Across ITS teams, student employees play a vital role in helping the University of Rhode Island deliver exceptional support and services. As the academic year comes to a close, we’re proud to celebrate the achievements of our graduating student workers from the Service Desk, Networking, Endpoint Support, and beyond. Their contributions have left a lasting mark – and we’re excited to see what’s next for each of them!

ITS Research Computing

Cecile Cres: A Leader in Genomics and AI
For the past three years, Cecile has been an integral part of Research Computing, leveraging her expertise in genomics and artificial intelligence to support computing efforts within the College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS). Her dedication has helped researchers navigate complex computational challenges, making significant contributions to biological data analysis and high-performance computing (HPC) workflows. We are thrilled that Cecile will continue her work as part of the Research Computing staff at URI.

Madhu Kekulandara: Advancing Innovation, Cloud & Research Computing
Madhu has played a key role in research computing, innovation, and cloud technologies, supporting ITS efforts to enhance HPC, cloud-based solutions, and emerging tech initiatives. His work has helped expand access to advanced computing tools for researchers and students alike. His contributions have had a lasting impact, and we are grateful for his dedication to URI’s technology landscape.

We deeply appreciate their hard work and look forward to seeing their continued success!

ITS Endpoint Support

Michael Nester
Computer Science
Traveling, creating art with code, and discovering the right career path.

ITS Networking

Tyler Distefano
Computer Engineering
Completing one final summer course, then entering the workforce.

ITS Service Desk

Aminah Islam
Doctor of Pharmacy
Joining Takeda Oncology as a fellow in Global Medical Information and Review.

Rina Melki
Biotechnology
Entering the workforce.

Juan Porres
College Student Personnel (Graduate Program)
Relocating to Charleston, SC, to pursue a career in college advising or admissions.

Ryan Jensen
Computer Science (B.S.)
Starting a master’s in Cybersecurity—and a garden!

We’re proud to recognize the dedication and service of our ITS team members who reached major career milestones this year. Thank you for everything you bring to the University of Rhode Island—your contributions make a lasting impact.

40 Years

  • Kevin Golde — Enterprise Applications

25 Years

  • George Crane – Innovation
  • Mark Fester – Networking

20 Years

  • John Iacobbo – Networking
  • Christopher Hinkson – Community Services, Tier 2 Support
  • Kevin Bryan – Research Computing
  • Ming-Chu Shen – Enterprise Applications

15 Years

  • Christina Yetman – Administration
  • Michael Khalfayan – Information Security Office
  • Brian Chmielewski – Administration

10 Years

  • Scott James – Networking
  • Christopher Faraone – Cloud and IT Infrastructure
  • Jeffrey Levesque – Community Services, A/V

5 Years

  • Karen Lokey – Innovation

Congratulations to all!

We’re excited to share that after a year-long, university-wide effort, URI ITS has successfully implemented a DMARC policy of p=reject. This is a major milestone in our commitment to protecting the University from email-based threats like phishing and domain spoofing.

Why this matters:

With full DMARC enforcement, we have:

  • ✅ Eliminated unauthorized use of URI’s .edu domain and subdomains
  • ✅ Reduced phishing risks for our community and external partners
  • ✅ Strengthened URI’s brand reputation by ensuring only legitimate URI emails are delivered
  • ✅ Improved email deliverability through greater trust with major providers

The results speak for themselves:
📈 DMARC pass rates have increased from 47% last April to 99.85%, covering over 5 million emails in the past month alone.

This success would not have been possible without the dedication of Caleb Seekell, Tanya Roberts, Jake Fonseca, and Brad Jasperson. Their outstanding contributions were critical to this achievement—thank you!

We’ll continue monitoring and improving our defenses to stay ahead of evolving threats. Thank you all for your support in making URI more secure!

Important Changes Coming for Summer 2025 Courses

As part of ongoing efforts to improve teaching tools and course integration, two key Brightspace updates will go live on May 16, 2025. These changes enhance grading workflows and ensure continued access to third-party tools.

New Quiz Evaluation Experience

On May 16, Brightspace will introduce an updated interface for grading quizzes. This change aligns the evaluation experience with what’s already used for Assignments and Discussions, streamlining grading and making the interface more consistent across tools. No information is being added or removed, and student views will not be impacted.

Learn more about the Quiz Evaluation update.

Top Hat & McGraw Hill Integration Upgrades

Also on May 16, the Top Hat and McGraw Hill integrations in Brightspace will be upgraded to newer, more secure versions. Faculty using these tools must update their course links to maintain access.

📅 Deadline: May 16, 2025

What’s Changing?

🔹 Top Hat 1.1 → Upgrading to Top Hat 1.3

  • More secure and improved integration
  • Faculty must update links in Brightspace

🔹 McGraw Hill Connect → Upgrading to MHC LTIA

  • Enhanced features and security updates
  • Faculty must transition to the new tool in their courses

What Faculty Need to Do

To ensure a smooth transition, faculty should:
✅ Remove old integration links from their Brightspace courses
✅ Remove related gradebook items (if applicable)
✅ Add the new integration tool to their Brightspace course
✅ Follow setup guides to configure their courses properly

Support & Resources

For step-by-step instructions, refer to:

Top Hat

McGraw Hill

Need help? Visit us in Library Room 227, contact ServiceNow, or join our drop-in Zoom sessions:

For full details and support, check out our transition resources: Brightspace Integration Updates

ITS Service Desk
Walk-in support is available M-F 8-5 in the basement of the library

To ensure all University computers continue to operate smoothly and securely, ITS will begin implementing periodic automatic updates on a weekly basis, or as needed.

