URI_Research_Magazine_2009-2010_Melissa-McCarthy

College of nursing

“The work has tremendous potential for commercial applications and will create novel opportunities for disabled people to live a more varied life.”

Answering Employer Needs Across the Region Eighteen million dollars. That’s how much University of Rhode Island Education Professor John Boulmetis has received in grants and contracts since joining the university 37 years ago. He also just happens to be highly sought after by local, state and federal agencies for his expertise in program evaluation, staff training, program development and research. The list of agencies that have drawn upon Boulmetis’ expertise is long: from the Rhode Island departments of education, human services, corrections, elderly affairs, and others, to the Connecticut Department of Education, to local school districts here and in neighboring states, to national industries including Texas Instruments, McNeil Consumer Products, and Pizza Hut. “The skills used in curriculum development, program planning, training and evaluations are universal and can apply to a variety of agencies, institutions and environments,” Boulmetis says. “People and agencies look to URI to assist in their planning and implementation efforts. I’m energized by working with professionals in workplaces that are both new and familiar.” The fact is, professor Boulmetis is a leader and innovator in the education of educators. He is director of the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Human Services and coordinator of graduate studies for the School of Education. Despite these leadership roles, he hasn’t walked away from the classroom he loves. In fact, he still coordinates and teaches for the university’s graduate program in adult education. Thanks to professors like John Boulmetis, the University of Rhode Island is relied upon as a valuable resource to the educational and economic sectors of Southern New England. And that’s no small thing.

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