Rhode Island College Announces 2018 Commencement Speakers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Former President and CEO of Gap Global Jeff Kirwan will serve as the undergraduate commencement speaker at Rhode Island College’s 164th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12, at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence.

The baccalaureate ceremony will begin at 9 a.m., and the advanced degree ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. Rhode Island College is expecting to confer more than 1,200 undergraduate and more than 225 graduate degrees.

A successful international business leader, RIC alumnus and intercollegiate wrestler, Kirwan will reflect on where his RIC degree has taken him in his career and offer advice to graduates about how to navigate today’s changing workforce environment.

An executive for the leading global retailer Gap Inc. for more than 13 years, Kirwan served, from 2015-2018, as president and chief executive officer of Gap Global. Prior to that, from 2011-2014, he was president of Gap Greater China. There he led Gap from its infancy to a robust business, opening Gap stores, Gap Outlet, Old Navy and a thriving online business across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Previous to his China assignment, Kirwan was senior vice president of stores and operations for Gap’s largest brand, Old Navy, from 2008-2011; senior vice president and general manager of Old Navy Canada from 2007-2008; and zone vice president of Old Navy from 2004-2006.

In addition to earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Rhode Island College in 1993, Kirwan attained a Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland in 2005. His passion for supporting the communities where he lives and does business is demonstrated through his support of employee volunteerism and his active engagement with multiple not-for-profit organizations.

“Jeff personifies the limitless potential and value of a Rhode Island College degree,” said Rhode Island College President Frank D. Sánchez. “We are extremely proud to highlight his professional advancement as a RIC alum. I think the story of his remarkable career trajectory and lessons he has learned is important for our students to hear.”

RIC alumna and Associate Vice President of Community, Equity and Diversity Anna Cano-Moraleswill serve as the commencement speaker at the advanced degree ceremony.

As the leader of the newly established Division of Community, Equity and Diversity at Rhode Island College, Cano-Morales works to ensure that the college is active in developing a culture of diversity and inclusion across all divisions. Her previous positions include director of the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University and associate vice president for grant programs for the Rhode Island Foundation, where she led grant programs in two key sectors: children and families, and Hispanics in philanthropy.

Canao-Morales has served on several state and nonprofit boards, including the University of Rhode Island Foundation, the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee, the International Charter School and the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education. Currently, she is chair of the board of trustees for Central Falls School and a seminar fellow for the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, which is affiliated with the John M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. Cano-Morales earned a B.S. in human development, counseling and family studies from the University of Rhode Island and an M.S.W. from Rhode Island College.

According to Sánchez, “Anna has already made an important difference here at RIC, leading the effort to integrate inclusive excellence into our core mission, vision and strategies. She is an outstanding role model for our graduates.”

Jane Bodine Williams, Ph.D., R.N., will receive an honorary degree. Williams is professor and dean of RIC’s School of Nursing and will be retiring this year.

Williams’ career at RIC began in 1975 when she was appointed assistant professor in the School of Nursing. In 1995 she was made a tenured professor, and in 2000 she was appointed department chair. Seven years later, Williams was appointed founding dean of the School of Nursing.

For more than four decades, Williams’ leadership and innovative spirit have powered RIC’s School of Nursing into becoming one of the best nursing schools in the nation. Hospitals and healthcare programs around the state and beyond have also benefitted from Williams’ expertise and knowledge. She currently serves as a member also serves as a member of the Lifespan Board of Directors, the Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College Board of Directors and the Advisory Board of the Primary Care-Population Medicine program at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is a former member of the board of trustees for Rhode Island Hospital and the Assessment Technologies Institute Inc. Advisory Board, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Grassroots Liaison, the RI Area Health Education Center and the Health Partnership Council.

Williams received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Michigan in 1966, the Master of Arts in education from New York University in 1968 and her Ph.D.in nursing from the University of Rhode Island in 1995.

“There are hundreds of nurses in our state and across the country who are where they are today because of Jane’s administrative leadership, vision and focus, as well as her talent for teaching and mentoring,” said Sánchez. “I am thrilled to recognize all that she has meant to our school and to the health care profession by awarding her an honorary degree.”

About Rhode Island College

Established in 1854, Rhode Island College serves approximately 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students through its five schools: the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, the School of Business, the School of Nursing and the School of Social Work. For more information, visit www.ric.edu.

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