The former director of student involvement, Maureen McDermott’s life, service and commitment to campus life inspired the University of Rhode Island to rename the Student Leadership Award upon her passing.
By honoring a student who has “positively contributed to the campus community by empowering others and inspiring those around them,” the Rainville Award category recognizes the legacy of McDermott, according to an article from Rhody Today.
McDermott’s sudden passing in November 2024 was a loss much of the URI community found difficult to cope with, according to Ellen Reynolds, the vice president of student affairs.
When the URI Division of Student Affairs was looking for ways to honor McDermott’s legacy and work at the university, the idea to rename the award was brought up as a suggestion, according to Reynolds. After unanimous agreement, Reynolds said the department was able to easily make the switch happen.
“It helps with the healing process,” Reynolds said. “[McDermott] had such a way about her you could tell every day she came to work that she enjoyed the work she did.”
The Robert Rainville Leadership Awards was also an event McDermott had normally planned and ran for years, making the renaming of the award fitting, according to Reynolds.
“This was really Maureen’s event,” Reynolds said. “She looked forward to this highlight every year.”
Over the years, McDermott put so much effort into the event, allowing it to run for the 37th time this year on April 8, according to Reynolds.
“She planned all the events down to what flowers were going to be ordered and what the menu was going to be,” Reynolds said. “It seemed like just a natural thing to have happened.”
This year’s recipient of the McDermott Leadership Award was fourth-year MacKenzie Fitzgerald, a double major in political science and psychology.
In addition to her involvement in URI’s chapter of Kappa Delta, Fitzgerald has served as a peer mentor for multiple classes at URI and has been a dedicated member of the Student Affairs Student Advisory Committee, the North Woods Challenge Course and URI Diversity Dialogues.
McDermott’s husband and two of her three children were at the award ceremony, where they were able to both witness Fitzgerald receive the award under McDermott’s name and meet the family of late URI director of the memorial union and student engagement, Robert Rainville.
“[Rainville’s] family still comes on an annual basis, and it was nice for them and the McDermott family to meet at this event,” Reynolds said.
Remembering and recognizing McDermott at an event that meant so much to her, is something that the division of student affairs feels “very good about,” Reynolds said.
“[McDermott] put 40 years into developing students and really supporting students in the community,” Reynolds said. “For her, planning [The Robert Rainville Leadership Awards], it’s more than weeks and weeks.”
