Dear SPH community,
The upcoming Commencement Weekend is one of the most meaningful times of the year for our school. I hope you will join us in celebrating our graduates, reconnecting with colleagues and alumni and reflecting on the important work we continue to do together in public health. The programming will celebrate the achievements, scholarship and community spirit that define Brown’s School of Public Health. A full schedule of SPH events is available at the Brown School of Public Health Commencement & Reunion Weekend website.
At the Public Health Community Celebration on Friday, May 22, our community will come together to celebrate our graduating students, alumni and the impact of public health leadership across sectors and within communities. These students and alumni embody the values and work of the School of Public Health and I can’t wait to celebrate them. All of the award winners and selected speakers are listed further on in this newsletter. Please join me in wishing them all our hearty congratulations! Registration for the event is still open and I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.
On Saturday, May 23, we invite community members to engage in two timely Commencement Forums featuring faculty and alumni experts in conversation on the future of public health: The Future of Maternal and Reproductive Health in the U.S. and Research at Risk: Threats to Gender and Sexuality Scholarship.
Also on Saturday, the Department of Biostatistics will host its Commencement Reception Brunch at 10:30 a.m. in the Third Floor Lounge at 121 South Main Street. Biostats faculty, staff, students and alumni are invited to register to attend.
The Health Equity Scholars (HES) and NextGen Scholars programs will celebrate their 5th Anniversary with a brunch and Stoling Ceremony on Saturday morning. Reflecting the school’s deep commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening leadership pathways and building a more equitable public health workforce, the HES and NextGen programs make graduate education attainable for talented students who may otherwise face barriers to advanced study by providing substantial scholarship support, paid research assistantships and structured mentoring. Originally launched in partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the programs have expanded to support students from Hispanic-Serving Institutions, rural communities, community colleges and from across Rhode Island.
The weekend concludes with the School of Public Health Commencement Ceremony and Reception on Sunday, May 24, at the Rhode Island Convention Center (1 Sabin St.). The keynote address will be presented by Dr. James J. O’Connell, president of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Light refreshments will be served from 2:30–3:30 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 3:30 p.m. This ticketed special occasion serves as the formal recognition of our graduates’ extraordinary hard work, resilience and commitment to improving the health and well-being of communities everywhere.
Commencement and Reunion Weekend is the culmination of years of dedication and hard work of our students, teaching and mentoring from our faculty and year-round efforts of staff. Thank you to all who have worked tirelessly to get us to this point, and will work throughout the weekend to ensure that everything runs smoothly for our graduating students and their guests.
Ever True,
Francesca L. Beaudoin, M.D., Ph.D.
Interim Dean, School of Public Health