KINGSTON, R.I. – Jan. 16, 2025 – URI’s Center for Military and Veteran Education will hold a special orientation for student veterans and military-affiliated students on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The orientation will be held from noon to 1:15 p.m. in the Memorial Union’s Atrium 1, 50 Lower College Road, on the Kingston Campus, and is open to new and returning students.

The orientation will include an introduction to the Center for Military and Veteran Education and its staff, as well as URI’s Student Veterans Organization. The center, which opened in the Memorial Union in September 2022, serves as a homebase and a way to connect members of URI’s veteran and military community to one another and to programs and support to help them succeed.

Among the new faces at this spring’s orientation will be Kathleen Conlon, the center’s new coordinator. Conlon joins the team from the College of Business, where she has served as an academic advisor since 2010. A self-described “military brat,” Conlon grew up on military bases around the world with a father who was a U.S. Navy pilot.

“My dad was a Navy pilot and an Annapolis grad and my husband was in the Air Force, so I’ve always been very close to the military and had such a respect and admiration for those who serve,” said Conlon, who has volunteered with veteran populations many times over the years and once even flew with the Blue Angels. “It’s always been a passion of mine to go out of my way to help students that are or were in the military and may need special consideration for deployments, or some assistance in making the adjustment to college life.”

As coordinator, Conlon will be able to do more of what she loves—including helping student veterans make the adjustment to an academic career, serving as a trusted advisor, helping them with benefits and answering questions. She’ll also be involved in organizing events such as orientations and the annual Sea Services Symposium. 

Center director Bob Flynn is excited to welcome Conlon to the team and to introduce her to the student veteran community on campus. “As a Top Ten Military Friendly School, URI has demonstrated its commitment to our military and veteran community on campus — but there is more work to do. Bringing Kathleen on as a member of the team essentially enables us to double the number of full-time personnel available to serve our students and I think with her background she is going to be a tremendous asset.”

“Every time I walk by the MAVE Center, it is just so full of life and full of students,” Conlon said. “I’m just really excited to work with them. They say your passions lead you to your purpose, right?”  

Conlon says orientation is an opportunity for new and returning students to connect with one another and with the MAVE team, including several URI graduate students who are on staff. 

The orientation will also cover programs in place and benefits available to student veterans, current military and military-connected students; questions related to VA and military education benefits; tuition waivers; URI student resources including tutoring, academic advising, accommodations; and even questions related to routine items such as Student IDs, URI Health Services, and bookstore accounts. 

“We want to instill that sense of belonging,” she said. “This is a first step to connecting them to that community and that support here on campus. The center is open any time and there is always going to be someone to talk to, who can answer questions or point them in the right direction. Everyone is welcome.” 

The Spring ’25 Veteran and Military Affiliated Student Orientation is open to all student veterans and family members. Registration is recommended.