URI Master of Environmental Science and Management

08/25/2026

Join us to connect with old friends and welcome new students to the MESM program! We'll provide some food and drinks, but we welcome potluck contributions to round things out.

RSVP to let you know you're coming (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch2bdeJjETXrSGSGqoo1g7EMC1MSvC8jMD7KS9Zv-gBMI3dQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=107306808263272265816).

07/28/2026

In everyday language, "uncertainty" means not knowing. In science, ...

06/02/2026

Have you ever wondered about the ecological value of all the old stone walls in RI? Maddy Stoltz's major paper (builing on earlier work mapping stone walls by MESM alum Elliot Vosburgh) is going to provide a preliminary answer to that question.

KINGSTON, R.I. – May 29, 2026 – For Madalyn Stoltz, a master’s student in the University of Rhode Island’s environmental science and management program, Rhode Island’s historic stone walls are more than remnants of the past. Through camera trap research and ecological fieldwork, she is stu...

05/06/2026

Congratulations to Yvonne Wingard, CELS Communication Fellow, for winning Best Virtual Presentation at the Fourth Annual International Graduate Student Showcase!

As our world becomes more urban, digital, and fast-paced, we risk losing not only our connection to the Earth but also the language and understanding that tie us to it. Yvonne’s research explores how this decline in ecological literacy - our awareness of our deep interconnection with natural systems - shapes how we care for nature and may inspire more environmentally responsible behavior.

This work was completed as part of Yvonne’s culminating experience in the Master of Environmental Science and Management program.

05/04/2026

Meet Roni Murray, one of our 2026 URI Energy Fellows 💡

A Master’s student in Environmental Science and Management, Roni is gaining hands-on experience with the City of Providence Office of Sustainability while working toward a future in municipal government.

From advancing sustainability initiatives to leading community hikes, she’s making an impact both professionally and locally.
We’re excited to see where her journey leads next.



City of Providence College of the Environment and Life Sciences

05/04/2026

Now is your chance to sign up for the longest continuously running BioBlitz in the region! Identify all the species you can (and learn to recognize some that you can't) at URI's East Farm and Kingston bird banding station while spending time with a lot of great folks.

04/22/2026

04/15/2026

As our world becomes more urban, digital, and fast-paced, something important is slipping away: our connection to the Earth.

Research by CELS Communications Fellow Yvonne Wingard explores how this growing disconnect isn’t just about losing natural spaces—it’s also about losing the language, meaning, and understanding that tie us to the land. At the heart of this issue is ecological literacy, or our ability to recognize how deeply interconnected we are with the natural systems that sustain life.

Why does this matter? Because how we understand nature shapes how we care for it.

Completed as part of their master’s in Environmental Science and Management, Yvonne’s research examines how scientists define and measure our “connection to nature,” and how strengthening that connection may inspire more environmentally responsible behavior.

Rebuilding our relationship with the Earth might start with something simple: learning to see ourselves as part of it again.

Congratulations to Yvonne on an outstanding presentation today at URI’s 15th Annual Graduate Student Conference!

04/15/2026

Lincoln Dark '21, M.E.S.M '22 uses geographic information systems technology to manage critical water infrastructure for Rhode Island communities.