the idea of an open and affordable education for all,” she said. “And all of us are deeply grateful.”

Additionally, three others will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications; East Greenwich resident Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs; and Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer.

Abood to be named honorary alumna

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Warwick resident Nancy Abood will be named an honorary alumna of the Community College of Rhode Island during A Knight of Stars event on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.

Change was on the horizon when Abood came to work at CCRI in 1980 as the director of public relations and publications. The college had just changed its name from Rhode Island Junior College to the Community College of Rhode Island, and a burgeoning identity was emerging for the school in the Ocean State.

“There was an opportunity to develop a new image for the college and better explain what CCRI is and does,” Abood said. And she seized the opportunity not only to enhance CCRI’s reputation with the public, but also with its growing body of alumni.

In the late 1990s, Abood was promoted to assistant to the president, a title she held until her retirement in 2003. During that time, among other things, she worked to build leadership and structure for the college's alumni association allowing for graduates to reconnect with the college.

Looking back on her tenure with CCRI, one of the things Abood is most proud of is her involvement with the expansion of the Alumni Association. Working with the alumni board, a group of about a half-dozen alumni volunteers including current Alumni Association President Sondra Pitts, she was one of the key administrative figures who advocated for the hiring of a full-time alumni director to oversee alumni affairs.

“It was very different without a full-time director because the association didn't have the capacity to grow and become what they are today,” she said. “Now it’s a very, very strong arm of the college.”

Abood started her career in journalism as a reporter. In the 1970s, she wrote for the Warwick Beacon and the Bristol Phoenix. She then switched gears to focus on politics, serving as the press secretary for former Warwick mayor Joe Walsh, a position she held for four years before joining CCRI. “I was looking for something else to do,” she said. “From journalism there is a natural pull toward public relations. I found a home at CCRI and loved every minute of it.”

Abood is former member of the CCRI Foundation and was a member of the board of directors of the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. She is enjoying her retirement, but hasn’t totally removed herself from the education field. She is the vice president of the Literacy Volunteers of Kent County, a volunteer group that trains tutors to teach basic literacy and English as a second language. She is married to Howard Foster and enjoys spending time visiting her son, Jon, daughter-in-law, Kristen and their two daughters in Coventry.

Two in addition to Abood will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Cranston resident Thomas Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer, and East Greenwich resident Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs.

Alumni Association to honor Baker

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Johnston resident Donald B. Baker will be inducted into the Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association’s Society of the Knights on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. This honor is presented to CCRI alumni who have been active as community leaders, attained personal and professional success, provided volunteer service to the college community and have brought honor upon themselves and the college.

Whether he is volunteering at CCRI Foundation and alumni events, sponsoring a CCRI athletic team that is trying to raise money through his role as director of bookstores or running a marathon for charity, Baker is there to lend a helping hand. Modest about his career and personal accomplishments, Baker is the first to admit he’s “not a limelight person.” But his motivation is simple: “I try to help someone in need as much as I can,” he said.

Baker started working at CCRI after graduating from the college’s retail management program in 1974, which required a combination of class work and field work. Immediately following graduation he was hired to work at the college’s first campus bookstore in Providence. He transferred to Lincoln’s bookstore three years later and was promoted to director of bookstores in 1981. Based at Warwick’s Knight Campus, he oversees the operations of the bookstore at each of the four CCRI campuses.

Baker enjoys working in a retail establishment set in an academic atmosphere because of the payback it gives his alma mater. “All the revenue we generate goes back into the school,” he explained. And there is the interaction with the students, too. “Through the bookstore I try to support any alumni event, student activity or athletic event if they’re looking for donations,” he said.

Throughout his career Baker has been involved in a number of retail and college store organizations. From 1992 to 2004, he was a member of the board of directors of the New England Buying Consortium. He has also served as a state representative, secretary and chairman of the education committee of the College Stores of New England.

Off campus, Baker is an avid runner who has completed eight marathons and competed in more than 200 road races of varying distances. For his first marathon in 1994, he raised thousands of dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through the nonprofit’s Team In Training program. The experience was a test of not only physical endurance, but of mental stamina as well. The inspiration of those diagnosed with a life-threatening blood disorder and the support of his teammates in the program helped him complete the challenge. “You build up friendships with other people during the training runs and go through the pain and suffering together,” he said.

Baker often runs during his lunch hour, touring the Knight Campus and surrounding area and not straying far from his roots. “This school has been a second home to me,” he said. “I got my education and I’ve been able to give something back to the community that has given me so much.”

Five other alumni will be inducted into the Society that evening. They are Peter E. Bouley ’66 of Pascoag; Joseph T. Fleming ’74 of Pawtucket; Walter P. Jachna ’98 of Newport; John A. Napolitano ’71 of Middletown; and Anne Riccitelli ’66 of New York, N.Y.

Additionally, three others will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications; East Greenwich resident Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs; and Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer.

Alumni Association to honor Bouley

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Pascoag resident Peter E. Bouley will be inducted into the Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association’s Society of the Knights on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. This honor is presented to CCRI alumni who have been active as community leaders, attained personal and professional success, provided volunteer service to the college community and have brought honor upon themselves and the college.

Bouley is one of six people in the world who can design, build and repair a steam locomotive, a skill that has brought him recognition and made it possible for him to bring together students and teachers to enhance their knowledge of engineering. He is also an accomplished musician and composer; he once played with the Boston Pops Orchestra as Arthur Fiedler conducted one of his pieces.

He earned an associate of arts degree from CCRI and was a member of the college’s first graduating class in 1966. He played the tuba in the college band and remembers performing during the college’s first graduation on the steps of the Rhode Island Statehouse.

Bouley has received honorary degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Washington and the University of Central Arkansas, and awards from the Royal Preservation Society in England and the National Railway Society of France for excellence in engineering.

The Vietnam veteran is the proud possessor of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star military medals from his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, but those achievements came with nightmares that have plagued his dreams for nearly 40 years.

At the suggestion of his therapist, Bouley has begun to exorcise his war demons by writing about his three-year experience serving in Vietnam. Called “Angels Among Us,” his story tells of volunteering to serve in the Marines, fighting in hostile combat, carrying a wounded Australian newspaper reporter to safety while injured and playing the organ at a chapel open to all denominations.

Bouley, who runs a safety training corporation and a general construction business, has written a dozen technical books on a number of how-to topics, but has never tried his hand at a memoir. The process, which took him four hours on Easter Sunday this past spring, was therapeutic. “It just flew out,” he said of writing the 13-page manuscript.

Over the years, he has mentored students and launched his own businesses with education in mind. Retirement is out the question for the 61-year-old, who still plays the organ for church services around Rhode Island.

“I’m the type of person who is constantly in motion,” he said. “If I can help another half-dozen people, I will keep working.”

That is just one of the values he attributes to the teachings of his parents, but also to his education at CCRI, then called Rhode Island Junior College. As a member of the college’s first graduating class, he learned to seize new opportunities no matter how daunting they seemed on the surface.

“You have to face all challenges how significant or insignificant they are,” he said. “I’m always reaching for the stars.”

Five other alumni will be inducted into the Society of the Knights. They are Donald B. Baker ’74 of Johnston; Joseph T. Fleming ’74 of Pawtucket; Walter P. Jachna ’98 of Newport; John A. Napolitano ’71 of Middletown; and Anne Riccitelli ’66 of New York, N.Y.

