CCRI 2024 News

Cranston, RI, native Thomas Ohanian, a World Languages & Cultures student completing his independent study, recently won his fifth Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for co-inventing the Avid Multicamera System, a technology that has revolutionized the film-making and editing industry.

The Community College of Rhode Island’s Division of Workforce Partnerships has won the 2024 PACE-RI Academic Partnership Award for its work in developing free training programs to help upskill more than 50 employees through online trainings and in-person courses at PACE’s East Providence, RI, headquarters and CCRI’s Providence Campus.

Beginning today, the CCRI Players launch a four-day run of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable, produced by CCRI Performing Arts Professor Luke Sutherland and scheduled for five performances at the college’s Providence Campus Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 pm Thursday through Saturday with 2 pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday.

Michael Marrapodi has joined CCRI as the new Executive Director of Online Learning. He has been involved with education since teaching music at a private school during his senior year of college in 1976 and is now an innovative leader in the online learning sector.

Eighteen-year-old Rhode Island Promise scholar and Warwick, RI, resident Lucas Johnson revived an old family tradition this past summer with Sandwich Party Sundays – a unique opportunity to spread joy and good cheer to Providence's homeless population each weekend at Kennedy Plaza. 

A Providence, RI, native, and Community College of Rhode Island Class of 2011 alumna, Flavia A. Albert, M.A., is on the verge of releasing her first children's book next month to combine her passion for behavioral health and early childhood development with her love for storytelling.

With the support of a $250,000 workforce investment from the RI Department of Labor and Training (RI-DLT), the college will begin offering apprenticeship readiness programming in January through the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3), a comprehensive apprenticeship readiness curriculum that delivers an industry-recognized credential.

For the past two election cycles, the Community College of Rhode Island has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as part of its Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognition program.

Assistant Communication and Film/Media professor Jennifer O'Rourke, a Warwick, RI, native and Class of 2007 graduate, is in her second year as a full-time faculty member after serving as a Mass Communication Specialist for the U.S. Navy.  

One year after CCRI and North Kingstown High School partnered to launch the college's free Advanced Manufacturing Program for high school students interested in earning a Manufacturing and Design Certificate, Mount Pleasant High School has joined the program this fall to extend this unique opportunity to a group of 14 students. 

The $1,000 grant will be used to support a First Generation Family Night event at CCRI’s Lincoln Campus on November 7 as part of its First-Generation College Celebration Day programming. First-Generation College Celebration Day is observed each year on November 8 to celebrate the success of first-generation college students, faculty, and staff who were the first in their families to graduate college.

The CCRI Players, the college's student-run theater group, kick off their fall semester this week at the Bobby Hackett Theatre with an adaptation of Let the Right One In, based off the best-selling 2004 novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. 

In today’s Employee Spotlight, we meet CCRI's new Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Joshua Seguí-Rodríguez and uncover what inspired him to serve others, how he brought that passion to the forefront as a college student, and his unique skillset beyond the console.

Nine Community College of Rhode Island alumni were inducted into the college’s Society of Knights and Squires as part of the CCRI Foundation and Alumni Association’s 2024 Outstanding Alumni Awards at the Warwick Campus.

Allison “Sonny” Wong of Barrington, RI, a Class of 2024 graduate, is one of four fellows selected as part of the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre's 10-month 2024-25 Gamm Fellowship Program, which will be the theatre's 40th anniversary season.

The state-of-the-art Training Academy, sponsored by Bally's Corporation, features eight blackjack tables and will provide a simulated gaming environment for the 30 students enrolled in the first cohort of the college's Introduction to Table Games Dealer Training course.

With CCRI continuing its goal of providing accessible, high-quality education that leads to strong learning outcomes and successful career pathways, innovative programs and substantial financial support are necessary to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

The Community College of Rhode Island  has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County to relocate the B&GC’s Teen Center to CCRI’s Newport County Campus as part of CCRI’s Community First initiative.

This historic gift – the largest private gift in the college's 60-year history – supports the new CCRI Advantage program, which assists students who need help with developmental programming get the guidance they need to overcome barriers and stay on track to earn their degree. 

The 2024 Summer Repertory theater season comes to an end beginning tonight at the Warwick Campus’ Bobby Hackett Theatre with the CCRI Players' rendition of Shakespeare's Coriolanus, based on the life of the legendary – and controversial – Roman leader.

Eighteen community colleges nationwide, including CCRI, will receive a grant from the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) for $75,000 to provide financial support for students enrolled in the college’s medical assistant and patient support specialist workforce training programs.

Today's Employee Spotlight catches up with Maddie Burke, CCRI's Providence Campus leader who recently began her new role as the college's first Dean of Career and Technical Education, Early College & Community Partnerships, which allows her to make an even greater impact within her community and beyond. 

The Community College of Rhode Island Players begin their 2024 Summer Repertory theater season tomorrow night at the Warwick Campus’ Bobby Hackett Theatre with a performance of one of William Shakespeare’s most revered works. 

Thanks to a $21 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to continue funding Rhode Island’s premier biomedical research collaborative, the Community College of Rhode Island remains part of an exclusive network of colleges working to develop the next generation of biotechnology experts.

Meet Leslie Filippelli-DiManna, DBA, CCRI's Interim Dean of Business, Science, Technology and Mathematics (BSTM), who's utilizing her knowledge in higher education and academia to bring new ideas to the college and help create a unique learning experience for students.

The July 17 "Building Bridges" summit at CCRI's Newport County Campus will unite key industry players and employers from Aquidneck Island to address the current labor market and workforce training needs. 

CCRI earned two prestigious awards this year from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) at its annual National Conference for its work in the financial aid profession and higher education community.

