Pharmacy Groundbreaking Ceremony

Good morning, my name is Bob Weygand.
I'm vice president for Administration and Finance
and it's my indeed honor and pleasure to
welcome you here this morning for the groundbreaking
of the new College of Pharmacy building.
It's a beautiful day
in many different ways here on the campus.
The weather is gorgeous,
the students are bustling around,
its a fine day and having all of you here
for this groundbreaking brings warmth to hour hearts
and it's indeed an honor
to have so many students, faculty,
but most of all the alum that have come back
to help us and be part of this groundbreaking.
But this is really about one group of people.
It's those students that you see behind us
that are in the white coats.
They are the student-
[applause]
They are the people that are our future,
they are the vision of the university,
they are the future of Rhode Island,
they are the future of our economy,
they are the future of America.
And they're being educated right here
at the University of Rhode Island.
This new building that many
of you have helped to fund,
as well as the voters of
Rhode Island to helped to fund,
will be a state-of-the-art,
and I know that's an old term,
but will be a state-of-the-art research
and teaching facility, bar-none.
One of the finest in the country,
and we will have it here
at the University of Rhode Island.
As you stand here or sit here on these grounds,
you will look around you and
you will see a gorgeous building behind us
and a rather ugly building behind you.
I'll talk about that in a minute
but I would like to give you a few facts
about the the College of Pharmacy
and the University of Rhode Island.
In 1963 there was a similar groundbreaking
on the southern part of our campus,
for then the new Health Sciences building that
was eventually named the Fogarty building.
Back in 1963 there were 1,200 freshman
entering the University of Rhode Island.
This year there will be over 3,100 freshman that
entered into University of Rhode Island this year.
1963, there were approximately
6,000 undergraduate
and graduate students here at URI.
Right now, we are just shy of
16,000 students here at
the University of Rhode Island
with 2,500 employees.
This is a village in and of itself.
The URI freshman enrollment for Pharmacy when that
building was first envisioned was to have
approximately 40 to 45 freshman in a five-year
Baccalaureate degree, or Bachelor of Pharmacy degree.
The college was rather new and the
five-year program was a national standard.
Today, the freshman class that entered today,
this Fall, was 130 freshman.
The total class back in '63 was approximately 425,
the total class now is almost 700 students,
and will soon be in the future
be much larger than that.
We have grown exponentially from 1963
to today, and even further.
Last year the freshman class in Pharmacy
was only 95 to 100 students.
We're increasing that number of students
by over 30% with this new building.
Ron Jordan said to me early today,
"Bob, the reason why you have to complete it
in two years is because we promised these students
they would have a facility in two years."
And we will.
This is an important event for all
these students back there.
I want to thank all of you
for being here and celebrating.
The Fogarty building is approximately 6,700 square feet.
This new building will be about 148,000 square feet.
The finest research laboratories,
it'll be environmentally sensitive,
a sustainable design, it will be lead certified,
and it will provide the research facilities
that our students and our faculty need so much.
It will cost approximately $75 million dollars
from everything from architects to
bond issuance fee to construction.
But we were very fortunate that the voters
of Rhode Island back in 2006 approved a
$65 million dollar bond issue,
plus $10 million dollars of private fund raising,
we will be able to build the entire facility.
It will be a great place to learn, to do research.
One of the people who was clearly and squarely
behind us from the very beginning was
the governor of the state of Rhode Island,
Donald L. Carcieri.
We've had over the last few years
a number of groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings,
and celebrations of new buildings.
The building behind me, the Biotechnology building,
was a $59 million dollar building that was
partially funded by voters and
partially by donors as well.
New buildings here Lippitt Hall, Swan Hall,
the Pell Center down at the Bay campus,
and now the College of Pharmacy building,
and soon, in the near future, will be
a College of Nursing, and the Chemistry building,
all here in this North campus.
The building that's behind me,
which is the Biological Sciences building,
we call it the Center
for Biotechnology and Life Sciences,
was just completed in January.
It is the image of what the
rest of this campus will be like.
Two years from now when you come back
for the ribbon cutting,
the building that is behind you
will be totally eliminated.
For many of us, we can't wait for the
brutalistic architecture
of this building to go down.
I pledged to all of our staff that we could be
the first ones on that demolition ball
making sure it gets blown up.
It was constructed at a time when this architecture,
and if you're all familiar with the Fine Arts building,
the same architect did the same thing over there,
it was a period where people were thinking about
new and innovative design,
and perhaps it was at that time.
It is no longer.
The first issue will be to demolish that building,
and we will create a quad that will be
at the same level you're sitting today that will
extend to the east to the Coastal Institute building
and to the south,
the brand new College of Pharmacy building.
