The University of Rhode Island launched its inaugural Earl N. Smith III Cabo Verde Study Abroad Program this summer, honoring a beloved former assistant dean who was a Newport resident, according to URI.
Eleven URI students traveled to Cabo Verde as part of the program that celebrates Smith’s commitment to social justice and cross-cultural understanding. Smith, a 1989 URI graduate who died in 2022, had started a program to the island nation a decade ago.
“This was a powerful and meaningful experience for all involved,” said Talent Development Director Gerald Williams. “President Parlange has been a tremendous supporter of TD’s initiative to expand study abroad opportunities, and this trip marked our first international program since the passing of Earl.”
The program was co-led by Talent Development Associate Director Kristina Moyet, who called it “more than a study abroad experience — it’s a living legacy.”
Smith served as assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and was deeply involved with URI’s Talent Development program, which includes many students of Cape Verdean heritage. Rhode Island is home to one of the largest populations of Cape Verdean Americans in the United States.
For senior Taylor Isom of Providence, a psychology major, visiting Cabo Verde fulfilled a long-held dream since learning she had roots there.
“Going was a dream come true,” she said, noting her appreciation for learning about the role women play in Cabo Verdean culture. “The women of Cabo Verde are the front runners of the country.”
The three-credit course, offered through Africana Studies in collaboration with Talent Development and the URI Global Initiatives Office, explores gender, political economy, development, sustainability and climate justice in Cabo Verde. Students learn about the country’s history, politics and economics, and its role in European and American colonial systems.
Half the students attended via scholarships in Smith’s name. Marine Affairs professor Amelia Moore, who co-led the trip with Moyet, said Smith had approached her about helping with the Cabo Verde program when she arrived at URI in 2015, but the timing wasn’t right then.
“It almost felt like fate when Catherine John [Africana Studies department chair] asked me if I would be interested in co-leading this return to Cabo Verde with students,” Moore said. “I was honored to have the opportunity to travel and learn with Kristina and this exceptional team of students.”
Moyet said Smith would be proud of the students who traveled in his name.
“Earl wanted students to see that the world is both complicated and full of possibility, that healing can coexist with struggle, that community is built across borders and global community is possible,” she said.
The program will be offered again next summer.