Additionally, three others will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications; East Greenwich resident Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs; and Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer.

Henderson to be named honorary alumnus

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: East Greenwich resident Robert G. Henderson will be named an honorary alumnus of the Community College of Rhode Island during A Knight of Stars event on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.

The former vice president for business affairs left CCRI in December 2004 after 40 years of service to the college, the last of the original founding faculty and staff. He started as a faculty member in the math department, teaching for one year and helping to establish an academic engineering department.

He then was asked to take the position of development officer, becoming involved in the planning and construction of the Knight Campus in Warwick, the first permanent site for the college. “Seeing that come to fruition was one of the highlights of my time at the college,” he said.

Henderson also played a lead role in the openings of the Lincoln, Providence and Newport campuses as vice president. Known to colleagues as a thoughtful, steady and unwavering advocate for the betterment of the college, his quiet and constant work ethic earned him a reputation as a “go-to” guy.

Since his departure from CCRI, Henderson has been actively involved in activities at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in East Greenwich. He served as president of the congregation and president of the church council. He is working with others on the church’s outreach programs.

Family time has also been a priority for Henderson in his retirement, visiting his son, Michael, a CCRI graduate, and daughter-in-law and their two children in Orlando, Fla. His oldest son, Bob Jr., is a Rhode Island accountant. His two youngest sons are in college; Brenton at CCRI and Joshua at Georgetown.

Henderson is a member of CCRI’s retirees association and attends as many campus events as he can. “I enjoy any contact with the college and want to stay in close touch,” he said. While he doesn’t always miss the mental pressures and rigors of his former position, there is one aspect of campus life that Henderson still pines for – his colleagues. “That’s the one thing I really miss,” he said.

Two in addition to Henderson will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Cranston resident Thomas Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer, and Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications.

Alumni Association to honor Jachna

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Newport resident Walter P. Jachna will be inducted into the Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association’s Society of the Knights on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. This honor is presented to CCRI alumni who have been active as community leaders, attained personal and professional success, provided volunteer service to the college community and have brought honor upon themselves and the college.

In the late 1990s, with the end of their careers in sight, Jachna and his wife, Eileen, began thinking about their future and drafting their wills. Curiosity about the process and the options available to them led Walter Jachna straight to CCRI. He took a course on wills and trusts in the Paralegal Studies Program. “It just invigorated me,” he said.

The course fueled Jachna’s interest so much that he decided to take time off from his career to continue paralegal studies and pursue an associate degree in the subject. He graduated with a 4.0 grade point average, earning membership into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. But the road to graduation was more significant than the achievement of high grades for Jachna and his supportive wife because the journey cultivated a deep relationship with CCRI.

Jachna has been a trustee of the CCRI Foundation since his graduation in 1998 and is a member of the Foundation’s Trustee Development Committee. At Eileen’s suggestion, the Jachnas established the Walter P. and Eileen J. Jachna Scholarship, which supports students majoring in paralegal studies at the college. “I saw a need,” Walter said. “There were a lot of kids struggling financially and Eileen thought there was something we could do about it.”

The Jachnas are members of the President’s Crusader Council for their annual support of the college. They are also members of the John H. Chafee Society for including the college in their wills.

A commitment to education is a resounding theme in the life of the Jachnas. Eileen has taught at Rogers High School, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and Bristol Community College. Walter is a senior payment counselor at Tuition Management Systems in Newport, which helps families create payment plans to afford the cost of tuition. The company works with more than 800 schools, including CCRI, and hundreds of thousands of families.

The Jachnas are also committed to the James L. Maher Center, an organization founded by Eileen’s parents that promotes the general welfare of people who are mentally and physically challenged in Newport and Bristol counties. Walter is a member of the board of directors and Eileen serves on a number of the center’s committees.

Becoming a student again later in life was a welcome opportunity for Jachna, who managed mutual funds at State Street Bank in Boston and ran his own business in private security for many years after attending Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania and Bridgewater State Teachers College in the 1960s.

“This time around I didn’t have to worry about working – just studying, thanks to Eileen,” he said. “I so thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.”

Five other alumni will be inducted into the Society of the Knights. They are Donald B. Baker ’74 of Johnston; Peter E. Bouley ’66 of Pascoag; Joseph T. Fleming ’74 of Pawtucket; John A. Napolitano ’71 of Middletown; and Anne Riccitelli ’66 of New York, N.Y.

Additionally, three others will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications; East Greenwich resident Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs; and Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer.

Alumni Association to honor Fleming

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Pawtucket resident Joseph T. Fleming will be inducted into the Community College of Rhode Island Alumni Association’s Society of the Knights on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. This honor is presented to CCRI alumni who have been active as community leaders, attained personal and professional success, provided volunteer service to the college community and have brought honor upon themselves and the college.

The assistant principal at Samuel Slater Junior High School in his native Pawtucket moonlights as a political consultant, helping local candidates create campaign strategies. He is perhaps best well-known in the Ocean State for his TV appearances as a political analyst on WPRI Channel 12 during election season.

The political bug bit Fleming at the age of 16. His neighbor was running for city council and needed a favor. “He told me before he could go door to door to campaign, his wife needed him to mow the lawn,” Fleming recalled. “So there I was cutting his grass while he was out shaking hands.”

It wasn’t until he graduated from Tolman High School and entered CCRI – then called Rhode Island Junior College – that Fleming got to try his own hand at politics. He was active in the Student Senate, serving as vice president his final year. And while he developed his interest in politics, he also got a taste for a new one – education.

“When I graduated from high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Fleming said, adding that administrators and professors here helped him focus. He discovered an interest in history and built on his passion for politics with a slew of political science classes. He also seized an opportunity to intern for a week with former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell in Washington, D.C.

After completing an associate degree at CCRI in 1974, Fleming continued his studies for a bachelor’s degree in history at Rhode Island College. He was hired by the Pawtucket School Department in 1976 and has worked for the district’s middle school in a number of positions during his 31-year career, including social studies teacher, mathematics teacher and coordinator of attendance and discipline before becoming the assistant principal in 2004. He also has taught and coordinated the district’s summer school program.

Fleming returned to CCRI in 1993 as a part-time instructor. Over the years he has taught courses in computer studies and business and technology. In 1983, he launched Fleming & Associates, his political consulting firm. Most recently he helped mayoral candidates in Cranston, Cumberland and Pawtucket create their campaign strategies. The firm helps candidates with message building and conducts public opinion research.

Outside of the school system, Fleming is involved with the Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club as a member of the board of trustees. He is a past member of the board of directors for both Pawtucket’s Community Counseling Center and Rhode Island Youth Guidance. “I try to give something back to the community that has given me so much,” he said. Fleming resides in Cumberland with his wife Sharlene. They have two children.

Five other alumni will be inducted into the Society of the Knights. They are Donald B. Baker ’74 of Johnston; Peter E. Bouley ’66 of Pascoag; Walter P. Jachna ’98 of Newport; John A. Napolitano ’71 of Middletown; and Anne Riccitelli ’66 of New York, N.Y.

Additionally, three others will receive the Honorary Alumni Award for their service to the college. They are Warwick resident Nancy Abood, retired assistant to the president and director of public relations and publications; East Greenwich resident Robert Henderson, retired vice president for Business Affairs; and Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr., a retired lawyer.

