DOT workers tapped for alumni award

PROVIDENCE – University of Rhode Island alumni at the R.I. Department of Transportation (DOT) garnered the URI Alumni Association’s 2009 Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award. On Tuesday, URI President David Dooley visited the agency to meet with the chapter.
DOT employees formed the chapter in 2008 after realizing many studied at the state’s only public university. Since then the chapter has organized numerous social events and was recognized for its efforts at the Alumni Association’s Leader Weekend conference on Aug. 1.
The university and DOT are also linked through URI’s Transportation Center on the Kingston campus. Created in 1999, the center conducts multidisciplinary education, research, technology transfer and outreach for surface transportation systems and advanced transportation infrastructure. Each year DOT collaborates with the Transportation Center to host activities aimed at introducing middle and high school students to potential careers in transportation though a Robotics Challenge, Engineering Career Day and Construction Career Days and Summer Academies in Engineering, Construction and Business.
Tuesday also provided a chance for employees to meet Dooley, appointed in May as the school’s 11th president. Previously he served as provost and vice president of academic affairs at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont. He succeeds Robert Carothers, who retired in June after 18 years as URI’s leader.