KINGSTON, R.I. – Feb. 6, 2020 – The University of Rhode Island announced that The Devereux Ocean Foundation, Inc. has pledged $250,000 to create the Devereux Ocean Foundation Fund for the Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO).
The Devereux Ocean Foundation fosters ocean research, education, and stewardship. Current supported projects focus on coral reefs, marine mammals, and ocean education. The gift includes support for Rhode Island K-12 science teachers to collaborate with GSO experts to develop new ocean science curriculum materials. This content will be supplemented with educational videos produced by GSO’s Inner Space Center, which has an impressive content library of ocean video footage with extraordinary educational potential that will be unlocked with Devereux’s support. Ultimately, GSO will distribute these educational materials in K-12 schools statewide to help provide a baseline understanding of ocean science for all students in the Ocean State. A partnership with the Rhode Island Public Broadcasting System will enable national and international distribution.
“The support of The Devereux Ocean Foundation will help us to develop curricular material for K-12 teachers that can be used widely in ocean education,” said Bruce Corliss, dean of GSO. “These resources will be used to inspire the next generation to address the world’s most critical problems like rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and climate change.”
Corliss will oversee the use of the dean’s fund to support the school’s strategic plan.
“We appreciate GSO’s position as one of the world’s premier oceanographic institutions and want to support the amazing work being accomplished by its faculty and students,” said Mark Grosby, president of The Devereux Ocean Foundation. “Solving critical ocean issues requires not only outstanding research, but world class public outreach and education.”
This support follows a year of impressive investments in GSO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced an award of $94 million to the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, which is led by GSO. The East Coast Oceanographic Consortium (ECOC) established by URI and two other powerhouse research institutions, won a national competition to operate one of the National Science Foundation’s new $125-million regional class research vessels—one of only three such vessels in the nation. The residents of Rhode Island voted for a bond issue in November 2018 that provides $45 million for facility enhancements at URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus.
Founded in 1961, the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography has built a reputation for excellence in deep water oceanographic research, coastal planning and management, sustainable fisheries, and monitoring the health of Narragansett Bay. With operations, researchers, faculty, and students worldwide, the Bay Campus education and outreach programs train the next generation of scientists and policymakers, while ensuring Rhode Island’s K-12 teachers and students gain an appreciation for the importance of ocean science through a variety of hands-on programs.