Take a walk at historic Knight Estate
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 5, 2007: Free walking tours of the historic Knight Estate, a former gentleman’s farm on the property of the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, will be held from noon to 4 p.m. each Wednesday in September and October.

The tour offers an opportunity to visit one of the few intact farmscapes in Rhode Island dating from the mid-19th century. Participants should meet at the Knight Estate Visitors’ Center, located in the cider mill on the property, 486 East Ave.

Buildings on the property include:
• A cider mill, a stone and mortar building that housed horse-powered apple presses that provided fresh cider for the Knights and their mill stores;
• A greenhouse, which has an attached potting shed and contains a central heat system;
• A water tower, a four-story building on a stone foundation that was built to provide gravity-fed water from the artesian wells to the farm;
• A carriage house and barn, a two-story structure and hay loft that houses two of the Knights’ original carriages;
• A corn crib, used to store feed for the Knights’ prized Ayershire cattle and Morgan horses;
• Box stalls with an attached tack room; and a hen house.

The Knights, one of Rhode Island’s most prominent 19th century families, made their fortune in the textile industry and are the creators of the Fruit of the Loom brand. In 1875, Robert and Benjamin Brayton Knight acquired this mansion estate and some mills from the once-prominent Sprague family, which had fallen into financial ruin.

They converted the property into a model “gentleman’s farm,” which they operated until they deeded it and the surrounding acreage in 1964 to the state for the new home of the community college. The Knight Estate Restoration Committee is working to preserve this rare jewel and eventually open it to the public as a piece of the state’s rich heritage.

For more information, call Preservation Coordinator Lynn M. Halmi at 465-4591.

Student-centered programs receive fund increase
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 17, 2007: The Rhode Island Educational Opportunity Center and Educational Talent Search – two programs that help the state’s students achieve their dreams and complete their educational plans – have had their funding renewed with a
3 percent increase for the next four- and five-year period, respectively.

The Educational Opportunity Center, or EOC, provides free and confidential financial aid, academic and career information counseling, serving more than 80,000 residents since 1978. Whether it is figuring out what career best fits goals and interests, advocating on a student’s behalf with admission and financial aid offices, or filling out financial aid and college admission applications, EOC can help.

The Rhode Island Educational Talent Search, or ETS, program provides free help to students in grades 6 to 12 who want to complete high school and enroll in a post-secondary institution. The program offers study skills and test-taking information, test prep assistance, college tours and information, career counseling, financial aid and scholarship information, and assistance completing admissions and financial aid forms.

EOC received funding of $758,950 per year for 2008 to 2012. ETS was funded at $476,854 per year for the same time period through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education under the Office of Postsecondary Education TRIO Programs. The Community College of Rhode Island, which hosts the programs, receives the grant funds.

“After four years of leveling funding, it was a relief to get some increases,” said Program Director Philomena Fayanjuola. “It will allow me to retain the staff that I have and allow us to present more intensive help to the students we serve. We also can focus intensively on first-generation students, who don’t have anyone at home to guide them through the often confusing application and financial aid process.”

Fayanjuola said EOC is funded to serve 4,000 adult students. But in the last year for which reporting data is available, the 2005-06 academic year, EOC served 4,341 students. Of those, 3,210 were low-income and potentially first-generation college students. Some 2,565 of the people they assisted enrolled here at CCRI.

EOC helped 3,488 complete financial aid applications and 1,766 apply for admission to college. Those numbers are conservative, she said, because even though the program is designed to help college-ready students, her counselors often start the process with those still working toward obtaining their GED so that they can start their fall or spring semester on time.

The ETS program served 15 more students than the 750 it was funded to serve in that 2005-06 year. Of those, 594 were low-income and potentially first-generation college students.
She is proud of the success rate of the program in keeping students in school. Ninety-eight percent of students in grades 6 to 11 stayed in school and were promoted to the next grade. Of the seniors who participated, 95 percent graduated from high school or obtained a GED.
And 85 percent of the students ETS assists with admissions and financial aid applications enrolled in college. “We consistently exceed our objectives,” she said.

The main office of both programs is centrally located on CCRI’s Liston Campus in Providence. EOC counselors are also available on all CCRI campuses, CCRI satellites and in community sites throughout Rhode Island. Convenient evening and weekend hours are available during the school year. For an appointment or more information, call 455-6028. The ETS office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and counselors are available in 11 participating schools in East Providence, Providence, Central Falls and Pawtucket. To learn more about ETS, call 455-6073.

“I’m so proud of the work that we do; it’s such good work,” Fayanjuola said. “It’s the power of intervention.”

Bryant’s international students study at CCRI
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 17, 2007: Nine international students attending Bryant University will boost their English skills in a unique public-private partnership with CCRI this fall.

Robin Smith, dean of CCRI’s Division of Lifelong Learning, was contacted by Brenda Doran, director of transfer admissions at Bryant, who proposed a concurrent admissions project. Nearly a year and many meetings between the two institutions later, they and others gathered at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln for a recent luncheon to welcome the students to CCRI.

The students will take nine credits at CCRI, six in speech and voice and three in articulation. They hail from India, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand and Italy. CCRI’s Division for Lifelong Learning has a contractual agreement with Bryant covering the cost of tuition, books and student support for the international students.

CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale told the students, as well as faculty and staff from both institutions, that it was an honor to partner with a university such as Bryant. “Every time I set foot at Bryant I am so impressed with the quality,” he said. “It’s an unbelievably caring institution and they do great things for their students across the nation.”

Di Pasquale welcomed Bryant University president Ronald Machtley, who told the students that their studies at CCRI and the college’s expertise in increasing students’ literacy skills will help them move forward.

“We need more of this sort of collaboration of resources and personnel and more public-private partnerships,” Machtley told the students. “We want to make this a great learning experience so that you are not limited by your oral or written communication skills. We know you’re smart already or you wouldn’t be here. This is not a remedial program. This is a program to make sure you are prepared with the skill sets of writing and speaking English once you take the full course load.”

For example, he said, students will read and reflect on the same book that Bryant students are using in a freshman composition course. However, unlike their contemporaries at Bryant, the international students can work on their compositions as a learning experience and without fear of earning a poor grade.

Di Pasquale said the college staff is committed to helping them succeed and reach their goals. “We are blessed with an outstanding staff that is here for one reason: students. They will help you be successful and help you transition to Bryant. You’re part of a program that we hope will continue and grow.”

The students then met some of the faculty and staff who will be helping them here, including Smith; Millie Blessing and Brenda McGill, coordinators in Advising & Counseling; Richard Tessier and Arthur Mossberg, assistant professors of English; and Terri Kless, associate director of Enrollment Services, as well as several members of the Bryant University staff. The students were divided among tables with faculty and staff members so they could chat while eating lunch.

Machtley applauded the “pioneer effort in this collaboration. It’s a tribute to you and your staff here,” he told Di Pasquale. “We have many of your fine students who come to Bryant. This is the first step in a real pilot effort for both of us.”

Liberian journalists to host forum at CCRI
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 20, 2007: Nine Liberian journalists will speak on pertinent topical issues affecting the emerging democracy in Liberia at a community forum at noon on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Liston Campus of the Community College of Rhode Island, 1 Hilton St., Providence.

Among other topics, the journalists will discuss the contribution of the media to the march toward sustainable democracy and the media environment – how it has changed and how it could be enhanced – during the forum. Maureen Sieh, former senior reporter of the Liberian Daily Observer and now editor of urban affairs of the Post Standard in Syracuse, N.Y., will serve as forum moderator.

