Salve 2024 newsmakers – a look back
As we get ready to relax with loved ones and a cup of cocoa, we take a warm look back at our biggest happenings and stories of the past year.
Hear that crack of the bat? That was our Seahawks baseball team advancing to the College World Series in May, for the program history. Team culture, work ethic and years of strong alumni led the way for this year’s standout success.
2024 marked the University’s largest ever graduating class – 823. And it was a breakthrough year for federal funding, with Dr. Belinda Barbagallo, associate professor in the Department of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, receiving a $1M grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Dr. Susan Meschwitz, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry, awarded a $387,466 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. Erin Fitzgerald, director of Salve’s Center for Global Education and Fellowships, and Dr. Mary Montminy-Danna, chair of the Department of Social Work, were awarded a $44,865 grant from SHERR. Salve was also awarded a portion of a $3M grant from the NSF to launch a new Rhode Island Administration Collaborative.
In the summer, the Great Elephant Migration came to Newport, with 100 life-sized elephant sculptures majestically gracing the Cliff Walk. Salve’s herd of 52 was the largest of the traveling public art exhibition and drew tens of thousands of visitors to our campus – among them Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and art and wildlife lovers from around the world.
The Pell Center continued to build its reputation as an important source of research, with national media reporting on the findings of three “Voices of Value” surveys that provided unique data and analysis of the national and regional political landscape, and Pell Center leaders becoming regular expert sources for the Associated Press and other top outlets.
Salve students made a key discovery this year – an Ice Age-era occupation with artifacts dating back more than 12,000 years. The discovery was made by students in the Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural and Historical Preservation program, at their field school in Northern Maine.
And just this month, we received the wonderful news that Salve reached an agreement with the city of Newport and our neighbors to build a brand new residence hall on the corner of Shepard and Lawrence avenues that will provide on-campus housing for 205 students. We look forward to welcoming those students in fall 2026.
We are grateful for all that 2024 brought and anticipate the arrival of 2025 with big enthusiasm and energy. Right now, though, we’re going to wind down, snuggle with Ruggles and enjoy the peace and joy of the holidays.
