Swearer Center for Public Service

D'Abate-Swearer Partnership Featured on Brown Website

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:18 -0400

For 13 years, Brown University has partnered with William D’Abate Elementary School in Providence’s Olneyville neighborhood to bring after-school programming, in-class tutoring, and summer camps to students there. While the programs are a learning experience for everyone involved, the hope is that some lessons will have effects that last long after graduation. Read more here.

Funding for Internships in Public Education

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00 -0400

The Messing Family Public Service Fellowship provides funding for students to pursue internships in public education that advance students' understanding of public education in the U.S. and their own interest and career possibilities in education. The Fellowship is a collaboration between the Swearer Center for Public Service, the Career Development Center, and the Education Department, and was established through the generosity of Brett S. Messing '86 and Marla B. Messing.

Fall 2012 Application Deadline: Tuesday, July 31, 2012.

For more information and to apply: http://www.brown.edu/academics/college/fellowships/fellowships_at_brown/detail/messing

BRYTE awarded honorable mention in 2012 MacJannet Prize competition

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:42 -0400

Congratulations to Brown Refugee Youth Tutoring and Enrichment (BRYTE), which has received a MacJannet Prize honorable mention -- a global competition recognizing outstanding student led community engagement! They were one of only 3 honorable mentions (and the only U.S. honoree) from applications that were submitted from 21 countries around the world.

Program helps city students tackle urban issues

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:46 -0400

Presenting a better Providence

Middle, high school students devise projects to improve the city, then make presentation to officials

By TATIANA PINA JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Stephanie Pimentel, of the Paul Cuffee School, sat on the steps at the end of a corridor in the State House Monday looking at her notes and practicing what she would say.

Students at Paul Cuffee want musical instruments and athletic equipment, she said. The next step would be looking for a way to rent a gym. “We feel like it’s affecting our community. If we have these things, people will look at us like a real high school,” she argued.

In a few minutes she would join 149 middle and high school students from all over Providence who had set up displays and would pitch their ideas for making their city a better place to live. The presentations resulted from their schools’ partnership with the Generation Citizen program founded in 2008 by Scott Warren, then a senior at Brown University. Education Commissioner Deborah Gist, Mayor Angel Taveras, Rep. Da-vid N. Cicilline and Warren were among some of the officials who heard their ideas.

Mayor Taveras told the students to take advantage of their education, stay engaged and be leaders.

After the speeches, students left the chambers and went to the corridors and the governor’s stateroom, where they had set up displays on tables, to wait for judges to determine who had made the best pitches to improve their city.

The corridors echoed with students and adults talking about their projects. Students have been working with their teachers and students from Brown who helped them to arrive at a problem in their community and what they wanted to do about it.

Gilbert Stuart Middle School student Errol Graham explained a program called Stay In School that he and fellow students had come up with to help girls stay in school. The students designed the program after seeing prostitutes walking the streets near their school on summer evenings. Errol said a high percentage of girls who drop out of school become pregnant and then have to find some means of work and end up working the streets. The program would help at-risk girls get counseling and therapy to help them avoid dropping out.

In a corner of the governor’s stateroom five students from the Met Liberty School had caught the attention of Commissioner Gist.

The display behind them said End NECAP High Stakes Testing.

The Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education last year approved regulations that will require students in 2014 to score at least “partially proficient” on state tests in order to graduate, in addition to fulfilling other graduation requirements. (Earlier regulations prohibited low test scores from being used as a barrier to graduating.) But despite years of increased pressure on school districts to improve instruction and boost scores, test results on NECAP (the New England Common Assessment Program) remain alarmingly low.

“If you don’t pass the NECAP test, everything you did before it does not matter,” Seth Jean-Laurent told Gist.

Sydney Chernasky, a sophomore, said, “I’m pretty nervous. I have to go in a week before school starts to prepare for the NECAPs,” she said.

Gist explained that students throughout the state have done badly in math and so there has been a big a push to raise scores.

Semaj Pierre,12, a seventh grader at Gilbert Stuart, said his group proposed a student government in his middle school that would include a president and two student representatives from sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

A student government would help students work toward many of the things students were proposing Monday, he said.

“We wanted students to have the power and the voice,” he said. tpina@providencejournal.com

Alan Flam, Advisor Extraordinaire!

Tue, 01 May 2012 16:22 -0400

Alan Flam, Director of Advising and Community Collaborations, received the Outstanding Advisor Award from the Undergraduate Council of Students at Brown University. Flam received more than thirty nominations from students representing a wide array of Brown experiences: first-year advisees, UCAAP participants, community program fellows, international fellowship recipients, and social justice activists. Huge congratulations to Alan on a very well deserved award!!!

2012 Royce Fellows Inducted

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:16 -0400

The Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Royce Fellowship. The Society of Royce Fellows was founded with the mission of recognizing and supporting scholarship, leadership, creativity and public work. The Society supports reflection, inquiry and articulation by inspiring fellows to connect their scholarly work with that of their peers and esteemed faculty. Each year a group of faculty from a wide range of disciplines serve as mentors to the fellows and help to craft a challenging, intellectual community.

DOWNLOAD: Remarks by Royce Fellow Sarah Rutherford '12 at the 2012-2013 Induction Ceremony.

