The University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Marc Parlange as the school’s next president Monday evening.
Parlange was born in Providence, and currently serves as provost at Monash University in Melbourne University in Melbourne, the largest university in the country.
“My life and career have taken me around the world, and to be coming full circle here, back to Rhode Island where I was born, is especially meaningful for me,” Parlange said in a statement released after the vote.
Parlange will begin his tenure in August, after a difficult year and half for academia, as the global COVID-19 pandemic kept students and faculty off many college campuses. URI is currently facing a $7.5 million budget shortfall.
URI has not finalized its plans for the fall semester, but Parlange said his first priority will be to make sure the URI campuses are safe for students and staff.
“I’ve been fortunate now in Australia to be in a country where effectively we’ve eliminated the by COVID 19. And as a result, where we’ve been able to return to what we will call the ‘new normal,” Parlange said in an interview from Australia Monday. “What we have to be able to do in Rhode Island is, first of all, make sure that the community is indeed safe.”
Parlange said university officials are currently in “conversation” about the prospect of vaccination requirements. So far, URI has not made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory. Brown University and Roger Williams University will require students to be vaccinated.
Parlange said his immediate work will include getting to know the students and faculty, the university’s alumni networks, and getting reacquainted with the Ocean State.
“So I look forward to meeting the government of the state of Rhode Island and colleagues in businesses and in industry and foundations,” Parlange said.
In a statement, Gov. Dan McKee said he looks forward to welcoming Parlange back to Rhode Island.
“As a new Governor, I look forward to working with Parlange as the university’s new president during this critical time for Rhode Island and our higher education community,” said McKee. “Together, there is so much we can accomplish for the next generation of University of Rhode Island students.”
According to a press release from the university, Parlange has received international recognition for his research on environment fluid mechanics. He has a M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree from Griffith University in Australia. Academically, Parlange said he hopes to build out URI’s research capabilities.
“We’re going to continue to push on building interdisciplinary research that’s going to address critical problems of our time,” Parlange said. “So challenges, certainly that we see in the environment, in global political instability, and of course, quite fundamental questions of justice and inclusion and racism.”
Parlange added that access to education will be another priority during his tenure, including dealing with the mounting costs of a university education.
“We want the University of Rhode Island to be a place where people feel comfortable and feel welcomed and know that they can succeed,” Parlange said “We’re going to have to address, front and center, tuition…it will be a challenge, of course, but we don’t want it to be a barrier that blocks students.”
Parlange takes over from David Dooley, who is retiring in June after serving as URI’s president for 12 years. Last year, Dooley was paid more than $400,000, making him the second-highest paid state employee. On Monday evening Parlange’s salary information was not immediately available.
Parlange will be responsible for the school’s 17,000 students, a $800 million budget and its four campuses.
