Brown University

Exhibition: Jorge Flores, Brown University associate professor, and his students from the Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, have produced an exhibition at the John Carter Brown Library. The library has now added an electronic version of their recent exhibit “Portugal and Renaissance Europe” to its Web site, www.jcbl.org. Important books from the library showing the intricacies of Portuguese intellectual interactions with early modern Europe — specifically the cultural and political impact of the Portuguese “Discoveries” in different European learned centers and communities — can now be viewed online. The online exhibition is at http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/Portugal/Index.html

Community College of Rhode Island

Athletic director named: Joe Pavone of Cranston has been named director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation at the college after serving as interim athletic director since August 2007. In the position, he will continue to manage CCRI’s intercollegiate athletics, physical education and recreation and intramural programs and oversee management of the college’s athletic facilities and equipment.

Pavone was selected as the top candidate for the position from a pool of 19 applicants by a nine-member search committee following a three-month search process.

A Providence native, Pavone is a 1970 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School, where he played baseball. He earned an associate’s degree in general studies in 1972 from CCRI, at that time called Rhode Island Junior College. He earned bachelor’s degrees in health and physical education and a master’s degree in health education from Rhode Island College. Pavone has continued post-graduate coursework in administration and education.

Under his guidance in the 2007-08 academic year, the Knights and Lady Knights athletics teams posted an 142-80-3 aggregate record, including wins at six Region XXI Championships and participation in seven District Championships. Individually, CCRI’s student-athletes achieved 40 All-Region XXI selections, All-District selections, 10 NJCAA/Coaches Association All-Americans and one All-Tournament Team selection. Six teams participated in national tournaments, including cross country, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, indoor track, track and field and women’s basketball. In addition, more than 30 student-athletes transferred to four-year colleges and universities, with three of them receiving full scholarships to play intercollegiate athletics at the Division I and II levels.

Study participant: During the fall semester, CCRI is 1 of 50 colleges undertaking the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, a large-scale longitudinal study investigating critical factors that affect the outcomes of a liberal arts education. The Center for Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College started this research in 2006 with 19 participating colleges and universities and is adding schools each year. Approximately 800 to 1,000 first-time CCRI freshmen are involved in this prestigious study, which aims to provide both the evidence and support necessary to help liberal arts institutions systematically improve student learning. For more information about the Wabash study, visit http://www.liberalarts.wabash.edu.

Johnson & Wales University

Free Admission to the Culinary Arts Museum: The Culinary Arts Museum at the university will be participating in Smithsonian Magazine’s nationwide Museum Day on Saturday. Free admission will be granted to all visitors who present the Museum Card, which can be found in the September issue of Smithsonian magazine, or by downloading a copy from the Smithsonian Web site: http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/about.html. The Culinary Arts Museum is located at JWU’s Harborside Campus in Providence. Exhibition hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call the museum at (401)598-2805.

The Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales University is featuring paintings and oil sketches of fruit and vegetables by artist Dorian Vincent Scotti in an exhibit titled, “From the Garden” through Jan. 9, 2009. The museum is located at 315 Harborside Boulevard in Providence. Exhibition hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the exhibit, call the museum at (401) 598-2805.School of Technology Faculty Published: Stephen Andrade, chairman of the School of Technology’s Computer Graphics Department, and Hilary Mason, adjunct professor, recently submitted a paper titled “Digital Imaging Trek: A Practical Model for Managing the Demand of the Digitally Enabled Traveller,” which will be published in Selected Readings on the Human Side of Information Technology, edited by Edward J. Szewczak, a collection of articles.

New Manager for Bookstore: Kristin McNamar has joined the JWU Barnes & Noble College Bookseller team as the book-store manager of the Harborside Campus.

New England Institute of Technology

Presentation and Dinner: The college will host the Rhode Island School Counselors Annual Speakers Presentation and Dinner on Oct 1, from 3 to 8 p.m. in the college’s Center for Technology and Industry. For further information, contact Amanda Metzger, special events coordinator, at (401) 739-5000 or at ametzger@neit.edu.

Appointed: South Weymouth, Mass., resident Michael Markarian has been appointed as director of Plumbing, Heating, and Refrigeration/Air Conditioning Technologies at the college.

Meeting: The Rhode Island Department of Education-Special Education Advisory Committee will meet in the Hall of Fame room Oct. 16, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. For further information, contact Amanda Metzger at ametzger@neit.edu or call (401) 739-5000.

Providence College

Tibetan Exhibit: Tribute to Tibet, an exhibit celebrating the art and culture of Tibet, will be on display at Providence College’s Reilly Gallery from today through Friday, Nov. 21. An opening reception will be held today from 2 to 4 p.m. The exhibit will be composed of paintings and artifacts from area collections. Many of the works have been chosen with the goal of clarifying the complexity of Tibetan Buddhism.

In conjunction with the exhibit, two monks from the Dalai Lama’s Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca, N.Y., will create a sand mandala in the gallery. They will be constructing the mandala today through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Their work is open to the public. On Friday afternoon, the monks will dismantle the mandala and take the sand to the river near Waterplace Park in downtown Providence. The sand will be poured into the river during the WaterFire scheduled for that evening. The creation and dismantling of the sand mandala, as well as the pouring of sand into the river, is a ritual that is being performed at the college for the second time in eight years. Sponsored by the Department of Art and Art History, the exhibit is free and open to the public during normal Reilly Gallery hours, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. when school is in session. For more information, call the Gallery Information Line at (401) 865-2400.

Faculty Recital: The Department of Music will host a faculty recital today at 2 p.m. at the Ryan Concert Hall of the Smith Center for the Arts on campus. The program includes works by Chopin, J.S. Bach, Hindemith, Mozart, and Saint Saëns. Performers include Kevin Kane (sackbut), Irina Tchantceva (piano), Audrey Cienniwa (cello), Susan Culpo (viola), Eric Mazonson (piano), Christopher Kelton (saxophone), Shawn Hines (trumpet), Michael Kregler (jazz piano), Alexey Shabalin (violin), Kathryn Roth (baroque flute), and Catherine Gordon-Seifert (harpsichord).

The concert will also feature the newest member of the Music Department, Dr. Sang Woo Kang, on piano. The department also will present a student performance as part of its “Fridays at Four” series at 4 p.m. Friday at the Ryan Concert Hall of the Smith Center for the Arts. The performances are free and open to the public. For more information, call (401) 865-2183.

Rhode Island College

Art: Bannister Gallery is featuring selections from Arnold Mesches’ series of paintings Coming Attractions through Sept. 25. Mesches’ haunting operatic interiors and lush Floridian landscapes evoke the very human desire to seek refuge and, at the same time, suggest the sometimes sinister forces conspiring to prevent one from securing that state of being.

Also on display, in the hall space gallery, will be selections from The FBI Files, mixed-media collages derived from federal government surveillance documents that charted Mesches’ activities for 30 years — documents he gathered through the Freedom of Information Act. Gallery hours during exhibits are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays. Exhibits and events are free and open to the public. Accessible to people with disabilities. For information on event dates and exhibit opening receptions, check the Web site at www.ric.edu/Bannister/ or call (401) 456-9765.

Farmers Market: On Wednesday afternoons through Oct. 29, from 4-6 p.m., Rhode Island College’s parking lot A (near the Mount Pleasant Avenue entrance) will be transformed into a farmers market, open to campus personnel, students and the surrounding community. The market will feature locally grown and organic fruits, vegetables and flowers; sauces and marinades; jams and jellies; baked goods; a selection of teas and tinctures; artisan chocolates; and specialty items such as herbal soaps and body lotions; plus all-natural pet treats.

Focus groups: The Alumni Association, the Office of Continuing Education, and the American Democracy Project at RIC are collaborating to create continuing education workshops, a program series and opportunities for alumni to work with students. This intergenerational project is designed to encourage lifelong learning opportunities and to harness the energy and talents of “The Greatest Generation” and baby boomers in meaningful community engagement. Ideas are being sought. Focus groups will be held Friday, Oct. 3 (Homecoming weekend), noon-2 p.m. and on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 5-7 p.m. To attend, contact Alumni Affairs at alumni@ric.edu or (401) 456-8086.

