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Making Sense of Data:Making Sense of Data

Article  in  Technometrics · February 2004

DOI: 10.1198/tech.2004.s751

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The  Economic  Impact  of  

The  University  of  Rhode  
Island  

 
Table  of  Contents  
 
URI’s impact on Rhode Island’s economy: Highlights ...................................................... 2
Introduction and overview ................................................................................................ 6
Part One: URI as an enterprise ........................................................................................ 9
Part Two: Developing Rhode Island’s human capital ..................................................... 16
Part Three: The impact of University research ............................................................... 26
Part Four: Technology transfer and business development ........................................... 33
Part Five: Outreach and community engagement at URI ............................................... 39
Part Six: URI and the future of Rhode Island’s economy ............................................... 43  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1 Appleseed
 
URI’s  impact  on  Rhode  Island’s  economy:  Highlights  

URI as an enterprise

• The University of Rhode Island is a major enterprise in its own right, with operating
revenues in fiscal year 2012 totaling nearly $469 million – more than half of which are
derived from sources outside the state.

• In the fall of 2012, URI employed 3,675 people (excluding students) at its four
campuses, 65 percent of whom worked full-time.

• In fiscal year 2012 URI spent $45 million on purchases of goods and services from
businesses and institutions in Rhode Island, directly supporting more than 300 full-time-
equivalent (FTE) jobs.

• URI spent $86.4 million in fiscal year 2012 on construction and renovation of campus
facilities, including $57.2 million paid to Rhode Island-based contractors – directly
supporting 429 FTE jobs in construction and related industries.

• Taking into account direct University spending on payroll, purchasing and construction,
off-campus spending by out-of-state students and visitors, and the indirect and induced
(or “multiplier”) effects of this spending, we estimate that in fiscal year 2012 URI directly
and indirectly accounted for:

o More than 8,200 jobs – about 1.9 percent of all wage and salary employment in
Rhode Island;
o $392.6 million in wages; and
o $726.4 million in statewide economic output.

Developing Rhode Island’s human capital

• As the leading provider of four-year undergraduate and graduate education to Rhode

Island residents, URI plays a central role in the development of the state’s human
capital.

• As of the fall of 2011, 16,654 students were enrolled in for-credit programs at URI, 61
percent of whom were Rhode Island residents, and 39 percent of whom came to URI
from other states.

• Between 2006 and 2011, enrollment at URI grew by 8.3 percent – an increase of 1,265
students.

2 Appleseed
 
 • URI offers students a wide range of opportunities to prepare for careers in industries and
occupations that play a central role in Rhode Island’s economy, in fields such as
engineering, biotechnology, health care, ocean science, international business and
many others.

• Internships and other forms of “experiential learning” play a central role in the
educational process at URI. Each year about 4,200 URI students participate in some
type of practicum or internship – most of them with Rhode Island businesses, institutions
and other organizations.

• As of the summer of 2012, more than 48,400 URI alumni lived in Rhode Island – a
number equivalent to approximately 22 percent of all Rhode Island residents with at
least a four-year degree.

• We cannot say with certainty how many of URI’s in-state alumni would not have earned
a four-year or graduate degree without the opportunities that URI provides. However, if
we assume that half of these 48,400 URI graduates would not otherwise have been able
to earn a bachelor’s or graduate degree, we can estimate that in 2011 the education that
URI provided to its alumni living in Rhode Island:

o Added more than $500 million to these graduates’ aggregate earnings; and
o Added approximately $3.5 billion to Rhode Island’s gross domestic product.

The impact of University research

• In fiscal year 2012, research spending at URI totaled $100.2 million – an increase of 64
percent since fiscal year 2007. During a severe and prolonged recession, URI research
has thus represented a notable area of growth for Rhode Island.

• The federal government accounted for 80 percent of URI’s research funding in fiscal
year 2012; and state and local government funding accounted for 16 percent.

• Research conducted at URI is helping to discover and develop the new knowledge that
in the years ahead will provide a foundation for economic growth in areas such ocean
science and technology, offshore energy development, the life sciences, nanotechnology
and cyber security.

3 Appleseed
 
Technology transfer and business development

• During the past few years, URI has undertaken several initiatives aimed at encouraging
and supporting the translation of research findings from University labs into new
products and services, new businesses and new jobs.

• In fiscal years 2011, 2012 and the first half of fiscal year 2013, seven new companies
were launched to develop and bring to market commercial applications of technologies
first developed at URI.

• In addition to companies such as these that have formally licensed technologies first
developed at the University, current and former faculty members, students and alumni
have used the skills and knowledge they have acquired at URI to start and build new
businesses in Rhode Island in a wide range of industries, including health care, finance,
biotechnology, information technology, aquaculture, jewelry and many others.

Community engagement at URI

• URI also contributes to the development of Rhode Island’s economy through its
contributions to the strength and vitality of the state’s communities. It does so, for
example, through:

o Partnerships with local school districts aimed at strengthening elementary and

secondary education in communities throughout the state;
o URI Cooperative Extension and the URI Sea Grant program, which work with
local communities, residents, businesses, farmers and others to preserve and
enhance the value of the state’s natural resources;
o Service learning and volunteer programs in which thousands of URI students
each year provide services to communities throughout the state.

URI and the future of Rhode Island’s economy

• URI’s role in the ongoing development of Rhode Island’s economy could for several
reasons be even greater in the future than it has been to date.

• In an era when human capital is perhaps the single most important factor in determining
whether states (and nations) flourish or falter economically, Rhode Island must strive to
ensure that its people have the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge that
tomorrow’s economy will demand. As the leading provider of four-year undergraduate
and graduate education to Rhode Island residents, URI will have to play a central role in
this process.

4 Appleseed
 
 • As noted above, URI’s growing research enterprise is particularly strong in several areas
that are likely to contribute to the future growth of Rhode Island’s economy.

• URI’s efforts to strengthen the translation of University research into new products and
services, and to prepare students to succeed as entrepreneurs, are likely to pay off
during the next decade in the creation of more new businesses and new jobs in Rhode
Island.

5 Appleseed
 
Introduction  and  overview  

The University of Rhode Island is the state’s public research university, and its leading provider
of four-year undergraduate and graduate education. Both as a significant enterprise in its own
right and through its mission of education, research, outreach and community engagement, URI
is a major contributor to the ongoing development of Rhode Island’s economy.

The University traces its origins to 1888, when the 140-acre Oliver Watson Farm was purchased
as the site for a new state-chartered agricultural school and agricultural experiment station. (The
restored farmhouse still stands on what is now the University’s Kingston Campus.) With
additional funding from the federal government under the Second Morrill Land-Grant Act, the
school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (RICA&M) in 1892,
and graduated its first class of 17 students in 1894.

To reflect the institution’s expanding programs, RICA&M was renamed Rhode Island State
College in 1909 – a year that also saw the establishment of the state’s first marine laboratory.
With continued expansion, RICA&M was renamed the University of Rhode Island in 1951.
Today, URI is a “learner-centered” research university, with undergraduate, graduate and
professional degree programs offered through nine colleges and schools (Table 1).

Table 1: University of Rhode Island Colleges and Schools and their location

College Location
College of Arts and Sciences Kingston
College of Business Administration Kingston
College of Engineering Kingston
College of the Environment and Life Sciences Kingston
Graduate School of Oceanography Narragansett
College of Human Science and Services Kingston
College of Nursing Kingston
College of Pharmacy Kingston
Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Continuing Education Providence

As shown in Figure 1, the University has four campuses.

• The Kingston Campus, located in the village of Kingston, is URI’s main campus.

• Located in downtown Providence, the Feinstein Providence Campus is home to the Alan
Shawn Feinstein College of Continuing Education (founded in 1942) and several other
research and educational centers.

6 Appleseed
 
 Figure 1: Map of the University of Rhode Island’s campus locations

7 Appleseed
 
 • The Narragansett Bay Campus, established in 1936, is home to the Graduate School of
Oceanography, as well as several engineering labs and marine sciences research
centers.

• The W. Alton Jones Campus, established in 1964, is located in West Greenwich. It

features 2,300 acres of woods, fields, streams and ponds and serves as a natural
laboratory for environmental research and education.

