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COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS |
Announcing Brown Women’s Week
First Week of May Annually
In an effort to continue the success and momentum of the “125 Years of Women at Brown” Conference last year, Brown Women’s Week will take place annually during the first week of May. This year we will be virtual and alumnae are encouraged to make a plan to get together and celebrate Brown. Your photos and stories will be shared on the WLC’s official social media pages, as well as the University’s. Using the hashtag #BrownWomenTogether, show your commitment to life after Brown and showcase the connections you have made through your shared University experience. Remember to tag @BrownWLC in your posts! We look forward to hearing how you choose to celebrate being a Brown alumna.
Brown Blasts: Women’s Voices Amplified
 The WLC is proud to announce Brown Blasts: Women’s Voices Amplified, a new virtual programming effort created with all alumnae in mind, delivered right to your inbox. Regardless of location, Brown women will be able to enjoy programming from home. Brown Blasts will showcase Brown women from all corners of the Brunonia ecosystem sharing their insights on work, life, and living in today’s world, all in short, digestible formats. Perfect for the commute to work or from the comfort of the couch, the lively thought pieces will provide fresh perspectives, wisdom, and excitement. The WLC is honored to feature Chancellor’s Professor of Africana Studies Tricia Rose on race, privilege, and what America needs to move towards equality for its inaugural program.
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Leaders |
Member Spotlights: Joelle Murchison ’95, Mandy Tachiki ’95, and Liz Munves Sherman ’77, P’06, P’09
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 WLC members Joelle Murchison ’95, Mandy Tachiki ’95, and outgoing WLC co-chair Liz Munves Sherman ’77, P’06, P’09 all share a unique and life-altering experience: each woman is a Brown alumna who, as a student, realized a passion for educational diversity and equity. Each woman has made a difference to individuals and their communities, and each woman practices inclusion in their professional lives. Joelle is the Associate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Connecticut. Mandy, having previously practiced corporate law for 18 years, is the Director of Admissions at Mark Day School in San Francisco. Liz, former chair of the Pembroke Center Associates Council and a founding member of the WLC, is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Breakthrough New York. Interviewed by WLC member Stephanie Morimoto ’99, Joelle, Mandy, and Liz shared their journeys from childhood to where they are today as leaders pushing their communities towards leadership, diversity, and opportunity. Read on to learn more about their efforts.
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Student Spotlight: Jenna Knueppel ’20
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 Originally from Wisconsin, Jenna Knueppel ’20 had never heard of Brown at the time she started applying to schools. Influenced by a teacher who gave her a book by John Hay Professor of International Studies and Political Science Peter Andreas, Jenna soon found herself applying early decision to Brown’s Class of 2020. As a first generation, low-income student, Jenna’s experience was made possible by QuestBridge, a national nonprofit that connects the nation’s most exceptional, low-income youth with leading colleges and opportunities. Now, Jenna is the Brown Chapter Liaison of the QuestBridge program. As the liaison, Jenna now has a goal of providing local high school students with access to the colleges and universities of their dreams.
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Mentoring |
Having a Guide to Life After Brown
Women’s Launch Pad mentors (left to right) Ashley Aydin ’13, Jessica Feng ’12, WLC member Haseena Enu ’90, Sara Garrity-Gentile ’09, and Hazel Pike ’11 at the 2017 Women’s Launch Pad Kickoff. Ashley, Jessica, Sara, and Hazel are also former mentees in the program.
As the Women’s Launch Pad mentoring program enters its second decade, mentors and mentees reflect on what makes these relationships so meaningful.
Career Conversation Webinars
 The Women’s Launch Pad has created The Mentoring Career Conversation, a webinar series focused on critical stages in a woman’s career, from negotiations to career change, and from work/life balance to entering retirement. The Journey: From a Job to a Career and the Mentors We Meet Along the Way featuring Fatemeh Ziai ’86 is the first in the series. Fatemeh describes how she made the transition from Wall Street to the United Nations, how she identified mentors in her personal and professional life, and how she used her passions to create not just a job, but a meaningful career. Fatemeh will be a featured speaker at the WLC-sponsored event at the UN on April 19, focused on “The United Nations and a Changing World.”
 The second webinar in the series, Women Don’t Ask: The Power of Using Your Voice and Creating Personal Change in the Workplace, features Alex Stine ’11, Chief of Program Development for the State of Rhode Island. Alex reminds us that acknowledging everyday successes, managing negotiation effectively, and supporting other women leads to professional success and empowerment.
Brown Welcomes 2018 Miss America
Cara Mund ’16
 Miss America Cara Mund ’16 is a former Women’s Launch Pad mentee who returned to Maddock Alumni Center to share her experience about life after Brown. Interviewed by Assistant Professor of Education Hilary Levey Friedman, Cara describes her career, her philanthropic work, and her pageant life
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Philanthropy |
Funding for Education on the Rise
The Council for Aid to Education has reported that donations to colleges and universities rose six percent nationally in the past year to nearly $44 billion. Funds have come from corporations and foundations, as well as individuals. Non-alumni parents have increased their giving, and donations from alumni has grown more than 11 percent. This follows a national drop in giving from alumni that had persisted for several years. Colleges are seeking new and creative ways to appeal to more diverse audiences.
The Brown Promise Reaches Initial Goal
Having achieved its initial fundraising goal of $30 million, the University is continuing fundraising toward a $120 million goal to ultimately replace loans with scholarship funds in financial aid packages for all students. Over 2,000 donors contributed to The Brown Promise between September and December of 2017, making it possible for the University to eliminate loans beginning with the 2018–19 academic year. Treasurer of the Brown Corporation Theresia Gouw ’90 states, “Education is the best way to improve one’s economic circumstances in life... This is a moment in time when Brown—and Brown’s alumni—can take a leadership role.”
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