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News Releases 2008

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May

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

April

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stem cell researcher to speak at CCRI

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

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

Buy tickets for CCRI student dance

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

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

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

Theater alumna returns to stage in ‘Prin’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concert will celebrate CCRI’s Steinway piano

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

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

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

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

Children can spend vacation at Kids’ College

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

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

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

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

March

Multilingual poets help CCRI celebrate diversity

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

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

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

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

‘Athletes’ to battle in Lincoln on Friday

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

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

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

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

Public invited to celebrate the arts at CCRI

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

The evening will include a reading of the dramatic poem “Ithaka” by Acting II students, a piano duet of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” performances by the CCRI Chamber Trio and Jazz Quartet, a medley from “Porgy and Bess” by the CCRI Chamber Singers and Chorus, a monologue titled “Fat Men in Skirts,” scenes from “Other People’s Money,” “Angels in America,” “Compleat Female Stage Beauty,” “Everything Will Be Different” and the CCRI Players’ upcoming performance of “Prin,” monologues from Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Cymbeline” and sextet in English from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” featuring the Opera Workshop Chorus.

This event is one of several during “All College Week: A celebration of excellence, innovation and community.” For more information on the week’s events, visit www.ccri.edu/acw.

CCRI hosts second Community Service Day

Warwick, R.I. – March 12, 2008: More than 175 students, faculty and staff will volunteer their time at local service agencies near CCRI’s four campuses between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, as part of “All College Week: A celebration of excellence, innovation and community.” This is the college’s second annual Community Service Day.

Volunteer sites are:

Warwick campus area FRIENDS WAY, 765 West Shore Road, Warwick This is the only agency in the state that helps children with bereavement issues. Activities include interior painting and yard work, weather permitting.

West Bay Community Action, Warwick This agency helps residents maintain self-sufficiency. Volunteers will primarily work on the agency’s farm, located at 1351 Centerville Road. (In inclement weather, they will work in the agency’s food bank marketplace, 211 Buttonwoods Ave.)

Providence campus area Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, 1010 Hartford Ave., Johnston This agency assists homeless veterans. Activities will include landscaping and other related duties.

Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 200 Niantic Ave., Providence This agency distributes about 8 million pounds of food annually. Activities include sorting and repackaging foods for distribution.

Lincoln campus area The Homestead Group, 80 Fabien St. and 1 Cumberland St., Woonsocket This agency provides support and services for people with developmental disabilities. Activities will include interior painting projects, cataloging donations and working with clients. Newport campus area The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 20 Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland Blvd., Newport This agency provides educational, social and recreational activities for residents. Activities will include cleaning and organizing at the center, packing groceries for pickup and outdoor cleanup. East Bay Community Action Program/Head Start, 8 John H. Chafee Blvd., Newport This agency prepares low-income, at-risk children for kindergarten. Volunteers will read to and participate in activities with children and perform outdoor work, such as getting the planters ready for spring.

Groups will be working in two shifts; from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. Also, for students, faculty and staff who cannot get off campus that day, the Student Government is sponsoring a letter-writing campaign to members of the armed services serving overseas from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at each campus.

For more information about Community Service Day and other All College Week events, visit www.ccri.edu/acw.

Public invited to presentation about Lincoln

Warwick, R.I. – March 10, 2008: R.I. Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank Williams will present “Abraham Lincoln and Leadership” at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 17, in the Bobby Hackett Theatre at CCRI’s Knight Campus in Warwick. The public is invited and groups are welcome; RSVP to 825-2190.

The presentation will focus on the life of Lincoln and how he demonstrated the characteristics of a great leader. Williams explains, “Great leadership requires the ability to stay the course even when you stand alone. Great leadership requires the commitment to preserving the welfare of your unit as you pursue your mission daily, especially when confronted with personal and professional obstacles. Great leadership requires hope, confidence, and unshakable moral and political courage.”

Williams is one of the country’s most renowned experts on Lincoln. He is the author of more than a dozen books, has contributed chapters to several others and has lectured on the subject throughout the country. He also has amassed an unsurpassed private library and archive that ranks among the nation’s largest and finest Lincoln collections.

In 2000, Williams was appointed to the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, which Congress created to plan events to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in 2009. Since 1996, Williams has served as founding chairman of The Lincoln Forum, a national assembly of Lincoln and Civil War devotees. He served as president of the Abraham Lincoln Association for nine years and as president of The Lincoln Group of Boston for 14 years.

His appearance is part of CCRI’s “All College Week: A celebration of excellence, innovation and community” from March 16 to 22. Other events include a Hall of Fame induction; a day of community service at nonprofit agencies located near the college’s four campuses; academic and professional development for faculty and staff, including a presentation by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed; salutes to cultural diversity and the arts; a friendly athletic competition between teams of students, faculty and staff; and a barbecue following a double-header (weather permitting) between CCRI’s baseball team and rival UCONN Avery Point. For more information, visit www.ccri.edu/acw.

