January/February 2014

Brown at 250: Still Learning after All These Years

Fireworks shot skyward from the roof of University Hall on March 7 as Brown celebrated its 250th birthday. The festivities were part of a gala weekend of lectures, discussions, and academic showcases commemorating the University's past, present, and future.

Kelly Visit

Gilded No More

Role Model

A Place of Hope

Coal Divestment

The Economics of Blyth

Bittersweet Recognition

Obituaries

Obituaries from the January/February 2014 issue.

The Best and Brightest

The Brown Alumni Association announces the recipients of its annual recognition awards.

Do Be Good

Bored staring at his computer screen, Seth Marbin ’05 found a way to bring public service to Google's employees.

A Better Way

Tejal Desai ’94 is a bioengineer who's developed an innovative alternative to painful injections.

The Voice of Siri

Susan Bennett ’71 How an obscure voice-over specialist became one of the most familiar voices in the world.

A Part of This Country

For a decade, an alumna took low-income students to Washington to remind them what it means to be an American.

Radio Days

A sports director who ruled the airwaves back in the day found both a career and a spouse at WBRU.

A Debt We Owe

Almong aumni who died fighting in the Civil War, Sullivan Ballou, class of 1852, survives thanks to his last letter.

The Hound at Home

A historian and greyhound owner takes a hard look at dog racing’s past and finds a confounding debate over animal welfare.

Fresh Ink

A listing of new books from Brown alumni and faculty. 

Dark Gropings

Sad, comic narratives dominate the second collection of short stories by novelist Ben Marcus ’91 MFA.

Theater

Red-haired Brian Cross ’12 made his Broadway debut last fall in a play about a family facing financial ruin.

Photography

A new book by photographer Taryn Simon ’97 features actresses from James Bond movies.

The War Within

Dan O’Brien ’99 MFA probes the complex nature of emotional trauma in poems, a play, and an opera.

Weaving the Fabric

Alex Myers ’03 AM on fictionalizing his ancestor Deborah Samson.

A Story of Self-Discovery

A debut novel by Alex Myers ’03 AM brings to life a real-life woman who fought as a man in the Revolutionary War.

Continuing Ed

Thirty years after receiving their master’s degrees together, a group of writers still meets to thrash out their manuscripts.

Bartleby at Brown

Getting the most out of college may mean waiting to attend it. Brown's RUE program is the second chance many students need.

A Life on Film

Ed Pincus ’60 influenced a generation of documentary makers. Faced with a terminal illness, he made one last revealing film.

A Mother's Mission

When Leslie Gordon ’98 MD PhD learned her son had a rare disease called progeria, she devoted her career to its study.

Game Day

Develin Scores

James Develin ’10 has been an unlikely contributor to the New England Patriots' success this season.

Basketball Replay

The basketball team is off to a strong start, thanks in part to the play of Sean McGonagill ”14

Learning to Get Back Up

Sharon Cohen ’89 leads a Harlem figure skating program that teaches girls what it takes to succeed.

No to Coal Divestment

In November, the Brown Corporation voted against divestment. Here's what the decision means.

Stop and Think

The University grapples with a thorny question: faced with a controversial speaker, how far can protesters go?

Behind the Flag

Led by veterans and VIPs, campus pays tribute to the service of military personnel on Veterans Day.

On the Map

The Corporation unanimously approves Paxson’s strategic plan for Brown’s future, “Building on Distinction.”

From the President

The future of the Watson Institute serves as one model for how to build on Brown's existing strengths.

Banker to the Nation

Janet Yellen ’67 becomes the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve, making her one of the most powerful woment in the world.