News Archive

Awards Recognize Four Outstanding Dissertations

The 2018 Joukowsky Family Foundation Outstanding Dissertation Awards go to Megan Cole, David Mittelman, Maria Hwang and Sameer Iyer as they receive their doctoral degrees from Brown University on May 27. The prizes recognize superior achievements in research by students completing the doctoral degree. This year the research topics range from Medicare expansion and how skepticism is addressed in several Brazilian novels to the temporary labor migration of Filipina sex workers and the mathematical underpinnings of boundary layers in applied math.

Supported through the generosity of the Joukowsky Family Foundation, up to four awards are made, with one from each of the four main areas: the humanities and the life, physical and social sciences. Read more.

El Colegio de México President to Receive Horace Mann Medal

Silvia E. Giorguli Saucedo ’04 PhD is the 2018 recipient of the Horace Mann Medal. Giorguli is the first female president of El Colegio de México (Colmex), the top research and teaching university for social sciences and humanities in Mexico. The honor is bestowed annually to a Brown University Graduate School alumnus or alumna who has made significant contributions in his or her field. She will be honored at Commencement.

“The Other Side of the Migration Story: The Implications of Mexico-U.S. Migration for Mexico,” her Commencement Forum talk, is open to the public and takes place on Saturday, May 26, at 11 a.m. in Metcalf Research Laboratory, Friedman Auditorium, Room 101, located at 190 Thayer Street. Read more.

Master’s Awards Go to Campbell, Sunday and Aaron

Joyce SundayAndrew S. CampbellThree students will receive the Graduate School’s fourth annual master's prizes at Commencement, with Andrew S. Campbell to be recognized for academic accomplishment; Joyce Sunday for engaged citizenship and community service; and David Aaron for professional excellence. Campbell, a History master's student, will be recognized for his complex thesis on the stereotyping and stigmatization of Scottish Presbyterians in the reign of Charles II. Sunday, a master’s student in Biotechnology, will be honored for her advocacy on behalf of international students at Brown. David Aaron is an executive master's student in Cybersecurity who will be recognized for his Critical Challenge Project on how current legal authorities can be used to promote cybersecurity in the private sector. Read more.

GSC Honors Two Program Staff Members

Carin AlgavaCatherine HanniCatherine Hanni and Carin Algava are receiving Graduate Student Council awards for staff members who make a difference for graduate students. Hanni, Academic Department Manager in Egyptology and Assyriology receives the Wilson-DeBlois Award, which is awarded annually to recognize outstanding contributions to doctoral students and the Graduate School. The second annual Bates-Clapp Award goes to Algava, who is an Assistant Director of Teacher Education in the Department of Education. Read more.

Writing Center Celebrates Dissertators!

This semester, the Writing Center was able to support the work of 36 graduate students in two, week-long writing retreats. An additional 30 weekly writing group meetings took place to sustain dissertators' retreat momentum with assistance from PhD student Kimberly Lewis, the Writing Center's Interdisciplinary Opportunities Fellow. Seven recent retreaters finished and will be graduating this month.

Graduate School Speakers to Draw on Personal Stories at Commencement

Javier Juarez and Pinar Durgun, both first-generation students who balanced their advanced scholarship with service to their peers and communities, will share personal stories at Commencement. Photo: Nick Dentamaro / Brown UniversityIn keeping with the tradition of elevating student voices at Commencement, The Graduate Student Council (GSC) has selected two students to deliver addresses at this year’s Graduate School ceremonies on Sunday, May 27. Javier Juarez, who will earn his master’s in American studies, will address graduates and guests at the master’s ceremony on Pembroke Field. Pinar Durgun, who will receive her doctorate in archaeology and the ancient world, will speak at the doctoral ceremony on Simmons Quadrangle. Each will draw on personal stories to raise larger questions about the role of scholars in the world. Read more.

Perry Honored for Advising, Mentoring

Keisha-Khan Perry received the 2018 Graduate School Faculty Award for Advising and Mentoring at the University Awards Ceremony in April. Dean Andrew G. Campbell praised Perry, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for Africana Studies, for her support of graduate students. She was lauded in her nominations for her guidance and mentorship from before students arrived at Brown through the job market and early years of teaching. Read more.

New Role: Associate Dean for International Graduate Students

In addition to continuing her current duties as Associate Dean for Master’s Education, Shayna Kessel will take on the new role of Interim Associate Dean for International Graduate Students as of May 1, 2018. She will help strengthen the support for international graduate students, lead in the design and improvement of existing programming for academic advising, professional development, student support, and community building. This new position affirms Brown's commitment to enhancing the international graduate student experience while also strengthening the partnership between the Graduate School and the Office of Global Engagement.

Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Students Present Eurydice and Prowess

The Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting and Directing programs end their 2017-18 season with Eurydice and Prowess. MFA student Addie Gorlin directs Eurydice, a play that tackles grief and growing up through the lens of the reimagined Greek myth. Prowess, directed by MFA student Ken-Matt Martin, explores accountability in a world of vigilante justice. MFA student actors Will Adams, Ryan Broussard, Anita Castillo-Halvorssen, Katie Croyle, Viraj Gandhi, Brendan Hickey, L'Oreal Lampley, Lizzy Lewis, Louis McWilliams, and Aman Soni also star in the shows. All performances are at the Pell Chafee Performance Center and begin this week. Learn more.

Students Honored for Pedagogical Achievement

Four graduate students received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University Awards Ceremony on April 30: Sarah Kaptur (Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry), Jonathan Lande (History), Justin Pombrio (Computer Science), and Ian Russell (Hispanic Studies). “Winning this award is an enormous delight for me because it recognizes an aspects of my work at Brown for which I’m very proud,” says Russell. All four students received glowing recommendations from their advisors, directors of graduate students, and students. Read more.