Purpose and organization of the report

As noted above, the University of Rhode Island has been throughout its history and is today a
major contributor to the ongoing development of the state’s economy. To better gauge the scale
and significance of that contribution, this report assesses and, where possible, quantifies URI’s
impact on Rhode Island’s economy. The report was prepared by Appleseed, a New York City-
based consulting firm that has had extensive experience working with universities and colleges
in the U.S.

Part One of the report assesses the impact of the University as an enterprise – a major
employer, a purchaser of goods and services and a sponsor of construction projects; and
analyzes the impact of spending in Rhode Island by URI students and visitors to the University.

Part Two of the report discusses the University’s role in the development of Rhode Island’s
human capital. Part Three examines the impact of University research on the state’s economy;
and Part Four focuses on the commercialization of University research and the University’s
contribution to the development of new businesses in Rhode Island.

Part Five highlights some of the ways in which the University is engaged in meeting the needs
of Rhode Island communities. Part Six concludes the report with a brief discussion of why the
University’s contribution to the state’s economy could be even more significant in the future than
it is today.

Acknowledgments
This report could not have been completed without the active support and assistance of many
people at the University of Rhode Island. We would especially like to thank Meredith Drozd,
Mark Noll, Michael Smith, Peter Alfonso, Ray Wright, Mark Higgins, James Petell, Rachel
Sholly, Kim Washor, John McCray, Tom Mitchell, Michele Nota, Katherine Flynn, Vern Wyman,
Paul DePace, Betty Gil, Jayne Pelletier, and Donna Buckley.

8 Appleseed
 
Part  One:  URI  as  an  enterprise  

The University of Rhode Island is a significant enterprise in its own right – a major revenue
generator, an employer of Rhode Island residents, a buyer of goods and services from Rhode
Island businesses, and a sponsor of construction projects.

URI revenues
In fiscal year 2012, URI’s revenues totaled $468.8 million. As Figure 2 shows:

• Student tuition and fees accounted for 51.1 percent of this total. Although out-of-state
students account for about 39 percent of total enrollment at URI, we estimate that as a
result of the higher tuition paid by out-of-state students, they account for about 60
percent of all tuition and fee income;

• Federal contracts and grants – primarily for research – accounted for 20.9 percent of
total revenues;

• State and local government appropriations and grants accounted for 16.7 percent; and

• Revenue from other University-related enterprises accounted for about 5.4 percent.

Figure 2: URI revenues by source, FY 2012

Other enterprises,
Earnings from Other,
$25,541,295 ,
investments, $19,994,596 ,
5%
$279,256 , 4%
0%
Gifts,
$7,120,871 ,
2%
State and local
appropriations,
$58,485,321 ,
13%
Tuition and fees,
Federal grants, $239,572,639 ,
$98,024,985 , 51%
21%

State and local

grants,
$19,816,449 ,
4%

9 Appleseed
 
Based on these data, we estimate that approximately 57 cents out of every dollar of University
revenue is derived from out-of-state sources – primarily federal grants and contracts and tuition,
fees and other payments from out-of-state students. State and local taxpayers directly account
for roughly 17 cents out of every dollar in URI revenues; and other in-state sources, including
tuition, fees and other payments by in-state students – account for about 26 cents. In addition to
its role in educating Rhode Island’s residents and serving its communities, URI is thus a
significant generator of revenues from outside the state.

URI as an employer
In the fall of 2012, The University of Rhode Island employed 3,675 people (excluding students)
at its four campuses. To put this figure in context: If URI were a free-standing private entity, it
would be the state’s sixth-largest private employer.

Of this total, 65 percent worked full-time and 35 percent worked part-time. As Figure 3 shows,
the great majority of these employees (89 percent) worked on the University’s main campus in
Kingston. As of the fall of 2012, 86 percent of all non-student URI employees were Rhode Island
residents. Along with these full- and part-time regular employees, URI also employed 2,475
students in a variety of part-time jobs.

Figure 3: URI non-student employees (full- and part-time) by campus, fall 2012

Narragansett Feinstein
Bay Campus, Providence
202, 6% Campus ,
124, 3%

W. Alton Jones
Campus,
61, 2%

Kingston
Campus,
3,188,
89%

The University of Rhode Island provides a broad range of employment opportunities for people
with varying skills and levels of education – from faculty, non-faculty researchers, and other
professionals to facilities management staff, clerical workers and part time student assistants.

10 Appleseed
 
 Figure 4: URI employees (full- and part-time) by occupational category, fall 2012

Support Staff,
805,
22%

Instructors,
1,248,
34%
Clerical,
294,
8%

Administrators,
Other 147,
Professionals, 4%
745, Non-faculty
20% Research Staff,
437, 12%

During fiscal year 2012, wage and salary payments to all of the University’s employees totaled
$204.1 million.

The impact of purchasing and construction

URI spent $98.03 million in fiscal year 2012 on purchases of goods and services (other than
construction). Purchases from Rhode Island-based companies, institutions and organizations
totaled nearly $45 million – 46 percent of all University spending on supplies and services. The
largest category of in-state spending ($8.6 million) consisted of subcontracts to other Rhode
Island institutions or companies participating in URI-led research projects. This and other
leading categories of in-state spending are listed in Table 2.

Table 2: URI purchases of goods and services from in-state suppliers – selected categories, FY
2012

Total paid to Rhode Island

Types of goods and services
suppliers in FY 2012 ($000s)
Research subcontracts $8,638.5
Consulting $5,099.4
Educational supplies $3,854.6
Building maintenance $3,379.9
Food $2,672.3
Building & grounds services $1,840.5
Insurance $1,827.1
Computer equipment & software $1,808.5
Travel $1,629.8
Rent $1,373.6
Equipment rental $1,344.9

11 Appleseed
 
URI’s purchases of goods and services directly support jobs with Rhode Island companies.
Appleseed estimates that in fiscal year 2012 the University’s purchases of goods and services
from Rhode Island companies directly supported 311 full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs with these
companies.

URI also spent $86.4 million in fiscal year 2012 on construction and renovation of University
facilities, of which $57.2 million was paid to contractors based in Rhode Island. Major projects
completed or under way in 2012 included:

• The new College of Pharmacy Building, a five-story, 144,000 square-foot building

located in the Kingston campus’s new North Science District that was completed in
September 2012. The $75 million building is the largest academic building on the
Kingston campus, with facilities that include teaching and research laboratories,
classrooms, a professional practice lab with sterile preparation and patient assessment
areas, offices, meeting rooms and a 160-seat auditorium.

• Completed in October 2012, the new 120,000 square-foot Hillside Residence Hall
provides housing for 429 students, replacing the Terrace Apartments—a 54-bed
complex. The $42 million, five-story building is the most energy efficient residence hall
on campus, with 64 solar panels providing hot water for the facility, an on-site water
management system featuring rain gardens, and surrounding courtyards.

• The Anna Fascitelli Fitness and Wellness Center, located on the Kingston Campus,
will be completed in 2013. The $11.6 million project involves renovation and expansion
of a former dining hall into a 33,000 square-foot fitness and recreation facility serving
URI students, faculty and staff.

Other projects completed or under way in fiscal year 2012 included improvements to campus
fire protection systems, and roadway and parking lot improvements.

We estimate that URI’s investment of $86.4 million in campus facilities directly supported 429
FTE jobs with Rhode Island-based contractors in fiscal year 2012. Even more important in the
long run, these investments enhance the University’s capacity to fulfill its mission. The new
College of Pharmacy Building, for example, will enable the College to expand its research
programs and to increase enrollment in its doctoral program.

Indirect and induced effects

The University of Rhode Island’s impact on the state’s economy goes beyond the direct impact
of its spending on payroll, purchasing and construction. It also includes "indirect and induced” or
“multiplier” effects. Rhode Island companies from which the University buys goods and services
use some of the money paid to them by URI to buy goods and services from other local
businesses; and those businesses in turn buy some of what they need from still other Rhode
Island companies. Similarly, URI’s employees (and the employees of its local suppliers) spend

12 Appleseed
 
part of their take-home pay within the state – for housing, utilities, food, child care,
entertainment and other routine household needs.

Using the IMPLAN input-output modeling system – a tool of economic analysis commonly used
in economic impact studies – we can measure the direct and indirect effects of University
spending. Taking into account the University’s direct employment and payroll, jobs with Rhode
Island companies directly supported by URI purchases of goods, services and construction from
those companies, and the indirect effects of URI spending on payroll, purchasing and
construction, we estimate that in fiscal year 2012 University spending directly and indirectly
accounted for:

• More than 6,700 jobs;

• Approximately $348 million in earnings; and
• Approximately $596 million in statewide economic output.