This will be a grand and glorious campus
where researchers and students and biotechnology
and life sciences and pharmacy and the coastal area
will be able to react in a new and different way.
This has been the vision of so many people
including the governor of the state of Rhode Island.
Please welcome him, Donald L. Carcieri.
[applause]
Thank you, thank you very much. Thanks Bob.
Thank you very much Bob.
And let me acknowledge senator Whitehouse, who's here.
Lieutenant Governor Roberts, that I know
you're going to hear from.
You got Judge Caprio here
from the board of Reagents,
you got President Dooley
you're going to hear from as well,
and a great program here and Dean Jordan,
is already been referenced; Dean.
and my friend and huge
benefactor to this university in
so many ways over so long a period of time,
and this just epitomized it,
is Tom Ryan.
So thank you Tom.
I am very, very pleased to be here.
I have to say you know the elephant in the room though
before I start saying anything, is Saturday's game.
Because everybody's come up to me
since I've come in here, you know, and you know,
as you all know its a hard one for me
since its the governor's cup, but you know,
and I played on that field at Brown,
as well as down here, and lots of my friends
were at the University of Rhode Island,
my wife's a graduate, and its this
flagship university for the state.
So it always puts me in a
very, very difficult position.
But I have to tell you,
I was telling Tom, and I was telling Dooley,
it's always a great game, always a great game.
And I said to Thor earlier,
nobody down here needs to have their heads down.
They played a phenomenal game,
and it was a tough day, and I said look,
you one it three times, Brown needs to get it once.
Anyway, that was sort of the elephant in the room.
This is really a great, great story
and I'm thrilled to be here.
It doesn't seem that long ago since I was here
when we cut the ribbon for the building in back of us,
which in my judgement, one of the finest buildings
in terms of its design that I have seen anywhere,
and it made a real statement about how we feel
about the university, the university's role in our state
and our states economy, and the direction
we see the university going.
This facility today that we're breaking grounds for
is another major statement in that direction.
You know, I felt strongly
since I came into this job
that we need this university to be
leading in science and research,
and leading the state, and I'm proud to see,
and I see Bob Carothers here,
I thank you for being here Bob.
His leadership previously and I've forgotten
how many buildings you dedicated,
but its fifty-one. Yell out 5-1 alright!
and you know, but you know it's important.
And buildings don't make everything,
I understand that.
I was a business person, but it's your people
that make you successful at the end of the day.
But you got to have your resources to work with,
you have to have the resources to work with.
And under Bob's leadership for all those years,
and the support of the tax payers,
I think in my judgement this university is
looking better and stronger than it ever has,
and that makes me very, very proud.
I was a big supporter when Bob came to me
several years ago when I first came in and
said he had this vision for the North Campus
here and making it a science and research
based end of the campus, and building a whole
series of new buildings, the first one being
the Center for Biotechnology in back of us here,
in back of me, in front of you, and this one
being the second piece of that.
And then the vision for what might be able to
develop over time here in terms of spin-offs out of
all of this research and the great work being done.
So from my perspective, as I said
I am thrilled to be here, I really am,
I mean that sincerely because this is tough times
you know that,
and right now it seems like less and less,
but it's a tough time
for the nation as well as the state.
But I'm old enough, we've been through these,
we will come out of this,
we will come out of it and
if we do it the right way,
make these kinds of investments,
we will come out of it stronger.
And that's what's important
because the young people back there
that are going to be studying
hopefully in this building,
and they're going to be the ones that
are going to develop the kinds of technologies,
have the skills and talents that are going to
propel the economy of this state forward,
or wherever it is they choose to be,
and I hope it's Rhode Island.
So thank you, and thanks Tom.
Your leadership here and CVS
in terms of your generosity,
for not only this building but so many things
is hugely appreciated by all of our citizens,
I mean that sincerely.
And with David Dooley here leading the-
following the tradition that has been
established by leading the state,
the university forward in the direction of research,
I look for great, great things happening here,
so I'm thrilled to be here this morning. Thank you.
Thank you governor.
A person who has led not only the
Board of Governors for Higher Education,
but also is a member of the Board of Reagents,
as the governor mentioned,
is our chairman Frank Caprio.
One of the hallmarks of Frank Caprio's chairmanship
has been his untiring desire to make sure that
higher education is affordable and accessible
to all students throughout Rhode Island.
His personal story is one
that is heartwarming and sincere,
and he has brought that story and that passion
and that vision to everything that he has done
on the Board of Governors for Higher Education.
He indeed has been a true leader for the students,
for the people of Rhode Island.
Please welcome our chairman, Frank Caprio.
