University of Rhode Island to officially open Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences

Gov. Raimondo, House Speaker Mattiello, URI Foundation board member Tom Ryan ’75, Hon. ‘99 to attend

WHAT: State and university officials, contributors to the project and business leaders to participate in ribbon cutting to officially open $68 million, 134,623-square-foot  Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences. Funded in large part by a $61 million bond issue approved by Rhode Island voters in the 2010 election, the facility bears the name of Richard E. Beaupre, an alumnus and longtime supporter of the University who made a $2.5 million gift to support the project.

The Center replaces Pastore Hall, which was built in 1953 to accommodate 800 students. Today, more than 7,000 students enroll in chemistry classes each year. The Beaupre Center, which will house the URI Department of Chemistry, including its undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs, as well as a federal Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response, triples the amount of space for teaching labs and nearly doubles the space for research laboratories.

WHO:  Gina M. Raimondo, governor of Rhode Island; Nicholas A. Mattiello, speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives; Barbara Cottam, chair of the Rhode Island Board of Education; David M. Dooley, URI president; Winifred Brownell, dean of URI’s College of Arts and Sciences; William Euler, professor and chair of URI’s Department of Chemistry; Richard E. Beaupre, ’62, Hon. ’03, CEO of ChemArt Co. in Lincoln, for whom the building is named, and longstanding donor to URI; Thomas M. Ryan, ’75, Hon ’99, URI Foundation executive board member, former CVS Caremark chief and major donor to the University; Julie Whelan, ’09, candidate for her doctorate in chemistry; Katsuaki Kaito, president of Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc. and Dr. Melvin Lipson, ’57, former chemist, president and CEO of leading chemical companies.

WHEN:  Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016, 10 to 11 a.m.

WHERE:   The Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences, 140 Flagg Road, Kingston Campus

NOTE TO MEDIA: The venue for the event is expected to be filled to capacity. Those covering the event, should plan to be there early. To make coverage arrangements and to tour the building the day of the event, contact Dave Lavallee at URI Marketing and Communications, 401-874-5862.