Impact of student and visitor spending

Like the University’s own spending, off-campus spending by URI students also generates
economic activity in Rhode Island. For purposes of this analysis, we have included only the
impact of off-campus spending by out-of-state students attending URI, on the assumption that if
they were not attending URI, many in-state students would still be living (and incurring living
expenses) in Rhode Island.

Based on data obtained from the University, we estimate that about 66 percent of the 6,440 out-
of-state students enrolled at URI in the fall of 2011 lived off-campus. We further estimate that
off-campus spending by these students (including spending on housing, food, transportation,
entertainment and other personal needs) averaged about $18,400; and that out-of-state
students living on-campus spent an average of about $2,000 off-campus.

Based on these spending patterns, we estimate that off-campus spending by out-of-state

students in fiscal year 2012 totaled approximately $82.4 million. Using IMPLAN, we estimate
that this spending directly supported more than 1,100 full-time-equivalent jobs in Rhode Island.
Taking into the multiplier effect, we estimate that off-campus spending by out-of-state students
in fiscal year 2012 directly and indirectly accounted for approximately:

• 1,444 FTE jobs;

• $42.2 million in wages; and
• $122.6 million in output.

Spending by out-of-state visitors – commencement guests, fans of visiting athletic teams,

people attending conferences at the University’s various campuses, and many others – also
contributes to economic activity in Rhode Island. We estimate that visitors to URI from outside
the state spent $5.2 million in Rhode Island in fiscal year 2012. Using IMPLAN, we estimate that

13 Appleseed
 
this spending directly supported 53 FTE jobs in Rhode Island. Taking into account the multiplier
effect, we estimate that visitor spending directly and indirectly accounted for:

• 75 FTE jobs;
• $2.6 million in wages; and
• $7.2 million in economic output.

Adding it all up
Taking into account the impact of spending by the University itself, by out-of-state students and
by visitors to the university, we estimate that in fiscal year 2012 URI directly and indirectly
accounted for:

• More than 8,220 jobs;

• Approximately $393 million in wages; and
• Approximately $726 million in statewide economic output.

Table 3 summarizes the impact of University, student and visitor spending on Rhode Island’s
economy.

Table 3: Impact of University, student and visitor spending in Rhode Island, FY 2012

Impact Jobs Wages Output

Payroll
Direct URI payroll 3,675 $204, 093.1 $204,093.1
Indirect impact (impact of employee spending) 1,795 $80,896.0 $231,872.5
Subtotal 5,470 $284,989.1 $435,965.6

Purchasing/construction
Direct impact of URI spending 740 $39,204.7 $94,571.0
Indirect impact (impact of supplier/contractor spending) 493 $23,648.6 $65,982.0
Subtotal 1,233 $62,852.3 $160,553.0

Student spending
Direct impact of student spending 1,109 $26,474.8 $76,973.4
Indirect impact of student spending 335 $15,681.0 $45,671.0
Subtotal 1,444 $42,153.8 $122,644.4

Visitor spending
Direct impact of visitor spending 53 $1,596.8 $4,227.7
Indirect impact of visitor spending 22 $1,042.7 $2,998.4
Subtotal 75 $2,639.5 $7,226.1

Total impact 8,222 $392,634.7 $726,389.1

14 Appleseed
 
Contributing to state and local government finances
While the University of Rhode Island is not in itself a tax-paying entity, its activities do generate
revenues for the State and for local governments. In fiscal year 2012, the University withheld
nearly $7.1 million in State income taxes from the salaries and wages paid to its employees.
The University also paid more than $1.2 million in water, sewer and other fees to local
governments.

 
   

15 Appleseed
 
Part  Two:  Developing  Rhode  Island’s  human  capital  

Human capital – the totality of knowledge, skills and experience accumulated over time by a
community’s or a region’s workforce – plays a central role in determining whether cities and
states flourish or falter economically. Human capital can be especially critical in determining
how quickly and how successfully states can adapt to changes in the broader economic
environment.

One of the most important measures of human capital is the level of education achieved by a
state’s residents. The impact of higher education on individual earnings is widely recognized.
Workers with college degrees earn significantly more than those with only a high school
education (or less). As shown in Figure 5, the median annual earnings of adult Rhode Island
residents who had completed four-year college degrees were 69 percent higher in 2011 than
the median earnings of those who had only a high school diploma; and the median earnings of
those with graduate or professional degrees were 130 percent higher than the earnings of those
with no education beyond high school.

Figure 5: Rhode Island State median earnings by educational attainment, population age 25+

Graduate or professional degree $68,393

Bachelor's degree $50,327

Some college or associate's degree $36,795

High school graduate $29,787

Less than high school graduate $23,042

$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000

Source: American Community Survey, 2011 (Social Explorer)

The economic benefits of higher education are not limited to those who earn degrees.
Researchers at the New York Federal Reserve Bank have found that “a one percentage point
increase in the proportion of residents with a college degree is associated with a 2.3 percent
increase in metropolitan-area GDP per capita.” They cite two explanations for the powerful link
between human capital and economic growth.

16 Appleseed
 
 First, human capital increases individual-level productivity and idea generation. Second,
the concentration of human capital within a region facilitates knowledge spillovers, which
further enhance productivity and fuel innovation.1

Even non-college educated workers benefit from these spillover effects. University of California
economist Enrico Moretti has shown that “the earnings of a worker with a high school education
rise by about 7 percent as the share of college graduates in his [metropolitan area] increases by
10 percent.”2

The societal benefits of higher education are manifested in other ways as well. Education, for
example, is the single most powerful predictor of whether Americans vote; in the 2004
presidential election, voter turnout among college-educated Americans was 92 percent.3 And
surveys on volunteer activity conducted annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that
Americans with four-year college degrees are more than twice as likely to do volunteer work,
and to participate in other forms of community activity, as those who have not attended college.4

Parents’ education also affects the well-being of their children. The children of college-educated
parents are less likely to suffer from low birth weight, and perform better in school.5

Students and alumni

In the fall of 2011, a total of 16,564 students were in enrolled at the University of Rhode Island,
including 13,462 undergraduate students and 3,102 graduate students. Of those students, 96
percent were enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at the Kingston Campus; fewer
than 1 percent were enrolled in the Graduate School of Oceanography at the Narragansett Bay
Campus; and 3 percent were enrolled in undergraduate degree and other credit programs at the
Feinstein Providence Campus. Table 4 provides data on undergraduate and graduate
enrollment by school.

                                                                                                                       
1
 Jaison  Abel  and  Todd  Gabe,  “Human  Capital  and  Economic  Activity  in  Urban  America,”  Federal  Reserve  Bank  of  
New  York,  staff  report  no.  332,  July  2008,  pp.  1-­‐2.  
2
 Enrico  Moretti,  The  New  Geography  of  Jobs  (Houghton  Mifflin  Harcourt,  2012),  p.  98.  
3
 Barry  Burden,  “The  Dynamic  Effects  of  Education  on  Voter  Turnout,”  University  of  Wisconsin,  Department  of  
Political  Science,  February  2009.    
4
 J.  Foster-­‐Bey,  “Do  Race,  Ethnicity,  Citizenship  and  Socioeconomic  Status  Determine  Civic  Engagement?”  Center  
for  Information  and  Research  on  Civic  Learning  and  Engagement,  Working  Paper  62,  December  2008.      
5
 See,  for  example,  Janet  Currie  and  Enrico  Moretti,  “Mother’s  Education  and  the  Intergenerational  Transmission  of  
Human  Capital,”  Quarterly  Journal  of  Economics,  November  2003.    

