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Members of the Class of 2020 are invited to apply for the Nuala Pell Leadership Program for the 2017-2018 academic year. Named in honor of the late Nuala Pell, the wife of Sen. Claiborne Pell and an avid supporter of service, the program aims to build students’ leadership skills for the classroom, on campus and beyond.

Twelve students who demonstrate a commitment to developing their leadership skills will be selected to participate. Students in the program attend monthly seminars, participate in an off-campus leadership trip, and engage with accomplished leaders throughout their sophomore year at the University. Previous cohorts have met with a variety of leaders, including Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation, the Rhode Island secretary of state, a Navy admiral, a National Grid vice president, a state superior court judge, Liechtenstein’s ambassador to the U.S. and Salve Regina President Jane Gerety, RSM.

As part of the program, students work in groups to propose, design and execute their own service projects. They also shadow an individual leader and present on that leadership experience.

Applicants must have a minimum 3.5 GPA as of September 2017 and must be able to attend all meetings of the group. All majors are encouraged to apply.

To apply, students must complete the following requirements:

• A statement of interest (400-500 words) must be submitted via email to Chelsea Buffington by March 9. The statement should indicate why you are interested in the program, your interest or experience with leadership, and how you anticipate using leadership skills in the future.
• Applicants must also identify and ask a Salve Regina faculty or staff member to submit a nomination by March 9. These nominations should also be emailed to Chelsea Buffington.

Selected applicants will be asked to participate in an interview. Students will be notified of their provisional acceptance the week of April 14. Selected students will be expected to attend a reception for the program on the evening of Tuesday, April 25.

Photo: Erica Manchester ’17 and Nicole Washco ’18 in front of the hydroponic lab’s tubular growing system.

Salve Regina’s Hydroponics Club is more than just a few scientists in a laboratory: It is a group interested in innovative ways to create sustainable growing methods. Club members work in the University’s hydroponic lab, testing nutrient and pH levels and monitoring plant growth.

Salve Regina’s hydroponic lab began as a research center, but today it’s much more than that – it’s an opportunity for students of all majors to learn about sustainable, clean, functional agriculture.

Students grow plants for a few reasons. They study hydroponics as a sustainable method of growing, they use hydroponically grown plants for research and they grow edible plants to sell at local farmer’s markets. Students also participate in outreach programs to inform the public and establish hydroponic systems at other sites. In addition, they give tours to interested students, whether they are from Salve Regina or local secondary schools.

Founded in the fall of 2016, the Hydroponics Club has nearly 40 members and welcomes students from all disciplines. Current members come from diverse academic backgrounds – administration of justice, biology, business, environmental studies, marketing, nursing, psychology and political science, to name a few.

Advised by Dr. Jameson Chace, the executive board includes Erica Manchester ’17 (president/founder), Sydney Lane ’17 (vice president), Grace Jorgensen ’17 (secretary), Anthony Tandy ’17, (treasurer), Meagan Clickner ’18 (outreach coordinator) and Nicole Washco ’18 (farmer’s market coordinator).

To learn more about the Hydroponics Club, contact Erica Manchester or Meagan Clickner, or follow the club on Instagram.

– Compiled by Matthew Levine ’17

Undergraduate students are invited to submit applications for the Office of Community Service’s January 2018 service trip to Nicaragua.

Held annually during winter break, the Nicaragua service trip is run through Mustard Seed Communities, an organization that works with the local Catholic church to serve the needs of abandoned or orphaned children with mental and physical disabilities.

Participants will work with children and young adults at Hogar Belen Diriamba Orphanage while staying in a dorm-style mission cottage on the campus. A majority of the orphanage’s residents cannot speak, so participants will learn to communicate with the children through other means.

Applications are available online and are due by noon Wednesday, March 22. Interviews will be held April 20-27 and decisions will be announced Friday, April 28.

The program fee of $1,700 includes round-trip airfare, transportation from campus to the airport, in-country transportation, seven nights lodging, most meals and project construction materials.

For more information, consult the Nicaragua service trip handbook or contact the Office of Community Service at (401) 341-2440 or community.services@salve.edu.

The Office of Career Development helps students reach their career goals by assisting them with selecting majors and minors, exploring career options, applying for internships and implementing successful job searches.

For the spring 2017 semester, Career Development is focusing on increasing foot traffic to its offices and sponsoring several new and ongoing initiatives that are open to all students, including:

Walk-in Wednesdays: Students who need help building a resume, choosing a major, finding a job or internship or applying to graduate school can stop by the office, located in the Walgreen Hall administrative wing, each Wednesday between noon and 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

“This has been very well received,” said Michael Wisnewski, director of career development. “In the first three weeks of the semester we saw more walk-in traffic than we did all of last term.”

Career Trek: Students from all class levels and majors are invited to visit Alex and Ani’s headquarters in Cranston on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Participants will gain an inside perspective on the company’s organization and operations and meet with managers and hiring staff from various departments. Van transportation will be provided and pre-registration is required.

Career Connections Night: Co-sponsored by the Student Nursing Organization, the evening will focus on careers in health care and is ideal for students majoring in health care administration and management, nursing and the sciences. Several alumni are scheduled to attend, including Christa Durand ’92, president of Newport Hospital. Career Connections Night will be held Wednesday, March 8 in Ochre Court.

More information on these and other programs is available in CareerHub, which provides resources and services to help students plan their careers and find employment opportunities.

The office was recently brought under the umbrella of Student Affairs, allowing Career Development to interact with fellow student-centered offices such as the Center for Student Development and Residence Life. “This is where I think we can have the biggest impact,” Wisnewski said. “We’re keeping our lines of communication strong and focused, and we’re getting in front of a lot of students.”

By Matthew Levine ’17

Salve Regina students Marrissa Ballard ’17 and Skyla Hudson ’18 have organized a rally in response to the recent executive order barring admission to the United States for people from specific countries, as well as other executive orders.

The rally will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10 in the DiStefano Lecture Hall.

President Donald Trump’s order, which has been challenged in federal courts, bars people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S. for 90 days, all refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees indefinitely.

“I wanted to have the rally because I wanted there to be some sort of conversation here on campus,” Ballard said. “For me, one of the most important things about Salve is our mercy mission, and one of the critical concerns is immigration. So as a mercy institution, I think it’s our responsibility to speak on these things.”

Speakers at the rally will include President Jane Gerety, RSM; Dr. Sami Nassim, director of multicultural programs and retention; Erin FitzGerald, director of international programs; Dr. Jordan Miller, adjunct faculty member; and students Malysa Kettavong ’18, Blanca Guzman ’18 and Araz Khajarian ’18.

“I think it’s important for students to use their voice about things that are happening in this country,” Ballard said. “I hope it inspires people to fight and use their voices.”

Signs are welcome and students are encouraged to bring friends and roommates.