CCRI inducts Solomon, Sullivan into Hall of Fame

Warwick, R.I. – March 17, 2008: The Community College of Rhode Island inducted two individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth of CCRI to its Hall of Fame during a ceremony held at the college’s Newport County Campus on Sunday, March 16.

Solomon A. Solomon, a member of the Rhode Island Board of Governors of Higher Education, and Charles E. Sullivan, a CCRI teacher for more than 40 years, became the 35th and 36th members of the CCRI Hall of Fame for their substantial contributions to the creation and evolution of the college.

Solomon joined the CCRI faculty in 1967. Over the next 35 years, he served in a number of academic and administrative positions, retiring as chairman of the Business Administration Department in 2002. In addition to serving on a number of high-profile boards and commissions, he has devoted himself to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, beginning his volunteer efforts in 1957. Since then has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for pediatric research.

Sullivan, an advocate for the arts, has taught at CCRI for more than 40 years. In honor of his 58th birthday, a small group of friends established the Charles Sullivan Fund for the Arts and Humanities with an endowment that today totals more than $181,000. In October 2007, Sullivan was presented with the Honorary Chairs Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities at the 2006 Celebration of the Humanities. He is a member of more than a dozen organizations devoted to this mission.

“You have dedicated your lives to improving the lives of others,” said CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale. “Today we celebrate all that you have done for CCRI and for the State of Rhode Island.”

During the induction ceremony before a crowd of hundreds of guests, a number of state politicians honored Solomon and Sullivan. A tribute video that included photos of the honorees throughout their lives and interviews with former colleagues also was shown. Both inductees were presented with a plaque and an award in honor of their accomplishments.

The CCRI Foundation established the Hall of Fame in celebration of the college’s 30th anniversary in October 1994. It honors individuals who have excelled in their careers and made significant contributions to the mission of the college. Since 1994, there have been five induction ceremonies that celebrated the accomplishments of 34 Hall of Fame members.

A new Hall of Fame kiosk displaying information about each inductee will be on display this fall near the main entrance of the second floor of the Knight Campus in Warwick.

CCRI celebrates with ‘All College Week’

Warwick, R.I. – March 10, 2008: Several distinguished Rhode Island leaders will join the college community for its first-ever “All College Week: A celebration of excellence, innovation and community” from March 16 to 22.

The program is patterned after the successful series of events held last year as part of the inauguration of President Ray Di Pasquale and will showcase the breadth of experience and life found on and off the CCRI campus.

The events include honoring the two newest Hall of Fame inductees, Sol Solomon and Charles Sullivan; a presentation on Abraham Lincoln by noted Lincoln scholar and R.I. Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank Williams; a day of community service at nonprofit agencies located near the college’s four campuses; academic and professional development for faculty and staff, including a presentation by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed; a salute to cultural diversity and the arts; a friendly athletic competition between teams of students, faculty and staff; and a barbecue following a double-header between CCRI’s baseball team and rival UCONN Avery Point. For more information, visit www.ccri.edu/acw.

“The week promises to provide a wealth of opportunity to see not only what CCRI is about, but also to showcase the amazing talents of exceptional students, faculty and staff, as well as other distinguished leaders from within our state,” said Di Pasquale.

Events are as follows:

Hall of Fame Celebration and Reception – 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 16 Newport County Campus

Dormant for several years, the CCRI Hall of Fame is being revitalized to celebrate the induction of our two newest CCRI Hall of Fame designees, Solomon A. Solomon and Charles E. Sullivan. Both of these individuals have a long history as faculty members at CCRI and have contributed significantly to the college throughout their careers and their nomination to the Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute for their achievements. The public is invited to this event. The cost is $35 per person; call 825-2188 to attend.

“Abraham Lincoln and Leadership” – 6 p.m. on Monday, March 17 Knight Campus in Warwick

R.I. Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank Williams will present “Abraham Lincoln and Leadership” in the Bobby Hackett Theatre. The presentation focuses on the life of Lincoln and how he demonstrated the characteristics of a great leader. Williams is one of the country’s most renowned experts on Lincoln. This presentation is open to the public. Groups are welcome; R.S.V.P. by calling 825-2190.

Community Service Day – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 Nonprofit agencies statewide

Community service will be the focus of attention as students, faculty and staff spend a day volunteering at nonprofit organizations located near our campuses: Operation Stand Down Rhode Island in Johnston; the R.I. Community Food Bank in Providence; The Homestead Group in Woonsocket; The Martin Luther King Center and East Bay Community Action in Newport; and Friends Way and Westbay Community Action in Warwick.