17 Appleseed
 
 Table 4: Full- and part-time enrollment by campus, fall 2011

Narragansett Bay Feinstein Providence

Kingston Campus
Campus Campus
Full time Part time Full time Part time Full time Part time
Undergraduate 11,564 1,379 - - 112 245
Graduate/professional 1,727 1,287 72 16 - -
Other credit program - - - - 13 167
Total 13,273 2,666 72 16 125 412

Table 5: Undergraduate and graduate enrollment by school, fall 2011

Undergraduate college
College of Arts and Sciences 3,837
College of Business Administration 1,383
College of Engineering 1,135
College of the Environment and Life Sciences 2,047
College of Human Science and Services 2,216
College of Nursing 861
College of Pharmacy 90
Feinstein Providence Campus - Continuing Education 537
Unassigned/non-degree seeking 1,356
Total Undergraduate 13,462
Graduate or professional school/college
College of Arts and Sciences 630
College of Business Administration 280
College of Engineering 230
College of the Environment and Life Sciences 281
College of Human Science and Services 391
College of Nursing 114
College of Pharmacy 717
Graduate School of Oceanography 88
Non-degree seeking 371
Total Graduate 3,102
Total School Enrollment 16,564

Between the fall of 2006 and the fall of 2011, total enrollment at URI grew by 8.3 percent—an
increase of 1,265 students (Figure 6). Undergraduate enrollment grew by 11 percent (an
increase of 1,350 students), while graduate enrollment declined slightly.

18 Appleseed
 
 Figure 6: Undergraduate and graduate enrollment, fall 2006 – fall 2011

16,000
13,022 13,461 13,256 13,462
14,000 12,802
12,112
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
3,187 3,135 3,111 3,164 3,206 3,102
4,000
2,000
0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Undergraduate Graduate/professional

During academic year 2011-2012, the University awarded a total of 3,420 degrees, including
2,614 undergraduate and 806 graduate degrees.

Where URI students come from – and where alumni live

As shown in Figure 7, in the fall of 2011 62 percent of all URI undergraduates and 57 percent of
all graduate students were residents of Rhode Island. Overall, 61 percent of all students were
Rhode Island residents.

Figure 7: Undergraduate and graduate enrollment by student’s place of residence, fall 2011

Undergraduate Graduate/Professional

Other,
Other,
5,097,
1,343,
38%
43%
Rhode Rhode
Island, Island,
8,365, 1,759,
62% 57%

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As of the summer of 2012 (as shown in Figure 8), more than 48,400 University of Rhode Island
graduates (about 43 percent of all URI alumni) lived in Rhode Island. As Figure 9 shows, URI
graduates are widely distributed across the state.

Figure 8: URI alumni by place of residence, summer 2012

Rhode Island,
48,457, 43%
Other, 64,805,
57%

As of 2012, URI alumni accounted for approximately 22 percent of all Rhode Island residents
with at least a four-year college degree. We cannot say how many of these alumni would have
missed the opportunity to earn a four-year, graduate or professional degree had it not been for
URI. Nevertheless, it is clear that the impact of the educational opportunities URI offers – both
for its alumni and for the state as a whole.

To provide a sense of the magnitude of impact, we assume that in the absence of URI, half of
all University graduates now living in the state (about 24,200 people) would instead have had no
education beyond high school, or would have gone to college but stopped short of getting a
bachelor’s degree. Based on the previously-cited Census Bureau data on how Rhode Islanders’
earnings vary by level of education (Figure 5), we can estimate that in 2011 the aggregate
income of these 24,200 URI alumni was more than $500 million higher than it would have been
without the education they obtained at URI.

Moreover, the impact of URI’s contribution to the development of Rhode Island’s human capital
is not limited to its impact on individual earnings. Assuming once again that half of URI’s in-state
alumni would not have earned a four-year college degree without the opportunity that URI
provided, we can estimate that the percentage of Rhode Island’s adult residents with at least a
bachelor’s degree was 3.4 percentage points higher in 2011 (31.1 vs. 27.7 percent) than it
would have been in URI’s absence.

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 Figure 9: URI alumni and students by Rhode Island town, fall 2011

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Based on the previously cited finding that an increase of 1 percentage point in the college-
educated share of the population is associated with a 2.3 percent increase in metropolitan area
GDP, we can estimate that increasing the college-educated share of the state’s population by
3.4 percentage points translates into an increase of 7.8 percent in the state’s GDP. This in turn
suggests that in 2011, Rhode Island’s $50.1 billion GDP was approximately $3.5 billion higher
than it would have been without URI’s contribution to the development of the state’s human
capital.  

Preparing students for tomorrow’s economy

The University of Rhode Island offers a wide range of degree programs that help prepare
students for careers in many of Rhode Island’s leading industries – and in industries that are
likely to contribute to the future growth of the state’s economy. Below we highlight just a few
examples of these programs.

• In the multi-disciplinary Biomedical Engineering program, students learn to use

engineering skills to develop solutions to issues in the life sciences and medicine
through a curriculum that combines study in biological sciences with engineering
techniques specific to the use of modern technology in medicine.

• URI’s Department of Ocean Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate degrees

in the areas of ocean instrumentation and robotics, seafloor mapping, underwater
acoustics, marine hydrodynamics and water-wave mechanics, coastal modeling, marine
geomechanics, offshore energy generation, and coastal and offshore structures. Located
at the Narragansett Bay Campus, the Department’s facilities include a state-of-the-art
marine geomechanics laboratory, a wave/tow tank, an acoustics test-facility and a 42-
foot research vessel.

• The College of Engineering offers students the opportunity to gain a global professional
edge through the International Engineering Program (IEP). Now in its 25th year of
operation, IEP students of any engineering major can earn a B.S. in engineering and a
B.A. in German, Spanish, French or Chinese, through a five-year dual-degree program
that includes a fourth year abroad, split between six months of coursework and six
months at a paid internship with a leading international engineering firm. The IEP
program also offers a dual graduate degree program, in which students can earn a dual
master’s or dual doctorate degree with one degree each from URI and the partner
institution abroad.

• The College of Pharmacy’s undergraduate and graduate programs in Pharmaceutical

Sciences provide students with the skills and knowledge required in a variety of areas

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 within the pharmaceutical industry, including drug discovery and development, clinical
research and manufacturing.

• URI’s Department of Cell and Molecular Biology recently launched two new
undergraduate programs designed to prepare students for careers in the region’s
growing biotechnology industry.

o The Microbiology Program focuses on biotechnology R&D and features a 3+1

curriculum in which students follow three years of academic work with a one-year
internship.

o The Clinical Laboratory Science Program focuses on biotechnology

manufacturing. It features a 1+3 curriculum in which students complete one year
of full-time class work and a summer internship, after which most students take
jobs in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, while continuing their studies at URI on
a reduced-time basis.

URI also offers several biotechnology-related programs at its Feinstein Campus in

Providence; these are described below in conjunction with the University’s continuing
education program.

• URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography is one of the leading schools in its field in
the U.S. The School offers master’s and doctoral degrees in several specialties, as well
as a special eighteen-month master’s degree for students who want to pursue non-
research-based careers in oceanography.

• URI’s “Blue MBA” program is a sixteen-month dual MBA and Master of Oceanography
(M.O.) program that focuses on business and management skills in relation to climate-
related science. Students are prepared for careers in industries such as energy, ocean
technology and engineering, risk management, water resources, fisheries, marine
navigation and tourism, as well as ocean and human health.

• The College of Business Administration’s International Business Program is a five-

year program in which students can combine any of the College’s undergraduate
business majors with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese, Spanish, French or German. The
program includes a year-long internship with a global company in Europe, Asia or Latin
America.

• The URI College of Business Administration offers an MBA in Strategic Innovation, an

intensive one-year MBA program that focuses on the management of both product and
business innovation in a global context.

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 • The URI College of Nursing is the only school in Rhode Island offering a Doctor of
Nursing Practice degree, which qualifies recipients to work as nurse-practitioners in
several areas, including family practice, gerontology and psychiatry.

Experiential learning at URI

Practical, hands-on experience is a central element of a URI education. Each year, about 4,200
students participate in some type of practicum or internship, most of them with businesses,
institutions and other organizations in Rhode Island. In many fields of study such experiences
are a required part of the curriculum. Several examples – in molecular biology, international
engineering and international business are cited above. Other examples include the following:

• The College of Engineering offers a wide range of internships with engineering firms,
technology companies, public agencies and other organizations. Overall, the College
estimates that about 85 percent of all URI engineering students complete one or more
internships before they graduate.

• In the College of Nursing, undergraduate students are required to complete a series of

practica in areas such as surgical nursing, nursing of children and community health.
Students can gain practical experience in a wide variety of settings, including some of
New England’s leading hospitals (such as Rhode Island Hospital and Women and
Infants Hospital), nursing homes, community health centers and schools.

• The College of Business Administration assists students in securing internships in a

wide range of settings. They include both for-credit and non-credit, and both paid and
unpaid internships. As noted previously, the International Business program includes a
year-long internship abroad.

