News Archive

LoVette Wins Chamberlain Award

This year’s Mariam K. Chamberlain Dissertation Award recipient is Ashleigh LoVette, a PhD candidate in Behavioral and Social Health Sciences. The award, granted by the International Center for Research on Women, commemorates Dr. Mariam Chamberlain, who shaped a legacy of leaders to advance women’s issues in the realms of social justice.

"I am honored and filled with gratitude. The award's emphasis on supporting the work of a first-generation doctoral student is particularly meaningful to me as someone who is the first in their family to pursue a doctorate,” says LoVette. Read more.

Student Research: New, Durable Catalyst for Key Fuel Cell Reaction May Prove Useful in Eco-Friendly Vehicles

A new catalyst, developed by PhD Chemistry student Junrui Li and other researchers at Brown, exceeds Department of Energy targets for performing the oxygen reduction reaction, a key step in generating an electric current in a hydrogen fuel cell.

One factor holding back the widespread use of eco-friendly hydrogen fuel cells in cars, trucks and other vehicles is the cost of the platinum catalysts that make the cells work. One approach to using less precious platinum is to combine it with other cheaper metals, but those alloy catalysts tend to degrade quickly in fuel cell conditions. Now, Brown University researchers have developed a new alloy catalyst that both reduces platinum use and holds up well in fuel cell testing. Read the full article the full article by Kevin Stacey.

Food Exchange Open

The Food Exchange, a new program this semester, is located in Room 409 of Paige-Robinson Hall (formerly J. Walter Wilson) with an aim to increase access to food for those on campus struggling to get enough to eat on a daily basis. Drop off (if you are able) or pick up (if you are in need) non-perishable, packaged food items, such as rice, canned goods, boxed macaroni and cheese, soup, tuna, etc. The Food Exchange will be self-serve during the building’s open hours and is organized by the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life. Learn more.

MFA Student and Alums Star in Pride and Predjudice

Trinity Rep opens the season with Pride and Prejudice. Current Brown/Trinity MFA student Katie Croyle stars as Lydia and Catherine and Rebecca Gibel '10 MFA and Shelley Fort ’15 MFA takes the roles of Elizabeth Bennet and Jane and Miss De Bourgh respectively. This classic romance between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is infused with fresh vitality and hilarity in this effervescent new comedic adaptation. It runs October 4 – November 4. More information.

Student Research: Ancient Mars Had Right Conditions for Underground Life

A new study shows evidence that ancient Mars probably had an ample supply of chemical energy for microbes to thrive underground. “We showed, based on basic physics and chemistry calculations, that the ancient Martian subsurface likely had enough dissolved hydrogen to power a global subsurface biosphere,” said Jesse Tarnas, a graduate student in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences and lead author of a study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. “Conditions in this habitable zone would have been similar to places on Earth where underground life exists.” Read more.

Mellon Foundation Renews Support for Open Graduate Education Program

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded the Graduate School a $1.675 million, five-year grant to support the University’s Open Graduate Education program. Launched in 2011 with prior support from the Mellon Foundation, the program enables doctoral students to simultaneously complete a master’s degree in a different field of study.

“The Open Graduate Education program is inspired by the Open Curriculum for undergraduate students at Brown,” said Andrew G. Campbell, dean of the Graduate School. “We are leading the way in one of the most notable movements in graduate education today: seeking to bridge fields of knowledge and types of inquiry from multiple academic disciplines.” Read more.

Graduate Student Space at Horace Mann

The fourth floor space at Horace Mann is officially open and reservable. All graduate students are welcome to use the space for meetings or study. Enter through the main door and take the elevator or stairs to the 4th floor. The space occupies the east side of the top floor. Learn more.

Child Care Subsidy Applications Available for 2019

Human Resources is now accepting Child Care Subsidy applications for calendar year 2019. Eligible graduate students should submit applications by October 16, 2018. Learn more about the program and apply.

The subsidy helps students pay for child care expenses by granting awards up to $4,000 a year. Eligibility requirements include a total household adjusted gross income of less than or equal to $100,000 per year. The subsidy covers child care for dependents between the ages of 0 to 6 and will vary from family to family and year to year depending on a family's financial need and a range of other factors.

Swearer Center New Student Learning Communities

The Swearer Center is offering five learning communities for faculty and graduate students holding an instructor role with Brown undergraduates. Join a small group of colleagues discussing key themes, best practices and their own experiences and questions related to community-engaged teaching and research; specific topics including community-engaged research, developing effective K-12 partnerships and creating a community-engaged course. Application deadline is September 17, 2018. Learn more.

Brown alumna ushers in a new era at the National Air and Space Museum

As a college sophomore, Ellen Stofan ’85 ScM, ’89 PhD, took an internship with the planetary research group of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Now, decades later, she has returned to the institution — as its first-ever female director. Stofan’s career is, in some ways, a family affair: Her father was an engineer at NASA, her mother an elementary school science teacher. “I just grew up around space and science,” she says. She saw her first rocket launch at age 4. At 14, while celebrating another launch, she attended a talk by astronomer Carl Sagan for the families of NASA scientists. By the end of his speech, she’d decided on her future career: She was going to be a planetary geologist. Read more.