After chatting a bit, they all find that a common thread binds them: The University of Rhode Island. They are all alumni of different generations and degrees.
URI President David M. Dooley will recognize 20 such leaders on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the 7th Annual Distinguished Achievement Awards ceremony at the Newport Marriott, 25 America’s Cup Ave., Newport, R.I.
The awards will honor the following alumni who have brought distinction to themselves and the University through their professional achievements, outstanding leadership or community service.
President’s Award
Cornelius M. Kerwin, M.A. ’73, Ph.D.
President, American University
Cornelius Kerwin is president of American University and a nationally recognized specialist in public policy and the regulatory process. The founder of American University’s Center for the Study of Rulemaking, he is the author of Rulemaking: How Government Agencies Write Law and Make Policy and co-author of How Washington Works: The Executive’s Guide to Government. He was named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine in 2009, and Irish Voice named him one of the most influential Irish educators in the U.S. and Canada. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and member of the boards of directors of the American Council on Education and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Ernest Mario, M.S. ’63, Ph.D. ’66, Hon ’91
Chairman and CEO, Capnia
Ernest Mario began his career in the pharmaceutical industry as a research scientist in 1966 and went on to lead four drug companies as CEO: Glaxo, Alza, Reliant, and his current company, Capnia. In addition to serving on the boards of companies public and private, Mario devotes considerable time to philanthropy. A past trustee of Duke, Rutgers, URI, and Rockefeller universities, he was awarded the Remington Medal, pharmacy’s highest honor, in 2007, and is namesake of the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers, his undergraduate alma mater. He is a resident of Glenbrook, Nev.
Blanche R. Murray ’41, Hon. ’88
Retired Educator, Tolman High School
Blanche Murray, of Jamestown, R.I., was the first female president of both the URI Foundation and the URI Alumni Association, and she served two terms on the R.I. Board of Governors for Higher Education. A former home economics teacher in Pawtucket who was named R.I. Home Economics Teacher of the Year in 1977, she received an honorary degree from the University in 1988 and was inducted into the College of the Environment and Life Sciences Hall of Fame in 2003. She has served on numerous URI committees, including a Presidential Search Committee, and boasts of 10 family members who also received URI degrees.
Thomas Wroe, Jr. ’72, Hon. ’06
Chairman and CEO, Sensata Technologies, Inc.
Thomas Wroe is chairman and CEO of Sensata Technologies, formerly the sensors and controls business of Texas Instruments, where he started his career in 1972 as a manufacturing engineer. During his long tenure at TI, he held management assignments in operations, engineering, marketing and business development. He has been an instrumental supporter of the URI International Engineering Program, especially the Chinese IEP, and he has established an endowed scholarship to support students in that program. He serves on many boards, including the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Cape Cod Healthcare, Chase Corp., and Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. He is a resident of East Dennis, Mass.
President’s Corporate Award
Sensata Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 1916 as the General Plate Company in Attleboro, Mass., to provide gold plate to the Rhode Island jewelry industry, today Sensata is a world leader and early innovator in mission-critical sensors and controls. Sensata’s devices are used in numerous industries and products that help to improve safety, energy efficiency, the environment and more for millions of people every day. With business centers and manufacturing sites in the United States and 10 other countries, Sensata employs more than 11,000 people.
Deans List
Each college recognizes the following individuals:
Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Continuing Education
Jay Spitulnik Ph.D. ABD
Organizational Consultant, Lifespan Learning Institute
Spitulnik is a seasoned management consultant and expert in organizational assessment, strategic planning and implementation and process development. At the University he is considered the driving force behind the URI/Lifespan RN-BS partnership that has helped scores of nurses receive their undergraduate and advanced degrees. The program is in effect at all four Lifespan hospitals. Spitulnik also serves on the steering committee for the R.I. Center for Nursing Excellence that was created to develop and test innovative solutions to nursing workforce issues in the state of Rhode Island. He is a Ph.D. candidate at Walden University and lives in Northborough, Mass.
College of Arts and Sciences
Richard K. Pyle, Sr. ’67, M.A. ’69, Ph.D. ABD
Retired U.S. Department of State, Central Intelligence Agency, Intelligence Community
Pyle began his career in 1969 as a political officer and intelligence analyst with the U.S. Department of State and then served for 26 years as a clandestine operations officer and intelligence analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. During his Agency career, the Vietnam era veteran spent more than 12 years on assignments abroad and an additional six years on assignments outside of Washington, D.C. Throughout his career and in retirement, he has shared his expertise as a professor of political science at several universities. His doctoral studies were at Princeton University. He is a resident of Rockville, Md.