A Celebration of the Arts – 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 Knight Campus in Warwick

The public is invited to the Bobby Hackett Theatre for an evening of music, dramatic poems and monologues, a performance by the CCRI Jazz Quartet, scenes from the CCRI Players’ upcoming production of “Prin” and other plays, a piano duet and more.

Professional Development Day on Wednesday, March 19 Knight Campus in Warwick

A highlight of the 6th Annual All College Professional Development Day for faculty and staff will be a keynote address by Rhode Island’s senior senator, Jack Reed. The day pauses to pay special attention to the people who are the driving force behind CCRI’s success – the talented and dedicated faculty and staff. Events for faculty and staff include sessions of personal, professional and academic importance.

Cultural Awareness Day – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 20 Liston Campus in Providence

This day includes a performance by a steel drum band, poetry readings in several languages with English translations and stations featuring Asian, Caribbean, Italian and Spanish food.

CCRI Battle of Athletes – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, March 21 Flanagan Campus in Lincoln

Teams of students, faculty and staff will participate in a variety of athletic events on the Lincoln campus. Events will include 3-on-3 basketball, dodgeball, an obstacle course, water basketball, a home-run derby in the batting tunnel and a dunk tank to raise money for Student Government. A cookout will follow the competitions.

Double-header baseball game – noon on Saturday, March 22 Knight Campus in Warwick

The CCRI baseball team meets perennial powerhouse UCONN Avery Point in a baseball double-header, weather permitting. Attendees will be treated to a cookout on the athletic field grounds.

Sculpture show extended through March 27

Warwick, R.I. – March 5, 2008: Cranston resident John Keefe’s sculpture display “Somewhere in Time” has been extended through March 27 at the Knight Campus Art Gallery in Warwick.

Keefe’s work is inspired by 19th- and 20th-century inventions such as unicycles, gliders and flying machines as well as cinematic visions of fantasy and science fiction.

Keefe earned his bachelor’s of fine art in studio art in 2003 from Rhode Island College and completed his master’s in fine arts in sculpture at State University of New York, Albany in 2006. Last year, he won the The David Burt Award for Sculpture at the Silvermine Guild Arts Center in New Canaan, Conn.

The gallery, which is located in room 3500 in the round building at CCRI’s Warwick campus, 400 East Ave., is open from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday to Friday. For more information, call the Art Department at 825-2220.

 

February

Trinity’s Barbara Meek to read poetry at CCRI
Warwick, R.I. – Feb. 12, 2008: The Charles Sullivan Fund for the Arts & Humanities will host a poetry reading by Barbara Meek from Trinity Repertory Company from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21, in the auditorium at the Community College of Rhode Island’s Liston Campus in Providence.

The reading will feature select poetry of Langston Hughes in celebration of Black History Month. All are welcome to attend this free event.

Meek is playing the Duchess of York in Trinity’s current staging of “Richard III” – her 101st production with Trinity Rep. She recently appeared in the world premiere of “A Lesson Before Dying” by Romulus Linney at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and has appeared in television and film, including co-starring on “Archie Bunker’s Place” and “Melba,” and starred for five seasons on “Big Brother Jake.”

She has received the Bannister History Maker’s Award, the Foundation for Repertory Theatre Award, the Wayne State University Arts Achievement Award in Theatre, and, in 1998, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from the University of Rhode Island. She received the 2002 Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence from the Boston Theatre Critics Association and the 2004 Rhode Island Pell Award.

The Charles Sullivan Fund for the Arts & Humanities at CCRI supports arts and humanities activities and projects that benefit students, faculty and staff and are in keeping with institutional missions.

Dominican documentary to be shown at CCRI
Warwick, R.I. – Feb. 12, 2008: The Dominican American National Roundtable and CCRI will present a documentary, “Dominican Identity & Migration Hispañiola,” at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, at the Liston Campus in Providence.

The film documents the roots of European, African, African-American, Asian, Jewish, Afro-Caribbean, Cocolo, Haitian, Arabic and Puerto Rican migration to the Hispañiola and how these people have contributed to the multicultural richness of the Dominican people.

The event is being held in observation of Dominican Independence Day and Black History Month.

Observatory to open for total lunar eclipse Feb. 20
Warwick, R.I. – Feb. 12, 2008: View a total lunar eclipse at the Margaret M. Jacoby Observatory on the Knight Campus in Warwick on Wednesday, Feb. 20.

The eclipse will begin at 8:50 p.m. Totality, or full eclipse, will last from 10 to 10:50 p.m. and end around midnight. The observatory will be open from 7 to 11 p.m.

