Thomas, Cathy Ryan Make 'Transformational' $35M Gift To URI

KINGSTON, RI — CVS CEO and University of Rhode Island alumnus Thomas Ryan and his wife Cathy made a "transformational" $35 million gift to the university, the largest private donation in the school's history. To date, the Ryans have now given more than $56 million to URI.

"Tom and Cathy Ryan have been outstanding leaders and dedicated advocates for the University of Rhode Island," URI President David Dooley said."This extraordinary gift demonstrates their commitment to all aspects of the URI experience, including the mission of academic excellence within our student body, the vital research taking place in the Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, and the community spirit that comes from excellence in athletics."

According to the university, the "vast majority" of the funds will go towards improvements to academic programs, expanding research and teaching in the field of neuroscience and creating a new scholarship program for high-performing students, the university said. The donation is broken up into $24 million for the George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, $10 to create the Thomans M. Ryan Scholars and the final $1 million for men's and women's basketball.

"Cathy and I are pleased (and fortunate) to be able to give this gift to the University of Rhode Island," Ryan said. "Our hope is these monies will allow URI to maintain its trajectory as a top-flight university for teaching and learning while continuing to grow its dynamic research capabilities, especially in the area of neuroscience."

The Ryan Institute was established in 2013 with a $15 million commitment, the largest private gift to URI at the time. The additional funds will both endow the program and cover operating expenses, including an expansion to the laboratory facilities.

"This new gift will propel interdisciplinary research and outreach efforts aimed at improving the treatment of disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS," Provost Donald H. DeHayes said. "It will explore new treatments, therapies and strategies for addressing heart-wrenching neurodegenerative diseases and also enhance our national and international prominence in the field."

Students selected for the Ryan Scholars program will receive four years' worth of tuition and fees, as well as access to the Honor's Program, Leadership Institute and global J-Term programs. Selected students will have to meet certain criteria, interview and visit the campus.

"This is a game changer for the University as it will allow us to attract exceptional students to our campus community," said Dean Libutti, vice provost for enrollment management. "This is more than just a full scholarship, recipients will also benefit from advanced opportunities for research, global travel, community projects, leadership and mentorship that they would not find elsewhere."

The $1 million challenge earmarked for men's and women's basketball is intended to increase community support for a new training facility.

Ryan serves as the chairman of the board of the URI Foundation and Alumni Engagement. Over the years, he and his family have contributed to the College of Pharmacy, athletics, the creation of the Ryan Center and other programs.