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March 11, 2008

URI's Carothers to be honored at education gala

University of Rhode Island President Robert L. Carothers will be honored Friday evening in Boston at the New England Board of Higher Education’s annual gala, in recognition of his 17 years at the helm of the state’s flagship university.

Carothers will receive the Eleanor M. McMahon Award for Lifetime Achievement, an honor named after the late Rhode Island higher education commissioner and educator.

In addition, Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center will receive the Rhode Island State Merit Award for its leadership in adult literacy and helping to develop a more productive and educated workforce.

Carothers will be honored for his efforts to link classroom learning to community service and the establishment of URI’s $6 million Centennial Scholarship program, which attracts top students, helping to boost the overall competitiveness of the university. The award also recognizes Carothers’ oversight of more than $200 million in new construction and rehabilitation of existing facilities on the Kingston campus.

“President Carothers is one of New England’s most respected higher education leaders,” said the interim president and chief executive officer of the regional higher education board, Michael K. Thomas, in a news release. “He has overseen the transformation of URI, expanding its physical infrastructure, reenergizing the curriculum, increasing student and faculty diversity and attracting top students.”

Carothers became URI’s 10th president in 1991 and announced late last year that he plans to step down when his current contract expires in June 2009.

For more information on New England Higher Education Excellence Awards, being held at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, visit: www.nebhe.org/excellence2008.

-- Journal staff writer Jennifer D. Jordan

In the past several years, Carothers has received national awards for mentoring future college administrators and his initiatives to crack down on underage student drinking and substance abuse on college campuses.

During his tenure, Carothers banned alcohol from all university events, signed stricter rules punishing students for alcohol use, worked with local police to curb drunk driving and noisy off-campus house parties, and promoted research into addictive behaviors.

Dorcas Place provides adult education programs to about 1,000 low income Rhode Islanders a year, offering adult basic education, English as a Second Language, GED classes and job placement, as well as family literacy and after-school programs for elementary students.

Brenda Dann-Messier, president of Dorcas Place, serves on the state Board of Governors for Higher Education.

“For nearly three decades, Dorcas Place has contributed to the social and economic growth of Rhode Island by providing adult education, advocacy and community programs that have increased literacy and allowed individuals to reach their full potential,” Thomas said

Posted by Mike McKinney at 4:47 PM | Permalink

March 11, 2008

URI's Carothers to be honored at education gala

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