The new Community Fellows have plans underway to strengthen the graduate student community at Brown. Motivation for becoming a Fellow varies, but many of the students describe wanting to contribute on campus and carry on a tradition of involvement they had as an undergraduate. 

"I've appreciated and benefited from the work of other Community Fellows in the past. I'm excited to continue the progress that has been made for graduate student of color programming and to find ways to make such programming more sustainable,” says Felicia Bevel, a PhD student in American Studies. Bevel references the Graduate Students of Color Writing Intensive Workshop last spring made an impact on her and others.

The Community Fellows program gives graduate students an opportunity to develop and implement new events and initiatives for graduate students at Brown and foster a culture that respects and celebrates diversity, inclusion and equity. 

“I’ve found the grad parent community to be supportive and I want to give back,” says Abigail Bodner a PhD students in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. Bodner and Haile already hosted a Pumpkin Patch Party in early November for all grad and postdoc parents and families.

The pair of International Fellows are eager to continue international dinners and debut new events focused on fitness with potentially a plan for cross-cultural Zumba. Ramisa Fariha, a master’s student in Biomedical Engineering, shares how much she loved the start of the year with International Orientation and looks forward to continuing to build the international community.

Eunice Gonzalez-Sierra is in a one-year MAT program and is looking forward to planning events specifically for master’s students. She says, “I am new to Brown and I wanted to find ways to be involved in the campus community.”

Congratulations to the following new fellows (by area); Race and Social Justice: Elizabeth Rule and Felicia Bevel; International: Maria Velasco Molina and Ramisa Fariha; Family-Friendly: Abigail Bodner and Shanelle Haile; Wellness and Health: Adam Spierer and Alan Denadel; Master's: Eunice Gonzalez-Sierra and Michelle Cruz. 

Fellows receive peer feedback, guidance from program coordinator, campus resources and partners as they create and implement their initiatives. The program is sponsored by the Graduate School, the Office of Global Engagement, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office of the Provost.