Thank you, Bob, distinguished guests, and
members of the University of Rhode Island family.
You know, John Kennedy said that victory
has a hundred fathers,
and indeed this project has a hundred fathers,
and everyone had a significant role.
It was originally the vision of
Bob Carothers and Dean Don Letendre,
and now Dean Jordan
but the proposal first came before
the Board of Governors,
and very few people know that when the
first proposal came before the Board for the
approval of the new School of Pharmacy,
it was acting in the area of 45 million dollars.
The administration, I remember Bob Carothers
coming before me, before the Board, and they made
such a compelling argument for the construction
of a new building that we decided
why don't we go for the whole thing.
So we'll ask for 65 million dollars,
we'll ask for the entire thing.
And to the credit of Governor Carcieri and
of the legislative leaders,
they authorized the issuance of the entire
65 million dollars back then in 2006.
If not, we'd have an additional 15 or 25 million
that would have to have been raised.
So we thank the governor, we thank the legislature,
and the courage of the members of
the Board of Governors at that time.
This building as mentioned earlier is not just
bricks and mortar, it really is a place where
young people can reach their full potential,
and their dreams, and get the best possible education.
So we look forward to that,
we share the excitement,
the exhilaration and the enthusiasm of
the students and their parents,
who would be so proud to send them here.
So as we look forward, we wish all of you well,
and we wish all of the students,
and incidentally the students and the faculty
of the School of Pharmacy could give all the
politicians a lesson in campaigning
because when this bond issue was floated,
the students in their white coats manned all of
the polls, they went to football games and
they passed out palm cards,
they got their families out,
they got their friends, and they were
very instrumental in getting this proposal approved
by the Board of the State of Rhode Island.
So we congratulate them and I guess
some of them are minoring in Political Science
as well as majoring in Pharmacy.
So on behalf of the entire Board of Governors
for Higher Education, we wish President Dooley well,
as construction goes forward.
We look forward to your leadership of this
great institution, and we look forward to
Dean Jordan as well.
So thank all of you for coming here today,
and continue the high tradition at the
University of Rhode Island. Good luck.
Thank you, Frank.
There are many public officials who are
with us here today and I've tried to keep track
of all of them and I probably will forget a few,
but I know that Cathy Fogarty and Polly Eddy,
who are chair and vice-chair of the
South Kingstown Town Council,
are with us here today someplace.
Thank you both for coming.
Polly, as you know, is the wife of
our former president Ted Eddy.
We also have in the audience senator Leo Blaise,
who is a graduate of this College of
Pharmacy program and a state senator.
Leo, please raise your hand if you're here,
some place in the back.
We lost a fine state representative
who represented this university extremely well.
Not that he has passed away, he has not,
he is very much alive.
But I'll tell you,
when he went to work for the university in
so many legislative matters, he never ever stopped.
He was a bulldog when it came to
fighting for things at URI, and that is
former state representative Pat Shanley,
who I know is right over there.
I am assuming that his successor is also here,
Professor Michael Rice, who now represents us very well,
but I'm sure Mike is here someplace.
Give him a round of applause.
[applause]
Unfortunately senate president Teresa could not be here,
but in her stead she sent a URI alum, Ed Marone,
who's here representing the state senate.
So Ed, thank you for coming.
[applause]
A fine graduate of the University of Rhode Island
College of Pharmacy, and he wears his colors well,
former General Treasurer, Anthony Solomon.
Tony; Anthony.
[applause]
And also a former state senator who is
now on the staff at the University of Rhode Island,
former senator and former mayer
of the city of Cranston, John O'Leary.
John is back there as well.
[applause]
It is indeed a great honor to introduce
US senator Shelden Whitehouse.
In just his very short, brief first term,
Shelden has made a real name for himself,
not only here in Rhode Island but also
in Washington, on health care issues, on issues
with regard to foreclosures and bankruptcies,
on all of the issues that are really meaningful
for the people of Rhode Island.
Shelden has worked very, very hard and has
really developed a true positive,
extremely positive, representation for himself
in Washington DC.
Please welcome our Senator, Shelden Whitehouse.
[applause]
Thank you Bob, and I am very honored to be here
and join to the other dignitaries and
welcome you all to a very, very exciting occasion.
Its an honor to be here with our Governor,
and our Lieutenant Governor, and with President Dooley
and his predecessor, President Carothers,
with our Board chairman, Frank Caprio, and
our many, many old friends.
But my thanks are primarily to the people of
Rhode Island who saw the wisdom of this investment
and supported the bond issue and put it through,
and to CVS Caremark and Tom Ryan,
who championed a very, very significant gift
to make sure we have the facility that we have today.