Assistant Professor Brendan Britton of the Physics Department will guide visitors, who can view the moon and other nighttime objects in the winter sky through the college’s 14-inch reflective telescope. “This is a great opportunity for the community to come out and witness a beautiful and unique event at our observatory,” he said.

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

CCRI invites public to career fair
Warwick, R.I. – Feb. 12, 2008: The public is invited to a career fair hosted by the Community College of Rhode Island from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, at the college’s Flanagan Campus in Lincoln.

Several companies will be on hand to discuss internship and employment opportunities. Participants include Alternatives Unlimited Inc.; Cathleen Naughton Associates; Cranston ARC; CVS/pharmacy; IDC Inc. The Newport Experience; Landmark Medical Center; May Institute; PRO STAFF Personnel; Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training; Roger Williams Medical Center; Sovereign Bank; St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island; The Homestead Group; UPS; and Women & Infants Hospital.

Attendees are advised to bring a résumé and dress professionally. Admission and parking are free.

January

Public invited to explore night skies at observatory
Warwick, R.I. – Feb. 4, 2008: Weather permitting, the public is invited to explore the cosmos at the Margaret M. Jacoby Observatory on the Knight Campus in Warwick from 6 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

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

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

Children can spend vacation at Kids’ College
Warwick, R.I. – Jan. 31, 2008: This February vacation, children ages 8 to 12 can design jewelry, create their own story book, build a rocket, make unique crafts, learn Chinese and much more at Community College of Rhode Island’s Kids’ College.

Students can register for one or two 90-minute classes that meet each morning Monday through Friday from Feb. 18 to 22 at the William M. Davies Career & Technical School in Lincoln. These hands-on enrichment courses are taught by creative, caring professionals.

The first sessions will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Offerings include: Beautiful Books – No Ordinary Publications; Medieval Theme Crafts; Cartooning; and Hot Wheels and Roller Coasters. The second session, including Explore China; Jewelry Making – Just Bead It; Create a Story Book; Art Club; and Rockets 101, will be held from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Another session of Kids’ College will run during spring vacation week, April 14 to 18.

Each weeklong course costs $65 plus a $5 registration fee. To view the brochure online, visit http://www.ccri.edu/lifelong/pdfs/kidscollegevacation.pdf. Call 825-2003 for registration information.

Students honored with scholarships
Warwick, R.I. – Jan. 25, 2008: The Community College of Rhode Island recently awarded scholarships to several students:

Jamie Arnold of Warwick was awarded the 2007 Andrew and Mary Conroy Scholarship. This award was established to provide financial support to liberal or fine arts students entering their second year of study. CCRI alumnus Gerald Conroy and his wife, Marguerette Hosbach, endowed the award in 1992 in memory of Gerald’s parents, Andrew and Mary Conroy. Arnold’s award was $1,525.

Monica Bessette of Cranston was awarded the 2007 Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship in the amount of $450. This award was established to provide financial support to active members of Phi Theta Kappa Pi Omicron Chapter who are either full-time or part-time students in a degree program at CCRI. Preference is extended to applicants who have earned 25 points for service activities and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Kimberly Despestre of Providence was awarded the 2007 Jonathan Fund Scholarship and the 2007 Dr. Dominic DiLuglio Scholarship. The Jonathan Fund was endowed by Roberta Jenkins, wife of former CCRI Foundation trustee Arthur Jenkins, in honor of her son, Jonathan. Preference for the award is given to students who have been raised in an inner-city environment. Despestre was awarded $2,050 for each of the fall and spring semesters. The DiLuglio award was endowed in 1999 by the many friends and associates of Dr. DiLuglio and was initiated to honor his induction into the CCRI Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 1998. Despestre received $400.

Lisa Fortier of Woonsocket was awarded the 2007 Andrew and Mary Conroy Scholarship. This award was established to provide financial support to liberal or fine arts students entering their second year of study. CCRI alumnus Gerald Conroy and his wife, Marguerette Hosbach, endowed the award in 1992 in memory of Gerald’s parents, Andrew and Mary Conroy. Fortier’s award was $1,525.

Lyndsey L. Greaves of West Warwick was awarded the 2007 Lloyd S. Kaplan Music Scholarship. The fund was endowed in 2001 by the Music Department from proceeds received at that year’s Jazz Oddysey, which the Office of Enrollment Services hosted to recognize Professor Emeritus Kaplan for his devotion and contributions to the CCRI Music Department. Her award amount was $500.

Harout Khatchadorian of Cranston was awarded the 2007 Valerie Norbury Scholarship, established to provide assistance to an incoming student of Armenian heritage, in the amount of $850.

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 noncredit and job training classes. CCRI has campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport County, as well as satellite locations in downcity Providence and Westerly.

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