In a finding that is soon to be ground-truthed by NASA’s next Mars rover, Brown University researchers, including doctoral student Christopher Kremer, show that a Martian mineral deposit was likely formed by ashfall from ancient volcanic explosions. The research, published in the journal Geology, could help scientists assemble a timeline of volcanic activity and environmental conditions on early Mars. “This is one of the most tangible pieces of evidence yet for the idea that explosive volcanism was more common on early Mars,” said Kremer. Read more.

For family and friends who were unable to visit campus for Commencement watch Jennifer G. Thum ’19 Ph.D. and Eunice Celene Gonzalez-Sierra ’19 MAT give their graduation speeches and the Graduate School Doctoral and Master's Commencement Ceremonies.

The 2019 Joukowsky Family Foundation Outstanding Dissertation Awards will be awarded to Reyhan Durmaz, William Jordan, Evgenios Kornaropoulos and Florian Gunsilius as they receive their doctoral degrees from Brown University on May 26. The prizes recognize superior achievements in research by students completing the doctoral degree. This year the research topics range from writings on the lives of saints to gene activity in fruit flies and novel solutions for database security to the validity of an instrument for causal inference in observational studies in economics. Read more.

Professors John Cherry and Andrew Foster received 2019 Graduate School Faculty Awards for Advising and Mentoring at the University Awards Ceremony in late April. As Director of Graduate Study and Professor of Archaeology, Classics and Anthropology, John Cherry’s nominators share that his greatest strength as an advisor comes from how much he cares about each of his students as individuals and scholars. Andrew Foster, Social Science Research Institute Director and Professor of Economics, is lauded as a tireless and empathetic advisor who puts his students’ needs first. Read more.