So, very much here
in the expression of gratitude to them,
and it's exciting to keep coming to the
University of Rhode Island to open
these wonderful new festivities.
It seems just yesterday we were here opening
the Biotech and Life Sciences building, and then down
at GSO for the Ocean Science and Exploration building.
They are beautiful buildings, they are buildings
that will last, that we will be proud of, and
they reflect the vision of a great many people,
and the hard work of a great many people.
I want to applaud the University of Rhode Island
for winning 18 million dollars in federal grants
to support the equipment that will come in
to support these students.
And on behalf of your
enthusiastic and proud delegation,
I want to assure you of our continuing support
for the endeavors here at URI.
We are all proud of you and this is a wonderful day.
Thank you very much.
[applause]
Our next speaker is
Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts.
Having sat in that seat, she and I often talk
about the kinds of things she has gone through
and some of the problems and some of the high points,
but one of the things we often
kind of needle her about is, like the Governor,
she's a Brown graduate and she comes down here
to URI normally right after the ball game
to celebrate Brown's victory.
The Governor's already done that,
so she doesn't have to get up here and
talk about Brown University today.
She has been though an extremely strong supporter
of the university in so many different ways.
She has been here all the time talking about
the issues that are important,
she has supported us with
regard to our bond issues,
with regard to our budget,
but she has indeed been a superb expert
in the area of health care and
fighting for a health care reform
in the state of Rhode Island.
And that's what this is all about,
is making things better for Rhode Islanders.
Please welcome our Lieutenant Governor,
Elizabeth Roberts.
[applause]
Thank you, and I will stand here instead
as a Biology major, as an undergraduate,
and somebody who has an intense interest
in some of the very research dollars
that Senator Whitehouse was talking about,
that we are now seeing come to this university,
and even more exciting in many respects is the
collaborate research. And I saw Christine Smith here
from the Science and Technology Advisory Council,
we're now seeing higher education break down some of
those barriers that have existed, and instead of the
rivalry that we have see on the football field,
we're seeing the collaboration in the science labs
and that can only be good not only for the
future of science but for the future of our state.
So let me say,
it is wonderful to be here with the Governor,
with chairman Caprio, with president Dooley,
certainly with Senator Whitehouse,
we don't get to see him here as often
at this time of year,
and Dean Jordan, what an exciting day.
And to Tom Ryan, and a moment to say thank you,
in person to let me say thank you publicly,
because this is really also a public-private
collaboration with the tax payers and CVS Caremark
joining together to commit
to the future of this school.
Let me say that there is no bigger issue
in America right now than health care reform,
jobs and health care reform,
and we're talking about both here today.
We are talking about economic growth
in our state, a lot of which is going to be
driven by the very graduates I see at
the back of the room,
by the development of this end of campus,
and the excitement that we felt
several months ago and we feel again today.
It is really something great to see happening.
And as we look at health care reform,
let me say to all of you in the white coats,
not only are we thinking about how we change
insurance and change how we fund health care,
we're going to be talking about
how we deliver health care.
And pharmacy is going to be a huge piece
of that discussion, and your roles in health care
of the future and the important role you play for
people with chronic disease and other kinds of illness,
you are a valuable member of the health care team
and this school is going to be able to do research
not only on the science of how you deliver that care,
but also on the team that needs to be created
to make sure that pharmacy plays the right role
in maintaining our health.
So this is a very exciting day.
To all the alumni, congratulations.
To the university, this will be one of
many days we will see in the coming years.
And to the people of the state of Rhode Island who
have had the vision to invest in this university,
the amazing change during president Carothers' tenure,
that will continue during president Dooley's.
This is great for the university and great for the state.
Thank you.
[applause]
I'd like to mention a few people that had
a great deal to do with this project.
As we all know it has gone-
a genesis of this has gone back almost ten years now
to a master plan that was developed
by the university in 2000 and updated in 2002,
both chairman Caprio, as well as the governor,
and other people have mentioned the vision and
the leadership of our former president Bob Carothers.
He really led that charge, he gave us the ideas,
the vision of what could be done over here and
we're fulfilling those dreams and I would like say
and have you all recognize President Carothers.
[applause]
In 2006 he set up a committee,
which I was very proud to chair,
that helped on the campaign.
Many of these students that were out there
as the chairmen said, knocking at doors,
being at polling places, going to different events,
and some of their predecessors did all
of this back in 2006, but we had the
former Dean of the College of Pharmacy who is
leading that charge as well and that is Don Letendre,
who is here with us today; Don.
[applause]
The campaign committee included Paul, Andrea,
Mike, Ian, and myself.
Would you please recognize and applaud
for all of them as well.
