FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Gita Brown, 401-456-8465, gbrown@ric.edu
Laura Hart, 401-456-8977, lhart@ric.edu
Cumberland, East Providence, Providence and Somerset, Mass., Residents Honored
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island College’s Portuguese Studies Program inducted three outstanding students and three honorary members into the Sigma Chapter of the Phi Lambda Beta Portuguese Honor Society on Wednesday, April 8. The ceremony also included recognition of the 2015 recipients of the John A. and Mary V. Lima Scholarship in Portuguese Studies.
The National Portuguese Honor Society of Phi Lambda Beta, an auxiliary of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, recognizes and honors outstanding achievement in the field of Portuguese language studies and Portuguese, Brazilian, African Lusophone cultures and literatures and their diaspora.
Presenting the keynote address was Onésimo Almeida, professor of Portuguese and Brazilian studies at Brown University. He gave a brief background on how the Portuguese discovered the Azores and made use of the island as a refueling station for seamen. He also discussed how Portuguese immigrants, primarily whaling seamen and farmers, came to settle in New England.
This year’s honor society inductees are Cumberland resident Bianca Barros, a nursing major with a minor in Portuguese; East Providence resident Christine Meirinho, a graduate student majoring in modern languages with a minor in Portuguese; and Providence resident Sandra Semedo, a health care administration major with a Portuguese minor.
Members must be RIC students who have completed a minimum of three years of college Portuguese or the equivalent, including at least one course in literature. They are nominated on the basis of high scholarship, requiring a minimum grade point average of 3.25 in Portuguese courses and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.00 scale.
This year’s honorary members of the Phi Lambda Beta Portuguese Honor Society are Alice Clemente, professor emerita of Spanish, Portuguese and comparative literature at Smith College; R.I. Sen. Daniel DaPointe; and Onésimo Almeida, professor of Portuguese and Brazilian studies at Brown University.
Honorary members are selected on the basis of high service, scholarship or advocacy in the promotion of Portuguese studies, the Portuguese language and Portuguese, Brazilian and African Lusophone cultures at Rhode Island College and in the community.
Finally, the 2015 recipients of the John A. and Mary V. Lima Scholarship are Sandra Semedo and Somerset, Mass., native Ryan Viveiros, a biology major with a minor in Portuguese. The scholarships are awarded annually to students who demonstrate high academic achievement and a commitment to studying Portuguese at RIC.
Part of the Modern Languages Department at RIC, the Portuguese Studies program offers classes in beginner through advanced Portuguese language and in the literature and culture of all Portuguese-speaking nations. Enrollment in the program has grown nearly 50 percent over the past five years. Secondary and elementary education students who wish to specialize in Portuguese education may elect a major in modern languages with a concentration in Portuguese.
The Portuguese Studies Program is supported by the Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies, a nonacademic center that awards scholarships and provides internship opportunities to Portuguese Studies students, organizes cultural and academic events and conducts research projects in Portuguese and Lusophone studies.
Established in Providence in 1854, Rhode Island College serves approximately 9,000 graduate and undergraduate students through its five schools: the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, the School of Social Work, the School of Management and the School of Nursing. For more information, visit www.ric.edu.
Captions and jpeg file names:
From left, RIC Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Earl Simson and East Providence resident Christine Meirinho. — 150408_Meirinho_011.jpg
From left, RIC Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Earl Simson and Providence resident Sandra Semedo. — 150408_Semedo_013.jpg
From left, RIC Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Earl Simson and Cumberland resident Bianca Barros. — 150408_Barros_009.jpg
From left, RIC Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Earl Simson and Somerset, Mass., native Ryan Viveiros. — 150408_Viveiros_019.jpg
