Managers and peers can submit a nomination for an individual or team. Then the Selection Committee, comprised of staff from across campus, reviews nominations, and selects the Excellence Award winners. The winners are notified and announced in January.
The nomination process is now closed.
Leo Eastman, caretaker of Rochambeau House, goes above and beyond in all aspects of his work. In his 30 years of service at Brown, he’s been a methodical, diligent and dependable worker, showing deep care for the building and the people within it. He is eager to make people feel welcomed, always greeting them with a smile, a kind word or a fun story. He leads with warmth and compassion, and passes along stories of both the University’s history and his life with enormous affection and pride.
Leo fulfills his custodial duties with thoroughness and efficacy. Rochambeau House requires fragile care, since many parts are imported from France and date back to the 18th century. He knows the building top to bottom, and goes to great lengths to keep it maintained, whether that entails ordering a special chandelier cleaner and spending an evening cleaning all of the fixtures or spending a week prior to Commencement polishing the hardwood floors.
One of the greatest testaments to Leo’s exceptional work and dedication to the people around him comes from how often alumni and former employees ask about him when they visit. He shows genuine interest and empathy in connecting with others, ensuring that the building is not just a clean, safe place, but a human one.
Erika Lorange, assistant director of student health insurance operations, consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication, professionalism, and compassion in ensuring that students, staff members and families have timely access to the guidance and resources they need to navigate the complexities of health insurance and health care access.
A cornerstone of Erika’s work is her dedication to helping students understand and navigate health insurance. She educates students about their coverage, terminology, benefits and effective use of their insurance plans, empowering them to make informed decisions. To make her support accessible, she offers appointments to students and families seven days a week, including evenings. She shows genuine care for student needs, responding promptly to requests with direct, personalized support. She also provides critical, hands-on support to students and families experiencing financial hardship or medical emergencies, helping them obtain scholarships for insurance coverage and guiding them through difficult claims and billing disputes. Her proactive approach has reduced confusion, prevented billing complications and provided families with reassurance and relief.
Erika is widely recognized by both colleagues and students for her grace, patience and unwavering commitment to service excellence. Across the University, Erika is known as a trusted partner, problem-solver, and steady presence who ensures that systems run smoothly and people feel supported. Her work embodies Brown’s core values of community, service and well-being, making a lasting impact on the student experience.
Caitlin O’Neill, Stonewall House / LGBTQ CenterDirector of the LGBTQ Center Caitlin O’Neill has brought passion to their work of supporting the well-being of students on campus. In Caitlin’s six years at Brown, they have made significant contributions to the campus and local community.
Every week, Caitlin hosts two support groups open to all current Brown students, including undergraduate, graduate and medical students: the Trans and Gender Diverse Support Group and the Rivera-Baldwin Support Group. With Caitlin’s insight and experience, the Rivera-Baldwin Support Group has grown a consistent base of student participants who attend weekly to discuss intersections of gender, sexuality, race and wellness. At a time when diversity and inclusion has seen increased scrutiny at higher education institutions across the country, Caitlin has also helped administrative leaders guide Brown’s approach to LGBTQ issues while supporting students in finding a sense of community and belonging.
Caitlin values mentorship in their role, and a core component of their work has been in providing touchpoints for students to connect with a professional staff member to guide and support them throughout their time at Brown and beyond. Caitlin can often be found in meetings with students seeking answers to questions regarding sexuality and gender identity. Some students become constant fixtures in the LGBTQ Center, and others become student staff, sharing those meetings with Caitlin as testimonies to the impact of the LGBTQ Center and the work Caitlin does.
The Stolen Relations project is a tribally collaborative project that seeks to illuminate the significance of the enslavement and servitude of Indigenous peoples in American history, as well as their resilience, through the recovery of individual stories. The project launched in May 2025 after nearly 10 years of work by a team from the Center for Digital Scholarship, and has quickly become a flagship project for the Brown campus in terms of tribally collaborative digital scholarship.
The Stolen Relations project currently has 7,000 records of enslaved Indigenous people drawn from English colonies and the United States. From these records, users of the site can learn about Indigenous enslavement, Native people can sometimes learn about their families and other relations, and teachers can use the provided educational materials to help classes examine this understudied history. This project team was central in not only building this website and database, but in sensitively handling ethical questions.
