Graduate School

Wilson-DeBlois Award

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Wilson-DeBlois Award

The Brown University Graduate Student Council confers the Wilson-DeBlois Award annually to a staff member who has made outstanding contributions to doctoral students and the Graduate School.

The Wilson-DeBlois Award is named in honor of George Grafton Wilson and Austen K. DeBlois, recipients of Brown’s first Doctor of Philosophy degrees in 1889. The award is given annually on behalf of all Brown doctoral students to express their appreciation for the recipient’s dedication and commitment to graduate students at the University. It is presented at the Doctoral Commencement Ceremony in May.

Nominations

Nominations for the Wilson-DeBlois Award should be made through UFunds, found under the Graduate Student and Alumni Awards. 

Nominations Open

February 23 - March 22, 2024

Questions

Questions should be sent to gsc_nominations@brown.edu.

Current and Former Recipients

headshot of Kerry Sabbag (right) in a black shirt in front of a dark portrait backgroundKerry Sabbag, Department Manager of Slavic Studies

Read about Kerry's award

Lorraine MazzaLorraine Mazza, Manager of Graduate Studies in the Department of English (retired in December 2021)

Maija Hallsmith, Program Assistant for Diversity Initiatives at the Graduate School

Read about Maija's award

Marlina Duncan, Associate Dean of Diversity Initiatives and Assistant Vice President for Academic Diversity 

Read about Marlina and the Wilson-Deblois award

Vanessa Ryan, Co-Deputy Dean and Associate Dean of Student Development, Graduate School

Catherine Hanni, Academic Department Manager, Egyptology and Assyriology

Dr. Shontay Delalue, Assistant Provost for Global Engagement and Director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, Office of Global Engagement

Melissa Nicholaus, Student Affairs Coordinator for the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs

Angelica Vargas, Academic Programs Manager in the Economics Department 

Brian Walton, Associate Dean for Administration and Program Development, Graduate School

Gail Lee, Payroll Specialist, Graduate School

Janet Peters, Coordinator, Writing Center

Dr. Gail Cohee, Director, Sarah Doyle Center for Women and Gender

Chelsea Shriver, Administrative Coordinator (former), John Nicholas Brown Center

Muriel Bessette, Graduate/Administrative Assistant, Sociology

Pamela McNulty, Administrative Assistant/Dossier Service Coordinator, Brown University Career Development Center

Nancy Picard, Administrative Manager, Brown University Graduate School

Douglas Brown, Director, Brown University Writing Center

Erma Wallace, Coordinator of Administrative Affairs, Brown University Graduate School

Laura Hess, Associate Director for the Humanities and Social Sciences, The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning 

Janet Rankin, Associate Director for Life Sciences and Physical Sciences, The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning

Michael Diffily, Associate Dean, Brown University Graduate School