April 22, 2025
Dear Members of Our URI Community,
It is with mixed emotions that I write today to share news regarding Jen Riley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who will be leaving the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ to accept a leadership appointment as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Hampshire.
Under Jen’s leadership, the reputation and academic offerings of the College of Arts and Sciences have grown significantly. Throughout her eight-year tenure, she has been a champion for faculty expansion and program growth. She has been influential in supporting innovative teaching and student engagement strategies. And she has been a proponent of student research opportunities and enhanced community collaboration.
Jen also has been instrumental in the nearly $100 million renewal of the Fine Arts Center. When it opens in the coming months, the new center will be a state-of-the-art space for our students and faculty artists, and will mark a new chapter for the fine arts at URI.
Jen is a respected literary scholar, with a Ph.D. in English in post-1945 American and British literature and literary theory and research interests in women’s literature. She joined URI in July 2017, after 15 years at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where she served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, among other roles.
At UNH, Jen will oversee the university’s colleges, schools, and institutes, as well as enrollment management, contract administration, and the office of research, economic engagement and outreach.
While we will miss Jen’s leadership, we also are excited for the new opportunities this brings her. She will undoubtedly bring the same passion and commitment to UNH that she shared with us. Her appointment is evidence of the continued upward trajectory of our College of Arts and Sciences. We are grateful to Jen for her vision and leadership, and for her commitment to the growth, experience, and success of URI students.
Jen’s last day at URI will be May 30. We will share more details in the coming weeks about the transition process and our plans for the future leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Please join me in thanking Jen for her many lasting contributions to URI, and in congratulating her on this next exciting opportunity and wishing her much success at UNH.
Sincerely,
Barbara Wolfe
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs