PBN Leaders & Achievers Awards 2025
ROSEMARY A. COSTIGAN
Community College of Rhode Island President
WHEN ROSEMARY A. COSTIGAN was a nursing student at the Community College of Rhode Island, she envisioned a long career in health care from start to finish.
Facing the Holidays with a Cancer Diagnosis
The holidays are often painted as a time of joy, tradition, and togetherness. But for…
Learn More
Being back at her alma mater and subsequently leading the college? That wasn’t planned.
“It’s surreal to be thinking back to being a student here to now being in the president’s office,” said Costigan, who was named CCRI’s official president in June after leading the community college on an interim basis for two years. “I’m a living example of what’s possible.”
Costigan spent 20 years as a registered nurse, specializing in acute care. Those experiences and the ability to assess critical situations and be decisive, she says, has served her well as a leader.
Costigan began her career in CCRI’s classrooms, spending 15 years teaching and mentoring nursing students as a faculty member and department chair. She ascended to senior leadership, including roles as assistant dean of allied health and then vice president for academic affairs.
As the academic affairs vice president, Costigan launched CCRI’s first academic master plan, expanded online learning, promoted faculty-led professional development, and implemented Guided Pathways to help students stay on track and graduate. After Costigan became interim president in May 2023, CCRI earned a full 10-year reaccreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education and joined the Achieving the Dream network – affirming a collegewide commitment to data-informed decision-making and equitable student outcomes.
The college also secured the largest private donation in its history in 2024: a $2 million gift to redesign and strengthen developmental education.
When she reflects on her career, Costigan points to what served her well.
“I bring my authentic self to every meeting, to every conversation,” she said. “If you can sit down, listen and have a good discussion, the discourse makes everyone feel heard, respected. Listening is important. Make it a conscience exercise.”
The educator has also learned a lot over her career. Costigan is a big believer in learning from mistakes, she says, being cognizant of what worked and what didn’t and using that to shape decisions.