[applause]
And the dean at that time put together
a phenomenal building committee.
When we begin these projects, it is really
based upon the vision of the academic program.
What the dean, what the faculty, what the
researchers really believe in what they need.
We tried to take their desires, their needs
and formulate that into a
physical structure of the new building.
That building committee continues today
but I'd like to have them all stand
as I call out their name.
Professor Chichester, Brett Feret, Kathy Hayes,
Paul Larratt, Ian Lester, Celia MacDonnell,
Matthew Stoner, and Christina Ward.
Please recognize them.
This building committee not only helped us
formulate the original design in terms of
the program and so we turned that into a
physical structure, but they also now will
follow through as we develop the building
over the following years to be sure that we are
conforming to the desires and needs that
they have and making modifications if necessary
to make sure that we outfit, or fit out
the building in the proper way.
Speaking of fitting out, the gentleman
I am about to introduce has come
onto the campus running at full speed.
He has been phenomenal in just his
first two months as president, the
11th president of the University of Rhode Island.
David M. Dooley came to us from
Montana State University where for 16 years
he was the Provost and a Dean,
prior to that at 15 years at Amherst College
in Amherst Massachusetts,
he is a chemist by profession,
a top notch researcher,
but more importantly he has brought a new energy,
a new enthusiasm about the new direction
for the University of Rhode Island
which is absolutely contagious.
Would you please welcome the 11th president
of the University of Rhode Island,
our David Dooley.
[applause]
Thank you, Bob.
I want to basically accomplish three things
if I can, while I'm here today.
First I just want to acknowledge,
as many have already, the importance
of the partnerships inherent in this facility
that's going to be constructed.
Its a partnership obviously involving
many parts of the university,
the people of Rhode Island,
the general assembly, the governors office,
the work of the governor's personally on this,
its a partnership that also reaches out
to the people of Rhode Island and beyond that
to many companies and many donors,
and we've heard today already about the importance
of Tom Ryan and CVS Caremark and the difference
that they're going to make in the facility behind me.
But there's more to be done there, and I
urge you all to think of participating if you haven't.
Today I'm pleased to announce that we have
received an additional 100,000 dollars today
from Dr. Mostafa Omar and his foundation
towards this facility, and he's working to
shape even more gifts in the future
and hopes that you will join him.
[applause]
Facilities like this would not exist if it weren't
for the support of a lot people, including
our delegates in Washington DC, and the work
that they do there on behalf of biomedical research,
and the health of Americans everywhere.
And it is my pleasure today to read a letter
that I've received on this occasion
from Senator Jack Reed, and I would
like to share that with you.
"Dear Mr. Dooley, As you celebrate today's
groundbreaking festivities,
I want to recognize he continued efforts
by the University of Rhode Island
to expand and enhance the education and training
of students seeking a career in Pharmacy.
The Pharmacy program continues to graduate
outstanding pharmacists, strong researchers,
and experts in the field of public health.
This new state of the art facility
will provide updated classrooms and laboratories
and the latest technology to enhance
the ability of professors, to better prepare
students for success, and provide researchers
the tools to keep our state and country
on the forefront of medical breakthroughs
and advanced treatment options.
Robust investment in biomedical research funding
through the National Institutes of Health
is also critical to this effort.
As you know, just this year
the pharmacy program at URI was able to benefit from
an additional 18 million in NIH research funding.
I will continue to support such investments
and look forward to learning about the
discoveries made by students and researchers
through this funding and future federal investments.
I wish you success as work begins on this
new addition to the universities' campus.
Warmest regards, Sincerely, Jack Reed."
[applause]
Finally I just want to say a very brief few words
about the symbol that you see
on the front of this podium.
I wrote a few weeks ago that the
University of Rhode Island primarily exists
for one reason,
and that's to help our students
fill their hopes and their dreams,
and there's something very special about
coming to work every day at an institution
that has the word "hope" emblazoned on its seal.
I know of no other institution in the country
that can make that claim,
and it's something that inspires me every day
and I hope inspires you every day, and
inspires I know the faculty of this institution
and the students that you see in the back,
because we're here for them,
we're here for their hopes,
the hopes of their families,
the hopes for the citizens of Rhode Island,
the hopes for the citizens of this nation.
For a high quality of life,
a better future, a bright future,
and future lived in good health
and enjoyed with ones friends and relatives,
with one's families, with one's friends.
Nothing is more important than those hopes,
nothing is more important than the people
being able to fulfill those dreams.
And that's what facilities like this are all about,
that's what this university is all about
and it's what makes today such
a special day for all of us here.
And I ask all of us to remember that
when we come to work, when we make our
contributions for facilities like this,
when we do a whole host of mundane things every day,
we're really talking about hope.