• In the College of Human Science and Services, the Textile Marketing and Design
Department offers summer internships with companies in the textile and fashion
industries both in Rhode Island and elsewhere. Companies where TMD students worked
as interns in 2012 included Anthropologie, Giorgio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Donna
Karan and Christian Louboutin.

• Students in the College of Pharmacy’s BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences program are

encouraged (but not required) to take advantage of internships with leading drug
companies.

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Continuing education at URI
URI’s role in the development of Rhode Island’s human capital is not limited to providing
opportunities for traditional students to earn four-year, graduate and professional degrees. The
University is also a leading provider of continuing education for Rhode Island residents.

The principal focal point for continuing education at URI is the Providence-based Alan S.
Feinstein College of Continuing Education. The College offers several flexible pathways to
earning an undergraduate degree, including a program called Finish What You Started,
designed for students who had previously started working on but had never completed a
degree. The College also offers several career-oriented master’s degree programs in public
administration, business, medical lab science, labor relations and library and information
studies.

In addition to these degree programs, the College offers:

• Undergraduate certificates in homeland security and multimedia;

• Graduate-level certificates in cybersecurity and digital forensics; and
• Contract training programs for Rhode Island companies, public agencies and institutions.
Clients have included Amgen, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Rhode Island Hospital, the
Miriam Hospital, On semiconductor and Raytheon.

As of the fall of 2011, 2,195 students were enrolled in for-credit programs offered through the
College of Continuing Education, and 94 in non-credit programs.

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Part  Three:  The  impact  of  University  research        
 

Since at least the 1950’s, scientific discovery and technological innovation have been among
the most important sources of economic growth in the U.S., and America’s universities play a
central role in this process. Universities – with strong financial support from the federal
government – account for about 55 percent of all spending on basic scientific research in the
U.S.6

Research at the University of Rhode Island contributes in several ways to the vitality of Rhode
Island’s economy.

• Each year, URI attracts hundreds of millions of dollars in external (primarily federal)
research funding to Rhode Island – most of which is spent within the state.

• Research conducted by URI faculty, staff and students expands the boundaries of
knowledge in areas that in the years ahead are likely to be continuing sources of
innovation and economic growth.

• Opportunities to participate in significant research projects enhance the education of URI

students – and the ability of the University’s graduates to participate in the continued
development of the state’s economy.

• The “intellectual capital” created by URI researchers provides a foundation for the
creation of new products and services, new businesses, and new jobs.

This part of the report examines the University’s contribution to the region’s economy in the first
three of these areas. Part Four discusses how URI contributes to the state’s economy through
its role in technology transfer and the development of new businesses.

Trends in research spending

In fiscal year 2012 (as shown in Figure 10), URI spent a total of $100.2 million on research—a
cumulative increase of 64 percent since fiscal year 2007, or an average growth of approximately
10.4 percent annually over five years.

                                                                                                                       
6
The Science Coalition, Sparking Economic Growth, April 2010, p. 3.

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 Figure 10: URI annual research spending, FY 2007 – FY 2012 (in $$$’s)

$120,000
$100,247.7
$100,000 $87,771.7
$81,159.6
$80,000 $68,686.2
$61,109.5 $60,676.0
$60,000

$40,000

$20,000

$0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

As shown in Figure 11, the federal government is by far URI’s largest source of research
funding, accounting for 80 percent ($80.5 million) of all research expenditures in fiscal year
2012. Among federal agencies, the National Science Foundation was the leading source of
funding for URI research, accounting for 20.3 percent of total research spending in fiscal year
2012, followed closely by the National Institute of Health/Department of Health and Human
Services (19.5 percent). Other sources of federal funding included USAID (about 9.9 percent of
URI research spending), the Department of Agriculture (7.0 percent) and the Department of
Defense (6.8 percent).

In addition to funding from the federal government, state and local government funding
accounted for nearly $16 million in spending in fiscal year 2012 (16 percent of total research
spending). Corporations, foundations and other sources accounted for $3.8 million (about 3.8
percent of all research spending).

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 Figure 11: URI annual research spending by source of funding, FY 2012

Corporate, Misc.,
Foundation & $3,342,800 ,
Institutions, 3%
$461,747 , 1%
Local Government,
$798,495 , 1%
State NSF,
Government, $20,359,865 ,
$15,138,360 , 20%
15%

Other Federal,
$10,430,482 , 10%
NIH/HHS,
Dept. of Energy, $19,529,731 ,
$3,122,118 ,
20%
3%
Dept. of Homeland
Security,
$3,306,429 , 3%
USDA,
$7,007,194 , DOD,
Agency for Intern'l $6,813,977 ,
7%
Development ,
7%
$9,936,452 , 10%

As Figure 12 shows, increases in federally-funded research have been the primary driver of
increased research spending at URI. Between fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2012, federally-
supported research spending at URI grew by 61 percent.

Figure 12: Trend in URI annual research spending by source of funding, FY 2007 – FY 2012

$90,000,000

$80,000,000

$70,000,000
Federal
$60,000,000 Government

$50,000,000 State & Local

Government
$40,000,000
Corporate,
$30,000,000 Foundation &
Institution
$20,000,000 Other

$10,000,000

$0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

As shown in Figure 13, the Graduate School of Oceanography accounted for 31 percent of all
URI research spending in fiscal year 2012; and the College of the Environment and Life

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Sciences for 22 percent. The College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and the
College of Pharmacy are also significant contributors to the University’s research enterprise,
accounting for approximately 28 percent of all research spending in fiscal year 2012.

Figure 13: URI annual research spending by college, FY 2012

Other, College of Arts

$13,332,964 , and Sciences, College of
President's Business
Office, 13% $12,344,661 , Administration,
$1,634,325 , 12% $179,091 , 0%
College of 2%
Pharmacy, College of
$7,900,401 , Engineering,
8% $7,454,828 ,
College of 8%
Nursing,
$1,060,106 ,
1% College of
College of Environment &
Human Science Life Sciences,
& Services, Graduate $22,035,772 ,
$3,163,968 , School of 22%
3% Oceanography,
$31,141,534 ,
31%

Between fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2012, several URI colleges recorded significant growth
in research spending. The College of the Environment and Life Sciences more than doubled its
total research spending; at the College of Engineering, research grew by 43 percent; and at the
Graduate School of Oceanography by 37 percent.

Figure 14: Trend in annual research spending for selected URI colleges, FY 2007 – FY 2012

$35,000,000

$30,000,000

$25,000,000 A&S
ENGR
$20,000,000
CELS
$15,000,000 GSO

$10,000,000 NURS
PHARM
$5,000,000

$0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

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 Table 6: URI annual research spending by college, FY 2007 – FY 2012 (in $$$’s)

FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012

Arts & Sciences $6,458.6 $7,388.0 $9,170.0 $11,002.4 $10,629.3 $12,344.7
Business Administration $0.0 $162.4 $245.7 $9.9 $56.9 $179.1
Engineering $5,223.5 $4,913.9 $5,978.9 $7,053.5 $7,207.7 $7,454.8
Environment & Life Sciences $10,397.7 $11,522.3 $15,331.3 $17,963.2 $18,294.2 $22,035.8
Graduate School of Oceanography $22,751.0 $21,653.2 $22,138.4 $27,894.6 $26,945.1 $31,141.5
Human Science and Services $5,662.1 $5,564.5 $4,661.8 $4,551.4 $4,701.7 $3,164.0
Nursing $813.1 $780.4 $926.9 $1,151.2 $1,748.7 $1,060.1
Pharmacy $7,100.5 $6,488.3 $7,813.9 $7,935.5 $9,467.1 $7,900.4
Continuing Education $1.9 -$4.7 $14.6 $19.6 $25.1 $20.4
President’s Office $1,152.5 $1,002.5 $1,468.2 $1,237.5 $1,516.1 $1,634.3
Other $1,548.7 $1,205.0 $936.3 $2,340.8 $7,116.9 $13,312.6
Total $61,109.5 $60,676.0 $68,686.2 $81,159.6 $87,771.7 $100,247.7
 

Research at URI: A sampler

Much of the research conducted at URI involves the discovery and development of new
knowledge in fields relevant to some of Rhode Island’s leading industries, including some that
are likely to be major contributors to the state’s future economic growth. The following are just a
few examples of research centers or programs at the University of Rhode Island.

