Brown University

Lina Fruzzetti, a renowned social anthropologist, ethnographic filmmaker and professor emerita of social science at Brown University, will receive the Susan Colver Rosenberger Medal of Honor during Brown’s 258th Commencement on Sunday, May 24. Established in 1919, the Rosenberger Medal of Honor is the highest distinction the Brown faculty can bestow and has been awarded just 36 times. Previous honorees include Nobel laureates, University presidents and chancellors, pioneering Brown faculty members and esteemed public servants. A scholar whose work has transformed the fields of anthropology, ethnographic filmmaking and South Asian and African studies, Fruzzetti spent nearly five decades at Brown researching race, culture, gender, kinship and migration through groundbreaking ethnographic writing and film. Recognized as the first woman of color to earn tenure at Brown in 1982, Fruzzetti authored 11 books, co-created acclaimed ethnographic films and mentored generations of students while helping shape Brown’s academic and community life through leadership, teaching and service. From designing Brown study abroad programs in India, Tanzania and Ethiopia to creating spaces for thoughtful dialogue about race and culture, Fruzzetti’s impact on Brown — and on the field of anthropology — continues to resonate far beyond campus. 🔗 Learn more about Fruzzetti and the impact of her work at the link in our bio. 📸 Image credit: Deirdre Confar

From a beloved elm tree that once stood on Brown University’s College Green, a new collection of artworks has taken shape. “Point of Entry,” a juried group exhibition organized by @baibrownu and on display at the Lindemann Performing Arts Center through May 27, showcases sculptures and other works created using wood from the historic elm tree, which shaded campus for more than a century before it was removed in 2024 after an extensive but ultimately unsuccessful preservation effort. The exhibition features works by Brown alumni, staff members, a student and artists from the broader community — each selected through a jurying process conducted by Eiden Spilker, the exhibition’s curator and “maker in residence” at @brownbdw and Holly Case, a professor of history and humanities at Brown. Though every artist featured in the exhibit worked from the same kiln-dried lumber, the resulting pieces reflect a wide range of perspectives, stories and creative approaches. Public viewing hours will be held Thursday, May 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Lindemann Performing Arts Center. 🔗 Learn more about this exhibition at the link in our bio. 📸 Image credit: Nick Dentamaro

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson will preside over the University’s 258th Commencement on Sunday, May 24, on the College Green. The ceremony concludes Brown’s three-day Commencement and Reunion Weekend 2026, which will bring more than 10,000 people to College Hill. Brown Commencements have been major events in Providence since the 18th century. For the first time — as part of an ongoing review of Brown’s security systems and planning — the University is implementing a ticketing system that will include controlled access to the College Green, Simmons Quad and Front Green areas at specific times throughout the weekend. Many of the weekend’s signature events — including the Baccalaureate service and Master’s Ceremony on Saturday, and the University Procession along with the Warren Alpert Medical School, Doctoral, College and University ceremonies on Sunday — will be livestreamed on Brown’s Commencement website. Graduates and guests can download the BrownU mobile app for on-the-go information throughout the weekend, including schedules, campus maps, dining and parking options, water station and restroom locations, and more. Users can log in with a Brown ID or continue as a guest. #Brown2026 #BrownReunion 🔗 Visit the link in our bio for a summary of key events and weekend highlights. For full schedules, livestream links, ticketing information, FAQs and additional updates, visit Brown’s Commencement and Reunion websites at commencement.brown.edu and alumni-friends.brown.edu/events/reunion. 📸 Image credit: Nick Dentamaro

