URI_Research_Magazine_2009-2010_Melissa-McCarthy

Research & Innovation 2009-2010 27 and leadership-track opportunities here and abroad. They are seen as a unique resource to hire for local businesses with ties to companies around the globe. URI’s dual-degree program has given graduates an important edge during these difficult economic times. Combining French with Other Disciplines Proves Magnifique! Alain-Philippe Durand, Professor of French, English, and Film Media and Head of the French and Francophone Studies Program, has developed exchange programs with two universities and a business college in France, and has developed joint programs with the College of Pharmacy and with the Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design. In 2007, he was awarded France’s highest teaching honor, the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, originally established by Napoleon. Professor Durand is so committed to the study of the French language that his mantra is: “The B.A. in French - don’t leave URI without it!” More and more students are heeding his advice, making URI’s French program one of the largest in America. Over the last decade, the number of undergraduates majoring in French has quintupled from 30 to 160, surpassing even Harvard University. Durand is excited by the program’s expansion and the students’ response. “My colleagues and I are constantly working to develop a true sense of community. Our program is demanding, but it is also a lot of fun. The opportunities for both French students and graduates are endless,” he says. Through a unique interdisciplinary partnership between URI’s language and international engineering programs, URI is educating more bilingual and cross-culturally competent engineers than any other university in the country. URI also offers dual programs combining French with more than 45 majors offered on campus. Lars Erickson, Director of the French IEP, stated that students ask why they should study French with engineering. “France is one of the strongest economic forces in Europe, with a highly trained workforce,” Erickson tells them. “There are huge French investments in the US, as well as American investments in France, and the IEP has proven a clear demand for American trained engineers with good French skills.” Many students choose US based employment with varying degrees of cross-cultural interaction and foreign travel, and have been selected for management

“Vital to our current and future success is a strong and talented multinational workforce. Having a global engineering presence with the associated language and cultural knowledge is a huge advantage as we work to grow our global markets.” Alfred J. Verrecchia, Chairman of the Board, Hasbro, Inc.