• The Graduate School of Oceanography’s Coastal Resources Center (CRC), founded in

1971, supports the development and implementation of coastal management programs
in Rhode Island and elsewhere. CRC and other URI scientists have been working to
identify feasible locations for development of offshore wind turbines. This research is
part of a major initiative by the State and Providence-based Deepwater Wind, aimed at
establishing Rhode Island as a leader in offshore production of wind power.

• The Center of Excellence in Undersea Technology was established in 2007 by URI

and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC). The Center focuses on design,
development, testing, and implementation of a variety of undersea technologies for use
by the Navy and in homeland security, and that may also have civilian application.

• Established in 2009, the Graduate School of Oceanography’s Inner Space Center

serves as an on-shore communications center for telepresence-based ocean exploration
and research. The Center receives, processes and distributes data and video footage
collected by research vessels (such as GSO’s Nautilus and NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer)
and remotely-operated vehicles. This technology enables scientists at URI and
elsewhere to observe in real time and participate in research being conducted at sea or
in the depths of the ocean.

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 • The Institute for Immunology and Informatics (iCubed), located in Providence, was
established in 2008 as part of URI’s Biotechnology Program. The Institute’s research
focuses on the development of new vaccines, new methods for predicting and treating
adverse immune responses, and improving tolerance of transplants.

• The Rhode Island Genomics and Sequencing Center (RIGSC) provides technical and
analytical support for molecular biology and genomics research at URI and other Rhode
Island institutions. The Center offers services such as robotic sample preparation, DNA
sequencing and imaging.

• The new College of Pharmacy building includes a $6 million, 7,000 square foot Good
Manufacturing Practice Facility in which the College can partner with biomedical
companies to develop and manufacture pharmaceutical products up to clinical trial scale.
The facility is also used to train pharmacy students (and workers) in manufacturing best
practices and drug manufacturing inspectors for the Food and Drug Administration.

• The College of Pharmacy’s Natural Products Research Group specializes in studying

the medicinal properties of natural substances. This research can lead to the discovery
and development of new ways to treat disease and enhance wellness.

• The Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center, part of URI’s Department of
Computer Science and Statistics, conducts research on a variety of issues affecting
cyber security, and develops new approaches to protecting critical infrastructure. The
Center’s work includes an NSF-funded study of cyber security issues affecting the
nation’s power grid.

• Rhode Island Consortium for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, established in

2010, is a partnership between URI and Brown that draws on the two universities’
complementary strengths – and the strengths of industry partners – to define and solve
problems in nanoscience and technology. Research focuses on nanomaterials and
nanoscale tools, and applications of nanotechnology in fields such as health care
and energy.

Undergraduate research opportunities

Student participation in faculty research has long been a hallmark of graduate education in the
U.S. – and this is no less true at URI than at other major research universities. URI, however, is
also notable for the extent to which the opportunity to collaborate in faculty research (or to
undertake their own) is available to undergraduate students as well.

Regardless of whether they plan to pursue graduate studies or careers in science,

undergraduates benefit in several ways from participation in research projects. They gain
experience in working as part of a team – in collecting, organizing and analyzing data – and in

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communicating the results of their work. Below we cite several examples of programs through
which URI supports undergraduate research.

• URI’s Coastal Fellows Program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity
to work on real-world problems in coastal management. Students work 20 hours per
week during the summer and 10 hours per week during the fall, both in labs and field
settings, collaborating with faculty members, graduate students, research staff, post-
doctoral fellows and other environmental professionals. In 2012, 45 undergraduate
students participated in the program.

• Undergraduate and graduate URI students in the Energy Fellows Program partner with
faculty, nonprofits, energy providers, local and state government and the business
community to develop locally-based solutions to energy issues. The program offers two
tracks: a research track that focuses on a science-based research project and an
applied track in which students work with outside organizations on various energy-
related projects.

• Launched in 2012, URI’s Science and Engineering Fellows Program provides

undergraduate students from underserved communities with the opportunity to gain
hands-on experience working with URI faculty and graduate students on environmental
issues ranging from renewable energy to oil spill remediation, explosives detection and
the suppression of epileptic seizures. The program includes a 14-week summer session,
in which students spend 30 hours each week working on a research project and
participating in mentoring sessions, followed by a 2-credit course in the fall, focused on
the communication and presentation of scientific work.

Through these and other programs, URI is helping to develop the new knowledge that will drive
future economic growth – and helping to ensure that URI students are prepared to put that
knowledge to work.

   

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Part  Four:  Technology  transfer  and  business  development    

With some narrow exceptions, university research in itself does not directly generate economic
growth. The new knowledge that university research creates must first be translated into
concepts for new products, new processes or new services, which must then be brought to
market.

The translation of new knowledge into new products, processes and services, new businesses
and new jobs can occur in any of several ways:

• Through the licensing of technologies first developed in University labs to companies

interested in using these technologies for commercial purposes;

• Through licensed start-up companies (often involving university faculty or graduates)

created specifically for the purpose of commercializing the results of university research;
and

• Through other companies started by faculty members, staff, students and alumni that,
while not based on licensed technologies, are in some way rooted in their experience at
the University.

This part of the report examines the University’s role in technology transfer and business
development in Rhode Island. We focus first on the formal process of technology transfer,
including the licensing for commercial use of technologies first developed at URI; and then on
examples of Rhode Island companies founded by URI alumni, students, faculty and staff.

Technology transfer at URI

The URI Research Foundation is responsible for the management of the University’s intellectual
property, and for commercialization of the results of University research. As a result of recent
effort to strengthen this function, the Research Foundation has begun to accelerate the
movement of new technologies from the lab to the marketplace.

As shown in Table 7, in fiscal years 2011 and 2012, the URI Research Foundation filed 42 U.S.
patent applications, was awarded 22 new patents, entered into ten agreements for use of the
University’s intellectual property and assisted in the formation of three new companies engaged
in the commercialization of University research.

During the first eight months of fiscal year 2013, the pace of technology transfer accelerated
further still, with the completion of 21 additional intellectual property agreements and the
formation of four new start-up companies.

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 Table 7: Technology transfer activity, URI Research Foundation, FY 2011 and FY 2012

FY 2011 FY 2012 Total

Invention disclosures 16 19 35
U.S. patent applications 17 25 42
Patents issued 12 10 22
Intellectual property agreements 2 8 10
Start-up companies formed 3 0 3
Licensing revenue $165,361 $217,245 $382,606

Notable examples of start-up companies engaged in the commercialization of URI research

include:

• pHLIP, co-founded in 2010 by Oleg Andreev and Yana Reshetnyak, professors of

physics at URI, has developed a nanotechnology-based platform for cancer imaging and
treatment. The company is based in Kingston.

• Burbank Industries, founded in 2011 by Patricia Burbank, a professor of nursing at

URI, and Ying Sun, director of the University’s biomedical engineering program; the
company, which is based in North Kingstown, has developed a device that can be used
to monitor older adults’ physical activity and encourage them to exercise.

• North Kingstown-based CRE Medical Corp, founded in 2011 by engineering professor

Walter Besio, has developed sensors that can detect brain signals that are much weaker
than those typically picked up by EEG’s or other devices.

During the past two years, the Research Foundation has expanded its activities to include
securing external funding to support early-stage work on the development of new products
based on research conducted at URI. In fiscal year 2012 the Research Foundation secured
$126,000 for this purpose; and more than $243,000 during the first eight months of fiscal year
2013.

Companies founded by URI faculty, staff, students and alumni

Formal technology transfer is not the only means by which the intellectual capital developed at
the University of Rhode Island is translated into new products and services, new businesses
and new jobs. The work of URI faculty and staff, and the knowledge that students and alumni
acquire during their time at the University, can also provide a foundation for technological
innovation and entrepreneurial development.

The following are examples of Rhode Island companies started by URI faculty, staff, students or
alumni (other than those that have licensed new technologies from the University).

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 • ChemArt, based in Lincoln, is a leading manufacturer of Christmas ornaments. The
company, which was founded in 1976 by Richard Beaupre, a URI alumnus, employs
approximately 100 people year-round, as well as 140 seasonal workers.

• Applied Science Associates, founded in 1979 by Malcolm Spaulding, a URI graduate

and faculty member, provides a range of engineering, scientific and technical consulting
services to both private and governmental clients in the U.S. and elsewhere. ASA is
headquartered in South Kingstown, and has offices in several other countries as well; it
employs 59 people in Rhode Island.

