URI Foundation Hosts 2026 10 Under 10 Awards

The URI Young Alumni Council, in partnership with the URI Foundation, hosted the annual 10 Under 10 Awards on February 14, honoring graduates from the last decade for outstanding professional achievement and dedication to the URI community.

The 2026 recipients included Jeannine Blake ’16; Anthony Colonna ’17, M.B.A. ’19; Lincoln Dark ’21, M.E.S.M. ’22; Jeffrey Dowtin ’20; Patrick Dumas ’16; Autumn Guillotte ’18; Ryan Light ’15; Brian Martin ’22; Anna Mercer, Ph.D. ’15; and Alexandra Winnes ’19, D.P.T. ’21.

Each academic college, the athletics department, and the Graduate School of Oceanography chose one individual to honor.

Surrounded by fellow alumni, family, and friends, the recipients were publicly recognized during halftime at the URI men’s basketball game following the award ceremony. They united at half-court along with President Marc Parlange, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Wolfe, Vice President for University Advancement Mark Antonucci, and of course, Rhody the Ram.

During the formal awards ceremony at the Soloviev Basketball Practice Facility, University leaders celebrated the awardees for their dedication to their respective fields ranging from wildlife conservation, public health innovation, the future of education, and more, while also expressing gratitude for the many ways they represent URI beyond campus and give back to the Rhody community.

The URI Foundation launched the 10 Under 10 Awards in 2018. Along with personal achievements, all recipients demonstrate the University’s core values of creativity and scholarship; diversity, fairness, and respect; engaged learning and civic involvement; and intellectual and ethical leadership.

Read more about the recipients’ accomplishments on the 10 Under 10 Awards page.