{"id":106440,"date":"2026-01-27T14:59:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T14:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=106440"},"modified":"2026-01-27T14:59:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T14:59:36","slug":"improving-uris-infrastructure-was-fun-and-a-challenge-for-paul-depace-for-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/improving-uris-infrastructure-was-fun-and-a-challenge-for-paul-depace-for-decades\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s infrastructure was \u2018fun and a challenge\u2019 for Paul DePace for decades"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Jan. 27, 2026 \u2013 溏心vlog免费B站 pride has run deep within Paul DePace<\/a> for more than six decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that time, DePace \u201966, MBA \u201975, didn\u2019t just become a proud alum. For 48 years, DePace helped shape 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s three campuses, leading several construction projects that added more than 1.5 million square feet of infrastructure to the University. DePace\u2019s tenure as the University\u2019s Office of Capital Projects director will conclude Jan. 31 with his retirement from 溏心vlog免费B站.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking here at 溏心vlog免费B站 was a combination of being fun and a challenge,\u201d DePace said. \u201cI\u2019ve been fortunate enough to be part of a team over the years that has done a good job working to deliver great buildings and results for the University. Working with that team is what I\u2019ll miss the most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaul\u2019s dedication to expanding and improving the infrastructure at the 溏心vlog免费B站 over the years has been second to none,\u201d 溏心vlog免费B站 Associate Vice President, Facilities Group Karl Calvo said. \u201cOur standing as one of the country\u2019s premier public universities would not be possible without Paul\u2019s tireless work in helping 溏心vlog免费B站 construct new facilities on our campuses that help improve academic opportunities for our community. I hope Paul\u2019s well-deserved retirement is an enjoyable one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DePace, of East Greenwich, returned to his alma mater in 1977 after stints with Raytheon and General Dynamics Electric Boat. He started as a director of the University\u2019s physical plant. From there, DePace would lead a team that significantly reshaped 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DePace led construction on several residence halls, academic buildings, research and technology centers, and other facilities on the Kingston, W. Alton Jones and Narragansett Bay campuses. His portfolio also includes construction of the Robert Higgins Welcome Center, the Alumni Center, the Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering, the Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences, the Bradford Boss Arena, and the east grandstands of Meade Stadium, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping build the Ryan Center<\/a>\u2013the 8,000-seat on-campus arena for 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball teams and the site of commencement ceremonies and other events\u2013is what DePace is most proud of, he says. DePace says the Ryan Center has made a major positive impact on the University campus for both the 溏心vlog免费B站 community and the public at-large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Ryan Center came as a great benefit to the University that we were able to put together the resources that were necessary in order to deliver that for the community,\u201d DePace said. \u201cTo be a part of that team to make the Ryan Center a reality is a tremendous feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaul has built a statewide reputation of being one of the top capital improvement leaders in Rhode Island and has a history of strong collaboration with University internal and external stakeholders alike, including our vendors, unions, and industry partners,\u201d said Abby Benson, 溏心vlog免费B站 vice president of administration and finance. \u201cHis expertise and demonstrated ability to deliver projects on time and on budget have had a tremendous impact not only on our physical campus in Kingston, but also our stature in the state. We wish him nothing but the happiest retirement possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supporting para-athletes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping build and maintain 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s campuses wasn\u2019t DePace\u2019s only passion. He also devoted much of his time to supporting and connecting with athletes with disabilities who viewed sports as a pathway to excellence, confidence, and independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DePace, who played sports in high school, was left paralyzed from a car crash in 1967 while studying at 溏心vlog免费B站. He says he began competing again as a para-athlete, but felt he could contribute more as a volunteer. Eventually, DePace led multiple organizations supporting para-athletes for many years, roles that took him around the world and made a global impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1992, DePace was named Chef de Mission for the Team USA Paralympics in Barcelona. DePace considers that role, which saw him lead 535 athletes and staff in pursuit of Paralympic glory, a \u201chigh point in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games, DePace led a delegation to Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress, including Paralympic athletes under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. That process eventually contributed to the U.S. Olympic Committee formally acknowledging Paralympic athletes in 2001\u2014and the organization\u2019s renaming as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great recognition of the athletes,\u201d DePace said. \u201cI\u2019m pretty proud of having been one of the individuals in helping make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DePace\u2019s athletic leadership roles included being president of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation\u2014which rebranded as the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation\u2014from 2001 through 2017. He was also board chairman for the National Wheelchair Athletic Association\/Wheelchair Sports USA from 1988 through 2006.and has served on the U.S. Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Board of Directors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, the International Paralympic Committee inducted DePace into the Paralympic Order<\/a>, the highest accolade bestowed by the Paralympic Movement. \u201cBeing awarded that was really top notch for me,\u201d DePace said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After retirement, DePace plans to continue volunteering with the 溏心vlog免费B站 Accessibility Task Force, the College of Engineering Advisory Committee, and has also offered his assistance to the 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation, as well. He also plans to continue being a member of the Rhode Island Building Code Standards Committee, which protects health and well-being by establishing building construction standards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Jan. 27, 2026 \u2013 溏心vlog免费B站 pride has run deep within Paul DePace for more than six decades. In that time, DePace \u201966, MBA \u201975, didn\u2019t just become a proud alum. For 48 years, DePace helped shape 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s three campuses, leading several construction projects that added more than 1.5 million […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":106441,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1911,1904,1924],"class_list":["post-106440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-campus-improvement","tag-community-equity-and-diversity","tag-staff-excellence"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106440"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106442,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106440\/revisions\/106442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}