• American Mussel Harvesters, Inc, based in North Kingstown, is one of the largest
shellfish companies on the East Coast, serving markets across the U.S. and in Canada.
Founded in 1986 by URI alumnus Bill Silkes, the company employs 40 people and has
collaborated with URI on several research projects.

• Carousel Industries was founded in 1992 by Michael Vickers, a URI alumnus. The
company designs, develops and maintains converged communication networks for large
enterprise customers. In addition to its headquarters in Exeter, the company has 22
offices throughout the U.S. and more than 1,000 employees, including 245 in Rhode
Island.

• A2B tracking Solutions, based in Portsmouth, was founded in 1994 by URI alumnus
Peter Collins. The company, which employs 40 people in Rhode Island, uses bar code
technology to track and manage customers’ critical assets.

• EpiVax was founded in 1998 by Annie De Groot, director of URI’s Institute for
Immunology and Informatics. EpiVax, which employs 15 people in Providence, is
engaged in the design of new vaccines.

• FarSounder, founded in 2002 by ocean engineering professor James Miller and student
Matthew Zimmerman, developed an underwater sonar system that can provide detailed
3D navigational information over a distance of a half-mile; and a system for 360-degree
surveillance and identification, assessment and tracking of potential underwater threats.
The company is based in Warwick and employs 12 people.

• Providence Investment Management LLC, a Providence-based hedge fund, was

founded in 2003 by URI alumnus Russell Jeffrey. The firm employs 4 people.

• Alex and Ani, founded in 2004 by URI alumna Carolyn Rafaelian, is an eco-friendly
jewelry design and manufacturing company. Headquartered in Cranston, the company
has more than 640 employees, including 85 in Rhode Island.

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 • Alektrona, co-founded in 2006 by URI alumnus Jim Higgins, develops software and
hardware for smart grid management. The company is based in Providence, and
employs 8 people.

• Greenbytes, founded in 2007 by URI alumnus Robert Petrocelli, develops systems for
data storage and duplication, with particular applications in health care. The company is
based in Providence and employs 30 people.

• Vitrimark, founded in 2007 by Arijit Bose, a professor of engineering at URI, develops

biomarkers that can be used to detect diseases and in the development of
pharmaceuticals. The Providence-based company employs 2 people.

• Labonachip LLC was co-founded in 2011 by Mohammad Faghri and Constantine

Anagnostopoulos, URI professors of engineering, to further develop a postage-stamp-
sized, paper-based in vitro diagnostic platform.

Additional Rhode Island companies with roots at URI are listed below in Table 8. These
companies – by no means a complete inventory of Rhode Island businesses started by URI
faculty, students and alumni – employ more than 1,000 people in Rhode Island.

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 Table 8: Examples of Rhode Island companies founded by URI alumni, faculty and students

Company Location Founded URI connection Business RI employees

Brokers Service Marketing Group Providence 1972 Alum founder Consulting 38
ChemArt Lincoln 1976 Alum founder Manufacturing 100
Computer Associates Inc Smithfield 1978 Alum founder Software 62
Applied Science Associates S Kingstown 1979 Alum founder Science/tech 59
Boothroyd-Dewhurst Wakefield 1985 Faculty founders Software 14
American Mussel Harvesters N Kingstown 1986 Alum founder Shellfish 40
Home Care Advantage Cranston 1988 Alum founder Health care 200
Carousel Industries Exeter 1992 Alum founder IT/telecom 245
PC Troubleshooters Warwick 1992 Alum founder IT support 14
A2B Tracking Solutions Portsmouth 1994 Alum founder IT 40
Turino Group Providence 1996 Alum founder Consulting 25
Environmental Packaging Jamestown 1998 Alum founder Consulting 12
EpiVax Providence 1998 Faculty founder Biotech 15
Elite Physical Therapy Multiple 2002 Alum founder Health care 21
FarSounder N Kingstown 2002 Faculty founder Marine tech 12
Providence Investment Mgt Providence 2003 Alum founder Hedge fund 4
Alex and Ani Cranston 2004 Alum founder Jewelry 85
Cherrystone Angel Group Providence 2004 Alum founder Angel network 2
Business Innovation Factory Providence 2005 Alum founder Consulting 10
Alektrona Providence 2006 Alum founder Smart grid 8
Greenbytes Providence 2007 Alum founder Health IT 30
Vitrimark Providence 2007 Faculty founder Biotech 2
pHLIP Providence 2010 Faculty founders Biotech
Burbank Industries N Kingstown 2011 Faculty /licensee Biotech
CREmedical Corp Kingston 2011 Faculty/licensee Biotech
Hungryrhody.com Newport 2011 Alum founders E-commerce
Scrap Specialists Recycling Narragansett 2011 Student founders Recycling
Labonachip LLC N Kingstown 2012 Faculty founders Biotech

Supporting entrepreneurial development

Maximizing URI’s impact on innovation and entrepreneurship in Rhode Island requires more
than a strong research base and an effective technology transfer program. It also requires
creation of an environment – both within and outside the University – that encourages and
supports entrepreneurial development. URI has in recent years taken a number steps aimed at
creating such an environment.

• University policies have been more closely aligned with the goal of promoting innovation
and entrepreneurship.

o Patents and patent applications, for example, are now formally recognized in
tenure reviews as indicators of scholarly achievement.
o URI also permits faculty members to take leaves of up to three years to start new
companies.

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 • As noted above, the URI Research Foundation has secured funding to support further
research and development aimed at translating research findings into new products.

• The College of Business Administration offers an undergraduate major in entrepreneurial

management, with required courses in areas such as entrepreneurship, small business
management and international business. As of the fall of 2012, 127 students were
majoring in entrepreneurial management.

• The University’s Providence-based Institute for Immunology and Informatics (iCubed)

offers a training program in biotechnology entrepreneurship. Students learn about the
business and legal aspects of starting a biotechnology company, as well about specific
ideas and opportunities for (vaccine-related) biotechnology companies that Rhode Island
needs. At the end of the nine-week program, students and faculty collaborate to develop
business plan proposals to compete for $2,500 to help launch their start-ups. This
“science to start-up” program was launched in 2010 with a $20,000 grant from the
Providence Chamber of Commerce.

• In 2012, Professor Edward Bozzi of URI’s Biotech Manufacturing program and Dr.
Denice Spero of iCubed co-founded Rhode Island Bioscience Leaders, a group of
CEO’s and other top executives of 24 small and mid-sized bioscience companies. The
group provides a voice for these companies on issues of common concern, and also
supports the creation of new life science businesses in Rhode Island.

Through these and other initiatives, URI is helping to build a stronger foundation for innovation
and entrepreneurship in Rhode Island.

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Part  Five:  Outreach  and  community  engagement  at  URI  
 

In an era when the growth of Rhode Island’s economy depends on its ability to develop, attract
and retain highly skilled workers, managers and entrepreneurs, the strength of the state’s
communities and the quality of life they offer can have a significant impact on Rhode Island’s
potential for prosperity.

In addition to its role in developing the state’s human capital, in research and in development of
new businesses, as well as its impact as a significant enterprise in its own right, the University
of Rhode Island supports the growth of the state economy through its outreach to and
engagement with communities throughout the state. A full accounting of the University’s
engagement with Rhode Island communities is beyond the scope of this report. The following
examples nevertheless illustrate some of the ways in which URI contributes to the strength of
those communities.

Improving elementary and secondary education

The University of Rhode Island collaborates with school districts throughout the state in their
efforts to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education. URI’s School of
Education (a division of the College of Human Science and Services) offers one of eight state-
approved teacher training programs in Rhode Island. In the fall of 2011 the School had a total of
398 undergraduate and graduate students; and during the 2011-12 academic year it awarded a
total of 135 undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The University supports efforts to improve elementary and secondary education in other ways
as well. For example:

• Through the Guiding Education in Math and Science Network (GEMS-NET), a

partnership with local school districts, the School of Education provides curriculum
recommendations, professional development and other services to teachers of science
in grades K through 8.

• The School of Education’s CAREERS project is a longitudinal study of the pre-service

education, student teaching experience and in-service work of elementary school
science teachers, aimed at improving both the pre-service preparation and ongoing
professional development for these teachers.

