Wilfredo Perez Jr. ’08 MD ‘12
Featured speaker at October 2005 campus launch of Boldly Brown: Campaign for Academic Enrichcment
"Ruth Simmons, you are the reason I'm here today. After I heard of you, your story, the life you've lived, and the obstacles you have overcome, I knew that Brown was the place I wanted and needed to be."
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“Brown is home to the nicest of the smartest. The students are competitive and bright, but also creative. And they don’t take themselves too seriously. That’s what makes it a great place.”
James Nicholas ’95, founder and chairman of Transparence Inc., Redwood City , California
“We knew Brown was the place of our daughter’s dreams. She’s pre-med but she’s also doing intensive Italian and taking the odd course here and there at the Rhode Island School of Design because she loves art. She loves Brown’s diversity, and we think it has everything she needs. She’s getting a great education.”
Dr. Bryant Toth MD’76, P’08 and Jill Toth P’08, parents of Alexandra Toth ‘08
“I don't think there's any better school for an independent-minded student. The administration treats students like adults while at the same time providing a tremendous level of support. The opportunity for academic challenges seems boundless, and the school provides a true community. There is constant dialogue and an acknowledgment that we should all matter to each other. Brown left me well prepared to pursue a satisfying and exciting career.”
Megan Lynch ’01, editor at Riverhead Books, an imprint of the Penguin Group
“I came back for my 30th reunion, and at one point, as the class marched down the hill, there was a man standing next to me who was either in the class before or after me. His son, who was graduating that day, came down the hill and they embraced. And the father wept. He turned to me and said, ‘Brown saved my son.’ I remember saying to my wife, Beverlee, that Brown is truly a special place. I’d forgotten how important it had been to me. That’s when I got involved.”
Campaign Vice Chair Neil Donavan ‘51
“Brown is a place that will give you the tools to investigate anything that sparks your interest. It has the resources of a large research university but the faculty has the time to devote attention to the students. They are so interested in our success.”
Jessica Ashooh ’06, winner of a 2006 Marshall Scholarship
Daytime Emmy winner and two-time Tony Award nominee Kate Burton '79 talks about the value of a Brown education and introduces eight outstanding members of the University community in the video "Stories of Brown." Ms. Burton is a member of the Creative Arts Council Advisory Board, which cultivates interest in and promotes collaboration among the creative arts at Brown.
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Barrymore Bogues, professor of Africana studies, repeatedly garners praise for his commitment to outstanding teaching. In 2004 he was named a Royce Professor of Teaching Excellence, and in 2002 the graduating senior class honored him with the Barrett Hazeltine Citation for Excellence in Teaching. He currently serves as the chair of his department and has worked as a concentration advisor for students focusing on Africana studies.
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Enis Taner '06, M.D.'10 is a student in the Program in Liberal Medical Education at Brown with a concentration in applied mathematics-economics. He is co-president of the Brown Investment Club and currently serves as a teaching assistant in the Economics Department and a research assistant to Assistant Professor Anna Aizer. His research collaboration with Professor Aizer focuses on the potential over-diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder.
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Jan Tullis, professor of geological sciences, has shared her knowledge and enthusiasm for the geological sciences with Brown University students and colleagues for 35 years. Throughout her remarkable tenure at the University, she has supported the integration of women into the sciences and has committed herself to teaching, encouraging, and advising undergraduates.
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Jyothi Nagraj Marbin '96, M.D. '06, was accepted to Brown's highly competitive
Program in Liberal Medical Education
and earned an undergraduate degree in health and society, graduating with Phi Beta Kappa honors. She postponed her entry into Brown Medical School to work for City Year Rhode Island, where she quickly became executive director and was awarded the Beverly J. Wiley YMCA Young Woman of Distinction Award. Since beginning her medical studies, Jyothi has founded and served as director of the Rhode Island Family Advocacy Program, an effort to unite doctors and lawyers to improve the health and care of low-income children.
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Kristina Davitt Sc.M.'04 has gained recognition for her outstanding work in the engineering graduate program. She has successfully taken on difficult challenges in her research, exploring a non-invasive technique for sensing potential biohazards. She has developed ways of discriminating between biological and non-biological materials and is now working on a technique that can be used to determine whether certain biological materials are harmful. Her research affects issues of national security and community health and demonstrates a profound commitment to academic excellence.
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For more than 30 years, Maria D'Onofrio has been one of the Brown library's most welcoming and helpful staff members. As circulation manager of the Sciences Library for the last 22 years, she has been devoted to the faculty, students, and staff who rely on the library's resources. She has also been an outstanding mentor to the student workers under her supervision, who often chose to return to the Sciences Library to begin their careers. Her steadfast service to the University and her generosity of spirit have distinguished her as an exceptional member of the Brown family.
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Nick Hartigan '06 has given of his time, energy, enthusiasm, and heart to improve the lives of those around him. As an All-American and Academic All-American, as well as captain of the football team, he organized a bench-a-thon to raise money for the Lawrence Rubida Fund for Ewings Sarcoma cancer research in memory of one of his teammates. He has also volunteered for Rebuilding Rhode Island, which helps clean up elementary schools in Providence, and the Relay for Life memorial run in honor of Dave Zucconi '55. Recently he became the all-time leading rusher in Brown's 128-year football history.
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Peiling Li '06 was awarded a summer Odyssey Fellowship to work with Professor Kay Warren to revise an anthropology course entitled "Violence and the Media." She has continued her work as a research assistant for Professor Warren and has also been named a 2005-2006 Royce Fellow. In October 2004 she gave a presentation about her historical research to the Brown Corporation in an effort to underscore the importance of undergraduate research on campus. She also serves as an admission office tour guide, a volunteer at the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School , and an academic peer advisor in the history department. As a volunteer with the Rhode Island Debate League, Peiling has given workshops and seminars on the United Nations and the genocides in Rwanda and Sudan.
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"Brown's interdisciplinary approach-the ability to
learn in different ways in many different fields without
rigid lines between disciplines-is so important to
everything I've done, from literature to law to marine
biology to running an organization and serving on a
board. Brown is a place that celebrates all the different
strands that run through our lives and our world."
Kathryn S. Fuller ’68, L.H.D. ’92, P’05, Chairman of the Board, Ford Foundation
"The Brown environment challenged me to think analytically, articulate my convictions, and enrich my
intellect. At Goldman Sachs, no one cares about your
major—people care that you are intellectually curious,
confident, and a self-starter. My Brown experience
was instrumental in preparing me for this career."
Ralph F. Rosenberg ’86, Partner and Managing Director, Goldman Sachs and Company
"To be successful in life, you need an independent streak. At Brown, I acquired a strong sense of independence, leadership skills, and a feeling of my place in the world. The opportunity to focus on what I wanted to do, not on a list of requirements, taught me that I could do anything. This is the foundation of the open curriculum and of the success of Brown students.
Debra Lee ’76, President and CEO, Black Entertainment Television
"What sticks in my mind about Brown is that everyone was so accessible—from the coach to the classics professor. Everybody at Brown extended themselves to me, was interested in me, taught me to seek out what’s important in life, what my talents are, how I can make a difference. These are things that shaped the way I’ve reached out to young people."
Joe Paterno ’50, L.L.D. ’75, Head Football Coach, Pennsylvania State University