KINGSTON, RI – August 15, 2024 – The University of Rhode Island announced that Cherubina “Ruby” DeChristofaro has donated $7 million from her and her late husband’s estate to advance research and support students at the University of Rhode Island. In recognition of this significant donation, URI will name its life sciences building, the Joseph ’56 and Ruby DeChristofaro Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences.
The gift will establish the Joseph ’56 and Ruby DeChristofaro Award for Scholarly Excellence in Neuroscience for undergraduate students and the Joseph ’56 and Ruby DeChristofaro Distinguished Endowed Faculty Fund in Molecular Life and Neurosciences.
“This is a remarkable gift, both for his vision and his generosity, and we are deeply grateful,” said URI President Marc Parlange. “This will help students and faculty make discoveries that will change people’s lives and build on one of the university’s special strengths.”
The award for scientific excellence will benefit two third-year students in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience program. The program spans a broad range of disciplines and offers students the opportunity to be directly involved in brain-related research on campus.
The Faculty Endowment Fund will support faculty at the forefront of research in molecular life sciences and neuroscience. More than 30 URI faculty members focus on understanding the role of the brain in physical and mental health and developing technologies to treat various diseases. The DeChristofaros’ gift will provide funds to attract and retain outstanding professors who will advance URI’s special contributions in this important field.
“This is a transformational gift for the College of the Environment and Life Sciences,” said Dean John Kirby. “It is an investment in scientific research and the education of future generations, which is why we are renaming the building the Center for Biotechnology and Life Science. The center is one of URI’s premier scientific research facilities for neuroscience, environmental science, and life and health sciences.”
Joseph DeChristofaro, who passed away in 2019, graduated from URI with a degree in civil and environmental engineering. He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and spent most of his career in the insurance industry. He retired after 25 years with Allendale Insurance Company (now FM Global) and then began a 20+ year career as President of Gallagher International Operations. The DeChristofaros chose to invest in URI to advance molecular biology and neuroscience research as part of their legacy to future generations.
URI’s Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences opened in 2008. The 13,000-square-foot building houses modern teaching laboratories, state-of-the-art research laboratories, high-tech genome characterization and analysis facilities, faculty offices, a 100-seat lecture hall, and a 300-seat, two-story auditorium.