• More than 400 teachers each year participate in programs sponsored by Reading First,
a partnership of the URI School of Education, the Rhode Island Department of Education
and the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers that aims to develop the professional skills
of teachers and literacy coaches in Rhode Island Schools.

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 • URI’s Environmental Education Center, located on the W. Alton Jones campus, is a
resource for schools throughout the state. In fiscal year 2012, the Center hosted 71 visits
by school groups, with a total of 4,142 students and 487 teachers and other adults.
These programs ranged in length from one to five days. When student attendance at
other meetings and summer camps is taken into account, a total of 7,620 students
participated in various programs at the Center in fiscal year 2012.

Cooperative Extension at URI

As Rhode Island’s land grant university, URI offers a wide range of programs for Rhode Island
communities and residents through Rhode Island Cooperative Extension. Many of these
programs are aimed at promoting sustainability and sound management of natural resources at
the local level. For example:

• Founded in 1987, URI Watershed Watch program is a statewide, scientist-led water

quality monitoring program that recruits and trains citizen volunteers who monitor water
quality in Rhode Island’s lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, streams, salt ponds, bays and
harbors on a weekly basis. The program helps reduce water pollution through better
understanding of the impact of human activities and developing communities on the
state’s watersheds. As of 2012, URI Watershed Watch had nearly 400 Rhode Island
volunteers and more than 220 active monitoring sites in 30 Rhode Island cities and
towns and 3 Connecticut towns.

• The Sustainable Agriculture at URI center serves as an “information clearinghouse” for

Rhode Island farmers; as well as offers technical support through on-site visits, sample
analysis and telephone communications. The center provides the Rhode Island farming
community with access to the “URI GreenShare factsheet index”—a comprehensive
online data resource with information on diseases and sustainable farming methods,
including insect pest and weed control, information on soil and fertilizer, and pruning, for
fruit, vegetables, flowers, landscape care, turf care, trees and shrubs, insect and animal
pests, and general gardening.

• Started in 1977, the URI Master Gardener Program is a community service and
educational outreach program that trains volunteer citizens to become URI Master
Gardeners in the areas of plant health and sustainable gardening practices. The
program provides informational resources such as the Gardening Hotline, seminars,
demonstration vegetable gardens, and flower shows; as well as provides soil service
testing and community and historic garden projects and garden consulting services.
Currently, there are more than 300 active Master Gardeners participating in the
volunteer program, with more than 600 volunteers coming through the program since its
founding.

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The University’s sea grant program, based at the Graduate School of Oceanography, provides
similar services in connection with ocean and coastal issues facing Rhode Island communities.
URI’s Sustainable Coastal Communities Extension Program provides state government and
coastal communities with a variety of services including ecosystem based management
solutions, waterfront development and policy advice on climate change and coastal hazards.
For example:

• The Program works with the Coastal Resources Management Council, the state’s
coastal planning and regulatory agency, to develop Special Area Management Plans
(SAMPs) for coastal ecosystems throughout Rhode Island. These plans provide a
framework for developing, managing and preserving the environmental, economic and
cultural resources of coastal areas.

• The Program also helps the state and its communities in addressing specific needs,
such as planning for waterfront development. The program has also developed an
inventory of maritime industrial and commercial uses and infrastructure on the state’s
harbors.

Service learning and volunteer programs

Students play a significant role in community engagement at URI. As part of their General
Education requirements, all URI first-year students are enrolled in URI 101: A Freshman
Seminar, a course in which students are introduced to civic engagement. From September to
November, students choose from as many as 160 different service projects, such as tutoring,
beach clean-up, serving meals at a local community kitchen, or helping raise funds for a local
community organization. In the fall of 2010, more than 2,500 first-year students completed
more than 150 service projects in Rhode Island, totaling more than 10,000 hours of service with
30 community agencies.

Beyond their first year, undergraduates can choose from among more than 40 service learning
courses – courses in which classroom learning is integrated with work on projects of value to
the community. These courses span areas as diverse as community planning, nutrition and food
science, nursing and natural resource management. An example of one such course is
highlighted below.

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 Surfing and Ocean Therapy at Narragansett Town Beach

In the summer of 2011, 15 students in URI Assistant Professor Emily Clapham’s

kinesiology class worked with children with special needs in Clapham’s pilot surfing
program at Narragansett Town Beach. Funded by a URI Human Science and
Services Interdisciplinary Research Partnership Grant, the project focused on the
physical, mental and emotional benefits of exercise—specifically surfing—in
children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome and other special needs.

The experiential learning portion of this adaptive physical education course

provided URI students with the opportunity to apply their academic course work
and make a meaningful connection between their studies and the positive impact it
can have on the Rhode Island community. Through their service work, the students
were able to observe the actual results of exercise and ocean therapy while
providing a beneficial resource to Rhode Island families and children with
disabilities.

Many students also engage in community service work as volunteers. The URI Clearinghouse
for Volunteers can provide contacts for students with 185 community organizations and
institutions, and help students explore options for volunteering.

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Part  Six:  URI  and  the  future  of  Rhode  Island’s  economy  

As this report has documented, the University of Rhode Island has been a significant contributor
to the development of Rhode Island’s economy – as a significant enterprise in its own right, and
through its mission of education, research, business development, outreach and service to the
community. But as important as its contribution to the state’s economy has been, it could be
even more important in the future.

Investing in Rhode Island’s human capital

For more than a century, America’s investment in human capital – measured first by the
percentage of the working-age population completing high school, and in more recent decades
by the percentage who earn four-year college or advanced degrees – has been one of the most
critical factors driving the growth of its economy, and an important source of competitive
advantage. But in this century, America is losing its edge.

Statistics recently published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (a
partnership of 36 developed countries) highlight this trend. In 2010 the U.S. ranked fourth
among 36 OECD members (plus Russia) in the percentage of 55-to-64-year-olds who had
college degrees. But in the percentage of 25-to-34-year-olds with college degrees, the U.S. had
fallen into a tie for fourteenth place.7 Given the rate at which other countries are increasing the
level of educational attainment among younger adults, the U.S. could within the next few years
drop out of the top twenty.

Rhode Island fares somewhat better on this score than the U.S. as a whole – 35.7 percent of
the state’s residents age 25 to 34 had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2010, compared to 31
percent of all U.S. residents of the same age8 – but the state too is losing ground relative to
other countries.

Making higher education more widely accessible – and making sure that students are prepared
to take advantage of this opportunity – is thus critical to the nation’s future, and to Rhode
Island’s. Given its position as the state’s public university in providing to Rhode Island residents
the opportunity to earn four-year and advanced degrees, URI will have to play a leading role
(perhaps the leading role) in helping the state achieve that objective.

                                                                                                                       
7
 OECD,  Education  at  a  Glance  2012.  Countries  ranking  ahead  of  the  U.S.  in  2010  were  Korea,  Japan,  Canada,  
Russia,  Japan,  Ireland,  Norway,  New  Zealand,  the  U.K.,  Australia,  Israel,  Belgium,  Luxembourg  and  France;  the  U.S.  
tied  with  Sweden.  
8
 U.S.  Bureau  of  the  Census,  American  Community  Survey  2010  

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 Living and working in a global economy
Today’s college students will spend their lives working in an increasingly integrated global
economy. Higher education is one of the most effective ways to provide young people with the
knowledge, perspective and experience they will need to succeed in that environment. URI
already has programs in place that can help students prepare to think, live and work in a global
environment. They include, for example, its exemplary international engineering and
international business programs, and the new health studies program, which offers a
concentration in global health. This and similar programs can help ensure that URI graduates
are ready to meet – and engage with – the world.

Strengths that match the future

The University of Rhode Island’s diverse research enterprise is particularly strong in several
areas that are likely to shape opportunities for economic growth over the next several decades.
They include:

• Environmental and life sciences – already one of the leading sources of innovation in
today’s economy;
• Ocean sciences and engineering – likely to be one of the leading sources of growth and
development in this century; and
• Energy – including offshore wind, wave and other sustainable energy sources.

Translating new knowledge into new businesses and new jobs

During the past few years, the University of Rhode Island has taken significant steps to
strengthen its capacity to translate the results of University research into commercially viable
products, businesses and jobs. At the same time, it has expanded the programs and services
available to students interested in developing their own businesses. Over the next five to ten
years, these initiatives should result in the creation of a growing number of businesses with
roots at URI.

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