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Date March 25, 2026
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Brown’s annual BEAR Day offers ‘profoundly deep moment of reverence’ for staff members’ impact

A poignant ceremony and joyful celebration honored staff excellence, service milestones, and the collaboration and resilience that defines how staff approach their work across the Brown campus.

Person in gray sweater takes a photo with their cell phone of a person holding a bouquet
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BEAR Day culminated with a joyful reception in Sayles Hall. Photos by Ashley McCabe/Brown University

Brown staff members standing in a circle talking and smiling
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As part of Brown’s annual celebration of employees and their exceptional contributions, the University honored staff members with awards and festivities.

four staff members pose for a photo in Sayles Hall
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A BEAR Day reception for all Brown staff was held in Sayles Hall on Tuesday, March 24.

Caitlin O’Neill poses with colleagues in front of a red Brown photo backdrop
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Caitlin O’Neill, director of the LGBTQ Center, received an Excellence Award for Diversity and Inclusion. O’Neill is pictured with Vice President for Campus Life Patricia Poitevien (left) and Associate Vice President of Campus Life for Inclusive Community and Belonging Loc Truong.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The contributions of thousands of Brown University staff members resonate across campus every day — from custodian Leo Eastman, who has dedicated 33 years of service to Brown, where he carefully cleans and stewards Rochambeau House, to the International Student and Scholar Services team, which has worked tirelessly to support international community members amid upheaval to U.S. immigration policy.

On Tuesday, March 24, members of the campus community convened on College Hill to recognize the impact, service, leadership, resilience and innovation of Brown staff during Brown’s annual BEAR Day.

Ahead of a joyful reception in Sayles Hall, hundreds of employees packed the Salomon Center for Teaching to honor year-of-service milestones and to celebrate dozens of individuals and teams as part of the BEAR Day Excellence Awards ceremony. Through heartfelt award speeches, managers lauded employees for their impact and hailed qualities like grit, determination and a student-centered ethos, whether they were building new databases to advance scholarship, strengthening career support for master’s degree programs, supporting brain science researchers or running pre-orientation programs for new students.

Megan Russell speaks at a podium
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Megan Russell, a Brown alumna and associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at the School of Engineering, delivered the keynote remarks at the Excellence Awards ceremony.

Two people at a podium, smiling
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Lt. John Carvalho of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management presented the Leadership Award to Quiana Young, the department's director of advocacy, engagement and communications.

Two people hold signs to celebrate Takyah Smith
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Colleagues of Takyah Smith, social wellness coordinator for BWell Health Promotion, cheered for her and held signs as she was presented with the Excellence Award for Innovation.

Two people walk off the stage in the Salomon Center
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Erika Lorange (right), assistant director of student health insurance operations, received an Excellence Award for Citizenship, presented by Kristie Sullivan, associate director of Student Health and Wellness.

Two people exchange a laugh at a podium
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Sara Emmenecker, associate director of stewardship reporting in the Division of Advancement, presented the Efficiency Award to project team members Alyssa Wilcox, Mamdouh Elanai and Sarah Justus.

People fill the Salomon Center for Teaching auditorium seats
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Hundreds of staff members packed the Salomon Center for Teaching to honor year-of-service milestones and to celebrate dozens of individuals and teams as part of the BEAR Day Excellence Awards ceremony.

“It is my collaboration with all of you, the thousands of staff from across our University, that gives me insights into the infrastructure that makes our collective work possible — and that’s the quiet, life-altering power of the work that you do every day,” said Megan Russell, a Brown alumna and associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at the School of Engineering who delivered the keynote remarks.

Russell and other leaders praised the dedication and critical impact of Brown staff, particularly in the wake of the tragic shooting on Brown’s campus on Dec. 13, 2025, which killed two students, injured nine others and left the campus to navigate through a long-term healing and recovery process.

“I never want to diminish how heavy it truly was and continues to be for so much of our community, but what’s etched into my memory… was the astonishing speed at which this community moved to carry that burden together,” Russell said. “We chose compassion over convenience, we chose connection over division, and we chose to rise up when it mattered most, and that’s why BEAR Day this particular year… is not merely quiet recognition — but it’s a profoundly deep moment of reverence.”

https://www.youtube.com/embed/DxnbM1is4fg

Video: BEAR Day 2026

 

Staff members submitted messages of appreciation to their “unsung staff heroes,” a few of whom are featured reading their messages for the first time.

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Faculty and Staff

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