Therese A. Rando ’74, M.A. ’75, Ph.D. ’80
Clinical Director and Founder, The Institute for the Study and Treatment of Loss
A clinical psychologist in Warwick, RI, Rando founded The Institute for the Study and Treatment of Loss, offering mental health services in loss and grief; dying and death; trauma and posttraumatic stress; and medical illness. A recipient of numerous professional awards, she is an internationally recognized consultant, researcher, lecturer, therapist, author, expert witness, and media commentator. She has over 80 publications, including the acclaimed How To Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies and her forthcoming Coping With the Sudden Death of Your Loved One: Self-Help for Traumatic Bereavement. Rando is a resident of Wyoming, R.I.
Douglas M. Rosie ’51, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost, Chair and Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus University of Rhode Island
After earning his Ph.D. from Cornell University and working as an analytical chemist in private industry, Rosie returned to his alma mater in 1958 to research and teach the art and science of chemistry. His early work in gas and liquid chromatography provided critical findings that eventually led to the development of cutting-edge forensic science tools used today and to the production of safer vehicles. After serving as chair of the chemistry department, his administrative talents led him through a series of promotions to the position of assistant provost from which he retired in 1992. One landmark of his administrative tenure was his role in helping to eliminate gender-based salary inequities and improving the salary structure for all. He is a resident of Narragansett, R.I.
College of Business Administration
Robert J. Alvine ’88
President, General Manager, Premier Subaru and Premier Kia
Alvine began his career in the banking industry and served as senior vice president, chief credit officer of Falcon Financial, LLC (a Goldman Sachs Company). But in 2000, he changed gears. He founded Premier Subaru and has since opened doors to Premier Kia. Taking principles of his business education to heart, his overriding goal is to consistently exceed customer expectations. As a result, he was named vice chairman, Subaru of America National Dealer Council, and is one of only three U.S. dealers selected by the leadership at Subaru to be part of the company’s product planning committee. He is a resident of Shelton, Conn.
Keith M. Moore ’74, Ph.D ’04
Managing Director, Event-Driven Research, MKM Partners
Moore leads the Event-Driven group at MKM Partners, an institutional equity research, sales and trading firm. Moore is also the author of the nationally recognized book Risk Arbitrage: An Investor’s Guide, which is considered a must-read for investors and finance and investment professionals. Moore’s career spans research, trading and portfolio management at a number of firms including Neuberger & Berman and Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette. He is a former assistant professor of finance at St. John’s University and adjunct professor at the University of Rhode Island and New York University. He resides in Greenlawn, N.Y.
College of Engineering
Carl C. Engle ’65
Vice President and Chief Engineer, Cardi Corporation
You may not know his name, but if you’ve driven roadways and bridges in Rhode Island during the last 45 years, you’ve likely benefited from his engineering. Engle has had direct responsibility for bidding and constructing about $1.9 billion worth of infrastructure projects in New England. These projects include the relocation of the Providence 195/95 interchange. His insight and can-do attitude made national news when he had the project’s signature bridge built offsite and floated upriver into place. Admired for his accuracy, honesty and innovative approach, Engle is highly regarded in the field and is considered an invaluable mentor to scores of young and old engineers. He is a resident of North Dartmouth, Mass.
RADM Daniel R. May M.S. ’84
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard
Rear Admiral May knows how to move big things safely. In 1992 he led the first move in the United States to protect a major lighthouse from an eroding bluff — the 1,700-ton Block Island Southeast Lighthouse was moved back. Moving a Cape Cod lighthouse in 1995 followed this feat. Rear Admiral May served as the port of Boston region Coast Guard commander from 2001 to 2004 and as the operations chief for the search and recovery effort following the crash of John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s plane in 1999. He most recently served as commander of the Personnel Service Center managing recruiting, assignment, advancement, pay, and promotion actions for the Coast Guard’s nearly 50,000 active duty and reserve workforce. The Rear Admiral lives in Newburyport, Mass.
College of the Environment and Life Sciences
Jonathan L. Feinstein ’77, M.C.P. ’79
Senior Vice President, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
With an extensive background in environmental studies associated with major infrastructure projects, Feinstein manages environmental impact statements for construction projects nationwide, including the T.F. Green Airport Improvements Program. More than 25 years ago he founded Vanasse Hangen Brustlin’s top-ranked Environmental Services Practice. A member of several environmental organizations and a VHB board director, Feinstein promotes corporate stewardship and the involvement of young professionals in the environmental industry. He has been recognized for his leadership as chairman of the Environmental Business Council of New England and also serves as an instructor at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. He is a resident of Southborough, Mass.