Salve Regina University

Run and Fun Walk: The university’s Ninth Annual 5K Mansion Run and Fun Walk, which starts and finishes on the university’s historic Bellevue Avenue/Ochre Point campus, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. The event is open to the general public and proceeds will support the university’s Mercy Relief Fund. The road race annually attracts several hundred participants from the Salve Regina community and the general public, as $1,300 in cash will be awarded to the top male and female finishers in several age categories. The U.S.A. Track & Field-sanctioned 3.1-mile course weaves participants in a scenic tour past many Gilded Age mansions. The race is one of many activities being planned on campus during its annual celebration of Fall Festival Weekend. Registrations received by Sept. 26 cost $15. People may register online by visiting www.salve.edu/run, or in person from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, in Room 312 of Ochre Court. Race-day registration, which will cost $20, begins at 7:30 a.m. in the Rodgers Recreation Center on Salve Regina’s campus. Long-sleeved Mansion Run T-shirts are guaranteed for the first 400 paid registrants. For more information, contact Matt Boxler at (401) 341-2156.

Award: Ralph Tavares, assistant director and coordinator of multicultural student recruitment at Salve Regina, was named the 2008 recipient of the William S. Neal Award for Excellence in College Admission Counseling, which was presented recently during the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) Awards Ceremony. Since starting in the Salve Regina admissions office six years ago, Tavares has become an active member within the NEACAC community, serving as co-chair of its First Timers’ Committee for the last two years. Presented annually, the Neal Award is given to an individual who demonstrates a true commitment to their students, institution and career. The recipient embodies a commitment to institutional diversity, exemplifies strong leadership and management qualities, and is engaged in civic, community or professional development activities.

University of Rhode Island

Affordable Housing Lecture: Nicolas Retsinas, director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, will deliver the third annual Dr. Marcia Marker-Field Lecture for Social Justice and the City. The lecture, “The Status of Affordable Housing,” will be held in the Paff Auditorium at the URI Feinstein Providence Campus Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Retsinas will discuss affordable housing from both national and regional perspectives. From 1987 through 1993, he served as the executive director of the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, now Rhode Island Housing. Retsinas has directed Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies since 1998. The Joint Center is a collaborative venture of the Graduate School of Design and the Harvard Kennedy School that conducts research to examine and address the most critical housing and community development issues in America. Prior to his Harvard appointment, Retsinas served as assistant secretary for housing-federal housing commissioner at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and as director of the Office of Thrift Supervision. He also served on the Board of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Federal Housing Finance Board and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. Retsinas received a Meritorious Service Award from the U.S. Treasury Department in 1997. He also received the Excellence in Public Service Award from the Rental Housing Association in 1998 and the Housing Leadership Award from the National Low Income Housing Coalition in 2001. He is in the National Housing Hall of Fame and was named one of the most influential people in real estate by the National Association of Realtors, in home building by Builder Magazine, and in multifamily housing by Multi-Housing News.

Following the presentation, there will be a panel discussion on Rhode Islanders’ views on affordable housing moderated by Marker-Field. Panelists are: Thomas Deller, director of planning and development, City of Providence, Department of Planning and Development.

• Noreen Shawcross, executive director, Rhode Island Housing Resource Commission.

• Susan Bodington, deputy director for programs, Rhode Island Housing.

• Brenda Clement, executive director, Statewide Housing Action Coalition.

• Mark Motte, assistant vice president for academic affairs and director of the Center for Public Policy, Rhode Island College.

Before the lecture, there will be a reception beginning at 6:15 p.m. For more information, contact Joanne DiBello at (401) 277-5174 or jdb@uri.edu.

Landscape Architecture Lecture Series: The university’s Landscape Architecture Lecture Series will kick off on Sept. 25 with a lecture by Shannon Brawley, a landscape designer at Wakefield-based Tupelo Gardenworks, whose talk will examine East Coast versus West Coast perspectives on environmental restoration and cultural preservation.

Her talk begins at 7 p.m. in White Hall auditorium on the Kingston campus. All the lectures in the series, which are free and open to the public, will focus on the theme of “pushing the edges.” As a landscape architecture student in California, Brawley became interested in land use issues and cultural sustainability, especially as it relates to Native American communities. She collaborated with Native Americans and the Cache Creek Conservancy on a participatory research project called the Tending and Gathering Garden, a wildlife habitat restoration project using Native American techniques. Later, as director of the California Indian Basketweavers Association, she worked with indigenous communities and the U.S. Forest Service to develop a traditional gathering policy that provided Native Americans with expanded access to government-owned lands. She now works with Native communities in New England on related projects. The series is co-sponsored by the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, the Rhode Island chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association, and Gates Leighton & Associates. For more information about the series, contact the URI Department of Landscape Architecture at (401) 874-2983 or Prof. Will Green at wagre@uri.edu. For a full schedule of the series go to http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/?id=4579.

mjones@projo.com