The visiting journalists come from diverse spectrum of the Liberian media landscape, including the print and electronic media as well as civic media organizations, the Press Union of Liberia, Female Journalists Association of Liberia and the Liberia Media Center. The group’s visit is part of an exchange program implemented by the Center for Democracy and Development at the University of Massachusetts in Boston and sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Liberia Media Support Initiative, a media watchdog group, organized the event in collaboration with the Center for Democracy and Development at UMass Boston and the Liberian community of Rhode Island.

This forum also is part of an ongoing relationship between CCRI and the Liberian community. Members of CCRI’s student government will participate in the forum, which is free and open to members of the public. Attendees are asked to arrive promptly at noon for a one-hour viewing of a photo exhibit presented by renowned Liberian photojournalist Gregory Stemn, a former photo editor of such Liberian newspapers as the Daily Observer and Inquirer. His photos trace the country’s transition from civil war to democracy and peace.

For more information, contact Nyekeh Forkpa at (401) 477-4993 or at nyekeh33@ yahoo.com or Sam Togba Slewion at (215) 964-3217 or stslewion@aol.com.

Student honored with scholarship

Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 19, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island recently selected Angelena Chapman of Warwick as the recipient of the 2007 Maria Pacitto Scholarship.

This $1,650 award was established to provide financial assistance to students who have graduated from high school within the past three years of applying for the scholarship. Applicants must have a “B” average to qualify and may renew the scholarship for a second year if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest comprehensive community college, currently enrolls more than 16,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. CCRI has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport County, as well as satellite locations in downcity Providence and Westerly.

August

CCRI improves late registration process

Warwick, R.I. – Aug. 21, 2007: It’s not too late to register for fall classes, and CCRI’s Student Affairs Division has revamped its walk-in late registration process to better serve students.

Through Sept. 4, students registering for credit classes at all four campuses – Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport – will follow signs to designated one-stop registration areas, where they will be directed to nearby academic testing, advising and registration staff depending on their individual needs. Students should note that testing and advising may take several hours to complete and that a $30 late registration fee will be assessed.

Hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday (testing must begin before 4 p.m. and advising before 6 p.m.) and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday (testing must begin before noon and advising before 2 p.m.)

Fall classes begin on Sept. 5. For more information, visit www.ccri.edu.

Pullano named to interim enrollment position
Warwick, R.I. – Aug. 3, 2007: Louis A. Pullano, director of athletics at CCRI, has been named interim associate vice president for enrollment management. His new duties include managing the Office of Enrollment Services and overseeing the offices of admissions, financial aid, records and athletics.

Since being named director of athletics, physical education and recreation in 2002, Pullano has worked to attract hundreds of students to CCRI, retaining them though an advising and mentoring process, administering financial aid and scholarships, and successfully helping to transfer more than 200 student-athletes to four-year colleges and universities.

In addition to bringing local, regional and national visibility to CCRI, Pullano is equally proud of the Student Athlete Academic Support Program he created to help and mentor student athletes.

Pullano, of Cranston, graduated from CCRI and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Rhode Island. He has been a teacher and coach in the West Warwick school system and previously served as associate director of athletics at the college. Pullano has been active on the regional and national level as well as in several local sports and community associations.

Joe Pavone, associate athletic director, will serve as interim athletic director when Pullano begins his new duties on Aug. 6.

A search is ongoing for a permanent candidate for the enrollment management position.

Woodberry receives alumni award from UConn
Warwick, R.I. – Aug. 20, 2007: The Neag School of Education Alumni Society of the University of Connecticut has named Dr. Peter Woodberry, CCRI’s dean of Business, Science and Technology, as its 2007 Outstanding Higher Education Professional. This award recognizes his leadership within the college as well as his vital external role in supporting workforce and economic development initiatives in Rhode Island.

Woodberry, of Providence, joined CCRI in the late 1970s and has served as dean since 1996, supervising seven academic departments. He is chairman of the college’s Curriculum Committee and has played a key role in establishing new degree and certificate programs in biotechnology, land surveying and computer networking technology.

He also serves as chairman of the CCRI High School Partnership Committee, helping improve coordination and collaboration of the college’s relationships with elementary and secondary schools. He also has led the Adjunct Faculty Committee, Faculty Evaluation Committee and the Women in Technology Leadership Team, works closely with employers seeking to develop customized degree programs and assists many students seeking to obtain credit based upon their military experience.

Woodberry earned his doctorate in 1991 in Adult and Vocational Education from the University of Connecticut. He also has a master’s in public administration from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University.

July

CCRI offers new degree in land surveying
Warwick, R.I. – July 25, 2007: Wherever there are roads, dams, retaining walls, bridges or residential areas to be built, there are land surveyors. Their work is used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes. They also provide data for geographical information systems and computer databases that contain information about land features and boundaries.

But it’s an evolving field, professionals say, with new high-tech equipment and a variety of career choices for someone with the right training.

Starting this fall, CCRI will offer an Associate in Applied Science degree in land surveying. While this degree is enough to begin working as a surveyor, students also may transfer to the University of Rhode Island to complete a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
John Libby, president of the R.I. Society of Professional Land Surveyors, said there will always be a need for land surveyors.

“Surveyors have always been around. You really can’t do anything without them,” he said, noting that they do preliminary work before engineers and architects can even begin to create their designs.

“As long as there is growth, as long as there is a steady population coming into the country, there will be a need for new businesses and new houses,” he said. “Surveyors work everywhere and are involved in every bit of it.”

Those who hold an A.A.S. in land surveying have many career opportunities beyond surveying. In the private sector, graduates might work in civil engineering, landscape architecture, construction or for utility companies. CAD draftspeople are sought in several of these same fields.
In the public sector, job opportunities exist for GIS specialists and in planning, public works, survey and engineering departments, environmental agencies, coastal resource agencies, and zoning departments. All of these potential job opportunities require people with knowledge of math, science and land use law – all areas students will study in CCRI’s degree program.
Students in the program will take 33 credits directly related to the field, including land surveying, engineering graphics, AutoCAD, math, physics and law, as well as completing 28 credits of general education requirements.

Libby said those who are proficient in CAD can make a good living designing businesses and houses. “If you can get your name out to builders as someone who does custom design work, you can do extremely well with an associate degree,” he said. “There are a lot of ways to use even just part of the courses in this degree program to do a lot better financially than they might have in the past.”

At a recent construction career day for high school students sponsored by the state Department of Transportation, Libby and his colleagues found that few of the students knew what surveyors do. He and others are hoping that some of the high-tech tools that surveyors and those in associated careers use will attract gadget-savvy young people to the profession.
The group demonstrated a robotic total station, an optical instrument used in surveying that follows the operator at the target site, then records the measurements and stores it. The students were amazed by that technology, he said, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

New equipment includes lasers for 3-D mapping, which the Air Force helped develop to map the cargo configuration of planes whose interiors had been altered over the years. Another emerging area is aerial photography that can create a 3-D movie mapping the rise and fall of land and showing the hills and valleys to create a vivid topographical display.