As a scientist, I've long been a attracted to
scientist- to science, and to scientists,
although I'm married to a minister,
but ministers and science, scientists,
have one thing that's really important
that's in common, and that is they both believe
there are no phenomena too complicated
to be understood
and no problem too big to be solved,
and yes we have very large problems in front of us,
we all know that, this nation has very large
problems in front of it collectively,
but they are not too big for us to solve.
They are not too big for this state to rebound
and become the state that everybody looks to
for leadership in the United States and
they are not too big for this country to rebound
once again and become the country that
all of us love and want to see succeed
at the highest possible levels,
and they are not too big for every one
of our students to succeed and fulfill
their hopes and dreams,
and that's what we're here to celebrate today
and that's what this building and the faculty
and students who work in it
will help us all accomplish.
Thank you very much everyone.
[applause]
Thank you very much Mr. President.
I would like to recognize a couple other people
that really make this building
and will make this building very possible.
At this university we have been blessed with some
great employees who do work day in and day out
to make sure the quality of construction,
the quality of design,
the quality of the infrastructure
that goes on here at the campus is top rate.
The people who worked on this particular project
and will continue to do so,
I would like to recognize.
From the University of Rhode Island
Vern Wyman, Mary Brennan, Ryan Carrillo,
Paul DePace, Michelle Ferrucci,
and Thomas Frisbee-Fulton
have been part of our design team.
Please recognize them.
[applause]
We have been truly blessed to have
great architects here at the university.
The building behind us,
the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences,
and also now the College of Pharmacy building
have been designed by one of the
best architects in the country, Payett Associates
out of Boston, Massachusetts.
And with us today are Todd Sloan, David Feth,
and Jim Martin. Jim. Todd, David.
And I think they're here but they've recently won
the contract for this building, Suffolk Construction,
in a very tight and very competitive marketplace,
as a general contractor they are known throughout
the country as one of the top contractors,
general contractors, and we are very pleased
to have them as our contractor for
the new College of Pharmacy.
The price was extremely good so
that helps an awful lot as well.
Thank you very much Suffolk Construction, thank you.
[applause]
To all of us here, the name Thomas Ryan is
probably very, very familiar.
For many of the students who came in
as freshman this September,
they don't know Tom Ryan, they don't know who he is.
They know the Ryan Center because that's where
they go to watch basketball games and other functions,
but Tom has been a fixture of this university
since about 1971 I think it was,
it's 1970, he corrected me,
and he graduated in 1974-75 and he has been
a fixture here for many, many years.
Not only has he and his wife Cathy contributed
an enormous amount of money
but he has cheered the capital campaign,
he has been involved in the search
for our new president, David Dooley,
and he as been involved and really been
an intricate part of our university.
The best alum a university could have.
He has given money,
he has given time,
he has given talent.
How much more could you ask for
but then except a great speech this morning.
Tom Ryan.
[applause]
Time, money, and speech.
Well two out of three's not bad.
This is a great day for all of us
and I'm speaking as a pharmacist
and a proud alum of the university.
It's been 10 years in the making,
a lot of us thought it would never happen
because of the challenges that we have.
I see people back there smiling ear to ear.
I came to school in 1970, seems like 39 years ago.
I walk through those doors, I guess
I walked through Fogarty hall in '72.
And there are some professors here
are wondering how I walked out of Fogarty hall,
but I did manage to get through it.
I would like to thank the governor,
lieutenant governor, and governor, this
whole issue about play hard and sportsmanship,
you put out you did well, that may work at Brown.
At URI we're here to win.
[laughter & applause]
Also senator Whitehouse, chairman Caprio,
at CVS Caremark people keep thanking us,
our folks and we're happy to
support the school, but it's everybody's school
and a lot of donors participated and
we couldn't have done it without the support of
the congressional group and the Board of Governors,
state and federal support that we got.
Bob Carothers, I'd mentioned at breakfast this morning,
it's Bob's persistence and passion
for this university and his vision is one
of the reasons why we're here today.
So congratulations Bob, for the fight.
And President Dooley and Dean Jordan, this is
a great way to mark your first year of leadership.
This is going to be a
tough road to ho, right? The raze.
But I know you guys are going to do a great job.
As I said, I did start, I came to URI in 1970.
When I entered Pharmacy school in Fogarty, we had
half the building was nursing and half was pharmacy.
I was one of the leaders in interdisciplinary education,
[laughter]
and I thought it was great to have
an academic and a social interface.
[laughter]
Probably spent more time on that side.
