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University News

Kanders '79 resigns from Whitney Museum amid protests, remains on advisory council at University

By Melanie Pincus and Kamran King | July 26

Warren Kanders ’79, a member of the advisory council for the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, stepped down as vice chairman of the Whitney Museum of American Art on Thursday over protests about his company’s sale of tear gas. Activists flocked to the Whitney for months to protest ...

University News

University concerns prompt Sigma Chi fraternity to lose housing privileges

By Celia Hack | July 22

Earlier this month, the Student Activities Office revoked Sigma Chi’s housing privileges for the upcoming academic year. The SAO made the decision after reviewing the details of an ongoing University investigation into the fraternity, which began last spring following reports of alleged code of conduct ...

University News

University to require sophomores to stay on meal plan

By Li Goldstein | June 2

The University will require all sophomores to enroll in one of the four highest-priced meal plans beginning in the 2019-20 academic year in an effort to reduce food insecurity, according to a campus-wide email sent by Dean of the College Rashid Zia ’01 and Vice President for Campus Life Eric Estes. Some ...

University News

University releases third annual DIAP progress report

By Celia Hack | May 25

Earlier this month, the University published its third annual report on progress made toward goals established in its 2016 Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. The report, which assessed data from the 2017-18 school year, highlighted an increase in the recruitment and retainment of faculty and graduate ...

University News

Senior Orators: Ruth Miller '19, Patricia Rodarte '19 MD'23

By Olivia Burdette | May 24

When Ruth Miller ’19 and Patricia Rodarte ’19 MD’23 were first nominated to submit speeches for this year’s Commencement, neither thought they would be the ones to address parents, faculty, administration and their entire graduating class. For Rodarte, writing a first draft simply meant an opportunity ...

University News

Honorary degree recipients 2019

By Ben Shumate | May 24

Seven individuals will receive an honorary degree from the University at the 251st Commencement May 26. John Krasinski '01 will serve as the Baccalaureate speaker May 25. Sheryl Brissett Chapman ’71 Sheryl Brissett Chapman ’71 is the executive director of The National Center for Children and Families, ...

University News

Open Curriculum at 50

By Lydia Defusto | May 24

Amid the sunny celebration of the 50th anniversary of the open curriculum that took place earlier this month, it can be hard to remember how much controversy the original proposals for curricular reform brought to campus. Ira Magaziner ’69 and Elliot Maxwell ’68 laid the groundwork for the open ...

Science & Research

Brain science blooms at Brown

By Elena Renken | May 24

David Berson ’75, chair of neuroscience, studies how information travels from the eye to the brain. One of his recent projects examines the spidery forms of cells in the retina at the back of the eye, reconstructing their shapes and interconnections at a very fine scale. They’re shaped like spaghetti ...

University News

How is Brown investing in sustainability?

By Melanie Pincus | May 24

This month, campus discussion surrounding ethical investment took center stage following a motion to replace the University’s Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies, the University body that considers “moral responsibility in ... investment policies,” The Herald ...

University News

Faculty discuss ACCRIP replacement, Academic Code

By Kayla Guo | May 8

Faculty members discussed a proposed motion to replace the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies with a new committee that would have a broader scope at Tuesday’s faculty meeting. They also passed eight motions relating to the Academic Code, faculty committee membership ...

University News

Faculty to discuss replacing ACCRIP

By Kayla Guo | May 7

During today’s faculty meeting, faculty members will discuss a motion to replace the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies with a new committee that would have broader responsibilities. The motion has received criticism from undergraduates and student coalition Brown ...

University News

Office of Title IX and Gender Equity releases Annual Outcome Report

By Allie Reed | May 5

The Office of Title IX and Gender Equity released its Annual Outcome Report Friday, revealing an increase in reported incidents compared to the previous year. The report discloses statistics about the numbers and types of referrals and reports made to the office from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018. ...

University News

GSC elects officers, reviews end-of-year report

By Kamran King | May 2

In its last general body meeting of the semester Wednesday, the Graduate Student Council held elections for internal positions, heard presentations from guest speakers and received the executive board’s end-of-year report. The GSC elected first-year PhD student Melaine Ferdinand-King GS as vice president ...

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University News

Watson Institute merges three concentrations after months of debate

By Daniel Goldberg | April 29

Updated 10:15 p.m. May 1, 2019. The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs will officially merge its three undergraduate concentrations into a single International and Public Affairs concentration, the Institute announced Monday afternoon. The new single concentration, which has been ...

University News

Economics Department receives $25 million donation

By Auria Zhang and Olivia George | April 25

The Department of Economics is receiving a $25 million donation from Orlando Bravo ’92, according to a University press release. Of this total, $15 million will be allotted to founding the Orlando Bravo Center for Economics Research, and the remaining $10 million will be used to attract eight to ...

University News

Over 150 students to be housed via summer assignment

By Tyler Jacobson | April 25

Approximately 160 students will receive on-campus housing for the 2019-20 academic year through the summer assignment process. Of these students, 130 are rising juniors, wrote Melissa Flowers, senior director of residential education and operations in the Office of Residential Life, in an email to ...

University News

Paxson answers UCS questions on divestment, admissions

By Kayla Guo | April 25

President Christina Paxson P’19 presented on divestment and the national admissions scandal at the Undergraduate Council of Students’ general body meeting Wednesday evening. The general body also discussed club categorization and re-activation at the end of the meeting. During her address, Paxson ...

University News

Director of Dining Services Peter Rossi to step down in May

By Allie Reed | April 25

Peter Rossi, director of Dining Services, is stepping down from his position after 20 years at the University. In his role, Rossi led the “strategic, tactical planning and execution” of Dining Services, according to his LinkedIn. He previously served as associate director of Dining Services before ...

Metro

Providence Public School lunches lack halal options

By Dylan Clark | April 25

Though Providence Public Schools serve lunch to tens of thousands of students each year, not every student can look forward to a school-provided meal. Students who keep halal — or only eat food that has been prepared in accordance to Islamic law as specified in the Quran — are unlikely to find acceptable ...

University News

SPEAK report reveals lack of political diversity in University speakers

By Spencer Schultz | April 25

A report published Monday by the University coalition SPEAK found that 94.4 percent of speakers invited to Brown in 2018 who demonstrated an explicit political leaning leaned left. Of the 325 speakers evaluated by the report who spoke about United States politics, 200 — or 61.5 percent — demonstrated ...