This project resulted in improved relationships with Native nations, tribes and bands in the New England area. The project also won a National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Humanities Advancement Grant in 2023 for $350,000, and has received national coverage from news media. This team’s dedication, professionalism, flexibility and creativity in making this project possible is laudable and a notable gift to the Brown community, the Native community and the world.
Prior to Fall 2024, the University faced a critical need to modernize its award and scholarship matching management process, as the existing system was cumbersome, inefficient and inflexible to update. The “Awarded” project team in Brown’s Division of Advancement spearheaded a digital transformation, retiring the legacy scholarship system and implementing Awarded, a new software platform designed to standardize and streamline the managing and matching of student financial aid and fellowship awards across campus. 
The team comprises three key individuals: Alyssa Wilcox, senior business analyst; Sarah Justus, senior stewardship reporting officer; and Mamdouh Elanai, lead report developer. The highly collaborative team demonstrated exceptional project leadership and management through the implementation of Awarded, which improves the functionality, usability and data quality surrounding student support matching and reporting. The new system also substantially reduces the complexity and manual effort previously required. During the initial rollout, there was an estimated 25% decrease in the time required to conduct their matches, as well as significant cost savings to the University.
The success of this project lies in the leadership and initiative demonstrated by the project team. They acted as highly effective change agents, defining creative technical solutions, training users, standardizing processes and building consensus among stakeholders. The resulting platform stands as a direct testament to their dedication to building a scalable, efficient and reliable data future for Advancement and the wider University community.
Shaunté Montgomery’s role as associate dean for class-year advising involves stewardship of undergraduate advising at Brown, including recruiting and providing training and development to Meiklejohn peer advisors and 320-plus faculty and staff exploratory advisors. When Shaunté was hired to this role a little over two years ago, one of her goals was to expand support for exploratory advisors. She has taken the initiative to meet this goal, in addition to expanding offerings for Meiklejohn peer advisors.
In the past year, Shaunté created Advisor Boot Camp, a weekly video newsletter distributed to exploratory advisors throughout Summer 2025 that covers critical aspects of Brown’s Open Curriculum and tools for advising Brown’s diverse student body. In addition, she implemented twice-monthly Exploratory Advisor Support Sessions beginning in Fall 2025, which offer ongoing opportunities to develop advising skills. Shaunté also expanded offerings to the 325 Meiklejohn peer advisors by developing and implementing Advisor Con, a one-day advisor training conference in August 2025. All 75 attendees rated it highly effective in regard to the quality of the presentations, knowledge of the speakers and topics offered.
Shaunté’s new vision for an exploratory advising curriculum has provided multiple touchpoints for exploratory advisors to grow in their support of Brown’s 3,500-plus pre-concentration declaration students. She has also been an excellent advisor herself, and a wonderful colleague and thought partner to others in the College.
Takyah Smith, BWell PromotionTakyah Smith, social wellness coordinator for BWell Health Promotion, is the central architect of a groundbreaking shift in Brown’s approach to student and community safety as it relates to substance use. Prior to Takyah’s recent initiatives, harm reduction efforts were often fragmented or reliant on external vendors. Takyah brought these efforts in-house, tailored them specifically to the Brown community and set the harm reduction ecosystem up for sustainability.
Takyah executed this by developing and adding “Student Navigator” videos featuring Brown students to the existing online alcohol education course required for all first-years. She designed a new peer-led alcohol and cannabis use safety workshop for all first-year students at the beginning of Fall 2025, during the critical six-week window when students are most vulnerable to high-risk behavior. Takyah also successfully brought the Overdose Prevention Training program in-house by training BWell staff as facilitators and forming the Harm Reduction Working Group. Additionally, Takyah established an internal naloxone training infrastructure, which made Brown better prepared to ensure full compliance when Rhode Island passed new legislation mandating naloxone availability in residence halls by September 2025.
Takyah anticipates needs before they become crises. She has designed and implemented a comprehensive harm reduction ecosystem with a suite of innovative, tiered interventions that support students throughout their time at Brown. Takyah’s work demonstrates how innovation can prevent crises and allow Brown students to thrive.
