University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy

University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy Advancing Health, Transforming Communities, Creating Leaders

09/04/2026

Moving to URI soon? Before classes start, you have some exploring to do!

If you're arriving early before move-in, here's our unofficial South County bucket list. To make sure it feels attainable, we made sure everything on this list is about 25 minutes from campus or less. Let's get into it:

💙 Explore the Fantastic Umbrella Factory
This quirky Charlestown spot is basically a little world of its own, with unique shops, gardens, animals, a bamboo grove, and so many things to discover. It's a hidden gem and one of the few places you'll spot an emu in RI!

💙 Go looking for the trolls at Ninigret Park
If you're headed to the Umbrella Factory, save a little time for this excursion! Two giant wooden trolls by artist Thomas Dambo are hiding around the park. Finding them is a little like a scavenger hunt, and it's a great excuse to explore the park.

💙 Get a Del's
This is basically a Rhode Island rite of passage. Pro tip: if you really want to look like a local, skip the straw.

💙 Go to the beach
You're going to school in the Ocean State, so take advantage of it! Narragansett, Scarborough, and East Matunuck are all nearby, so there's no shortage of places to get some beach time before classes begin.

💙 Walk Black Point
Want the ocean views without committing to a full beach day? Head to Black Point for a coastal walk along the rocky shoreline where you'll see some beautiful views.

💙 Get some seafood
You can't move to Rhode Island without at least trying some local seafood! Find a local spot, order a lobster roll, and start developing your opinions on the best seafood in the state.

These are all pretty close to campus, but if you have a little more time, make the trip to Newport or Providence! There's plenty more of Rhode Island to explore once you're here.

Current Rams, let us know, is there anything we missed?

Life's about to get busy over at the college of Pharmacy!Life here at URI is full in the best possible way. Between lect...
09/03/2026

Life's about to get busy over at the college of Pharmacy!

Life here at URI is full in the best possible way. Between lectures and labs, beach days and basketball games, research breakthroughs and new friendships, our students are building a life they love filled with people they love. And while they're out there cheering on the Rams or getting involved on campus, they're also becoming some of the most prepared pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in the field.

At URI College of Pharmacy, the two aren't separate. Academics are important, but so are the experiences you have outside of class. Every moment you spend here is a part of what makes our graduates prepared for whatever comes next.

So in a few days, get ready to be busy. You'll be busy making discoveries, practicing clinical skills, seeing your friends, and reaffirming this was the right place all along.

We can't wait to welcome you all back next week!

Fall is here and we have so many ways for you to experience URI College of Pharmacy this semester!Whether you're a high ...
09/02/2026

Fall is here and we have so many ways for you to experience URI College of Pharmacy this semester!

Whether you're a high schooler considering your options, a transfer student thinking about making a change, or just someone who wants to see what the Pharmily is all about before making your college choice, we're here to help! And to do that, we put together the perfect lineup of events for you.

Here's what's coming up:

💙 Information Sessions... September through November
Get an up-close look at our PharmD and BPS programs, along with a student-led tour of Avedisian Hall.

💙 PharmD and BPS Shadow Days... September through December
Step into the life of a current pharmacy student for the day. Sit in on a real class, explore Avedisian Hall, meet future classmates, and see firsthand what learning at URI actually looks like.

💙 URI Open House... October 4 & November 14
Walk the campus, meet the people who make this community special, learn about our programs, and start picturing what your life here could look like.

💙 Exploration Day... Friday, November 20th, 1:00-3:00 PM
Get a hands-on look at pharmacy and biomedical science through lab tours, research demos, simulation experiences, and conversations with students and faculty.

The best way to know if URI feels like home is to come see it for yourself. Register early at the link in our bio and we can't wait to welcome you to Kingston!

Starting something new comes with a lot of feelings (we know, we've all been where you are!). You're probably feeling so...
09/01/2026

Starting something new comes with a lot of feelings (we know, we've all been where you are!). You're probably feeling some excitement, but also nerves and maybe even a little uncertainty about where you’ll fit in. If you’re feeling any of that, we want you to know something before you even walk through the doors: you already have a community waiting for you.

If you've been following us for a while, you've probably seen us talk about the Pharmily. That's our fun nickname for our College of Pharmacy family, but if you ask anyone in the program, you'll quickly hear that the Pharmily is more than a name. It’s that feeling of community you have when classmates save you a seat because you're running late, or when the upperclassmen remember exactly what it felt like to be new, so they go out of their way to make you feel seen and welcome. It's knowing that on the weekend, you have a community of people who are excited to see you and hear how your week went.

Throughout the next few years, you’ll spend a lot of time learning together, and some of the most meaningful parts of pharmacy school will happen outside the classroom with these people. You’ll celebrate each other’s wins, help each other through the tough weeks, and make the kinds of memories that stay with you long after graduation.

So if you’re walking into your first week wondering, “Will I fit in?” take a breath. You don’t have to have everything figured out yet. You don’t have to know everyone yet. Just show up and be yourself. The rest will come. We can't wait to meet you!

Alzheimer’s disease can begin changing the brain years before symptoms appear. But detecting those changes early remains...
09/01/2026

Alzheimer’s disease can begin changing the brain years before symptoms appear. But detecting those changes early remains one of the biggest challenges in the fight against the disease.

At URI College of Pharmacy, Associate Professor Dr. Jessica Alber is exploring whether the retina could provide a window into those early changes. Her research uses retinal imaging to look for signs associated with early Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of developing a more accessible, lower-cost, and less invasive approach to screening.

