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.

The 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.

Program 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.