2 Class Of '74 Members Donate $500K To URI For Education Research

KINGSTON, RI — Two members of the class of 1974 donated $500,000 to the University of Rhode Island.

The money Diane Chace Fannon and S. Kent Fannon gifted will support the Feinstein College of Education to establish the Diane and Kent Fannon Education Research Endowment.

Faculty will be able to apply for funds from the endowment to support innovative research projects that will help teachers and improve learning outcomes, university officials said. Topics for research will include improving literacy, STEM education, equity and inclusion, teaching with technology, and more.

"I began at URI with the intention of becoming a teacher for life," Diane Fannon said. "After teaching first grade for two years in Connecticut, my career path took a different turn when we moved to New York. But my belief in the importance of teaching and education never wavered. When we had the opportunity to meet Dean Dennis, it became clear that a research endowment, with its potential to influence education well into the future, would have the longest echo."

The Fannons attended an informational session from College of Education Dean Danielle Dennis as part of a series of events for 50th reunion attendees. Along with a formal presentation, they had a conversation for a deeper dive on strategic initiatives.

"It started with a return to campus for our 50th reunion," Kent Fannon said. "We heard the dean talk with such passion about the college and were inspired by her vision for the future. We immediately knew we wanted to help."

University officials said the donation will also help attract top-tier faculty to URI.

"The Diane and Kent Fannon Education Research Endowment will have a profound impact on our college’s research mission," Dennis said. "Faculty in the college engage in scholarship that directly benefits Rhode Island schools and educational organizations, as well as these entities around the world. This will provide faculty with much-needed resources to seed new research and continue their impactful work."

With this recent gift, Diane and Kent Fannon continue a long tradition of giving to URI. They have made a gift for the creation of The Fannon Student Success Center as part of the renovation of Ballentine Hall for the College of Business, created two endowed scholarships focused on marketing and entrepreneurship, and endowed the College of Business Career Day. They have been actively involved through the years on the College of Business Advisory Council and the University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement Board. Each has received the University of Rhode Island Presidential Distinguished Achievement Award.

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