Brown launches digital hub to expand community, career exploration for students, alumni (2024)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — As Brown undergraduate Daria Geller began considering the pursuit of a Ph.D. after graduation, she was initially daunted by the process and unsure of where to begin. That’s where Brown Class of 2021 alumna Sarah Ryan came in.

As a clinical psychology research assistant at Brown, Ryan mentored Geller through a Spring 2024 psychology research project, teaching her how to screen study participants and analyze data, and encouraging her to advance her academic studies and research.

“Sarah shared her experiences applying to postgraduate programs in clinical psychology,” said Geller, a member of the Class of 2025.5. “She demystified it for me and gave me a boost to start planning.”

Those kinds of powerful interactions — sometimes small, and sometimes deep and sustained — stand to grow and flourish with the support of BrownConnect+, a new digital hub for Brown students, alumni and friends that will enable expanded career development, community building, networking and more.

BrownConnect+ launched on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The rollout of the platform is the most recent step in a series of steps to sustain lifelong relationships and strengthen career development for Brunonians worldwide. It follows the 2023 launch of the Center for Career Exploration, which has expanded career support for students and is empowering them to achieve meaningful lives and careers at Brown and beyond.

“The new BrownConnect+ platform continues the University’s investment in supporting career exploration through facilitating connections, enabling mentoring relationships and expanding the impact of the Brown network through one unified and expanded tool,” said Associate Dean of the College Matthew Donato, executive director of Brown’s Center for Career Exploration.

This creates connections for students and alumni in a range of ways, whether it’s a one-time conversation, periodic check-ins or on an ongoing basis.

Matthew Donato Executive Director, Center for Career Exploration at Brown

Brown launches digital hub to expand community, career exploration for students, alumni (1)

All students and alumni received notifications and instructions to sign into the new platform. BrownConnect+ integrates, centralizes and expands on the functions of several previous platforms that are being replaced. Those include BrownConnect, which alumni and students have used widely over the last decade to build connections with each other around professional interests, and BRAVO, which alumni volunteers have used to engage with their classes and regional affinity groups.

“This new platform offers a robust set of tools to support engagement within our alumni community and between alumni and students — and as students become alumni, they will be able to use the same platform to connect with fellow Brunonians like they did when they were on campus,” said Vice President for Alumni Relations Zack Langway, a Class of 2009 graduate. “This supports our deepening commitment to supporting a worldwide community where students and alumni are able to develop lifelong relationships with one another and the University.”

Among its features, BrownConnect+ offers robust career networking capabilities, facilitates alumni mentorship for current students, provides enhanced communication and event planning tools, enables online social spaces for alumni to connect around shared interests and identities, and serves as a directory and networking platform for Brown’s community of more than 100,000 alumni.

“This creates connections for students and alumni in a range of ways, whether it’s a one-time conversation, periodic check-ins or on an ongoing basis,” Donato said. “Students can learn about career options and identify experiential opportunities that often lead to meaningful insights into career paths and employment opportunities.”

BrownConnect+ follows the 2023 launch of the Center for Career Exploration, which has expanded career support for students and is empowering them to achieve meaningful lives and careers at Brown and beyond.

The expansion of the Center for Career Exploration and the development of tools like BrownConnect+ are being funded with the generous support of donors through theBrownTogethercampaign, the most ambitious fundraising effort in Brown’s history.

Brown’s commitment to lifelong career exploration and development — which is anchored in the Open Curriculum and the University’s signature student-centered learning — aims to equip students and alumni for the evolving opportunities and challenges of the 21st-century workforce.

“We know the power of developing expansive mentoring and professional expert networks among Brown students and alumni,” Langway said. “BrownConnect+ makes it so much easier to do this, providing all members of our community the opportunity to share experiences and expertise and gain fresh perspectives, whether they are still on campus, fresh out the gates, or decades past their graduation.”

Geller, who received transformative alumni mentorship from Ryan, said she looks forward to harnessing the power of BrownConnect+ in the future.

“After I graduate from Brown, I would love to provide the same support to another student,” Geller said.

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Brown launches digital hub to expand community, career exploration for students, alumni (2024)

FAQs

Brown launches digital hub to expand community, career exploration for students, alumni? ›

Brown launches digital hub to expand community, career exploration for students, alumni. The new BrownConnect+ network will broaden career development opportunities, mentorship and connections among more than 100,000 Brunonians worldwide.

Is Brown an Ivy League? ›

Which universities are part of the Ivy League and where are they located? A. The Ivy League universities are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

How many Brown University alumni are there? ›

Learn about the many ways the University can continue to play a role in your life, including: ◾ Careers: Positioning yourself for your next move in your professional life or education ◾ Connections: Joining the network of 110,000+ alumni worldwide ◾ Finding your people: Tapping into the Brown community through affinity ...

Is Brown a fake ivy? ›

Yes, Brown University is an Ivy League institution. Brown was founded in 1764 and is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. It was originally called the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

Is Brown the easiest ivy to get into? ›

The third most accessible Ivy League school on the list is Brown, established in 1764 and situated in Providence, Rhode Island. With a 6.6% acceptance rate, Brown admits 2% more candidates than Harvard, which is the most challenging school to get into. Out of 38,674 applicants, that equates to around 2,552 admissions.

Why is Brown University so famous? ›

Aside from liberal arts, Brown is known for its strong science programs, especially in medicine, math and computer sciences. Like its Ivy League peers, Brown has an impressive list of alumni, including U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, CNN founder Ted Turner and actor John Krasinski.

What famous actress went to Brown University? ›

Emma Watson
NationalityBritish
EducationBrown University (BA) University of Oxford (MSt)
OccupationActress
Years active1999–present
5 more rows

Who are the most famous Brown alumni? ›

If you succeed at your goal of getting into Brown University, you will follow in the footsteps of John F. Kennedy Jr., Ted Turner, Lincoln Chaffee, John D. Rockefeller, John Krasinski, Emma Watson, Julie Bowen, Allegra Versace, Janet Yellen, and Dr. Kat Cohen, among numerous other accomplished alumni.

Is Brown as good as Harvard? ›

Which University Is More Prestigious, Harvard or Brown? Harvard University is generally considered more prestigious than Brown University.

Is Brown a prestigious school? ›

Brown University is ranked #9 out of 439 National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Where are the 12 Ivy League schools? ›

Which are the Ivy League universities?
  • Harvard University (Massachusetts)
  • Yale University (Connecticut)
  • Princeton University (New Jersey)
  • Columbia University (New York)
  • Brown University (Rhode Island)
  • Dartmouth College (New Hampshire)
  • University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
  • Cornell University (New York)
Aug 22, 2024

What GPA do you need to get into Brown? ›

You should also have a 4.1 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Brown University, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.

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