September 9, 2022

Ranger Hall: A Historic Transformation

At the heart of the Harrington School’s dynamic learning community is Ranger Hall, situated on URI’s iconic Quad. Nearly $15 million in renovations have transformed this historic structure into a modern academic hub with adaptive classrooms, versatile gathering spots, and cutting-edge creative spaces.

 

Assistant Teaching Professor Nick Corsano teaches students how to use equipment in the Ranger Hall Production lab
The Harrington Hub features a Living/Learning Room (left), as well as the Film Production Lab (right).

The final product is a dedicated place for students and faculty from all of Harrington’s seven academic programs to gather, learn, create, and exchange ideas. The generosity of dozens of donors made this extraordinary project possible. Leading the way were Dick and Jean Harrington, whose gifts laid the cornerstone for a facility that will benefit generations of URI students and faculty.

 

“The completion of renovation and addition of new learning spaces is a truly historic moment for the Harrington School as well as the University as a whole. It goes a long way toward creating an inclusive community across our academic programs where our students can meet, collaborate, learn, and create.”
Ammina Kothari, Director of Harrington School and Professor of Journalism

A world-class creative space

Renovations to the building’s first floor, completed in 2015, added new classroom and computer lab spaces plus:

    • The Living/Learning Room—a buzzing place for students to gather.
    • Three video editing suites with industry-standard hardware and software.
    • A spacious film screening room.
    • The Media Equipment Center stocked with video cameras, audio field recorders, studio lights, laptops, and more.
students using in a booth in Ranger Hall
Students work in a video production lab
The newly renovated Ranger Hall includes common spaces that foster open discussion and collaboration, as well as state-of-the-art labs and technologies that allow students to be hands-on in their discipline.

A vision for the future

In 2022, renovations to the building’s remaining floors further expanded Ranger Hall, completing its stature as Harrington’s academic hub. The project added:

  • A Film Production Lab — a teaching sound stage with space for three complete walled sets.
  • Two new computer labs with high-end machines capable of processing video with up to 8K quality.
  • Two additional advanced video editing suites.
  • Eleven new classrooms, including two active-learning classrooms designed for student collaboration.
“It’s wonderful that The University of Rhode Island has chosen Ranger Hall, a historic building, on the quadrangle as the home of the Harrington School of Communication and Media. Jean and I are pleased that we are able to play a key role in the creation of the Harrington School and the renovation of Ranger Hall. It is shaping a world class student hub for learning in the many years to come.”
Dick Harrington ’73, H’02

Other key gifts to the Ranger Hall came from:                             

  • William Achtmeyer
  • Thomas Cerio III ’76, P. ‘09
  • Johnathan Herman ‘99
  • John King ‘85
  • Lori Merolla ‘83
  • Nicole Noya ’00 and Ken Fields
  • Kathleen O’Donnell ’90, P’22
  • Nancy McKinstry ’80, H ‘05
  • Robert Vincent ‘75
  • Adam Weiner ‘87

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