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A great Rhody tradition Head to the ballpark on August 20 and enjoy Pride in URI Night at McCoy Stadium. Join alumni, family, and friends for a great night out as the PawSox take on Syracuse. Gates open at 5 p.m. for an all-you-can-eat barbecue. The game begins at 7:05 p.m.

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Happy campers There's still room for your family at Alumni Family Camp, which will be held July 18-20. Come for the day or stay overnight! You can enjoy the 30th annual South County Hot Air Balloon Festival, an authentic New England lobster bake, skating at Boss Ice Arena, and lots more.

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Talent Development 40th anniversary weekend TD is turning 40, and the Alumni Association and the Talent Development Program are hosting special 40th anniversary activities on August 1 and 2. Among the events planned are a golf outing, a gathering at the Black Repertory Theatre, and a 40th anniversary dinner at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet.

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Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit student scholarships On July 18, the Christian L. DeSimone Foundation will sponsor its second annual golf tournament in Hardyston, N. J. Held in honor of Chris DeSimone '00, who died on September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center, the tournament raises funds to provide scholarships to URI student-athletes.

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Seeking nominations The ROTC Alumni Chapter is seeking nominations to the URI ROTC Hall of Fame. Membership in the Hall of Fame is open to any person who is either an ROTC alumnus of URI, a supporter of the URI Cramers Sabers ROTC Battalion, or an individual with a distinguished history of service to the military, community, or to URI ROTC. Please send nomination and supporting info to LTC (Ret.) Paul Helweg '68, Berry Hill Lane, Kingston, RI 02881, or helweg1@cox.net by January 4, 2009.

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At the chapters On July 31, the New York Metro Chapter is hosting an event for NYC area alumni at the Beekman Tower Hotel's Top of the Tower. On August 11, members of the Chicago Chapter are taking in a White Sox-Red Sox game, and on August 12, the New Jersey Chapter is holding its annual Welcome Freshmen Picnic. Learn more.

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Climate change causing significant shift in the species composition of coastal fish communities A detailed analysis of data from nearly 50 years of weekly fish-trawl surveys in Narragansett Bay and adjacent Rhode Island Sound has revealed a long-term shift in species composition, which scientists attribute primarily to the effects of global warming. According to Jeremy Collie, professor of oceanography, the fish community has shifted progressively from vertebrate species (fish) to invertebrates (lobsters, crabs and squid), and from species that feed on the bottom to those that feed higher in the water column. In addition, smaller, warm-water species have increased while larger, cool-water species have declined. More...

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Distinguished Achievement Award winners for 2008 announced The University of Rhode Island will hold its third annual Distinguished Achievement Awards celebration on October 18 at the Providence Westin Hotel. Award recipients for 2008 are William Flynn '75, president and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings; John King '85, CNN chief national correspondent; Clarice Odhiambo '88, founder of Africa Center for Engineering Social Solutions; and Bruce Sherman '69, CEO and chief investment officer of Private Capital Management. In addition to honoring the 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award winners, the "Dean's List" recipients from each of the colleges and the Graduate School of Oceanography will also be recognized at the October 18 event. More...

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College, municipal police officers lining up for training programs offered by URI Police Department Eighty-six college and municipal police officers spent two days in June on the Kingston Campus participating in "Verbal Judo," the first offering of the URI Campus Police Training Institute. Taught by a retired lieutenant from the New York City Police Department, the program gave officers the verbal tools to diffuse possible or existing violent situations. URI will host its next law enforcement training programs next month, offering "Professional Policing" on August 19 and "Officer Survival" on August 20. More...

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Search for salt-tolerant grasses aims to improve roadside plantings, reduce impact of winter road salt With funding from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Associate Professor of Turf Science Rebecca Brown has been working to identify a salt tolerance limit for native and ornamental turf grasses in hopes of finding a variety that can be used along highways without being killed when roadway salt -- mixed with melting snow -- is splashed onto the grass. "The grasses we use in our lawns and along the roads in Rhode Island aren't adapted to salt, and they don't adapt over time because we don't allow them to go to seed," Brown said. "And salt tolerant western grasses may not grow well here because our salinity is only seasonal." More...

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URI administrator honored for support of biotechnology industry John O’Leary, director of special programs at the University's Feinstein Providence Campus, received the 2008 Professional Appreciation Award from the Central New England chapter of the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science. O'Leary was recognized for heading the re-accreditation effort for URI’s graduate program in cytotechnology, working to grow the master's degree program in clinical laboratory science and biotechnology, and expanding the bachelor's degree program in biotechnology manufacturing. More...

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Annual chemistry contest draws more than 500 students URI held its annual chemistry contest this May, attracting 520 students from 19 Rhode Island schools. team and individual competitions are held in both Division I (students with no more than one year of chemistry) and Division II (students with more than one year). Bishop Hendricken, a perennial winner, took home trophies again this year. The day's 30 top scorers were invited back in June for a playoff contest in which Barrington High School student Margaret Tam took top honors. If she applies to URI, she will be offered a full four-year scholarship. More...

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On the calendar The URI Summer Gardening School continues, with sessions on July 15, July 29, August 5, and August 19. The informal class meetings run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and are $15 per session. At the Ryan Center: Tickets are now on sale for the following concerts and performances coming up this fall -- Carrie Underwood, Jeff Dunham, and Playhouse Disney Live! More...