“It’s all Star Wars compared to what it was when I started,” he said.
State law requires that those applying for registration as a professional land surveyor in Rhode Island have a minimum of an associate degree in land surveying or related curriculum.
Once students complete the associate degree program and gain the practical experience in the land surveying profession required by law, they may take the first of three required exams. Those who pass are granted a certificate of registration to practice land surveying in Rhode Island. These jobs pay about $22 per hour. After completing further office and fieldwork requirements, they become eligible to take the next two exams leading to licensure. A licensed surveyor can make $65,000 per year or more, Libby said.

CCRI’s degree program was developed when the State Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors and the R.I. Society of Professional Land Surveyors approached the college. CCRI faculty and administration members worked in conjunction with an advisory committee composed of members from those two groups and the University of Rhode Island.

“We are pleased to be working closely with URI in designing and carrying out this program,” said Peter Woodberry, CCRI’s dean of Business, Science & Technology at CCRI, noting that students will take the first of two land surveying courses at URI’s Kingston Campus. “Also, students who make some suggested changes in their choice of courses can transfer most credits from their associate degree to pursue a bachelor’s degree at URI in civil and environmental engineering.”
Because the average age of surveyors in Rhode Island is 57, committee members also predict a need for surveyors in the coming years as existing licensed surveyors retire.

Libby said he tells young people interested in the field that it’s not a difficult job, but it does take a good logical mind. Where engineers might rely on formulas to solve a problem, he said surveyors use law, research and historical data to solve what he calls “puzzles.”

Surveying is also a way to combine an enjoyment of working outdoors with office work and research, he said.

“Each job is different every time. There’s always a new puzzle.”

For more information about CCRI’s land surveying program, call 825-2156.

Pullano named to interim enrollment position

Warwick, R.I. – Aug. 3, 2007: Louis A. Pullano, director of athletics at CCRI, has been named interim associate vice president for enrollment management. His new duties include managing the Office of Enrollment Services and overseeing the offices of admissions, financial aid, records and athletics.

In addition to bringing local, regional and national visibility to CCRI, Pullano is equally proud of the Student Athlete Academic Support Program he created to help and mentor student athletes.

Joe Pavone, associate athletic director, will serve as interim athletic director when Pullano begins his new duties on Aug. 6.

A search is ongoing for a permanent candidate for the enrollment management position.

CCRI, Rhode Island PBS to screen documentary
Warwick, R.I. – Aug. 1, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island PBS will premiere a documentary film examining the challenges and successes of community colleges on Wednesday, Aug. 22, in Providence. A panel discussion will follow the screening.

The event, showcasing the film “Discounted Dreams – High Hopes and Harsh Realities at America’s Community Colleges,” will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at CCRI’s Liston Campus, One Hilton St., Providence.

Community colleges are the fastest-growing segment of American higher education, offering a staggering array of degree programs and job training opportunities. Still, in spite of many remarkable success stories, some students struggle to achieve their goals. In “Discounted Dreams,” viewers meet four community college students from varied backgrounds and travel with them through their triumphs and disappointments. The documentary, which was produced by Learning Matters Inc., will air on Rhode Island PBS in November.

Following the screening, participants are invited to take part in a panel discussion including CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale; Commissioner of Higher Education Jack Warner; Senate Committee on Education Chairman Daniel J. Issa; state Sen. Juan M. Pichardo; CCRI Vice President for Academic Affairs Lela Morgan; and recent graduates Cristian Potter and Jackie Foshey. Potter will attend Brown University on a full scholarship this fall and Foshey, who attended CCRI to gain career skills after the end of her 18-year marriage, recently began full-time work as a radiographer at Rhode Island Medical Imaging. Paul Zangari of Rhode Island PBS will moderate the panel discussion.

Refreshments will be served. Those who wish to attend should call 825-2190 to reserve a seat by Friday, Aug. 17.

New DWI program also offered in Spanish
Warwick, R.I. – July 17, 2007: Those who are convicted of drunken driving in Rhode Island will see a new, enhanced driver retraining curriculum that, for the first time, also will be offered in Spanish.

The state Division of Motor Vehicles has contracted with CCRI to provide the classroom portion of the DWI driver retraining program since the mid-1980s using a curriculum developed at the college. The state received a grant from the Rhode Island Office of Highway Safety to enhance the DWI program last year, and the college partnered with a private nonprofit organization, Prevention Research Institute, to provide new curriculum.

Not only will this move modernize the content, but the new coursework is less punitive, instead focusing on behavior modification.

A recent training session included three bilingual teachers who will lead classes in Spanish. Until now, Spanish-speakers were asked to bring someone with them to interpret, but Gary Culbertson, who directs the driver retraining program for CCRI’s Division for Lifelong Learning, said many would come alone, sit through one class and never return for the remaining three. Their driving privileges remain suspended until they complete the class.

Still others who understand spoken English had difficulty with the written materials. Now, all will be able to participate fully with DVDs and workbooks in Spanish, and those who did not complete the class may return and finish at no additional charge.

“I want to get the word out that it’s going to be available and those individuals can take the new class for no additional fee,” Culbertson said. “This way, maybe they’ll get their licenses back.”
He said it is likely that the DMV will increase the cost to new participants by $50 or $100 more than the current $300 sometime in the next few months. Still, he said, Rhode Island’s fee for driver retraining classes is the lowest in New England; other states charge up to $900, some based on blood-alcohol content.

The new and old programs will run side by side for about the next nine months, he said. This will give English-speakers who didn’t finish a chance to return and finish before CCRI begins offering only the new program. Whereas the previous program was run on a drop-in basis, the new program will require participants to attend all four consecutive classes. So if a registrant misses the third class, he or she won’t be allowed to return for the final class and will have to start over.
Culbertson said this new format will make it easier to schedule rooms, as the new classes will be limited to 25 people, and should even out the load for instructors, some of whom would have to accommodate as many as 60 people including walk-ins during Saturday classes.

This fall, CCRI also will begin offering an 18-hour class for repeat offenders including the same 12 hours of material on behavior modification used with the first-time offenders plus six hours of additional activities and materials.

Culbertson said he sees increases in arrests during certain times of year and when police conduct special DWI patrols, such as Operation Blue Riptide. About four months after these times of year – the holiday season, prom season, the start of the new college semesters – he sees an increase in the number of registrants in the DWI class.

“It’s a timing thing. There are certain times of year when drinking increases for adults,” he said. “And any time there are additional policing efforts, we see that effect three or four months down the road.”

The program is never without a captive audience. Over the last 10 years, Culbertson said, the state averaged about 1,800 arrests for first offenders and about 800 repeat offenders each year.
“Those are the ones who get caught,” he said. “It’s kind of like mice: For every one caught, 10 made it home.”

Lifelong Learning receives grant for adult education
Warwick, R.I. – July 19, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island’s Division for Lifelong Learning recently received a $710,000 grant from the Rhode Island Department of Education to conduct various adult education programs with an emphasis on transition into postsecondary education and training.

Sharon Hoffman, director of adult education/literacy services for Lifelong Learning, said CCRI will partner with Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center and Project RIRAL, which stands for Rhode Island Regional Adult Learning, to carry out the programs.

The funds will help the college better respond to the growing population of adults needing to improve their literacy through non-credit ESL classes offered at the college and at workplaces, and GED test preparation classes. Students will be tracked closely and advised on postsecondary academic and training options.

“This is year one of a three-year grant that brings together a new system, integrating adult education across the college and within the community,” Hoffman said. “We’re very excited about its potential for adult learners.”

