Golden Grad Weekend

Check in, pick up your registration packet and name tag, and enjoy a continental breakfast before heading out for a day of informative presentations, tours, and socializing with classmates and friends.

9–9:45 a.m. – Registration and Welcome Continental Breakfast ($15/person), Alumni Center

10 a.m. – Buses depart for Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering

Presentation: Power of Lifestyle and Longevity
Presented by Renae Martin
Every day of our lives, we hold the power to improve our future health through the multitude of small choices that we make, often by habit. Over time, the effects of these habits accumulate and have a significant impact on our health in middle age and beyond. The concerning news is that the current American lifestyle is wreaking havoc on the health of our nation’s population. To complicate the problem, there is an abundance of misinformation that can lead to confusion and frustrate our efforts at making healthful changes. We will explore the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s 6 Pillars of Health and the evidence to support the power of lifestyle choices. Because making changes to our habits is hard, we will look at the stages of change related to health behaviors, as well as the importance of setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-lined) that improve the course of our health.

Presentation: Economics
Presented by Professor Leonard Lardaro
Leonard Lardaro, Professor of Economics at URI since 1981, is well known for analyzing and forecasting the Rhode Island economy on the radio and in the news. His discussions primarily focus on labor and housing markets, demographic factors, and the income created by the state’s economy.

Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering Tour
Light floods through soaring glass walls into expansive, open spaces in the six-story, 190,000-square-foot Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering. Designed to foster collaboration across disciplines, this cutting-edge facility brings students and faculty together in an environment that reflects the future of engineering. Experience firsthand how the building’s innovative design positions URI as a leader in engineering education.

Campus Bus Tour
Hop on a bus to relive your campus experience and see how URI has evolved! From state-of-the-art facilities like the Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering to beloved campus landmarks, this tour offers a blend of nostalgia and exciting new developments.

Presentation: Truth in the Digital Age
Presented by Bob Persons
What is truth? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “the body of real things, events, and facts.” But is the nature of truth changing in a world of online dictionaries, encyclopedias, search engines, and artificial intelligence programs like Chat GPT and Google Gemini? Are truths absolute or are truths shaped by individual beliefs and perspectives? Do we each have our own “truth”? How do we distinguish truth from disinformation? We explore these questions and more by examining several real-life case studies involving race, criminal justice, war, and even science.

Presentation: AI for Everyday Life: A Smart Companion for Staying Independent
Presented by Barbara Nicholson
Ever dreamed of having a tireless personal assistant powered by cutting edge technology? Dive into the exciting world of AI as your partner in daily life. Explore how AI can be your personal health coach, lifelong educator, and intelligent assistant in many ways. Discover how AI could become your co-worker, empowering you to stay active, engaged and independent. This session is planned to keep you abreast of the constantly changing state of AI. To get the most benefit, be prepared to bring a tablet or laptop or smart phone which can connect to the internet. To read ahead, of our session participants might want to peruse a copy of the book titled: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick, 2024

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Labs Tour
Keith Ranaldi, director of innovation and entrepreneurship, will share URI’s developing Launch Labs. Serving as public facing incubators for fostering creativity and allowing students to bring their ideas to light, the spaces are designed as mixed media laboratories that enhance creative, academic, and research investigations. The lab’s newest acquisition, the 3D Knit/Wear Manufacturing Machine, is a joint venture between the Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design department (College of Business), the College of Engineering and the University libraries. Also part of this tour will be the Maker Space and the Virtual Reality Labs, currently working with customized virtual reality simulations.

12:40 p.m. – Buses depart for Bay Campus

1-2 p.m. – Lunch at Nautilus Galley Café, Narragansett Bay Campus ($25/person)

Presentation: Oceanography:  What is It?
Presented by Dr. Kenneth Hinga, M.S.’74, Ph.D.’84
What is oceanography: a science itself or a composite? How do we study the ocean? Is an oceanographer often at sea, and what is a research cruise like? When were women allowed to go to sea? How have things changed for people who study the ocean since the 1960s? We will address these questions, drawing examples especially from the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) and its predecessor, the Narragansett Marine Laboratory.

Inner Space Center Tour
The Inner Space Center is an international hub for ocean science exploration and education. It is home to some of the largest ocean science education and outreach initiatives in the country.

Ann Gall Durbin Aquarium Tour
From the extreme environments of Antarctica to the waters of Narragansett Bay just outside its doors, the Ann Gall Durbin Aquarium on the URI Bay Campus is able to create small replicas of the natural world, and can emulate almost any condition on the planet. This allows scientists to conduct research on topics like the health of fisheries and how climate change might impact the base of the food chain. It also provides hands-on ocean science experience for students of all ages.

Nautilus Galley Café, Narragansett Bay Campus

Enjoy light refreshments and a treat from the gelato cart before boarding the bus back to the Kingston Campus. ($25/person)

4:30 p.m. – Buses depart for Kingston Campus

Dunes Club, 137 Boston Neck Road, Narragansett (get directions)

Join us at the Dunes Club for our annual lunch and presentation of the Golden Grad reunion gift to President Marc Parlange. ($45/person)

• 11 a.m. – Milestone reunion class photos (classes of 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970)
• 12 p.m. – Lunch served
• 12:45 p.m. – Speaking program and presentation of Golden Grad reunion gift

Entrée options:

• Prime Rib
• Baked Haddock
• Chicken Française
• Pasta with Seasonal Vegetables

You may make reservations to stay in one of our residence halls, Garrahy Hall, from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1. Rates will be $88 per person per night (includes linens). Contact Allison Ingalsbe at 401.874.4589 to make a reservation. Reservations must be made no later than April 29, 2025.

668 Matunuck Beach Road
Matunuck, Rhode Island
401.783.2090
admiraldeweyinn.com

825 Ocean Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
401.473.9032
theanchormotel.com

4115 Old Post Road
Charlestown, Rhode Island
401.364.8888
thegeneralstantoninn.com

3 Fairfield Way
South Kingstown, Rhode Island
401.284.3311
website

20 Hotel Drive
South Kingstown, Rhode Island
401.788.3500
website

3009 Tower Hill Road
Saunderstown, Rhode Island
website

The Holiday Inn South Kingstown is offering a special rate of $229/night plus tax for the nights of Thursday, May 29–Saturday, May 31. Book online using this link to get the special rate, or call 401.789.1051 and mention code GGR.

87 Kingstown Road
Richmond, Rhode Island
1.855.727.4392
thepreserveri.com

55 Gate Road
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
401.667.7500
website

South County Tourism Council
Discover Newport
Rhode Island Tourism Division