Dear Faculty Colleagues,

When I was appointed as provost, I indicated that among my priorities would be working with students, faculty, and staff to advance our academic excellence and to build an even stronger sense of community. We are inspired by the rich intellectual life of our campus, and over the last few months many members of the faculty have shared with me a desire for more opportunities to engage with one another to learn about and discuss the full range of scholarship taking place across the campus.

To begin to address this interest, next semester we will launch the Provost's Faculty Lecture Series, which will offer lectures and presentations by members of the faculty for members of the faculty, in settings that are conducive to discussion and engagement. Faculty will be invited to share their work, or to discuss the state of their respective fields. We will offer these monthly, during different times of the day -- over lunch, dinner, or in the afternoon followed by a reception -- to ensure these gatherings are widely accessible.

We begin the series February 10, 2016, at 4:30pm with School of Engineering Professor of Materials Science Nitin P. Padture, director of the Institute for Molecular & Nanoscale Innovation. Professor Padture will discuss his work in a lecture titled "Surya Namaskar: Saluting the Sun by Harnessing its Energy Efficiently, Cheaply, and Safely."

On March 9, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities and English and Director of the Cogut Center Amanda Anderson will offer an evening lecture followed by dinner; and in April, Dr. Phyllis Dennery, the Sylvia Kay Hassenfeld Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Chair of Pediatrics, will be our featured speaker. Robert Self, Mary Ann Lippitt Professor of American HIstory and Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence, will present "The Unhappiest Place on Earth: The Family Economy in the American Century," at the concluding lecture scheduled for May 9, 2016, over lunch.

I have had the good fortune of being able to meet with many, many members of the faculty over the last few months, and am continually impressed by the depth of talent and commitment that exists here at Brown. I look forward to working with others to create opportunities, like this series, to encourage deeper awareness of the scholarship happening across the disciplines. I am confident that in so doing, we will promote greater academic excellence and enhance our intellectual community.

We will share additional information about the series, including final dates, times, locations, titles, and registration information early in January.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Locke
Provost
Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs
Brown University