To ensure your system is ready for these updates, please follow these steps:

  1. Keep your University computer powered on and connected to the internet (ideally through VPN).
  2. Approve any update prompts when they appear.
    • Mac Users: Enter your computer login username and password (not the admin password). See the image below for reference:

Important Notes:

  • If updates have not been installed regularly, this process may require multiple reboots and could take longer than usual.
  • For a detailed overview of what happens during updates and the steps you need to take, please refer to the Qualys patching Knowledge Base article.
  • These updates are critical to ensure your system runs smoothly and securely.

How Often Will Updates Occur?

Updates will be deployed on a weekly basis, or as needed, to maintain system performance and security. You’ll receive prompts when action is required, and minimal intervention is needed beyond approving the updates when prompted.

If you need assistance or encounter any issues, please contact the ITS Service Desk at helpdesk@uri.edu.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our systems secure and efficient.

We’re proud to highlight the contributions of Jill Rasmussen, a member of ITS’ Security team, who makes a significant impact in the field of cybersecurity and identity management.

Past Success: EDUCAUSE Learning Lab

In December 2024, Jill facilitated the EDUCAUSE Learning Lab: Identity and Access Essentials: Securing Higher Education’s Treasure. This prestigious event focused on equipping participants with a solid understanding of Identity and Access Management (IAM) fundamentals—key to securing higher education’s innovative research and resources. Jill’s expertise guided attendees through best practices, challenges, and strategies for shaping modern IAM programs in higher education institutions.

Learn more about the December Learning Lab through EDUCAUSE.

Exciting News: September Repeat

Due to the overwhelming success of the December Learning Lab, Jill has been invited to facilitate the program again in September 2025. Dates for the live sessions are to be determined, but this repeat session promises to provide another opportunity for participants to engage with Jill’s expertise and explore the critical role of IAM in higher education. Stay tuned for more details about registration and session topics as they become available!

Additional Faculty Role

In addition to the IAM Learning Lab, Jill will be serving as faculty for the EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity and Privacy Managers Institute, an online program running from March to May 2025. This institute offers intensive professional development for higher education leaders, further showcasing Jill’s dedication to cybersecurity excellence.

Explore the EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity and Privacy Managers Institute.

Looking Ahead

Congratulations to Jill for representing URI and contributing to the advancement of cybersecurity in higher education! Stay tuned for updates on her September Learning Lab and other initiatives.

The University of Rhode Island is thrilled to celebrate two members of our community who were recognized among Rhode Island Monthly’s 2024 Tech10 and Next Tech Generation Award recipients for their exceptional contributions to technology and education.

Indrani Mandal, an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Statistics and the Computational Educational Specialist for URI’s AI Lab, was honored for her remarkable work in AI education. Indrani has been instrumental in designing and delivering innovative workshops in AI and data science, making these cutting-edge fields accessible to students and underserved communities across Rhode Island.

Gaurav Khanna, Director of Research Computing and the URI Center for Computational Research, was also recognized for his leadership in advancing high-performance and quantum computing initiatives at URI. His commitment to pushing the boundaries of research technology underscores URI’s dedication to global innovation.

These accolades reflect URI’s commitment to “Think Big. We Do.” as we empower our faculty and staff to lead in technological advancements and education. Please join us in congratulating Indrani and Gaurav for their well-deserved recognition!

New Email Ticketing System for Faster Support

This summer the IT Service Desk implemented an email ticketing system. All emails sent to the
Service Desk automatically create an incident ticket and send the customer a response email
with the ticket info. The goal was to enhance both the user experience and the internal efficiency
of the IT Service Desk, contributing to smoother operations and faster resolution times.

Benefits to the Customer:

  1. Immediate Confirmation: Customers receive instant confirmation that their issue has been logged, providing reassurance that their request is being addressed.
  2. Centralized Communication: All conversations and updates are contained within a
    single ticket, reducing confusion and ensuring that no information is lost in separate
    emails.
  3. Seamless Escalation: If an issue requires escalation, the entire history of communication is already documented within the ticket, making it easier for higher-level teams to step in and assist without delays.

Benefits to the Service Desk:

  1. Streamlined Workflow: The system automatically creates and organizes tickets,
    allowing staff to focus more on solving issues rather than administrative tasks like
    logging tickets manually.
  2. Improved Organization: All tasks are centrally located in one system, making it easier to track, prioritize, and resolve customer issues.
  3. Reduced Errors and Repetitive Work: Automation reduces the chance of human error in ticket creation and minimizes the need to enter the same information multiple times.

Action Needed: Update Pearson Integration in Brightspace Courses

At the end of December, the legacy LTI 1.1 connection between Brightspace and Pearson will be disabled. Heading into JTerm and Spring 2025, all faculty using the Pearson connection should use the new, more secure LTI 1.3.

Documentation on this process from Pearson can be found here. Please note that links will NOT automatically migrate. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact IT TLS.

Major Upgrade to UNITY HPC/AI Infrastructure

We are excited to announce that ITS Research Computing / URI Center for Computational Research is increasing the URI computational resources in UNITY by over 50%. This $500K+ investment was made possible through our federal grant. Details on the hardware being added — 1,000 CPU-cores: 16, 64-core CPU nodes that are identical to our current nodes in the uri-cpu partition; 24 AI GPUs: 4 nodes with 4 Nvidia L40S GPUs each, 2 nodes with 4 Nvidia H100 GPU nodes.