KINGSTON – July 1, 2015 –The University of Rhode Island has been awarded the prestigious James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Award by a U.S. Department of Defense agency. Forty-one facilities out of 13,300 nationwide were selected for the highly competitive award. The Cogswell Award is given for outstanding achievement in matters related exclusively to a facility’s security program.

The University of Rhode Island and Texas A&M University, College Station, were the only two educational institutions among the 2015 recipients.

“The Cogswell Award is another affirmation of research excellence at the University of Rhode Island,” said Gerald Sonnenfeld, vice president of research and economic development. “We are honored and proud to have been recognized for our commitment to security excellence.“

The Defense Security Service, an agency of the Department of Defense, presents the award to defense contractors that are subject to recurring assessment, and who represent companies large and small. The federal security service provides the military services, defense agencies, federal agencies and cleared contractor facilities with security support services.

The award criterion focuses on principles of industrial security excellence. Factors include establishing and maintaining a security program that far exceeds the basic National Industrial Security Program requirements; and providing leadership to other cleared facilities in establishing best practices while maintaining the highest standards for security.

The Cogswell Award selection process is rigorous. A security service industrial security representative may only nominate facilities that have at a minimum two consecutive superior industrial security review ratings and which show a sustained degree of excellence and innovation in their overall security program management, implementation and oversight.

The Cogswell Award, established in 1966, is named in honor of the late Air Force Col. James S. Cogswell, the first chief of industrial security within the Department of Defense. Cogswell was responsible for developing the basic principles of the Industrial Security Program, which include an emphasis on the partnership between private industry and government to ensure the greatest protection for the nation’s classified information.

“Sally Marinelli, URI’s facility security officer, was instrumental in contributing to the process that led to our winning the award,” added Sonnenfeld. The awards were presented at the annual National Classification Management Society training seminar on June 24, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nev.”

Pictured above

(L-R) Stanley Sims, Director, Defense Security Service (DSS), Gerald Sonnenfeld, URI Vice President for Research and Economic Development; Sally Marinelli, URI Facility Officer; Gus E. Greene Sr., Director, Industrial Security Field Operations (DSS)