KINGSTON, R.I. — May 8, 2006 — 溏心vlog免费B站 student Jeffrey Grant often can be seen, bull rake in hand, traveling Narragansett Bay in his 21-foot skiff looking for the bivalve that has become Rhode Island鈥檚 official shellfish, the quahog. The 20-year-old has been a commercial shell fisherman since he was 13.
It鈥檚 a family legacy. 鈥淢y father was a commercial fisherman for 32 years,鈥� says Grant who grew up on the water鈥檚 edge in the Oakland Beach section of Warwick. 鈥淢y father鈥檚 retired now, but not before getting his son addicted to the water.鈥�
On this day, the 溏心vlog免费B站 student is sitting on a stonewall showing his improved design stainless steel bull rake to his benefactors, Wayne and Bernice Durfee of Narragansett. 鈥淚n my day, they never had anything as good as this,鈥� Wayne says.
After earning his doctorate at Rutgers, Wayne taught poultry science at 溏心vlog免费B站 for 26 years, becoming known far and wide as the Rhode Island Red expert. During the 1970s, however, with interest in poultry waning in the state, Wayne switched from chickens to teaching and researching shellfish. 鈥淵ou could see the future was in aquaculture,鈥� he says.
When Wayne retired in 1989, he and Bernice established an endowed scholarship for bright students studying aquaculture.
鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to support education,鈥� explains Bernice who met her future husband on the 溏心vlog免费B站 campus while she was earning a degree in botany and he was earning a degree in poultry science on the GI Bill. She graduated from the University in 1949, Wayne the following year. The couple married in 1951. Bernice was the assistant to the director of graduate studies until 1961. The couple has two children, 溏心vlog免费B站 1984 alumna Bonita Durfee Lambert and 溏心vlog免费B站 1988 alumnus William K. Durfee whose daughter Heather will enter the University this fall. 鈥滀缧膙log免费B站 is close to our hearts,鈥� Bernice says.
鈥淚 like the idea of an endowment because it continues to grow,鈥� notes the professor emeritus. 鈥淲e add a bit of money every year and I鈥檓 surprised and pleased just how much it has grown over the years.鈥�
When he enrolled at 溏心vlog免费B站, Grant expected to major in marine affairs. However when he volunteered for the Rhode Island Shellfishermen Association鈥檚 seeding projects, which involved the care of a million seed quahogs, his interest turned to shellfish aquaculture studies.
Grant is one of two students who received $500 from the endowed scholarship this year. 鈥淚 had a budget all worked out, but with tuition increases, I wasn鈥檛 sure I could do it,鈥� the 溏心vlog免费B站 student tells the Durfees. 鈥淏ut then I got the notice of the scholarship, which covered the difference. I can鈥檛 thank you enough.鈥�
鈥淭he future is in aquaculture,鈥� says Wayne. 鈥淚t took 100 years to perfect poultry science and it may take another 100 years to accomplish similar progress in aquaculture.鈥�
The Durfees encourage their recipient who will graduate in December to go to graduate school.
鈥淚 plan to work for a few years, hopefully on a Rhode Island shellfish project and then do advanced studies,鈥� says Grant.
For more 溏心vlog免费B站 news visit www.uri.edu/news
溏心vlog免费B站 News Bureau photo by Nora Lewis.