Designed for doctoral students, the program brings together eight to 10 graduate students, who are chosen to participate in this 12-week program. The BEST program was established in 2010 and is sponsored by the Graduate School.
Graduate School
Brown Executive Scholars Training Programs
Purpose
To help prepare graduate students for future leadership roles in higher education through a semester-long program of mentorship, education and training.
Objectives
- Educate graduate students about university leadership and the roles and responsibilities of senior academic leaders and administrators.
- Expose graduate students to administrators through one-on-one mentoring relationships.
- Enhance the leadership skills of graduate students through engaged discussion and professional development activities.
Key Activities
- Attend weekly seminars and roundtables
- Meet at least once each month with assigned administrative sponsors
- Participate in weekly professional development activities
- Complete a mini-practicum project (optional)
Attendance
Scholars will be allowed two excused absences throughout the duration of the program. Scholars with excessive absences may be dismissed from the program and will not receive certificates of completion. The program will run from late January to late April.
Roundtables and Professional Development
Each week, BEST Scholars are joined by senior University leaders for a presentation and discussion, followed by a group reflection, conversation, and professional development activities.
Administrative Sponsors
Scholars will be paired with administrators from key areas of the university to learn about their specific role, the function of their area, and to receive advice and support related to their own career pursuits. Scholars are expected to meet with administrative sponsors for no less than one hour at least once each month and may engage in an optional mini-practicum project.
Selection
Senior administrative staff from across the University will help select a diverse and cross-disciplinary cohort of promising scholars.
Evaluation
Scholars will complete an overall program survey.
Eligibility
Applicants must be a doctoral student.
Application Requirements:
Student Application
Complete through UFunds, See under “Graduate School Distinctive Opportunities.”
Components to Prepare
- CV or resume
- Personal statement of 500 words or less that outlines the applicant’s educational and professional career aspirations and states how participation in the BEST Program will assist in meeting those goals
- Statement that ranks the top three areas of interest from the following: Academic Affairs, Diversity, Education and Training, Faculty Affairs, Governance, Student Support
Components to Request
Through UFunds:
- Message of support from your DGS (affirming student standing)
- Message of recommendation from a faculty advisor, thesis/dissertation committee member, or department chair who can affirm why participation in the program will be valuable for you. (If your DGS can affirm student standing and recommend you to the program, this may be sent as one combined message.)
For any questions, please contact Graduate_Dean@brown.edu.
Application Deadline
December 8, 2023
Meet Previous BEST Scholars
David Arango, master’s student in Public Health- Kimberly Meza, doctoral student in Pathobiology
- Sophia Higgerson, doctoral student in History of Art & Architecture
- Alison Weber, doctoral student in Behavioral and Social Health Sciences
- Megean Bourgeois, doctoral student in Political Science
- Noah Tetenbaum, doctoral student in Religious Studies
- Huy Tran, master’s student in Public Health
- Lucy McInerney, doctoral student in Classics
- Madison Paulk, doctoral student in Anthropology
- Yannick Etoundi, doctoral student in History of Art & Architecture
- Jordan Abelson, master’s student in Public Health
Anna Maryam Alikhani, doctoral student in Behavioral and Social Health Sciences- Meghan Gonsalves, doctoral student in Neuroscience
- Meaghan Carley, doctoral student in Classics
- Karyn De Paula Mota, doctoral student in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies
- Aseel Yehia Azab, doctoral student in Religious Studies
- Amanda Elyssa Ruiz, doctoral student in Pathobiology
- Pamudu Tennakoon, doctoral student in History of Art & Architecture and master’s student in Anthropology
- Ramisa Fariha, doctoral student in BioMed: Engineering
- Layra Cintron-Rivera, doctoral student in Pathobiology
- Sara Mohr, doctoral student in Egyptology and Assyriology
- Kevin Ennis, doctoral student in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies
- Kevin Loguidice, master’s student in Biomedical Engineering
- Andrea Goodman, master’s student in Public Humanities
- Max Peers, doctoral student in Archaeology and the Ancient World
- Nicole Sintetos, doctoral student in American Studies
- Bethany Whitlock, doctoral student in Anthropology
- Kathryn Thompson, doctoral student in BioMed: Health Services Research
- Lauren Fish, doctoral student in Neuroscience
- Sonya Brooks, master’s student in Urban Education Policy
Margaret Goddard, doctoral student in American Studies- Rebecca Thorsness, doctoral student in BioMed: Health Services Research
- Meera White, master’s student in Public Humanities
- Florencia Chiaramonte, doctoral student in Hispanic Studies
- Alastair Tulloch, doctoral student in Neuroscience
- Jordan Jones, doctoral student in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies
- Melody Chapin, doctoral student in Music
- Shekinah Fashaw, doctoral student in BioMed: Health Services Research
- Sophie Brunau, doctoral student in French Studies
- Sofia Verba, doctoral student in Slavic Studies
Shamara Alhassan, doctoral student in Africana Studies- Doria Charlson, doctoral student in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies and Master’s in PhD History
