After 40 or more years of service, some University faculty and staff were honored by the Lifetime Service Society. PHOTO CREDIT: uri.edu
The University of Rhode Island honored 23 University employees and inducted them into the Lifetime Service Society, a club that honors those who have worked for the University for 40 or more years.
“As the University grows, the Lifetime Service Society allows us to connect with the contributions and the rich traditions these members of our community have made on URI, the state, and beyond,” President Marc Parlange said.
The event was held at the Robert J. Higgins Welcome Center on Feb. 17, following a 2020 postponement due to COVID-19.
Eight of the inductees retired in 2021 and 15 retired in 2020, during COVID-19 lockdown. The Society currently has inducted about 160 members since it was founded in 2013.
Ann Marie Smiley, a specialist for University Events and the event organizer, said that she put a lot of effort into making sure this celebration was special for inductees.
“We just try to make them feel special,” she said. “We invite family, friends and colleagues to come and celebrate with them. We also invite someone close to the person to speak highly on their behalf at the event.”
However, the commemoration of these current and former employees goes beyond the event. Society members are further honored at the Robert L. Carothers Library on campus, where their names and years of service are etched into one of the bricks on the walkway near the building. Smiley believes this commemoration makes it so that these members are never forgotten at the University.
“It is just a nice way to make sure they are remembered,” Smiley said. “They have been pillars of the university for years and we just want to make sure people know that for generations after they are gone.”
This year’s inductees have committed themselves to the University for anywhere between 40 and 70 years. Antonio Sciola, who retired in 2021, worked as a mechanical and electrical shop supervisor for 70 years. During his tenure, Sciola was responsible for fixing plumbing issues as well as general campus maintenance and operation and was considered the most reliable in the department for a number of years.
The Society also inducted James Prochaska, a professor in the College of Health Sciences, who has done research on cancer prevention. Prochaska is one of the most referenced scientists on the planet and co-founded the transtheoretical model of behavior change, a widely used model for psychologists, according to the Cancer Prevention Research Center at URI.
In his time at the University, Prochaska has overseen over $80 million in grants toward cancer prevention. He has also been honored with a Medal of Honor by the American Cancer Society.
“The Lifetime Service Society is a meaningful way to honor the tremendous impact that so many have had on this community,” Parlange said. “I am grateful for our staff and faculty who have dedicated their time, talent, and energy to making URI what it is today and who, undoubtedly, leave a legacy for the generations to come.”