Quiana Young, Department of Public Safety and Emergency ManagementThe Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management’s (DPSEM) Director of Advocacy, Engagement and Communications Quiana Young has demonstrated exceptional dedication, leadership and impact within DPSEM and across the Brown University community. She shows an unwavering commitment to the department’s mission and the safety of Brown’s students, staff members and faculty.
As director of advocacy, engagement and communications, she plays a central role in fostering positive relationships between DPSEM and the campus community. She oversees and supports more than 150 events annually, all focused on engagement, safety awareness and building trust between students and law enforcement. Her presence at every event, meeting, and initiative speaks to her hands-on leadership style and genuine investment in community well-being. Her creativity and vision have led to the development of new programs and opportunities that allow both staff members and students to thrive. She navigates complex timelines, staffing challenges and shifting campus needs with grace and reliability. Despite a demanding workload, she remains a deeply supportive leader — one who advocates for her team, encourages growth and always goes above and beyond.
Beyond her professional excellence, she is known for her warmth and kindness. Her kind personality and commitment to others make her approachable and well-loved across the department. Her leadership has strengthened DPSEM operations, expanded community engagement and created a safer, more connected environment at Brown University.
Kristin Webster, Carney Institute for Brain ScienceKristin Webster, associate director of training and development at the Carney Institute for Brain Science, demonstrates exceptional leadership across a range of priority areas of the institute. Kristin’s leadership has driven measurable results in both crisis management and programmatic growth, demonstrating exceptional capacity to mobilize resources, manage complex finances and foster professional development. She has also emerged as a role model within the Carney Institute team; she inspires confidence in others, establishes a culture of respect and is always the first to step in to support the team across multiple domains.
During a high-stakes period involving a major federal grant proposal, Kristin immediately stepped into a critical project management role. She also successfully transitioned from zero direct reports to six while the associate director of finance and administration was on paternity leave. She fully embraced both of these challenges, aligning stakeholders and providing support and strategic guidance. Kristin leads the Carney Scholars Program, manages the federally sponsored training programs, and holds influential roles on multiple grants and the undergraduate program through the Leadership Alliance. Her dedication to these programs and roles demonstrates an ability to attract resources, manage growth and achieve profound outcomes.
Kristin is an essential asset to the Carney Institute’s efforts to create an outstanding and inclusive environment for training the next generation of brain scientists as well as maintaining a highly motivated and dedicated team.
Ajeé Schaeffer, Brown Center for Students of ColorAjeé Schaeffer, assistant director of the Brown Center for Students of Color (BCSC), joined Brown a little over two years ago and has shown dedication, vision and an unwavering commitment to excellence in a short time. Her excellence is defined by her work ethic, diverse skill set and ability to collaborate, lead and use data-informed strategies to strengthen students’ sense of belonging, support BCSC team members and engage the Brown community.
In her role at the BCSC, Ajeè manages two of Brown’s hallmark programs, the Third World Transition Program (TWTP) and the MPC Peer Counselor program. Leading two endeared programs that are critical to Brown’s mission is no small feat. She has made significant improvements to TWTP, including increased partnership with TWTP alumni, parents and families, and orientation leaders, in addition to organizing new events and making adjustments to meet shifting federal legal parameters. Under Ajeé’s leadership, the MPC Peer Counselor program has also built a more intentional and inclusive community for first-year students of color and their peers.
Ajeé remains consistent, thorough, and motivated, even amid turbulent and unpredictable times in the equity and inclusion landscape of higher education. Her leadership reflects a balance of strength, compassion and deep intentionality — cultivating spaces where students feel grounded, affirmed and inspired to grow in their roles, in their personal journeys, and in how they show up for themselves and their communities.
Meredith Mendola, Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination and RedesignProgram Manager of the Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination and Redesign (CNTR) Meredith Mendola spearheaded the transformation of the CNTR from a conceptual idea into a fully operational, financially secure and vital University research center – all within her first nine months at Brown. Meredith has had an immediate, profound impact by applying her innovative strategic vision, professional-grade project management skills and unparalleled efficiency. Meredith’s impact spans across the CNTR, Brown University and beyond by establishing a core institutional infrastructure and executing high-profile, mission-critical projects.
