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.

45 Years

Theresa Wild — Service Desk, Community Services

15 Years

John Ahern – Enterprise Applications
David Simeone – Enterprise Applications

10 Years

Tim Klatt – Telecommunications, Community Services
Chi Shen – Cloud and IT Infrastructure

5 Years

Michelle Rogers – Teaching and Learning Services

Congratulations to all!

URI’s application proxy sits between the internet and your server, routing incoming requests securely to the correct destination. If you run a server or application at URI and need it accessible via a URI web address, the application proxy handles HTTPS routing and SSL certificates — without exposing your server directly to the internet.

To request access or report an issue, contact its-citi@uri.edu.

Contact: its-citi@uri.edu (ITS Cloud & IT Infrastructure)

Features

Routes incoming requests to your server based on hostname
SSL/TLS certificate provisioning and automatic renewal
Your server is not directly exposed to the internet — all traffic passes through the proxy
High availability — traffic is rerouted automatically if a server is unreachable
Supports both AWS-hosted and on-premises servers

Access

Available to URI departments and teams with servers hosted at URI — either in AWS or on-premises. To request a new hostname or configuration, email its-citi@uri.edu with a description of your server and what you need.

Note: if you are looking for a managed web hosting solution rather than a proxy for your own server, see Web Hosting.

Support and Training

ITS manages the proxy infrastructure, including SSL certificate renewal and routing configuration. Support covers the proxy layer — ITS is not able to assist with issues on the backend server itself.

For questions or to report an issue, contact its-citi@uri.edu.

Need the same software environment across an entire classroom, a research group, or a department? ITS can provision a fleet of virtual computers or stream applications directly to users’ browsers — all pre-configured, consistent, and ready to use. Virtual labs are a practical solution for large-scale classroom instruction, software with limited concurrent licenses, applications that require complex setup or specialized configuration, GPU-accelerated workloads like 3D modeling and VR, and Windows-only software for users on Mac hardware.

Contact: its-citi@uri.edu (ITS Cloud & IT Infrastructure)

Features

Virtual labs can be deployed for a wide range of needs:

Classroom instruction at scale — provision an identical software environment for every student in a course, eliminating setup variability and ensuring everyone starts from the same baseline (e.g., SPSS for a statistics course)
Seat-limited or concurrent licenses — make software with a limited number of licenses accessible to more users than physical seats allow, without purchasing individual copies (e.g., MATLAB, SAS, JMP)
Specialized or complex software — deliver applications that require significant setup, special configuration, or are too complex to install and maintain on individual machines (e.g., ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, ViewFM)
GPU-accelerated workloads — provide access to high-performance virtual machines with dedicated GPU resources for 3D modeling, rendering, simulation, and VR applications
Windows software on Mac hardware — give staff, students, or researchers access to Windows-only applications when their primary machines run macOS

ITS will assess your needs and select the right delivery approach — whether that’s a fleet of virtual machines or cloud-streamed applications — based on your use case, user volume, and software requirements.

Access

Virtual labs are available to URI departments, faculty, and research groups. To request a new lab or application deployment, contact its-citi@uri.edu to start a consultation. ITS will work with you to understand your software, licensing, and user volume requirements.

Students and end users access their virtual lab through a link or portal provided by their instructor or department — no account setup or installation is required on their end.

Looking for a browser-based Python or R environment for course instruction? See JupyterHub and R Studio Server.

Support and Training

ITS manages the underlying infrastructure — provisioning, configuration, updates, and availability. Departments are responsible for providing valid software licenses and specifying environment requirements before deployment.

For issues with an existing virtual lab, contact its-citi-triage@uri.edu. For new deployments or changes to an existing lab, contact its-citi@uri.edu.

Store files, backups, archives, and application data in the cloud using managed object storage built on AWS. Unlike mapped drives or personal file sync tools, this service is designed for large volumes of data, automated workflows, and long-term retention.

Access is provided through an ITS-managed portal that integrates with your URI account. Two storage tiers are available: a standard tier for data you access regularly, and a deep archive tier for low-cost long-term storage of data you rarely need to retrieve. ITS will recommend the right tier based on your use case.

Contact: its-citi@uri.edu (ITS Cloud & IT Infrastructure)

Features

Scalable cloud storage — no capacity limits, highly durable
Standard tier — for data that is accessed regularly
Deep archive tier — for long-term retention at very low cost; ideal when you need to keep large amounts of data but rarely access it
Access controlled through URI Single Sign-On (SSO) — sign in with your URI account, no separate credentials to manage
Works with common file transfer tools such as rclone, Cyberduck, and the AWS CLI
Data is encrypted in storage and in transit
Considering other storage options? OneDrive (included with Microsoft 365) for personal and collaborative file storage; Network File Shares for departmental mapped drives; Open Storage Network for large-scale research data that does not contain HIPAA, FERPA, or other sensitive information

Access

Available to URI faculty, staff, and departments. Contact its-citi@uri.edu with a description of your use case — what data you’re storing, roughly how much, how often you’ll need it back, and any retention requirements. ITS will provision storage and set up access.

Once provisioned, storage is typically accessed via S3-compatible clients such as Cyberduck, WinSCP, or rclone, or via command-line tools such as the AWS CLI. Browser-based read-only access is also possible.

Support and Training

ITS manages the storage infrastructure and access system. Organizing and managing the contents of your storage is your department’s responsibility.

For questions or to get started, contact its-citi@uri.edu.

1Password is a secure password manager that helps you store and manage your work-related login credentials in one place. Instead of remembering multiple complex passwords, you will access 1Password using your University Single Sign-On (SSO) account.

1Password is considered a best-in-class password manager and implements advanced security features to protect your credentials. These include strong encryption, secure sharing options, and multi-factor authentication support.

Executive Lead

Michael Khalfayan

Technical Lead

Michael Khalfayan

Support Team

ITS Information Security

About the Service:

Features

Key features include a built-in password generator for creating strong, unique passwords, secure vaults to store credentials, credit cards, and sensitive documents, and cross-device synchronization for seamless access on desktop, mobile, and browser extensions. The autofill functionality simplifies logins and form filling, while Watchtower monitors for weak passwords, breaches, and security issues. Advanced tools like secure sharing options allow you to share passwords safely with family or team members.

Access

1Password is available for all full time staff or employees of the University. To get started with 1Password review the Introduction and welcome article for important details and a step-by-step guide.

IT Knowledge Base – Introduction to 1Password and How to Use It for Work

Support and Training

1Password provides support articles on every aspect of using the product.

Using 1Password | 1Password Support

Resources:

Getting Started with 1Password for Work

Introduction to 1Password

Set Up the 1Password App for Mobile

A dialog showing the autofill functionality

Explore Best Practices for Using 1Password

1Password Best Practices

The University of Rhode Island Information Technology Services (URI ITS) provides support and guidance for the effective and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools across teaching, research, and administrative work. Our goal is to help faculty, staff, and students use AI to enhance productivity, creativity, and learning while maintaining ethical and secure practices.

Our approach emphasizes accessibility, data protection, and informed use. Through training, resources, and community engagement, we help users understand both the potential and limitations of AI technologies.

By providing structured guidance and fostering responsible innovation, URI ITS empowers the university community to integrate generative AI thoughtfully—enhancing collaboration, efficiency, and discovery across disciplines.