PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — From doubling enrollment of undergraduate military veterans to permanently replacing loans with scholarships in University financial aid packages, Brown marked a range of achievements in 2023 that deepen its commitment to access and affordability.
Informed by the past as it prepares for the future, the University opened state-of-the-art spaces, including the one-of-a-kind Lindemann Performing Arts Center and the sustainable Chen Family and William and Ami Danoff residence halls on Brook Street. Brown completed innovative renovations at Churchill House; expanded dining options at Sharpe Refectory; dedicated the newly named Ruth J. Simmons Center; and launched the Center for Career Exploration.
In addition, the year illuminated the indelible partnership between Brown and Rhode Island. Through voluntary payment agreements to the City of Providence, a college-readiness program developed for Providence high schoolers, and business relationships that keep the Brown community well-fed, the University solidified its role as a key contributor to the local economy and one of the state’s top employers.
Brown students and faculty continued to make significant strides in research, uncovering early evidence of brain surgery, investigating better treatments for cancer patients, helping NASA develop missions to the Moon and more. Some exploration was more local — such as the stories behind the many statuary odes to Bruno that sit atop College Hill.
As the calendar year comes to a close, here in reverse chronological order are 21 of Brown’s most noteworthy and well-read stories of the year.