KINGSTON, R.I., — Sept. 13, 2018 — Curious about what the University of Rhode Island’s faculty, students and staff are doing in the world of smart textiles, artificial intelligence, health technology, communications, and design thinking?

Then make sure to attend Innovation with Impact, a series of events running from Sept. 21 through Oct. 5 that call attention to new and big ideas, exciting research and inventions that can benefit Rhode Islanders and people around the world. Most programs are free and open to the public and are held on the Kingston Campus (unless otherwise noted).

“I am pleased to welcome campus community members, business leaders, educators, students and the public to this dynamic series that showcases the University’s innovative programs, ideas and initiatives, as well as the creative and scholarly work of our faculty and students,” said Donald H. DeHayes, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

Deedee Chatham, of URI’s Academic Innovations Group, has led the effort to tie together several events under the banner of “Innovation with Impact”, guided by URI’s Academic Strategic Plan.

“Here you’ll see the breadth and depth of the impact people at URI are creating. My hope is that everyone in our community will find an event that touches your heart and mind, and will join in to learn, meet, and engage with us.”

One such program is Design Thinking and Education, a two-day symposium that will examine how institutions of higher education can and should use the design process and creative thinking to develop internally, while also working in alliance with business, government, industry, and community to serve their needs.

“Design thinking has been filtering more actively into educational institutions because you have a whole generation of theory, of pedagogy and practice behind it,” said Karl Aspelund, symposium chair and associate professor in the Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design. Aspelund has worked on design thinking projects with the military and is author of “The Design Process.” The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is required and there is a fee to participate.

Other highlights of the Innovation with Impact series include:

HealthHacks RI 2018, Saturday, Sept. 22, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 23, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. College students from schools throughout the region are invited to Health Hacks RI 2018, which focuses this year on Smart Health for Mobility. Individuals or teams can register to participate. This is a design- and maker-fest in which human-centered design approaches are used to solve­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ problems. The top team will receive $1,000 to grow their idea. The pitch competition, keynote, and awards ceremony is open to the public on Sunday, Sept. 23, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Artificial Intelligence Lab Ribbon Cutting, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m. The AI Lab, located in the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons, presents the application and societal impact of artificial intelligence. As the first such lab in the nation to be located in a university library, the setting provides an environment designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and equal access. The ribbon cutting will be held on the main floor of the library.

Showcase 2018: Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Works, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 12:30 to 5 p.m. Posters, oral presentations and art displays will highlight the innovative work of URI students representing over 40 different majors. The showcase features students discussing their innovations in art, music, theater and science, technology, engineering and math.

The Inclusive SciComm Symposium, Friday, Sept. 28, and Saturday, Sept. 29, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The symposium is designed to share successful practices and models for engaging diverse public audiences in a multicultural society in ways that acknowledge and respect their perspectives and contributions. The symposium is open to science communicators and journalists, college students, professionals from the non-profit, public and private sectors; and staff, administrators and educators from all levels.

Innovation Voucher Showcase and URI Business Engagement Center 5th Anniversary Celebration, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. URI researchers have partnered with Rhode Island small businesses in projects spanning the manufacturing, health, defense and food sectors. Each has been supported by an Innovation Voucher grant from R.I. Commerce Corporation to help businesses expand their research and development capacity, and this event celebrates five years of collaboration.

For the full list of programs and details, visit the Innovation with Impact website.