Massage students help athletes help others
Warwick, R.I. – July 19, 2007: Nine sports massage students in the Community College of Rhode Island’s Therapeutic Massage program will be on hand Saturday, July 21, to provide free table massages to swimmers participating in the 1.7-mile Save The Bay Swim.

The swim will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Naval Station in Newport and will end at Potter Cove in Jamestown. Students will set up their tables in Jamestown starting at 8:30 in preparation for swimmers coming out of the water between 9 and 9:30.

This is just one of the events the students planned this summer to gain experience working on athletes participating in events to aid local nonprofit organizations. In June, the students massaged bicyclists in the Ocean State 150 two-day ride to benefit the American Diabetes Association and spent eight hours working on some of the 900 riders in the MS 150 bike race. In August, they will travel to Bourne, Mass., to provide their services to some of the 5,300 expected participants in the Pan-Mass Challenge bicycle race.

Regina Cobb, director of CCRI’s Therapeutic Massage program, said these events offer an opportunity for students to meet requirements for Therapeutic Massage IV, a course that focuses on sports massage, as well as a chance for students in other classes to earn extra credit hours and work on a variety of clientele in different environments. Alumni and instructors also volunteer their time to fund-raising sports events such as these.

The Therapeutic Massage Program at CCRI offers students a strong scientific basis for the understanding and application of various soft tissue techniques. Different types of massage are studied, including both Eastern and Western approaches. Courses for this program are located at the Newport County Campus, though students can take other general education components at any of the four campuses.

Students completing CCRI’s program have a 98 percent pass rate on the national certification examination for massage therapists, which is administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. An individual must successfully pass the certification examination in order to apply for licensure to practice as a licensed massage therapist in the state of Rhode Island.

Thirty Bio-Detek employees complete ESL program
Warwick, R.I. – July 16, 2007: Instead of heading home alongside their co-workers following their shift at Bio-Detek Inc. in Pawtucket, more than two dozen employees spent two hours after work twice a week to better their English skills.

The 30 employees participated in two sections of a 15-week workplace ESL program sponsored through a Workplace Solutions grant administered by the Community College of Rhode Island’s Division for Lifelong Learning. On July 9, they received certificates and were treated to a sandwich buffet in recognition of their accomplishments.

“Was this a good class?” company president Mark Totman asked the employees, who were gathered in the lunchroom for the ceremony. “Yes!” they answered, clapping.
“I and Bio-Detek are so happy that we could put this program on,” he said, noting that the company contributed about $7,000 to pay each of the students for one-half of the time they spent in the classroom as per the conditions of the grant. “I think that is a great investment for us as a company for all of you to increase your skills.”

Diane Chapman, administrative and finance manager for the company, told the employees she appreciated their commitment to taking the class after hours. “A lot of you came in on vacation days or days off just to come to class,” she said. “I know it’s not easy, but you all have done very well.”

Chapman had a surprise for the employees – an additional $50 award for each in recognition of the achievement. Bio-Detek was so pleased with the program that the company hopes to run another training session this fall.

Instructor Katherine Besnier taught the intermediate students. “I really enjoyed being here with you guys. I hope we can have another class together in September,” she told the students, who responded with applause. “But in the mean time, I want you all to speak English at work. Even those of you who were not my students.”

Peter Carney taught the beginning students. “Ditto,” he said to Besnier’s comments. “I had a wonderful time with you and I certainly hope to be back with you.”
Bio-Detek Inc., a subsidiary of Zoll Medical, designs and manufactures a wide line of ECG electrodes, pacing pads, defibrillation pads and multifunction electrodes for the medical device community. “The emphasis is on quality here,” Chapman said before the ceremony. “No matter what job you do at Bio-Detek, it’s important.”

Since the products made there are FDA-approved, they must follow certain processes, she said. It’s important that employees be able to communicate with one another. “Some with limited English skills have a buddy to help them.”
But, Chapman said, employees already are displaying more confidence in their ability to speak English. Some who might have brought a translator along to talk with her now come alone and try their new skills.

“It’s daunting to learn something new and complex such as this. They are excited to use it,” she said. “When they do use it successfully, it helps with their confidence level. At first they may feel shy and think that someone’s going to laugh at them but the more they use it, they’ve really shown more confidence.”

The training provides another advantage for those employees who want to apply for U.S. citizenship, she said, noting that CCRI’s on-site training may have encouraged more people to participate.

Lynn P. Watterson, employer liaison for the Workplace Solutions grant at CCRI, said that on-site ESL programs may enjoy better success because the employees don’t need to seek out training on their own. Instead of a sea of unfamiliar faces, they are with their friends and co-workers. Rather than having to navigate their way to another learning site, they are in familiar surroundings. “And you know how it is: Once you get home, you don’t really want to go out again,” she said.
Some companies have specific training objectives. “Here, the goal is to someday have all of their employees comfortable speaking English,” she said. Some say it could take as long as seven years for a new English speaker to become fluent, Watterson said.
“It’s not free for anybody, but there’s value in getting employees’ skill level up,” Totman said of the grant-backed program. “For most of us, somewhere in our family history, someone came to America and had to learn English. My own great-grandparents came from Germany and France.” It’s important that workers know they are valued, he said. He also translates his quarterly meeting comments ahead of time so that all of his employees can follow along with his speech.
“Manufacturing can be repetitive but ultimately I think that people here understand that our products save lives,” he said. “I don’t think the employees see it as, ‘All I do is turn a little crank.’ They have an impact on a product that can potentially save a life.”

Often, he said, the company will hear a story about how a product it makes helped save someone. “There is a pride people take in doing their work but also it’s quite special to say the product my hands touched, that electrode, saved Matt’s life.”

The ceremony was held just three hours after Gov. Donald L. Carcieri’s announcement that CCRI would receive $710,000 further in grant funds for adult education programs such as this one.
“It’s been a real accomplishment. The employees feel that they’ve done something good,” said Chapman. “We’ve helped them help themselves.”

Local educators learn to teach biomanufacturing
Warwick, R.I. – July 13, 2007: Thirteen teachers from high schools across the state and two area community colleges took part in a two-day “Teaching Biomanufacturing” workshop at the Community College of Rhode Island on June 29 and 30.

The goal of the workshop was to support biomanufacturing education by introducing concepts, vocabulary and career information; presenting classroom and laboratory learning activities; providing a forum for sharing and discussing; increasing the awareness of resources for biomanufacturing educators; and network-building.

The workshop was sponsored by the National Science Foundation via the Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative, known as NBC2, a regional project whose goal is to build infrastructure to support biomanufacturing education with emphasis at the community college and high school levels. CCRI is the location of the Rhode Island Hub of the NBC2.