As the sole staff member of the CNTR for her first eight months, Meredith has had to manage all operational, strategic, financial and personnel aspects of the CNTR. The scope of her work continues to involve simultaneous institution-building, project management and strategic planning across multiple complex research teams. She created the core structure for the CNTR, secured contributors, community partners and external partnerships, and secured $25,000 in external funding. She also managed, trained and advised 14 students across high-priority research and educational teams and developed a student pipeline that yields a steady stream of engagement requests each week.
In addition to her operational and managerial prowess, Meredith has created a palpable excitement around opportunities the CNTR offers the Brown community. In less than a year, she established an essential, thriving intellectual hub that strengthens Brown’s presence in the critical tech and society research domain.
Komal Shah, School of Professional StudiesKomal Shah, associate director of career services and professional development in the School of Professional Studies (SPS), joined Brown in the fall of 2023, just as SPS was taking on the oversight of master’s programs for the entire University. She was charged with building a career services and professional development support structure for master’s students from scratch. She has excelled in this role, and has built a highly functional and service-oriented team, going beyond the confines of her position to build new capacities for master’s students at Brown.
When Komal joined Brown, there was no career support for master’s students at the University. Komal built a successful team of career advisors with strong coverage in STEM careers, mid-career transitions, and job search and interview preparation. In the past year, she led her team in providing over 750 individual consolation appointments, hosting nearly 800 students at workshops, financially supporting more than 50 students in pursuing professional development opportunities, and holding nearly 100 events.
Komal also successfully integrated a new career counselor onto her team, pursued professional development training in coaching to better serve mid-career professional master's students, steered the team through the extended absence of one staff member, and increased outreach to partner schools and departments. She has done this work with grace and good humor, and has made her staff and students feel supported throughout the job search process.
Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology (Team), Dean of the FacultyOver the past year, staff members at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology have done an outstanding job in advancing Brown’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) work. They have gone above and beyond to reengage with tribal communities with whom Brown has long-standing historical relationships.
The NAGPRA team consists of associate director Christina Hodge, head curator Thierry Gentis, associate curator of repatriation and provenance Kellie Bowers, collections manager/registrar Jen Wicoff, and project manager of the Circumpolar Laboratory Jim Whitney. They have communicated with federally recognized tribes, coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service, and collaborated with consultants, museums and other stakeholders to ensure federal compliance and rebuild relationships with the Native American tribes whose possessions the museum stewards.
Specifically, the team has facilitated communication with 576 federally recognized tribes, notifying them of the museum’s upcoming relocation to Providence and requesting guidance pursuant to the “duty of care” stipulation in the new regulations. They currently have six active repatriation cases. The team is also responsible for the accurate documentation and respectful management of culturally sensitive objects, and is committed to educating the public about the history of the museum and its relationships with Native American tribes as well as their ongoing NAGPRA responsibilities. They have done exceptional work in stewarding Brown’s commitment to acknowledging its responsibilities to Native American tribal nations.
International Student and Scholar Services (Team), Office of Global EngagementThe International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) team supports over 3,400 international students and scholars by providing immigration advising and visa services. They have done exceptional work during a year marked by heightened turbulence and uncertainty. In addition to managing their normal high caseload and complex immigration advising, they navigated unprecedented situations stemming from changing federal immigration policy.
In April 2025, the Department of Homeland Security suddenly terminated the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records of nearly 6,000 international students nationwide, including up to seven Brown students and alumni on optional practical training. The ISSS team experienced a significant increase in their workload as students and scholars reached out to seek information and assurance regarding the government’s actions. Amid these challenges, the team rose to the occasion in remarkable fashion, making an extra effort to be available to students and scholars, monitoring for unexpected developments, networking with other international education and legal professionals to discuss institutional responses and strategies, and quickly developing new advising guidelines and practices.
Despite the turbulence experienced by international students and scholars during the past year, the ISSS team continued to conduct operations at a continuously high level. The ISSS continues to adapt its policies, procedures and guidelines to meet the changing federal immigration landscape, while sustaining its longstanding commitment to providing informed and timely guidance and supporting the international community at Brown.
Special thanks to this year’s Excellence Award Selection Committee who read dozens of nominations. We could not have done this without their incredible insight, expertise and hard work.