Last year’s graduates understood the assignment — let’s see what you’ve got, #Brown2026! Share your Commencement photos for a chance to be featured on #BrownU social media and on the jumbotron during Commencement and Reunion Weekend. There are two ways to submit your photos: 1: Email your photos to [email protected] (subject line: Commencement) 2: DM your photos to the @brownu Instagram account When submitting photos, please identify those pictured and include any details you’d like us to share, such as concentrations, degree programs or image credits. We can’t wait to celebrate you! 🎓🎉 Pictured: Matei Vaduva (IAPA, Molecular Biology) Rohan Zamvar (Economics) Jo Gasior Kavishe (CS, IAPA) Sydney Butler (Neuroscience) Da-Young Kim (Math-CS) Efia Awuah (Math-CS) Maryam Auwalu (CS) Lella Wirth (Neuroscience) Everett Gutterman-Johns (Neuroscience) Bryce Saddler (CS, Economics) Campbell Loi (IAPA, Public Health) Naia Wolfenzon (Cognitive Neuroscience) Elizabeth Steeves (Music, Political Science) Dana Magana Miralles (Biophysics) Natlie Zhu (Biology, CS) Zach Brown (Applied Math-Biology) Emily Colon (Political Science) Rhylee Richardson Porter (Sociology) Mira Sawhney (Economics) Tiffney Aina (CS, Neuroscience) Fatima Yousaf (CS, Economics) Jasper Chan (Health and Human Biology) Sophia Kremer (Economics)

Award-winning author Xochitl Gonzalez (@xochitltheg ), a member of Brown’s Class of 1999, will deliver the Baccalaureate address when she returns to the University during Commencement and Reunion Weekend 2026, sharing insights from her decorated literary career and her advice for the Class of 2026. Learn more about Xochitl Gonzalez at the link in our bio.

During Commencement 2026, Brown will bestow honorary degrees on a diverse group of leaders in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and national security to civil rights, economics and business. The candidates are: Joseph F. Dunford Jr. — Military and national security leader Richard A. Friedman and Susan Pilch Friedman (joint degree) — Business leader and champion of Brown, community leader and champion of Brown, respectively Peter Howitt — Nobel Prize-winning economist Sherrilyn Ifill — Civil rights lawyer Fei-Fei Li — Artificial intelligence pioneer The honorary degree recipients will receive prominent recognition at the University Ceremony on Sunday, May 24. 🔗 Read more about the honorary degree recipients at the link in our bio.

@fashionatbrown , one of the largest student-run organizations on campus, brought its annual runway show to Brown University’s Lindemann Performing Arts Center for the first time, transforming the venue’s main hall into an elevated catwalk showcasing original student-created designs. Featuring collections from students at Brown and @risd1877 , the spring show exhibited garments ranging from elegant gowns to futuristic workwear with more than 150 students contributing across design, styling, production, graphic design, social media to bring the event to life. Co-produced for the first time with @baibrownu , the event reflected months of hard work and offered students the opportunity to present their work in a professional performance setting. “Hosting the show in The Lindemann for the first time allowed us to elevate the experience overall, creating a really professional show for attendees to view and designers to showcase their work,” said Simone Donoho, a senior at Brown concentrating in applied mathematics who is co-president of Fashion@Brown . “The elevated catwalk platform at The Lindemann was a true privilege.” 📸 Image credit: Peter Chenot/Brown Arts Institute 🪡 Desinger credits: Image 1: Chloe Chow's "Prize Medal" (@reallychloe ) Image 2: Mirabel Ukazu's "Obi anyanwụ" (@perseforshort ) Image 3: Grace Teng's "They Got Married in a Variation of the Usual Carny Wedding of Once Around the Carousel" (@ya.g.e ) Image 4: Jules Silva's "Party Lights" (@julesbsilva ) Image 5: Aidan Fogarty and Ella Podurgiel's "Syncopation" (@aidan.peregrine , @ella_podurgiel ) Image 6: Jules Silva's "Party Lights" (@julesbsilva ) Image 7: Pitchford Tucker's "wilted, nevertheless" (@p1tchford ) Image 8: Mirabel Ukazu's "Obi anyanwụ" (@perseforshort )

Renowned cellist @yoyoma offered a moving performance and engaged in a wide-ranging discussion in a talk at Brown University moderated by Associate Professor of Music Anthony Cheung and organized by the student-led @brownchinasummit . Opening the evening on a somber note, Ma performed an excerpt from a Bach cello suite to recognize the tragic shooting that took place at Brown on Dec. 13, 2025. Reflecting on the moment, he described music as a way to “sit together and have a moment,” grounding a conversation that explored curiosity, identity and the power of a liberal arts education. 📸 Image credits: Kenna Lee (Images 1 & 3) Lila Quinn (Image 2) 🔗 Read more about Ma’s visit at the link in our bio.