Captain Thomas A. Marnane M.M.A. ’70, NavE
Retired Vice President of Logistics, Matson Navigation Company
Retired U.S. Navy Captain
Captain Marnane, one of the first graduates of our Master of Marine Affairs Program, is a retired U.S. naval captain whose career spans sea duty on surface ships and submarines, naval architecture, ocean engineering and transportation. He is also a retired vice president of logistics at Matson Navigation Company, a leader in global ocean transportation. Throughout his career, Captain Marnane managed government-operated nuclear shipyards and large container ports along the West Coast, Hawaii and Guam. He continues leadership roles in organizations dedicated to developing and conserving the California coastline and San Francisco Bay. A resident of Moraga, Cal., Captain Marnane developed the Northern California Marine Transportation Plan.
College of Human Science and Services
John Wardle ’78
Senior Vice President of Client Service, CVS Caremark
Considered a gifted business leader with great compassion, Wardle has spent more than 30 years in the health care field. For a decade he was with United HeathCare. During that time he was part of a small team of executives who first introduced managed care to the nation of South Africa. Wardle later joined PharmaCare, a CVS subsidiary, and he launched CVS’ Medicare prescription drug plan. He then became president of Universal American’s Medicare Part D, a company that was later sold to CVS and he is now senior vice president of client service for CVS/Caremark. He received his master’s degree in Health Service Administration from Salve Regina University.
College of Pharmacy
Dr. Keith P. Lewis ’76
Professor of Anesthesiology, Boston University School of Medicine
Chairman of Anesthesiology, Boston Medical Center
Dr. Lewis, R.Ph, has more than 30 years experience in health care, both as pharmacist and physician. His career has focused on patient safety and his areas of expertise include cardiac and transplantation anesthesia and motivating change in health care. Dr. Lewis is now involved in creating Operating Rooms of the Future and developing new healthcare approaches to streamline patient flow and avoid waits and delays. After receiving his URI degree in 1976, he received his M.D. from the University of Connecticut, Farmington, trained in Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and completed a fellowship in Cardiothoracic Anesthesia. He joined the Boston University faculty in 1998 and is a resident of Quincy, Mass.
College of Nursing
Kristen M. Swanson, ’75, Ph.D.
Dean, Alumni Distinguished Professor School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Academic Affairs, UNC Hospitals
Swanson is renowned for her research on pregnancy loss and for development of the “Swanson Theory of Caring” – a theory that is used internationally to guide research, education, and nursing practice. Based on the impact of her research on practice and the culture of care delivery, she was recently named the Virginia Mason Medical Center Distinguished Nurse Scholar. Before joining Chapel Hill, she held the University of Washington Medical Center Term Professorship in Nursing Leadership and several related positions at UW where she was a faculty member for more than 20 years. She is a Robert Woods Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow alumna and resides in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Graduate School
Carrie Byron, Ph.D. ’10
Post-Doctoral Research Scientist, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Byron graduated in 2010 with a Ph.D. in environmental science. During her dissertation research, she worked closely with shellfish farmers and other stakeholders to calculate the ecological carrying capacity of aquaculture in Rhode Island coastal waters. She is now working in Portland, Maine, to understand how the marine environment influences Atlantic salmon migration and survival. Byron received her undergraduate degree in zoology, conservation biology, and environmental studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She now resides in Mansfield, Mass.
Matthew Ortoleva, M.A. ’03, Ph.D. ’10
Assistant Professor of English and Writing Center Director, Worcester State University
As a doctoral student, Ortoleva didn’t just focus on rhetoric. He sought instead to consider it in terms of place and ecological relationships. This unique perspective showed in his award-winning doctoral dissertation, “Rhetorics of Place and Ecological Relationships: The Rhetorical Construction of Narragansett Bay.” Now as assistant professor of English and Writing Center director at Worcester State University, his primary research continues to be the role that language plays in the construction of ecological relationships to the natural world. He is a resident of Johnston, R.I.
Graduate School of Oceanography
Mary A. Voytek, M.S. ’84, Ph.D.
Director, NASA Astrobiology Program
Considered one of the biggest players in the field, Voytek is director of NASA’s Astrobiology program in D.C., and serves as deputy program scientist for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission. Before joining NASA in 2008, she headed the microbiology and molecular ecology team at the U.S. Geological Survey in Virginia. Her primary research interest is aquatic microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. She has studied environmental controls on microbial transformations of nutrients and metals in freshwater and marine systems. Deeply interested in the microbiology of extreme environments, Voytek has worked in such environments including Antarctica, hyper-saline lakes, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and terrestrial deep- subsurface sites. She is a resident of Arlington, Va.