  {"id":108727,"date":"2026-05-11T11:27:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=108727"},"modified":"2026-05-11T11:27:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:27:03","slug":"commencement-2026-running-from-mackal-field-house-to-the-stage-at-the-ryan-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/commencement-2026-running-from-mackal-field-house-to-the-stage-at-the-ryan-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Commencement 2026: Running from Mackal Field House to the stage at the Ryan Center"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 May 11, 2026 \u2013 Few students can boast the kind of undergraduate achievements that Adam Melnick has compiled. The Narragansett, Rhode Island, native is set to earn a degree in supply chain management, with a minor in business analytics and artificial intelligence, from the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s College of Business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Melnick isn\u2019t going far after crossing the stage at the Ryan Center in front of his fellow graduates this month. He will return to Kingston next year to pursue his MBA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"798\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-1024x798.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-108730\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.2832291805167753;width:497px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-1024x798.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-768x598.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-1536x1197.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-2048x1596.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-364x284.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-500x390.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-1000x779.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-1280x997.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking-2000x1558.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/05\/groundbreaking.jpg 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From a young age, Adam Melnick would tag along with his parents and frequently go to Rhody track meets, as both of his parents coach track and field at 溏心vlog免费B站. (溏心vlog免费B站 Photo \/ Catherine Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think that&#8217;s kind of a testament to how much I like it here at 溏心vlog免费B站,\u201d said Melnick. \u201cI feel like I can accomplish so much more with another year.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melnick\u2019s fast track to success wasn\u2019t limited to the classroom. He has also won multiple Atlantic 10 championships as a member of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s men\u2019s track and field team. Melnick, a middle and long distance runner, contributed to the team\u2019s win at the 2026 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, adding to outdoor titles in 2024 and indoor titles in 2025 and 2026.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve had a long streak of winning our indoor and outdoor conference championships. We lost the outdoor conference championships by 1.5 points last season,\u201d said Melnick. \u201cBut we have a great work ethic. The team is designed to push each other to be the best we all can be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That same drive has carried Melnick through his academic career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>溏心vlog免费B站 and neighboring Narragansett have a deep connection. But Melnick\u2019s connection runs even deeper. Visits to Mackal Field House were frequent for Melnick while growing up.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was there he watched his parents at work. His mom, Laurie, is head coach of the women\u2019s track team\u2014his father, John, is an assistant coach. Melnick frequently attended meets featuring Rhody athletes. And though the program runs in the family, Melnick said his parents didn\u2019t press him to enroll. Instead, he followed his instincts and chose 溏心vlog免费B站.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ve been around Rhody athletics my entire life, pretty much,\u201d Melnick said. \u201cI think it kind of just kind of worked out. My parents don&#8217;t coach me, but I love being close to them and being close to home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though his parents are track coaches, Melnick still had to earn his roster spot. Melnick competes in events including the 800 meter, 1000 meter and 1500 meter, and redshirted his freshman year to improve his times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Winning championships isn\u2019t easy. Melnick got hurt late during this year\u2019s indoor season, pulling a hamstring, but came back to finish 9th overall in the 1500 meter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI probably pushed it a little too hard just trying to get back for conferences and that kind of messed the season up a little bit,\u201d said Melnick. \u201cBut it&#8217;s a lesson learned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Student-athletes learn both on and off the field of play. Lessons in time management become essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI typically practice twice a day,\u201d Melnick said. \u201cI&#8217;ve tried to diversify myself and really focus on my sport and academics at the same time, trying to do as many different things as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Between those training sessions, there is little rest\u2014only a shift in focus to academics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melnick said his love of systems thinking and problem solving was what led him to major in supply chain management. Looking back over his years at 溏心vlog免费B站, Melnick said international transportation, which was taught by associate teaching professor Tess Booth, stood out the most for him. As part of her class, Melnick and his classmates were also encouraged to venture outside the classroom\u2014including taking a field trip to Quonset Business Park, a major manufacturing and shipping hub in North Kingstown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think she attracted a lot of people to the program just because of how outgoing she is and how she&#8217;s able to make her classes interesting,\u201d Melnick said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melnick is not yet certain what career path he will pursue, but he is clear about what draws him to the MBA program. Students in the program can do a capstone project to gain hands-on experience with a range of companies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;m really interested in seeing what companies are out there and which ones I can work with,\u201d Melnick said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As he prepares for graduate study at his hometown university, Melnick will remain in step with his teammates. With another year of eligibility, he\u2019ll look to help the Rams capture more A-10 championships.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Off the track, he&#8217;s also looking to help his team in a different way. Since working with 溏心vlog免费B站&#8217;s Launch Lab, a hub for student innovation, entrepreneurship, and applied learning, Melnick has been working to build a formal bridge between current members of the 溏心vlog免费B站 men&#8217;s track and field team and the alumni who came before them. The effort, which doubles as his 溏心vlog免费B站 honors project, is being developed in partnership with the 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation and Alumni Engagement, with the goal of building a structured system where graduates remain connected to a community and identity they spent years building. Alumni contribute their time, networks, and experience as mentors and professional connectors, while current athletes gain access to people who have walked the same path and can offer guidance that no career center can replicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are so successful on the track. I want us to be equally successful when we&#8217;re graduating and moving into our future careers,\u201d Melnick said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 May 11, 2026 \u2013 Few students can boast the kind of undergraduate achievements that Adam Melnick has compiled. The Narragansett, Rhode Island, native is set to earn a degree in supply chain management, with a minor in business analytics and artificial intelligence, from the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s College of Business. But [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":108728,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1907,1917,88,1914,1912,1915],"class_list":["post-108727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-academic-excellence","tag-athletics","tag-college-of-business","tag-graduate","tag-special-events","tag-undergraduate"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108727","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=108727"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108757,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108727\/revisions\/108757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}