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Linking Two Labs a Learning Opportunity for PhD Student

Aaron Held:

Timing is everything. When doctoral student Aaron Held came to Brown University in 2012, the opportunities he’s enjoying today had only just begun to take shape. But more than three years into his work, he’s become the vital linchpin between two labs in a diverse collaboration dedicated to disarming a horrible disease. That has given him several chances to learn new techniques and new biology.

Open Graduate Education: Design Your Academic Journey

From Open Curriculum to Open Graduate Education, Ioana Jucan '11 AM '15 has explored performance studies, philosophy, and modern culture and media at multiple levels at Brown University. The Romanian-born student transferred to Brown for undergraduate studies, stayed on for doctoral studies in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies, and entered the first cohort of the Open Graduate Education (OGE) program, which is accepting applications for its fifth cohort on February 12, 2016.

Tiniest Chameleons Deliver Powerful Tongue-Lashings

A new study by postdoctoral research associate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Christopher Anderson, reports one of the most explosive movements in the animal kingdom: the mighty tongue acceleration of a chameleon just a couple of inches long. The research illustrates that to observe some of nature’s best performances, scientists sometimes have to look at its littlest species. Chameleons are known for sticking their tongues out at the world fast and far, but the true extent of this awesome capability had been largely overlooked.

Algorithm Helps Turn Smartphones into 3-D Scanners

An algorithm developed by Brown University researchers, including graduate student Daniel Moreno, helps turn smartphones and off-the-shelf digital cameras into structured light 3-D scanners. The advance could help make high-quality 3-D scanning cheaper and more readily available. 

Winter Break 2015-16: What's Open and Closed

Brown University will be closed at midnight on Wednesday, December 23, 2015, and will resume its regular schedule at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 3, 2016. The Graduate School will close at 1 pm on December 23 and will reopen at 8:30 am on January 4. In the event of an emergency, Public Safety, EMS, EHS and the Deans of Student Life are available 24/7 by calling Public Safety at (401) 863-4111.  See emergency contact information.

Student Helps Advance Mars Clay-Formation Research

Lead author: Vivian Sun:

Recent orbital and rover missions to Mars have turned up ample evidence of clays and other hydrated minerals formed when rocks are altered by the presence of water. Most of that alteration is thought to have happened during the earliest part of Martian history, more than 3.7 billion years ago. But a new study shows that later alteration — within the last 2 billion years or so — may be more common than many scientists had thought. The research, by geologists Ralph Milliken and doctoral student and lead author Vivian Sun, is in press in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.

Archambault Awards Recognize Six Students

Graduate students received accolades for teaching excellence from the School of Professional Studies. The winners of the 2015 Reginald D. Archambault Award for Teaching Excellence in the Brown Pre-College Programs and Summer Session include: Virginia-Eirini Kilikian and Veronica Ciocanel, who taught Methods of Applied Math II, received First Place for teaching in Summer Session; and Wanda Henry and Sam Boss, who taught Evil: The History of an Idea, received First Place for teaching in a Pre-College Program. 

Alumna Wins Grawemeyer Award in Religion

Susan Holman will receive the Grawemeyer Award in Religion for 2016. Holman, a 1998 recipient of a doctoral degree in Religious Studies, won for her book "Beholden: Religion, Global Health, and Human Rights." The award is one of five presented by the University of Louisville to pay tribute to the power of creative ideas and includes $100,000. The announcement cites the book's exploration of an interdisciplinary approach to global well-being.

Call for Applications: Embark Post-Graduate Fellowship for Entrepreneurial Work

Interested in pursuing a full-time entrepreneurial venture after graduation? Look into the Embark Fellowship, which is for master's, doctoral and undergraduate students in their final year of study at Brown. Embark Fellows receive financial resources, structure, coaching, professional services, and connections with a network of alumni and local innovators. The goal is for fellows to advance their ventures within a year to the point of sustainable funding. The initial application deadline is December 18, 2015. Learn more.