Brown University Alumni & Friends

BrownConnect+ is here! ??? Through this robust, online platform, more than 100,000 Brown alumni, students, and friends can come together around community-building, networking, mentorship, volunteerism, and more. + Explore BrownConnect+ and learn how #BrownAlumni can get the most out of the tool: https://bit.ly/4gqGwA1

Thanks to Brown Dining, students who stayed on campus were able to enjoy a meal together and find community during this season of gratitude. #BrownAlumni: How did you navigate being away from home during the holidays?

The impact of Brown’s alumni network is unmatched. A #BrownAlumni connection between Mike Mancuso ’98 and Mike Rubin ’00 has led to 20+ years in the Brown Athletics broadcasting booth. Where will your connections take you? + Learn how you can strengthen ties with your fellow Brunonians in BrownConnect+: bit.ly/4gqGwA1

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Brown has earned a global reputation for its innovative undergraduate educational experience, which empowers students to advance their intellectual growth and lead lives of action and purpose. The University’s newest Rhodes Scholar Ariana Palomo '25 is doing just that. Palomo, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a child, has her sights set on a career in immigration policy. With the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, she will pursue two master’s degrees from Oxford: one in refugee and forced migration studies, and the other in global governance and diplomacy. + Learn more about 2025 Rhodes Scholar Ariana Palomo: https://bit.ly/40Zg8YQ

The 2025 volunteer recruitment cycle for the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship has begun! Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or a startup advisor, you can contribute to the success of the entrepreneurial community on College Hill and beyond. #BrownAlumni mentors will support aspiring entrepreneurs as they develop and submit their applications for the 2025 Breakthrough Lab (B-Lab) summer accelerator, the University’s premier 8-week program for Brown and RISD students developing high-impact ventures. Mentors will also provide guidance on the 2025 Brown Venture Prize (BVP) competition, which is designed to propel the most advanced entrepreneurial ventures by Brown students that have the potential to create impact. + Watch the recap of this year’s B-Lab Showcase to learn more about the program: https://bit.ly/3AN1E3D + Fill out the volunteer interest form for the 2025 recruitment cycle: https://bit.ly/3Oo9uUq

The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs is preparing the next generation of global policymakers and leaders for the world’s most pressing challenges through lunchtime discussions with #BrownAlumni in these fields. Last week, León Rodríguez ’84, former director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), offered unique perspectives on how the election’s outcomes could shape the future of U.S. immigration policy. Allison Lombardo ’05, deputy assistant secretary for international organization affairs in the Department of State, also sat down with the Watson Institute’s interim director Wendy Schiller a few weeks ago for a conversation about her work in human rights and humanitarian affairs. Photos: A. Alfred Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy

If you tuned into the livestream of the Midnight Halloween Organ Recital last month, you might have noticed that the mighty 1903 Hutchings-Votey pipe organ in Sayles Hall boasted crisper sounds. That’s because the 121-year-old instrument — which has more than 3,000 pipes, 100 miles of wiring and countless moving parts — is nearing the conclusion of a three-year renovation during which many of its pipes have been removed, cleaned, tuned, and regulated. “It’s in the heart of the campus in this incredible multipurpose space where so many Brown traditions and events happen,” said Mark Steinbach, the University organist and a distinguished senior lecturer in music. “This is the largest remaining Hutchings-Votey organ in the world, and this work will protect the instrument so it can be played for another hundred years.” + Read about the renovation: https://bit.ly/3YX7pF1

Dry Bridge, one of the largest solar energy projects in Rhode Island, is on track to power nearly two-thirds of Brown’s 231 campus buildings. The culmination of the project, to which Brown committed in 2018, marks a key milestone in the University’s commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. “The project underscores the need to ensure the University does all it can — through our physical plant and our leading-edge environmental research and scholarship — to contribute to global efforts to seek climate solutions and combat the threats posed by climate change,” said Brown President Christina H. Paxson.

?? Find events just for Brunonians—near you (or virtually). With BrownConnect+, you can browse and sign up for events happening throughout the year and around the world, from educational workshops to networking sessions to happy hours. Discover events that fit your interests and your schedule. + Learn more about BrownConnect+, including how to log in: bit.ly/4gqGwA1