SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Marc B. Parlange has served in various education roles all around the world. Now, he will move from the land down under to the Ocean State to lead Rhode Island’s only land-grant school.
Parlange late Monday afternoon was unanimously approved to become the new president of the University of Rhode Island by the university’s board of trustees, nearly a year after the search for a new leader began. Current president David M. Dooley announced last May that he will retire in June after serving 12 years as URI’s top leader.
Parlange, who was born in Providence and will become URI’s 12th president, has served as provost and senior vice president of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, since 2017. According to his bio on Monash’s website, Parlange was dean of faculty of applied science at the University of British Columbia in Canada from 2013 through 2017. Prior to that, he spent close to a decade at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland where he served as director of the Institute of Environmental Engineering and then dean of the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, his bio states.
Parlange told Providence Business News late Monday that he became interested in URI because of its work in oceanography, which intersects with his own environmental research. Parlange also said URI has gotten stronger across the board in the decade-plus since Dooley has led the university, from education to infrastructure, state support and alumni support.
With the return back to his home state, Parlange’s career has now come full circle.
“I am thrilled to be coming back here to the University of Rhode Island and be the next president,” Parlange said. “I’m just looking forward to working with all students, faculty and staff at the university, the next generation of students that are going to be joining us.”
Parlange, who starts his new job as president Aug. 1, said he is especially keen on working with the society at large, as well as with local government and businesses as the new university president. He said that URI will become more engaged in the communities, as well as get stronger in research and education programs.
“I really look forward to getting to meet people and really continuing the fantastic momentum,” he said. “Hopefully we can accelerate and continue to grow the university.”
During the short 10-minute special board meeting Monday, Thomas Ryan, who chaired the search committee, said the search included town hall meetings and feedback from the URI community on who they wanted as the university’s next president. About 300 potential prospects were identified during the eight-month search process, Ryan said, narrowed down to 20 candidates by March.
Ryan said one candidate – Parlange – “rose above the others,” based on greater experience and more experience internationally and in research. Ryan also said Parlange stood out for his work on diversity, humanities and collective bargaining, which subsequently led the search committee to unanimously recommend Parlange to be the university’s next president.
“This is a momentous occasion for all of us and the university,” URI board Chairperson Margo Cook said after the vote. “I could not be more thrilled.”
In a statement, Gov. Daniel J. McKee said Parlange has gained experience in innovative research, international relations and inclusive leadership that he feels will serve URI well. “I look forward to working with Dr. Parlange as the university’s new president during this critical time for Rhode Island and our higher education community – together, there is so much we can accomplish for the next generation of University of Rhode Island students,” McKee said.
Like any entity, URI has been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. URI was among multiple colleges and universities that had to reimburse room and board to students after campuses closed last April for the rest of the spring semester and had an enrollment decrease this year, among other challenges it faced.
Parlange said URI can bring together multiple fields to address the current major challenges, which will stand out among other universities in the area. The first step to help URI get beyond the pandemic is to help and support as many people on campus as possible, Parlange said.
Parlange also said URI will still follow state health guidelines related to COVID-19, as the university is planning to have a predominantly in-person campus experience in the fall. URI spokesperson Linda Acciardo also said the university is still discussing whether or not to require students to get vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall, similar to what Brown University and Roger Williams University are requiring.
The incoming president also noted that URI will need to look deep in its strategic plan as to where the university can stand out distinctively in research and how to forge international collaborations.
Along with seeing the health crisis improve, Parlange is optimistic more students will be part of the URI community next fall.
“We want students from all backgrounds and all pathways to be able to come to URI,” he said. “Our doors will be open in that sense to students for this fall.”
(This story has been updated to include comments from Marc Parlange and Gov. Daniel J. McKee.)
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
