Robert Carothers began his academic career in 1969 at his
alma mater Edinboro University as a professor and dean, eventually becoming its vice president. He went on to serve as president of
Southwest Minnesota State University from 1983 to 1986, and chancellor of the
Minnesota State University System from 1986 to 1991 before being selected as the tenth president of the University of Rhode Island. Early in his presidential tenure at URI, Carothers was faced with the takeover of Taft Hall, the oldest academic building on campus, by 200 mostly African-American students protesting racial discrimination on campus. Carothers was able to diffuse the tensions by advocating for a Multicultural Center at the heart of the campus. Throughout his tenure at URI, he was known for changing the student culture of the university from a 'party school' to an outward looking 'college with a conscience.' During his administration, there was a strengthening of anti-discrimination toward
LGBTQ members of the campus community. He retired from academia in May 2009 and
David M. Dooley, former Provost at
Montana State University, took over as the URI's 11th President. ==Retirement and honors==