Participants were:
• Charles Boucher of Harrisville, a technology teacher at Burillville High School
• Nina Rooks Cast, a biotech/biology teacher at the William B. Cooley Health and Science Technology High School in Providence
• Debbie Fiore of Swansea, Mass., a biology instructor at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass.
• Rosemary Gruczka of West Kingston, a biology/science 9 teacher at Tiverton High School
• Claire R. Laquerre of Glendale, a biology/biotech teacher at Woonsocket High School
• Patricia McDevitt, a natural science teacher at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass.
• Julie Malone of Griswold, Conn., a biology teacher at Westerly High School
• Gwynne Millar of West Kingston, an agriculture/biotech teacher at Exeter-West Greenwich High School
• Vijay Raja, dean of math, science and engineering at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass.
• Matt Savoie of Newport, a biology/biotech teacher at Exeter-West Greenwich High School
• Linda Stockdale of Providence, a science teacher and Science Department curriculum coordinator at Times2 Academy in Providence
• David Vito, a microbiology/biology professor at the Community College of Rhode Island
• Marcy Ward of West Greenwich, a biology/biotech teacher at Exeter-West Greenwich High School

Workshop presenters included: Christina Befumo of Coventry, NBC2 Rhode Island Hub technician; Dana Hopkins, NBC2 Rhode Island Hub faculty collaborator and Biotechnology Director at Davies Career and Technical High School in Lincoln; Dr. Mary Jane Kurtz, NBC2 Massachusetts Hub director and biotechnology director at Minuteman Regional High School in Lexington, Mass.; and Josephine Pino of Barrington, NBC2 Rhode Island Hub director and Biotechnology Program coordinator at CCRI. Denise Yordy, a faculty member in CCRI’s Biology Department, and Lela Morgan, vice president for academic affairs at CCRI, also spoke to the participants.

Smith appointed to Workforce Investment Board
Warwick, R.I. – July 11, 2007: Robin Smith, dean of Lifelong Learning at the Community College of Rhode Island, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Workforce Investment Board, which provides planning and oversight of local employment and training programs.

The appointment was confirmed in a letter from Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline. The cities of Cranston and Providence have been planning and implementing the programs and services authorized under the Workforce Investment Act since July 2000.

The board, which was created as a requirement of the Act, is composed of representatives from the business community, education, labor organizations, community-based organizations, economic development entities and partners that comprise a one-stop career center, netWORKri, on Reservoir Avenue in Providence.

Smith is a resident of Westport, Mass.

Smith elected national officer of SkillsUSA
Warwick, R.I. – July 11, 2007: Community College of Rhode Island student Kristen J. Smith of Warwick was elected as a national officer for SkillsUSA at the National Leadership and Skills Conference held recently in Kansas City, Mo.

Smith, a general studies major focusing in early childhood education, plans to transfer to the University of Rhode Island after she earns her associate degree next May. She will pursue a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and plans to obtain a master’s degree in child psychology.

Smith has been involved in SkillsUSA for five years and served as R.I. College Division President from 2005-06. Last academic year, she served as president of the Student Government at the CCRI’s Knight Campus. She also is active in Delta Epsilon Chi; this year the chapter was one of 12 in the country that received the Presidential Award for outstanding work in professional development, community service, civic consciousness and vocational understanding.

Smith has four siblings, a niece and a nephew and says her house is always chaotic and full of excitement. “Being such an active person has taught me how to balance what is important and a great deal of time management,” she said. “Being so active has made me a better person and I learn something new every day and I hope to continue to learn daily.”

Smith works as a photographer for Lifetouch Portrait Studio and previously worked with 3-year-olds at a local preschool and taught ESL to girls in a summer camp program.

She also has volunteered with West Warwick Police Youth Mentors, the West Warwick Soccer Association and the Providence Rescue Mission, among others.

Also at the National Leadership and Skills Conference, Joseph Moore of Providence, a business major at CCRI, placed in the top 10 in extemporaneous speaking and Jennifer Gay of Cranston, who will study dental assisting at CCRI this fall, placed in the top 10 in the dental assisting contest.

June

CCRI to celebrate achievements of adult learners

Warwick, R.I. – June 15, 2007: CCRI will honor more than 200 students who have worked toward their GED or to improve their reading, writing and math skills to enter a vocational training program at the college during a celebration next week.

The Division for Lifelong Learning’s annual Celebration of Achievement for its adult education programs will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, at CCRI’s Liston Campus, One Hilton St., Providence. Awards will be given for completing and passing the GED; participation in the GED or improvement program; and commitment, dedication and extraordinary effort.

Also that night, student Sergio Mota of Attleboro, Mass., will receive a $1,050 scholarship provided by The Providence Journal for a GED student who will further his or her education at the college. Mota earned his GED last September and has been taking two classes each semester and in the summer to work toward his goal of becoming a radiologist while also working full time at Rhode Island Hospital. He and his wife have a young son and are expecting their second child this winter.

Mota will serve as student speaker at the event. Other guest speakers will include CCRI President Ray DiPasquale; Dr. Johan Uvin, director of the Office of Vocational Training and Adult Education at the R.I. Department of Education; and Robin Smith, dean of Lifelong Learning. A light dinner will be served after the ceremony.

CCRI Athletics offers day camp programs

Warwick, R.I. – June 13, 2007: The CCRI Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation offers several exciting summer day camp opportunities for children and teens interested in baseball and basketball.

CCRI Baseball Camp, directed by CCRI Baseball Coach Ken Hopkins, sponsored and staffed by the CCRI men’s baseball team, offers players ages 7 to 15 a week full of intensive skill development June 25-29. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to noon at the Whitey Fell Field on the Warwick campus. Cost is $120. The camp is a fundraising activity for the baseball program, helping to fund the team’s annual spring training trip to Florida.

CCRI Summer Basketball School, under the leadership of CCRI Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Harris, is in its 28th year of providing instructional and skill development activity for boys and girls ages 6 to 18. Two sessions are being held – July 9-13 at the Knight Campus in Warwick and July 30-August 3 at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All participants receive a camp t-shirt, basketball and a written evaluation at the completion of the camp. Cost is $175. The CCRI Summer Basketball School serves as the chief fundraiser that enables the men's basketball team to travel to Florida each January to play three games against Miami Dade C.C., Broward C.C. and Palm Beach C.C. The 2006-07 N.E. Region XXI and Northeast District IX Champion CCRI Basketball Team looks forward to working with all campers this coming summer.

For more information, or for a brochure about either camp, parents should contact Claire Gavek at 825-2405.

Vidya Heru honored with scholarship

Warwick, R.I. – June 13, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island recently awarded Vidya Heru of Warwick the 2007 Frank A. Orth Scholarship.

This award was established to recognize a distinguished student in the Business Administration program at CCRI who is seeking to continue his or her education at a four-year institution.

Frank A. Orth, a former CCRI employee, endowed the account. Heru will be presented with a check for $1,050.

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

Nathan Tamba honored with scholarship

Warwick, R.I. – June 13, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island recently selected Nathan Tamba of Central Falls as the recipient of the 2007 Society of Governmental Accountants and Auditors Scholarship.

This award was established to provide financial aid to incoming students or students who have completed their first year and are continuing their studies. Preference is given to students who are taking accounting courses as part of their curriculum.

The account was endowed in January 2001 with a gift received from the Society of Governmental Accountants and Auditors with proceeds the organization has raised at tax seminars. He will be presented with a check for $1,050 after the start of the fall semester.
The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest comprehensive community college, currently enrolls more than 16,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. CCRI has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport County, as well as satellite locations in downcity Providence and Westerly.

May

Employee honored for professional development

Warwick, R.I. – May 30, 2007: Charlene Pelski of Johnston, administrative assistant in the Engineering and Technology Department at the Community College of Rhode Island, is being honored for her outstanding professional development work.

Pelski has been selected to represent Rhode Island at the Cisco Networking Academy’s 10th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., in October. Only one student or alumnus of the Cisco Academy per state was invited.