But health care,
lieutenant governor talked about health care
and obviously it's on the mind of everybody
in the country, and we have
a challenge in this country around health care,
we're spending around 2 and a half trillion dollars,
and we need to expand it but we also need
to find a way to reform it.
So you get groups on both sides
talking about expansion,
but you also need to reform to
be able to pay for it.
I will tell you this, in all my conversation
with White House staff, with senate's side,
with our own team and our own delegation,
and also in the house,
that people understand the value of pharmacy.
So students back there,
you're entering a great profession.
Every dollar spent on pharmacy helps
lower health care cost by seven dollars.
Right, so it's a good spend.
It makes sense, right,
it's a great ROI for healthcare
and we have to make sure we educate
the students to be able to do that.
It's changed a lot over the years,
students are more involved in
infusion and pharmacogenomics,
and diabetes testing and diabetes counseling,
and the building that I guess we're
going to build right here,
which by the way, is this the ugliest building
you've ever seen over here?
The same architect,
I always thought it was an oxymoron,
they built a fine arts building.
But what will happen with the students and
the education that they're going to get,
it just, I think it's going to be bar-non.
You have to understand,
for those of you who don't know,
we employ 20,000 pharmacists around the country,
and we recruit heavily around the country,
and there's 100-plus Colleges of Pharmacy,
and they're all competing for the best talent,
not only students but also faculty.
And it is what it is, you have to have the best asset.
And I believe that the building we're going to put up,
and the job under Ron's Leadership,
we will have the best asset,
so we will attract the best faculty,
we will attract the best students.
And at the end of the day it's
all about collaboration,
that's what Lieutenant Governor said, right,
if we can work privately and publicly together,
the students and faculty can work together.
I think it's going to be good for the state
and good for the university and just good in general
for the economy and health care.
So, I'm proud to be a supporter.
I would like to take just one minute and
ask my CVS Caremark colleagues to stand up
and just be recognized.
Stand up you guys.
[applause]
You do all the work and I get the credit
but you guys are the ones that actually drive it.
So congratulations, this is
a great day for the state,
for the profession of pharmacy, and for all
the university alumni and students.
Thank you very much.
[applause]
Told you you'd give a great speech.
Bob Beagle is in the back of the room now
changing our motto to "Think Big. We Win."
I'd like to thank though
before we have two more speakers,
but I want to thank this last group of people
who made today possible.
They are the members of the Groundbreaking Committee.
That includes Paul Witham, Cheryl Trudel,
Sharon Kenyon, Andrea Hopkins, Doug Michael,
Dawn Strickland, Dave Lavallee, Jerry Sidio,
Rick Popovich, Ron Jordan, Barbara Worbert,
and Paul DuPaise, and Linda Acciardo.
Please give them a big welcome.
Thank you.
[applause]
Now the man who has to make
everything happen within the building.
He is the new Dean of Pharmacy,
he came to us from the public area as well as
the private profession, but he is also
a graduate of the University of Rhode Island
so he knows full well what URI is all about.
He is a proud alum and as I said,
he is the new Dean of Pharmacy.
Please welcome Ron Jordan.
[applause]
Thank you Bob, Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, Senator Whitehouse.
Thank you so much for being here today,
we appreciate all the support we get.
We've a good time bringing students
down to visit with Senator Whitehouse,
he always makes time for the great
group of people that we have in the back
that are the future of this profession.
Tom, CVS, we really appreciate that.
Tom's personal guidance and support
of the college is exemplary.
I'm personally indebted to him and I know
that all of our faculty and staff are
very grateful for everything they've done.
To start off, and I've only got a minute,
I'm going to try to go as quick as we can
so we can keep Tom here
for the actual groundbreaking.
I want to present President Dooley with
a sterling silver trowel that will symbolize
his first groundbreaking at URI,
and also probably the laying of the first brick
and the last brick in this great building
and great program here.
The trowel was made, engraved, and donated
by one of our entrepreneurial pharmacy alumni,
Peter M. DeCristofaro from Tom's class of 1975.
Is he around somewhere, Peter?
Worked to make this happen, he was part of
the venerable and now historic
jewelry industry in Providence,
but I want to make this
presentation to you, President.
[applause]
A building project of this nature is
important to the college and the university
and it draws so many thoughts that it's hard
to know precisely what to say in the
short time that I have available.
I think it's best to start and finish
my minute or two with the students.
All of the efforts of our college,
it's administration,
our excellent faculty and staff,
are dedicated to developing
the talents of our students.
In this area, for more than 50 years the
University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy
and it's predecessor school,
the Rhode Island School of Pharmacy
on Benefit Street in Providence
have been very fortunate to graduate and field
some of the best pharmacists in the country,
many of whom are with us today.
