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Special member-exclusive theatre events Dues-paying members of the Alumni Association are invited to two special events: dinner and the URI Theatre production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on December 4, and Wicked at PPAC on December 16. Become a member today so that you can enjoy these and other special member events.

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Welcoming new alumni Join the Connecticut Chapter and the Young Alumni Council on November 19 at the Thomas Hooker Brewery in Bloomfield in welcoming new graduates to the area. Learn more and register online today!

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Save the date for the Big Chill Honorary Chairs, John J. Palumbo '76, president and publisher of Rhode Island Monthly, and Gail Palumbo, invite URI alumni, family, and friends to the Big Chill Weekend, a fun-filled weekend in Newport and Kingston, January 29-31, 2010. Best of all-it's all about scholarships!

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Basketball alumni events coming up The Department of Athletics is getting together with the Massachusetts Chapter for a reception before the URI-BC men's basketball game at Boston College on December 13 and with the Connecticut Chapter for a reception before the URI-Oklahoma State game at Mohegan Sun on January 2. Learn more and register online today!

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Alumni Ski Weekend at Mt. Snow Sign up now for our sixth annual URI Alumni Ski Weekend at Mt. Snow, Vermont. Take advantage of discounted rooms and lift tickets, and enjoy a welcome dinner on Friday evening sponsored by the Alumni Association. Further details and online registration are available.

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At the chapters On December 1, members of the Theta Chi Chapter are getting together for their quarterly dinner. On December 3, the Italian Chapter is holding a special event in the Alumni Center, and on December 5, the RIDOT Chapter is holding a reception and coat drive before the URI-PC men's basketball game. Find out more and see what your chapter has planned.

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Professor finds strong link between client-directed therapy and relationship success Using four simple questions to generate client-directed feedback can greatly increase the chances that struggling couples will stay together. According to the largest clinical trial with couples to date, co-authored by Human Development and Family Studies Professor Jacqueline Sparks, couples that had systematic client feedback incorporated into their sessions were 46.2 percent less likely to wind up divorced or separated. More...

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Visiting scholar from Nigeria provides global perspective on gender inequality and human development Bola Akanji, a research professor from the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, is visiting the University this month, hosted by the Women's Studies program, Department of Economics, and African and African American Studies program. Akanji studies policy processes in Nigeria relating to gender, macroeconomics, and sustainable development. More....

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Researcher studies changing ecology of the Appalachian Trail Yeqiao Wang, a professor of terrestrial remote sensing, will lead a team of scientists from seven government agencies and other institutions to monitor the changing ecology along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. In a project funded by a four-year, $1.15 million grant from NASA's Earth Science Division, the team will use satellite data to assess and forecast ecosystem conditions in order to provide proper management of the 2,175-mile trail. More...

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Biotech student awarded Fearless Scientist Scholarship Kathy Vachon has been working for nearly 30 years and has a wide range of jobs on her resume. This fall she enrolled in the Biotechnology Manufacturing Program to begin a new career, and she has now been rewarded with the Polly Matzinger Fearless Scientist Scholarship. "The scholarship is all about women who have faced hardships in their lives and who have still made a career of science," said Vachon. More....

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Researcher finds forest birds commuting to attract mates Scott McWilliams, an ecologist studying habitat use by a forest-dwelling game bird found that the birds unexpectedly exhibited what he described as "the bar scene phenomenon"-spending most of their time feeding and resting in one habitat and then "commuting" to a very different habitat to engage in courtship. McWilliams and his colleagues are expanding their project and collaborating with biologists in other states to learn how best to manage forests for these species. More...

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Program updates The master's degree in Labor Relations and Human Resources has earned accreditation from the Society for Human Resource Management, one of only two programs in New England to earn this accreditation. In other program news, graduates of the University's Human Development and Family Studies program can now be designated as Certified Family Life Educators by the National Council on Family Relations. URI is the third school in New England to be family life educator-certified by the national council.

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November 16 Lecture: Gender-The Missing Link in Africa's Growth and Development

November 17 "Demystifying India" Bollywood and the World

November 19 Big Thinkers: Washington D.C., featuring President David M. Dooley

November 19 Landscape Architecture Lecture Series continues

November 19 "Demystifying India" The Sacred Image in India

December 1 Big Thinkers: New York City, featuring President David M. Dooley

At the Ryan Center

More upcoming events at URI