Meet Colby Constantine, a chemical engineering major with a minor in pharmaceutical manufacturing from Leicester, Massachusetts, and this year’s student commencement speaker for the College of Engineering. Colby began his journey in the trades as a vocational high school student training to become an electrician. However, his experience as a pharmacy technician opened his eyes to the transformative power of medication. At URI, Colby immersed himself in research and leadership. He contributed to cutting-edge projects in Professor Ryan Poling-Skutvik’s Soft Matter Lab, completed competitive internships at merck and abbvie, and published two research papers which were presented at national conferences. He also mentored fellow students as a Senior Resident Assistant and Student Coordinator for the College of Engineering, all while staying active in AIChE and Theta Tau. “As a first-generation college student, these accomplishments mean the world to me,” he says. “But what I’m most proud ...