Jack Hayes was recently named director of athletics at Brown University, where he will oversee 37 varsity teams and 17 club-level intercollegiate teams. The Providence native previously held the same position at Hofstra University, where he focused on raising athletic and academic achievement among student athletes. Hayes holds a B.A. from Providence College and a master’s degree in education with a concentration in sports management from the University of Connecticut. more

Serving Thanksgiving dinner to those in need is an annual tradition at Johnson & Wales University, which did so for the 21st time on Nov. 20. More than 1,000 meals were served by more than 150 faculty and staff volunteers. Above, from left, Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee, JWU Providence President Mim Runey and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras help serve diners. more

With an associate degree in automotive technology from New England Institute of Technology, 29-year-old Christopher Whalen didn’t think he would fall into Rhode Island’s skills gap – the abyss between employers who are hiring for open positions and residents who don’t have the skills to fill the jobs. more

The real national costs of emergency department visits may be as high as 10 percent of national health care expenditures, according to a report released by Brown University’s Dr. Michael H. Lee. more

Dana L. Priest, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for The Washington Post, will receive the Pell Center prize for “Story in the Public Square” in recognition of her investigative reporting career, the center announced Tuesday. more

BRISTOL – The National Moot Court Team at Roger Williams University School of Law won the New England regional competition, besting Northeastern University, Boston University, Suffolk University and Syracuse University in the November competition. more

Webster Bank has created a student checking account available to any student with a valid college ID. more

Providence College has announced its board of trustees has elected former Verizon Communications executive John Killian as chairman, succeeding Michael Ruane. more

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island College School of Nursing has become the first public nursing school in the state to prohibit cigarette smoking or use of tobacco products by its students while in uniform or representing the school. more

PROVIDENCE – Seven Rhode Island College students and professors were honored during the 2013 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in early February in Hyannis, Mass. more