Dr. Alber's research is supported by a five-year, $10.3 million NIH grant and brings together collaborators from across neuroscience, medicine, imaging, and biomarker research. Her team is also investigating whether combining retinal imaging with blood-based biomarkers could improve the identification of people at high risk for developing Alzheimer’s before significant cognitive decline occurs.

Earlier detection could create more opportunities for interventions, including emerging drug and lifestyle therapies, and potentially change how we approach Alzheimer’s care.

This is just one example of how researchers at URI College of Pharmacy are approaching complex health challenges from new angles and exploring how advances in science could ultimately lead to earlier detection and better outcomes for patients and their families.

Read more about Dr. Alber’s research and her work to advance early Alzheimer’s detection: web.uri.edu/pharmacy/2026/06/12/uri-neuroscientist-explores-retinal-scanning-to-detect-early-stage-alzheimers/

Think you know what pharmacy school is like? You might want to rethink a few things.There are so many assumptions about ...
08/26/2026

Think you know what pharmacy school is like? You might want to rethink a few things.

There are so many assumptions about what it means to go to pharmacy school or what it will be like. Some people think you'll have no time for a social life or that everyone is competing against each other. Others believe you need to know exactly what you want to do before you start or that your professors will be impossible to reach.

But we're here to tell assure you that's not the experience students have at URI College of Pharmacy.

Pharmacy school is challenging, we're not denying that, but that doesn't mean you have to put your life outside the classroom on hold. Our students are involved in countless organizations, build lifelong friendships, spend time doing hobbies, and make time for the parts of college that matter to them.

We also can't emphasize enough: it's not a competition here. Students learn alongside one another and support their classmates through a demanding program. We cultivate a collaborative environment from day 1.

When it comes to your career, you definitely don't need your entire path figured out on day one. Through coursework, research, experiential learning, student organizations, and conversations with faculty, students have plenty of opportunities to explore different areas of pharmacy and discover what interests them. And as you're figuring that out, if you need guidance, our faculty are there to help. They're mentors who can help students navigate their education, explore career options, and make the most of the opportunities available to them.

Pharmacy school is already hard. Let's not make it harder by perpetuating these myths.

A special visit to Camp Surefire! 🏕️Dr. Erica Estus stopped by during camp week for a special visit with alumnus Nick Le...
08/26/2026

A special visit to Camp Surefire! 🏕️

Dr. Erica Estus stopped by during camp week for a special visit with alumnus Nick Leso, Pharm.D., Camp Co-Director, and had the opportunity to see Camp Surefire in action!

Camp Surefire is an overnight camp designed specifically for children and teens with type 1 diabetes, creating a supportive environment where campers can build confidence, form lasting connections, and enjoy all that summer camp has to offer.

URI Pharmacy has a strong presence at Camp Surefire each year, with several of our students completing rotations at camp and many alumni returning to participate and support the program. It’s always great to see our students, alumni, and faculty coming together and making an impact beyond the classroom! 💙🐏

08/25/2026

Looking at colleges can be an incredibly overwhelming process. There are so many things to consider and it's hard to know exactly what to look at when comparing colleges.

One tip we like to give families is to start by looking at outcomes. They can give you a better sense of how students are doing and what their experience can lead to after graduation. Here's a few of ours:

💙 98% of students are employed at graduation
Getting a degree is only part of the goal. We ensure students graduate ready to take what they've learned into the workforce.

💙 7.8:1 student-to-faculty ratio
A smaller student-to-faculty ratio means students can build relationships with faculty who know and support them. This low ratio also means many faculty help students navigate their education and career goals long after they've taken their class.

💙 300+ experiential learning and employment partners
Students have opportunities to take what they're learning beyond the classroom and gain real-world experience as they prepare for their careers.

💙 100+ potential career paths
We say this all the time: pharmacy isn't just one career path. From patient care to research, industry, public health, and more, students can explore where their interests might take them.

💙 98% of alumni would choose URI again
After all is said and done, almost all of our students would do it all again. This is such a strong reflection of the experience our graduates had here and the community they became part of.

💙 95% of students graduate on time.
College is a big investment, and students should have the support they need to stay on track. We ensure students have the guidance, resources, and support they need to keep making progress toward their degree and ultimately reach the career goals they came to URI to pursue.

If you're looking for a college experience like this, join a Shadow Day or Info Session and meet the students who were once standing exactly where you are now. Click the link in our bio to learn more!


It's time to introduce the final student of our new student feature series! Meet Michael Babinchak, an incoming Pharm.D....
08/24/2026

It's time to introduce the final student of our new student feature series!

Meet Michael Babinchak, an incoming Pharm.D. freshman from Lansdale, PA. Like many of our students, Michael knew URI was the right fit the moment he walked in the door. He felt the community right away, and that feeling remained with him as he went through the application process. We hope every prospective student experiences that feeling when they visit and are thrilled it was so impactful for him.

Michael is heading into his Pharm.D. with a passion for pharmacotherapy driven by his lifelong interest in how medicine works. For him, it's about understanding what happens when science and health intersect, and how that knowledge can be used to take better care of patients.

Outside the classroom, Michael is ready to hit the ground running. He's planning to get involved in club tennis, Greek life, and leadership programs. He'll fit in well with the rest of our busy pharmacy students!

The fall semester kicks off next week and we finally get to welcome everyone we've highlighted over the summer (as well as the rest of you!) in person. We can't wait!

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7 Greenhouse Road
Kingston, RI
02881

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