Younger alums spark new interest in Brown Clubs
Chaz Firestone
Issue date: 1/26/07 Section: Campus News
Four previously inactive and nine newly formed Brown Clubs sprang to life, ushering in an era of remarkable growth, according to Todd Andrews '83, vice president for alumni relations. The clubs, which unite Brown alums with other alums in their region, are established throughout the United States and other parts of the world. They have recently been the focus of increased attention and funding from Alumni Relations.
"We at the Office of Alumni Relations realize that regional efforts to connect with Brown alumni are important, both for the alumni themselves and for the University," Andrews said.
University officials and faculty, such as James Campbell, associate professor of history and chair of the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, and President Ruth Simmons, have recently been traveling the globe spreading Brown's name as part of an initiative to expand Brown's presence domestically and internationally. These efforts that have in part led to the formation of Brown Clubs in Berlin, Las Vegas and even Iowa City.
"President Simmons is a very important reason for the recent boom in Brown Club activity," Andrews said. "When Ruth Simmons goes to a community and talks about what's going on at Brown to graduates whom she has invited to meet with her, interest in clubs surges."
Kathleen Skestos '88 of Columbus, Ohio, is one Brown alum who has seen the fruits of these increased efforts, but she said she remembers a time when getting involved in a Brown Club wasn't so easy.
"I wanted to get a club going right when I graduated, but the Alumni Relations office said there weren't enough alumni in Columbus to form a club," she said. "The attitude of the Alumni Relations office has changed significantly."
Skestos bided her time by interviewing admission applicants in the Columbus area before she was approached early last year by Alumni Relations and was asked to start a club in Columbus. Since then, the Brown Club of Columbus has been popular among alums in the area.
"We at the Office of Alumni Relations realize that regional efforts to connect with Brown alumni are important, both for the alumni themselves and for the University," Andrews said.
University officials and faculty, such as James Campbell, associate professor of history and chair of the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, and President Ruth Simmons, have recently been traveling the globe spreading Brown's name as part of an initiative to expand Brown's presence domestically and internationally. These efforts that have in part led to the formation of Brown Clubs in Berlin, Las Vegas and even Iowa City.
"President Simmons is a very important reason for the recent boom in Brown Club activity," Andrews said. "When Ruth Simmons goes to a community and talks about what's going on at Brown to graduates whom she has invited to meet with her, interest in clubs surges."
Kathleen Skestos '88 of Columbus, Ohio, is one Brown alum who has seen the fruits of these increased efforts, but she said she remembers a time when getting involved in a Brown Club wasn't so easy.
"I wanted to get a club going right when I graduated, but the Alumni Relations office said there weren't enough alumni in Columbus to form a club," she said. "The attitude of the Alumni Relations office has changed significantly."
Skestos bided her time by interviewing admission applicants in the Columbus area before she was approached early last year by Alumni Relations and was asked to start a club in Columbus. Since then, the Brown Club of Columbus has been popular among alums in the area.