The college is collaborating with the Partnership for Rhode Island to join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) Network, allowing students in communications and business programs to get hands-on experience working with statewide industry partners.

East Providence, RI, native and Class of 2022 graduate Eddy Vieira is the brains behind brains behind Hunger Breeds Success and Success Loves Consistency, the motto of his recently-launched apparel brand and lifestyle movement that is making waves on social media.

More than a year after launching his first original play, Theater professor and director Ted Clement is back with the second installment of his semi-autobiographical trilogy, The Other, written by Clement and directed by longtime colleague and CCRI alumnus David Valentin.

With a nomination from Interim President Rosemary Costigan, Maya was recently honored as one of Providence Business News’ 40 Under Forty for 2024, an annual awards program that recognizes young leaders based on their career success and involvement within their communities.  

Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher this semester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.

Rhode Island’s offshore wind leader Ørsted announced higher education grant commitments totaling $5.5 million as part of its proposed Starboard Wind project, including a proposed $2 million to the Community College of Rhode Island.

With jobs in the cannabis industry nearly doubling in Rhode Island between 2022 and 2023, the Community College of Rhode Island is launching its eight-week Cannabis Training Program through the Division of Workforce Partnerships.

Meet Marissa Torsiello, a 30-year-old West Hartford, CT, native and Providence, RI, resident, who will deliver this year's address to the Class of 2024 following a near-decade long journey through healthcare providers and hospitals while battling a rare genetic disorder that left her unable to pursue her college education.

The CCRI Foundation and Alumni Association have elected Sergio Sousa, Regional Vice President of Marketing for Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort and Bally’s Tiverton Casino & Hotel to the Alumni Association Assembly, and Rhode Island attorney, Rebecca E. Dupras, Esq., of Dupras Law, to the Board of Trustees.

Written in 1967 by Clark Gesner, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a musical based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts – a perfect opportunity for the Players to end the year on a light-hearted note following a stretch of heavy, thought-provoking performances dating back to 2021.

Students interested in a career in performing arts will have a unique opportunity next week to learn about life on the road from two well-traveled industry experts, Jay Carey and Christopher DeAngelis from the Broadway musical Company, during a free Q&A session at CCRI’s Providence Campus Theatre on Wednesday, April 24 at 4 pm.

Thirty-nine local residents are the first to complete the Global Wind Organisation (GWO)-certified Basic Safety Training curriculum at the state’s only offshore wind safety training center and are prepared to continue building fulfilling careers in America’s fast-growing offshore wind sector.

Less than a year after wrapping up a life-changing fellowship with The Gamm Theatre, 22-year-old Pawtucket, RI, native and Class of 2022 graduate Eddy Tavares is one of only a small percentage of applications who were accepted into Juilliard's four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in Drama beginning in the Fall of 2024.

After an on-again, off-again journey to further her education, West Warwick, RI, native Kelly Grace earned the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society's 2024 New Century Transfer Scholarship for the state of Rhode Island, awarding her $2,250 toward her pursuit of a career in Archaeology.

The Community College of Rhode Island has been named a 2024–25 Military Friendly® School by VIQTORY, a data-driven military company that helps connect the military community to civilian employment.

Dorchester, MA, native and current Johnston, RI, resident Shamika Lyte initially worked in the construction industry fresh out of high school, but, thanks to CCRI's free Property and Casualty Insurance certification program, has found new life in a career that keeps her on her toes.

While February is known for the celebration of Black History Month and June is synonymous with Pride Month, among others, Suzanne McCormack works every day to ensure her students understand the importance of inclusivity and diversity while integrating such topics into her teachings throughout the year.

Jonathan Colombo, a second-year Rhode Island Promise scholar and Fine Arts major with a concentration in Art, was recently named the South Coast Artists' 2024 Youth Grant Award of Merit recipient – one of several grants awarded annually to motivated high school and college students under the age of 21 to explore their artistic potential beyond the everyday classroom setting.

Mileiry “Milly” De La Cruz, a Class of 2018 alumna and former Student Ambassador at CCRI, is the recipient of this year’s American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network Massachusetts Emerging Leader Award for her hard work and dedication to serving students.

The CCRI Players are collaborating with director Jonathan Pitts-Wiley this week for a special production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a novel written by Ken Kesey that was later adapted into the historic 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson that went on to win all five major Academy Awards the year it was released.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited the Community College of Rhode Island’s Warwick Campus today to discuss the need for more career pathways and career and technical education (CTE) programming and apprenticeships, especially in Latino communities, as part of Joe Biden’s President Joe Biden's Investing in America Tour, aimed to demonstrate how President Biden is delivering for underrepresented or minoritized communities across the country. 

CCRI is teaming with Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley and the Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism to host for the first time the 2024 Pell Lecture Series, set to take place Thursday, March 7 at the Liston Auditorium in Providence.

The college has announced the hiring of James Bradley as the new Chief Information Officer and Rajeev Jayadeva as its Director of Enterprise Applications.

February marks Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans in this country and acknowledge the lasting achievements of the people of the African diaspora who have shaped American history.

The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Fall 2023 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher this semester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.

Assistant Professor Lisa Furtado, a member of the college community since 2019, has been appointed Assistant Dean of Assistant Dean of Nursing.

After earning her certification through CCRI's free Division of Workforce Partnerships Process Technology program in 2021, Providence, RI, native Shakira Juliao is living out her new dream as a Manufacturing Associate for Amgen.

With an emphasis on teaching compassion and the art of building trust among clients, Toni Spirito – now an adjunct professor and Rehab Lab Coordinator for CCRI’s Rehabilitative Health Programs – earned the 2023 Rhode Island American Physical Therapy Association (RIAPTA) Zelia Celona Award.