- Amy Chin, doctoral student in Sociology
- Jade Eckels, master's student in Urban Education Policy
- Benjamin Fancy, doctoral student in French Studies
- Mai Hunt, doctoral student in Hispanic Studies
- David Meyers, doctoral student in Health Services Research
- Vania Pereira, master's student in American Studies
- Sydney Menzin, master's student in Urban Education Policy
- Anastasia Tsylina, doctoral student in Slavic Studies
News story: 2019 Executive Scholars Selected
Emily Drennan, doctoral student in Egyptology & Assyriology- Javier Juarez, master's student in American Studies
- Ashleigh LoVette, doctoral student in Behavioral & Social Health Sciences
- Andrew Lynn, doctoral student in Psychology
- Cole Morgan, doctoral student in English
- Miroslava Nikolova, doctoral student in Slavic Studies
- Jennifer Polexi, master's student in Urban Education Policy
- Karina Santamaria, doctoral student in Behavioral & Social Health Sciences
- Benjamin Wilks, doctoral student in Biomedical Engineering
- Andrea Wright, doctoral student in Anthropology
Alyssa Anderson, doctoral student in American Studies- Sam Caldis, doctoral student in History (Ancient History)
- R. Terik Daly, doctoral student in Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences
- Dalma Diaz, master's student in Urban Education Policy
- Aderonke Ilegbusi, master's student in Public Health
- Rachel Knecht, doctoral student in History
- Anni Pullagura, doctoral student in American Studies
- Michiel van Veldhuizen, doctoral student in Classics
- Inge Zwart, master's student in Public Humanities
Sarah Brown, doctoral student in American Studies- Emily Contois, doctoral student in American Studies
- Tom Fisher, doctoral student in Philosophy
- Danielle Fontaine, master’s student in Urban Education Policy
- Branta Lockett, master’s student in Urban Education Policy
- Ali Mathwig, doctoral student in History of Art and Architecture
- Hanan Mowager, master's student in Education
- Alex Reda, doctoral student in Sociology
- Jen Thum, doctoral student in Archeology
- Yinsui Zheng, doctoral student in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
Aisalkyn Botoeva, doctoral student in Sociology- Akiko Hatakeyama, doctoral student in Computer Music and Multimedia
- Mariam Irshad, master’s student in Public Health
- Pierre Lucien, master’s student in Urban Education Policy
- Crystal Ngo, doctoral student in American Studies
- Arielle Nitenson, doctoral student in Neuroscience
- Dimple Patel, master’s student in Urban Education Policy
- Lauren Quattrochi, doctoral student in Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology
- Michela Rozani, doctoral student in Italian Studies
- Jonathan Sozek, doctoral student in Religious Studies
Justine Allen, doctoral student in Neuroscience- Keila Davis, master's student in Public Humanities
- Rachel Gostenhofer, doctoral student in History
- Sally Ho, doctoral student in Chemistry
- Stephen Jones, doctoral student in Molecular Biology
- Chiao-Wen Lan, master's student in Public Health
- Karina Mascorro, doctoral student in Italian Studies
- Brandeise Monk-Payton, doctoral student in Modern Culture and Media
- Colleen Tripp, doctoral student in American Studies
- Lawrence Were, doctoral student in Health Services Research
- Aleysia Whitmore, doctoral student in Ethnomusicology
Carmen Granda, doctoral student in Hispanic Studies - Adrianne LaFrance, doctoral student in Classics
- Jonah Leshin, doctoral student in Mathematics
- Dong Li, master's student in Literary Arts
- Adj Marshall, master's student in Public Humanities
- Aaron Massey, master's student in Urban Education Policy
- Kristen Oehlrich, doctoral student in History of Art & Architecture
- Anne-Caroline Sieffert, doctoral student in French Studies
- Susan Solomon, doctoral student in Comparative Literature
- Camly Tran, doctoral student in Chemistry
Elisabeth Becker, master's student in Public Health- Hetal Desai, doctoral student in Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology
- Khristina Gonzalez, doctoral student in English
- Yuko Hasegawa, doctoral student in Molcular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry
- Don Ho, doctoral student in Chemistry
- Amy Johnson, doctoral student in American Studies
- Heather Lee, doctoral student in American Studies
- Erica Moretti, doctoral student in Italian Studies
- Laura Perille, doctoral student in History
- Teresa Ramirez, doctoral student in Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology
Lamonte Aidoo, doctoral student in Portuguese & Brazilian Studies- Joseph Bahlman, doctoral student in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Yelena Biberman, doctoral student in Political Science
- Lara Couturier, doctoral student in History
- Sara Emmenecker, master's student in Public Humanities
- Jessica Johnson, doctoral student in American Civilization
- Vismadeb (Vish) Mazumder, doctoral student in Chemistry
- Dung Nguyen, doctoral student in Physics
- Feryaz Ocakli, doctoral student in Political Science
- Oscar Perez, doctoral student in Portuguese & Brazilian Studies
Hear from program alums about their experiences!
Mai Hunt is a fourth year PhD student. She is from Boston, Massachusetts and earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard University in Romance Languages and Literatures.
My interest in the BEST program stemmed from wanting to better understand the behind the scenes operations of higher education. I was particularly interested in the University’s focus on the development of the Graduate School, which has really taken off in the last 5-10 years.
"The BEST program is a great professional development opportunity, even for people who will not go onto work in higher education administration. Even beyond universities, the BEST program teaches you skills that are applicable to a wide variety of careers and fields."