Bettering URI’s infrastructure was ‘fun and a challenge’ for Paul DePace for many years – Rhody Today

KINGSTON, R.I. – Jan. 27, 2026 – University of Rhode Island satisfaction has run deep inside Paul DePace for greater than six a long time.

In that point, DePace ’66, MBA ’75, didn’t simply grow to be a proud alum. For 48 years, DePace helped form URI’s three campuses, main a number of building initiatives that added greater than 1.5 million sq. ft of infrastructure to the University. DePace’s tenure because the University’s Office of Capital Projects director will conclude Jan. 31 together with his retirement from URI.

“Working here at URI was a combination of being fun and a challenge,” DePace stated. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of a team over the years that has done a good job working to deliver great buildings and results for the University. Working with that team is what I’ll miss the most.”

“Paul’s dedication to expanding and improving the infrastructure at the University of Rhode Island over the years has been second to none,” URI Associate Vice President, Facilities Group Karl Calvo stated. “Our standing as one of the country’s premier public universities would not be possible without Paul’s tireless work in helping URI construct new facilities on our campuses that help improve academic opportunities for our community. I hope Paul’s well-deserved retirement is an enjoyable one.”

DePace, of East Greenwich, returned to his alma mater in 1977 after stints with Raytheon and General Dynamics Electric Boat. He began as a director of the University’s bodily plant. From there, DePace would lead a crew that considerably reshaped URI’s campuses.

DePace led building on a number of residence halls, educational buildings, analysis and expertise facilities, and different services on the Kingston, W. Alton Jones and Narragansett Bay campuses. His portfolio additionally consists of building of the Robert Higgins Welcome Center, the Alumni Center, the Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering, the Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences, the Bradford Boss Arena, and the east grandstands of Meade Stadium, amongst others.

Helping construct the Ryan Center–the 8,000-seat on-campus area for URI’s males’s and ladies’s basketball groups and the location of graduation ceremonies and different occasions–is what DePace is most pleased with, he says. DePace says the Ryan Center has made a serious constructive impression on the University campus for each the URI neighborhood and the general public at-large.

“The Ryan Center came as a great benefit to the University that we were able to put together the resources that were necessary in order to deliver that for the community,” DePace stated. “To be a part of that team to make the Ryan Center a reality is a tremendous feeling.”

“Paul has built a statewide reputation of being one of the top capital improvement leaders in Rhode Island and has a history of strong collaboration with University internal and external stakeholders alike, including our vendors, unions, and industry partners,” stated Abby Benson, URI vice chairman of administration and finance. “His expertise and demonstrated ability to deliver projects on time and on budget have had a tremendous impact not only on our physical campus in Kingston, but also our stature in the state. We wish him nothing but the happiest retirement possible.”

Supporting para-athletes

Helping construct and preserve URI’s campuses wasn’t DePace’s solely ardour. He additionally devoted a lot of his time to supporting and connecting with athletes with disabilities who seen sports activities as a pathway to excellence, confidence, and independence.

DePace, who performed sports activities in highschool, was left paralyzed from a automotive crash in 1967 whereas learning at URI. He says he started competing once more as a para-athlete, however felt he might contribute extra as a volunteer. Eventually, DePace led a number of organizations supporting para-athletes for a few years, roles that took him around the globe and made a world impression. 

In 1992, DePace was named Chef de Mission for the Team USA Paralympics in Barcelona. DePace considers that function, which noticed him lead 535 athletes and employees in pursuit of Paralympic glory, a “high point in my career.”

Following the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games, DePace led a delegation to Washington, D.C., to foyer Congress, together with Paralympic athletes underneath the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. That course of ultimately contributed to the U.S. Olympic Committee formally acknowledging Paralympic athletes in 2001—and the group’s renaming because the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in 2019.

“It’s a great recognition of the athletes,” DePace stated. “I’m pretty proud of having been one of the individuals in helping make that happen.”

DePace’s athletic management roles included being president of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation—which rebranded because the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation—from 2001 by means of 2017. He was additionally board chairman for the National Wheelchair Athletic Association/Wheelchair Sports USA from 1988 by means of 2006.and has served on the U.S. Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Board of Directors.

In 2017, the International Paralympic Committee inducted DePace into the Paralympic Order, the best accolade bestowed by the Paralympic Movement. “Being awarded that was really top notch for me,” DePace stated.

After retirement, DePace plans to proceed volunteering with the URI Accessibility Task Force, the College of Engineering Advisory Committee, and has additionally provided his help to the URI Foundation, as effectively. He additionally plans to proceed being a member of the Rhode Island Building Code Standards Committee, which protects well being and well-being by establishing constructing building requirements.