The two-day event schedule includes a recognition event, an evening reception with former Cisco Chairman John Morgridge, meetings with government officials, a Capitol Hill reception with Cisco CEO John Chambers and tours of the city.

Employees honored for longevity

Warwick, R.I. – May 22, 2007: The following 30 employees at the Community College of Rhode Island were honored recently at a recognition luncheon for longevity of service. All are members of the Educational Support Professional Association/National Education Association Rhode Island.

35 years
Debra A. Motte of Lincoln
Maria I. Pedroso of Cranston

30 years
Diane Homsany of West Greenwich
Diane P. Ruscito of West Warwick
Kyle Stelljes of Narragansett

25 years
Robert E. Antonson of Johnston
Deborah J. Carr of Coventry
Caren S. Koropey of North Providence
Palmera D. Nolan of West Warwick
Joyce H. Sizemore of Cumberland
James M. Sowers of Greene

20 years
Michael D. Anderson of Coventry
Kenneth D. Borge of Providence
Linda M. Gaul of Cranston
Jeffrey B. LaFreniere of North Smithfield
Eileen G. Namaka of North Smithfield
Patricia Nunes of North Scituate
Robert O. Ryan of Rumford

15 years
Judith A. Baccari of Coventry
John A. Dore of Providence
Claire I. Gavek of Coventry
Patricia A. O’Brien of Cranston
Maryanne Vollmer of Warwick

10 years
Ralph W. Bazinet of Pawtucket
Susan E. Bergheimer of Warwick
Cynthia Boucher of Cumberland
Steven A. Correia of Providence
Maria C. Costa of Riverside
Eugene F. Hackett of Cranston
Jose A. Torres of Providence

Student survey measures generational differences

Warwick, R.I. – May 22, 2007: Which generation has the strongest work ethic? Roberta Humble’s technical writing students at the Community College of Rhode Island have the answer.

According to the results of a survey the class recently conducted on how perceptions of American culture differ among generations, members of the so-called “Silent Generation” – those born between 1925 and 1945 – have the strongest work ethic. That age group edged out the World War I and II generations by only a few percentage points.

Respondents were asked to list their own age group and, overall, there was little difference of perceptions among the generations.

“I thought there would be more difference of opinion between the World War II generation and a 20-year-old viewing contemporary events,” said Ed Hobin, a member of the class. “It was surprising to see the lack of discrepancy.”

About 25 students from two sections of the course recently compiled the results of the 46-question survey into individual reports for their final projects. In the first section, students asked respondents for their opinions on issues such as whether the world is better with cell phones, whether people take an interest in politics and whether racism is no longer a problem. Respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with each statement.

The second section asked respondents to rate the generations based on characteristics such as which has the greatest sense of patriotism, the most religious tolerance and the most gender equality.

Humble provided the topic and asked students to create a series of survey questions. As a group, students pooled their ideas and came up with a final draft before the survey was distributed to CCRI faculty, staff, students, friends and family.

Linda Beith, the college’s manager of instructional support, posted the survey online. The students received 599 responses and sifted through 26 pages of raw data to compile their individual reports, sorting results by generation. Professor Anthony Basilico in the Computer Studies Department helped students create tables to present the findings.

“Americans love statistics,” said Humble, a Warwick resident and professor of English who has taught at CCRI for 37 years. For the past two decades, she has assigned similar survey projects to students in her technical writing classes.

Past topics have covered the local, such as Rhode Island facts; the whimsical: If you were an animal what type would you be?; and those based on image and perception: What will people do for money?

The assignment has been popular among students and has previously attracted the attention of Providence Journal columnist Mark Patinkin, former talk radio host Arlene Violet and even former Providence mayor Buddy Cianci for its findings.

Technical writing is not a statistics course. Students review grammar and learn how to format reports and business communications in a reader-friendly manner for the intended audience. Hobin, a computer programming major, took the course as a requirement of his major. A mechanical designer looking to change careers, he said he would have signed up for it anyway because it has given him the skills to communicate more effectively in a business environment.

For Humble, the aim of the course is to teach students how to organize information and how to gain confidence in their abilities. “They’re good life skills to have that will serve them well in the future,” she said.

The survey assignment requires students to use the skills they have learned while also giving them insight into a new subject.

“I want them to learn something about the survey topic because I think it’s going to matter to them when they get out in the working world,” Humble explained. “People of different generations relate to one another differently, especially in the workplace. I think they’ll find some people want to be coached while some people want to be taught.”

Humble named one of ‘The Rhode Island 85’

Warwick, R.I. – May 22, 2007: English Professor Roberta Mudge Humble of Warwick recently was recognized as one of The Rhode Island 85 by the Junior League of Rhode Island.

In celebration of its 85th anniversary, the Junior League recognized 85 women from Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts whose commitment to the community, both personally and professionally, exemplifies the group’s spirit, dedication and values.

“Through the selection process, we were truly overwhelmed by the number of nominees, the broadness of all their achievements and their collective impact on our community,” wrote Jacquelyn H. Tracy, president-elect, in a letter to Humble. “It was a difficult decision and we are proud to include you and achievements as part of The Rhode Island 85.”

Humble is the author of “The Right to Crow: A Look at Rhode Island’s Firsts, Bests & Uniques” and “The Historic Armories of Rhode Island” as well as six other writing and communications books.

Those selected as The Rhode Island 85 were recognized at a gala event on May 19.

CCRI celebrates 42nd commencement

Warwick, R.I. – May 18, 2007: The Community College of Rhode Island honored more than 1,250 graduates at its 42nd commencement exercises today at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln.

Dr. Jo

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Marketing & Communications

News Releases 2007

November

CCRI recognized with communications excellence awards

CCRI Players present evening of one-act plays

Landmark doctor gives radiography scholarship

October

Grads earn near-perfect scores on national radiography test

Radiography grads invited to meet president, tour lab

Public invited to explore night skies at observatory

Student honored with scholarship

Student receives award for book costs

CCRI Italian Club presents subtitled films this fall

September

CCRI Alumni Association to honor nine on Oct. 19

Pitts to be named honorary alumnus Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr. will be named an honorary alumnus of the Community College of Rhode Island during A Knight of Stars event on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.

Alumni group to honor Riccitelli

Abood to be named honorary alumna

Alumni Association to honor Baker

Alumni Association to honor Bouley

Henderson to be named honorary alumnus

Alumni Association to honor Jachna

Alumni Association to honor Fleming

Take a walk at historic Knight Estate Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 5, 2007: Free walking tours of the historic Knight Estate, a former gentleman’s farm on the property of the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, will be held from noon to 4 p.m. each Wednesday in September and October.

August

CCRI improves late registration process

July

June

CCRI to celebrate achievements of adult learners

CCRI Athletics offers day camp programs

Vidya Heru honored with scholarship

Nathan Tamba honored with scholarship

May

Employee honored for professional development

Employees honored for longevity

Student survey measures generational differences

Humble named one of ‘The Rhode Island 85’

CCRI celebrates 42nd commencement

Pitts to be named honorary alumnus
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 26, 2007: Cranston resident Thomas E. Pitts Jr. will be named an honorary alumnus of the Community College of Rhode Island during A Knight of Stars event on Oct. 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.

Take a walk at historic Knight Estate
Warwick, R.I. – Sept. 5, 2007: Free walking tours of the historic Knight Estate, a former gentleman’s farm on the property of the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, will be held from noon to 4 p.m. each Wednesday in September and October.