Our Doctor of Pharmacy program,
the core focus of our mission boasts one of
the most sought-after seats in
pharmacy education in the northeast.
Our students are excellent because our
faculty and program are excellent.
Our faculty care about and engage our students
in quality learning and whenever
I ask students or alumni as I travel around
what makes or made our program great
at the University of Rhode Island,
the answer is it's all about our faculty.
The dedication to excellence that our students enjoy
is further evidenced by the fact that
every single faculty member and staff member
of the College of Pharmacy has made
a personal donation to make this building a reality,
and I thank them for all of their help.
[applause]
If you've heard, there were many people that were
critical to making this building possible
that we celebrate today.
I would also be remised if I did not recognize the
hard work and vision of President Robert Carothers
and former Dean Don Letendre.
Thank you both for being here,
thank you for all the work that you've done
with the community and the legislature
and that made this building possible.
This new physical facility will
further enhance our success,
but the building is just the means to an end.
Our faculty research, graduate programs,
and a new degree in the pharmaceutical sciences,
will help direct our work in
developing new drug products
and delivering patient care and improving health
throughout the state and the world beyond.
We think our college will be an important driver
to the state's economy, as you've heard.
We hope to build new public and private partnerships
and this building will be
a part of making it possible
for us to grow our facility.
Now to give a perspective of the student
on what this new facility will mean,
let me introduce Andrew G. Cadorette,
a Doctor of Pharmacy student from the class of 2011.
Andrew.
[applause]
Welcome students, faculty,
contributors, and supporters
to the
College of Pharmacy groundbreaking ceremony.
Today marks an important milestone for both current
and future personnel involved in
the pharmaceutical sciences here at
the University of Rhode Island.
For most of us, today is a symbol of
a transition we'll face in the coming months,
from a building rooted back in 1963
to a state of the art facility
in the process of construction.
For others today is a symbol of a new beginning,
a fresh start to lead the way
to effective health care.
This ground breaking celebration instills
a new found appreciation for our profession,
whether we are educators developing
innovative teaching practices,
researchers analyzing new procedures,
or students learning the
interactions of cytochrome P450,
we all share a common mission as
our concern for health care approaches.
On behalf of the students,
we will sure miss room 214.
However the fluttering of the blinds,
the arctic-like climate,
or desert conditions, depending on the day,
can graciously be left within Fogarty.
With this new building we look forward to
improved technological advances
to enhance our learning
and a new student lounge for
both academic and social engagements.
I'm sure it will take time for us
to adjust to our new setting,
but as long is a room labeled "The Reading Room"
for all of us to stress-out
both before and after exams,
I'm sure we'll cope just fine.
With all these upgrades in areas
of significant improvement,
I can be sure that we are all most
looking forward to the buffet-style
snack time Denise will surely provide.
Even though I am in my fifth year,
soon to start clinical rotations
and quite possibly miss the benefits
of this new building,
I'm proud to stand here today
and be part of this history.
As a representative of the pharmacy population,
we thank those who spent countless hours
drafting the new building, seeking donations,
and of course those who sponsored this
new addition to the URI community.
It is because of your efforts that
we have been given this gift.
Again, I thank you.
[applause]
Two points I'd like to make.
First of all, I think Andrew
probably has friends from the
College of Nursing here as well.
Is that true?
[laughter]
Second, he and they
are what this is all about.
Please give these students
a great round of applause.
[applause]
We're about to break ground,
which will be to your left, my right, over here.
So we're going to ask all of the people
who have spoken here this morning,
including President Carothers,
to join us over here,
as well as Dean Letendre,
if you would join us as well.
I just want to give you one more scent
of what this space and place will be like.
Behind you will soon be,
in about two months from now,
a barren area that will turn into
a gorgeous, green quadrangle
that will be framed by these three buildings
in the next two years.
The College of Pharmacy building will begin
by my far right and run toward
the Coastal Institute building.
If you take a look at this graphic over here,
you'll get a sense of it.
When we're down at this level,
it is very hard to see what it is like.
But it will clearly be a phenomenal opportunity
not only in terms of architecture
but more in terms of learning.
We also ask you to join us for a reception
that will be in the foyer area of
this Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences,
which you'll be able to exit right out here,
through those double doors and one flight down,
there are elevators as well as a staircase.
You'll get a sense when you go into that building,
which is a Payette design as well,
the grandeur and the glory, and most importantly
the quality of the work that's gone into
the building for Center for Biotechnology that
will go into the new College of Pharmacy building.
And thank you again on behalf of President Dooley
and all of the faculty and staff
for coming here this morning
for the College of Pharmacy groundbreaking.
Thank you very much.
[applause]