Brown University senior Olivia Pichardo made history on April 25 when she became the first woman to pitch in an NCAA Division I baseball game — and got the final out in a key 16-4 win for @brownu_baseball over Cornell. “I was really excited and I had to take some deep breaths to calm myself down and really lock into the game,” Pichardo said. She has played for Brown since her first year after a stellar walk-on tryout for the Bears, becoming the first woman on a D-I varsity baseball team. Following her most recent historic accomplishment, Pichardo was quick to shift the attention to her teammates, who clinched a spot in the Ivy League tournament for the first time since 2007. She said she hopes she serves as a role model for other young women athletes. “It’s important for inspiring the younger generation of female baseball players, [to] give them some kind of hope that if they want to play at the collegiate level, no matter what division, that door is open for them and it is possible,” she said. 📸 Image credit: Sage Hurteau

Rishika Kartik arrived at Brown University with interests in art and robotics and plans to pursue a concentration that could marry the two — perhaps engineering or computer science. After all, Brown had been her first choice, partly because she knew the Open Curriculum would give her the flexibility to explore seemingly disparate fields of study. What Kartik did not anticipate was how fully she would be able to merge her interests — not just academically, but in ways that have extended into hospitals, classrooms and communities beyond campus. “I had this idea that if you’re a scientist, that’s what you do, and if you’re an artist, that’s what you do,” said Kartik, a senior from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. “It wasn’t until being at Brown that I realized I could be a pre-med student who is also interested in art, disability justice, writing and politics.” At Brown, that shift in perspective led Kartik to design her own independent concentration in disability and design, blending science, art and advocacy to explore the question: How can design better reflect and include the full range of human experiences, particularly for people with disabilities? 📸 Image credit: Nick Dentamaro 🔗 Explore how the flexibility of the Open Curriculum helped shape Kartik’s path at Brown.

For Brown’s student-athletes, Bruno Cares is redefining what it means to be a supportive teammate. Now in its third year, the peer-to-peer mental health support training program @brownu_brunocaresteam equips student-athletes with practical tools to recognize signs of distress, respond effectively and connect friends and teammates with professional resources before situations escalate. Bruno Cares is part of a broader ecosystem of support for student-athletes at Brown, which includes expert staff in sports psychology, nutrition and medicine, along with resources focused on sleep, injury prevention and mindfulness. Together, these efforts reflect an approach to well-being grounded in personal growth and leadership development. Since fall 2023, the program has trained more than 70 student-athletes across six cohorts, known as “teammates.” Their impact as peer supporters extends beyond moments of crisis — building community, encouraging more open conversations and challenging long-standing expectations around strength and vulnerability in athletics. 📸 Image credit: Brown University Department of Athletics and Recreation. 🔗 Learn more about Bruno Cares and how student-athletes are redefining what it means to be a teammate at Brown.

Elected by his peers to deliver a Commencement address, fourth-year medical student Meylakh Barshay will address his fellow graduates during Brown University’s Commencement and Reunion Weekend, taking the stage at the @alpertmedicalschool ceremony on Sunday, May 24. Over his four years at Brown, Barshay found both direction and community — arriving in Providence without personal connections and leaving with a deep sense of belonging shaped by classmates, mentors and experiences across Rhode Island. Before coming to Brown, Barshay began his career in computer science, bringing a non-traditional perspective to his medical studies. Though he found the work meaningful, the digital distance left him feeling disconnected. His interest in authentic human connection shaped his experience at Brown, where Barshay took on roles ranging from operations director for the Brown Human Rights Asylum Clinic to supporting peers as a teaching assistant — building relationships that helped define his medical education. In his Commencement remarks, Barshay plans to share a call to action rooted in his Jewish cultural background: “tikkun olam,” a Hebrew phrase referring to the human responsibility to repair the world — an idea he returned to often during his medical training. As he prepares to begin an emergency medicine residency at Mount Sinai Hospital, Barshay hopes to leave classmates with something simple but lasting: a dose of idealism in a complex world. 📸 Image credit: Nick Dentamaro 🔗 Read more about Barshay and his Commencement address at the link in our bio.