Boldly Brown: Campaign for Academic Enrichment

Creating a Community of Talent

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On April 30, members of Brown's West Coast community gathered in San Francisco to celebrate the importance of The Alumni of Color Initiative within Boldly Brown: Campaign for Academic Enrichment.

In his welcoming remarks, Brickson Diamond '93 (vice chair for both the Southern California and Alumni of Color Campaign Committees) noted that it is essential to "reflect on the ways in which diversity - of religion, gender, background, thought, and, in particular, of race and ethnicity - has enriched and enlivened academic and campus life on College Hill." Invited guests, he felt, were in the "perfect position to help the University move forward and to strengthen teaching, learning, and research on campus." And, he continued, we have "the opportunity to solidify the ties that bind Brown's alumni, parents, faculty, students, and friends across the nation and around the globe."

Highlights of the evening included:

• “Hospital Integration: The Ongoing Revolution,” a colloquium by Professor of Economics Ken Chay with introductory remarks by trustee emeritus Jonathan Speed ’84.
  
• An international buffet.
  
• A video featuring individuals who make Brown a vibrant place to study.
  
• Reflections on the impact of diversity in the University’s classroom from a current student, a professor, and a senior administrator.
  
• A revival of the Funk Night tradition with D.J. David Carvalho.

Dean of the Faculty Rajiv Vohra P’07 stressed Brown's commitment to diversity: "This aspect of a Brown education becomes more and more crucial every day, as our local, national, and international communities become ever more tightly intertwined." Since 2003, he observed, Brown has increased the number of Hispanic undergraduate students by 38%; Asian-American undergrads by 19%; and African-American undergraduates by 13%. In the same time period, we have realized double-digit gains in the percentage of African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, and female faculty members.

"My time at Brown has equipped me with the strength, the character, and the intellectual
ability to overcome any challenge and to blossom in any career path I choose to take," shared student guest Carmen Jimenez-Robbins '09. "I hope that you, through your support of Brown, can help other students of color in the future, making their experience as rich as mine was."

In closing, Jerome Vascellaro '74 P'07, vice chancellor of the University and co-chair of the Campaign for Academic Enrichment, thanked guests for coming and for staying connected to Brown and its community in the Bay area. He called on them to support the Initiative: "Continue to stand with us as we strive to maintain the dynamic nature of a Brown education and throw open the Van Wickle Gates to more of the best and the brightest."