2012 Royce Fellows Samuel Adler-Bell ‘12.5 Strikebreakers and Police Violence: Bringing the State Back into the San Francisco General Strike of 1934 Sam will examine a combination of newspaper and media representations, legal documents, and oral histories from the period surrounding the militant San Francisco General Strike of 1934. The Strike is often lauded for the brief, liberatory possibilities that it offered at a time when the working class was profoundly constrained by what scholars describe as a collusion between the government and the interests of private property. Through his research, Sam will produce a historical paper and presentation on the General Strike designed for activists and community groups thinking about social change in the 21st century. Sponsor: Robert Self

Nicholas Scheidle Bartos ‘13 Liman Tepe Archaeological Excavation Nicholas will participate in ongoing excavations at Liman Tepe, a harbor settlement in Izmir, Turkey. The site has been occupied since the fourth millennium B.C.E. and is regarded as one of the world's most important underwater archaeological sites. Nicholas will work with a diverse team of archeologists to explore questions of preservation as well as cultural heritage. Sponsor: Christopher Bachhuber

Tra My Dang ‘13 Two Generations After the Vietnam War: History, Identity, & Post-War Conflict Tra My will investigate public and personal perceptions of the Vietnam War across different generations and between North and South Vietnam. She will collect oral histories and conduct archival and museum research to examine how various processes of knowledge production have created different Vietnamese identities at home, abroad, and within the context of the post-war Vietnamese Diaspora. Sponsor: Elizabeth Taylor

Richard Diesso ‘14 Addressing HIV: Working Towards a Vaccine Richard will join the Humoral Immunity HIV research team under the guidance of Dr. Eloisa Yuste in Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Yuste's team is researching the immune response to HIV and its application to vaccine development. Richard will work with the team to explore ways to alter the structure of the HIV-1 envelope protein for optimal binding to antibodies with the hope of triggering a large immune response, a feat which HIV vaccines have thus far been unable to accomplish. This strategy of manipulating and studying the HIV protein that is directly responsible for the infection of host cells is one of science's best hopes for creating an effectual HIV vaccine. Sponsor: Peter Shank

Julia Ellis-Kahana ‘13 Reproductive Health Education in Morocco with Women on Waves Julia will work for Women on Waves, an international non-governmental organization committed to promoting access to women's reproductive healthcare in the developing world. Women on Waves has worked extensively in European and Latin American countries, and is now expanding its focus to the Middle East and North Africa region. Under the mentorship of Rebecca Gomperts, founder and director of the group, Julia will research ways to expand the existing training materials and develop a new educational training program for reproductive health in Morocco, paying particular attention to the cultural and political climate of the country. Sponsor: Rebecca Allen

Michael A. Johnson ‘13 Contesting Industrialization in India As industrial development accelerates in many parts of India, more individuals and communities are displaced from their land and their livelihoods. Michael will use interviews to study how those in threat of being displaced are able to politicize their grievances and resist large-scale industrial projects in India. As a case study, he will focus on a special economic zone (SEZ) project outside of Delhi that has recently been halted because of farmer resistance and pressure from the state. Sponsor: Patrick Heller

Jonah Kagan ‘13 Exploring Applications for Symbolic Execution of JavaScript Working with Professor Eric Tanter at the Universidad de Chile, Jonah will experiment with applications for symbolic evaluation to analyze JavaScript programs. He will create techniques to expose security vulnerabilities in web sites and automate program testing. Sponsor: Shriram Krishnamurthi

Alexandra Linn ‘13 Stemming the Anti-Vaccination Sentiment: Using Historical Research to Increase Awareness and Understanding about Vaccines Alex will compile historical research on the vaccines that are currently recommended for children by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She will use this research to create accessible disease information sheets for each vaccine. These sheets will provide persuasive historical accounts to help address the misinformation, suspicion, and apprehension about vaccines. The project will be conducted at the Historic Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and at Brown University. Sponsor: Richard Bungiro

Sahil Luthra ‘14 Using a False Memory Paradigm to Examine the Role of Speaker Information in Spoken Word Processing Processing speech requires the brain to recognize a continuous stream of sounds as discrete words conveying some meaning. Sahil will research how the brain considers the identity of a speaker during this process. He will employ a new approach to this research question, using a task that induces false memories. Understanding the strategies that the brain uses to process speaker information will ultimately help cognitive scientists to form models of speech processing. Sponsor: Sheila Blumstein

Maya Mason ‘15 Sculpture: A Medium for Intellectual Growth Maya will apprentice to internationally acclaimed sculptor, Bruce Beasley, in his Oakland, California studio. Working with the artist, she will learn techniques in the fabrication of bronze and stainless steel sculpture and work directly on Mr. Beasley's large abstract pieces. Maya will also have the opportunity to work on her own sculptures in Mr. Beasley's studio and receive feedback from the renowned artist. Sponsor: Paul Myoda

Zahra Merchant '13 Social Services, Women with Disabilities, and Violence By distributing surveys to health care professionals, advocacy organizations, law offices, and police officers, Zahra will explore what social services exist for women who have experienced violence and will question whether or not these services are fully accessible to women with disabilities. She will use her research to create reference sheets for health professionals, indicating where the best in-state services can be found. Sponsor: Melissa Clark

Richard Ramirez ‘12.5 The Absent Mayor: Examining the Potential for Mayoral Control of Public Schools in Houston, Texas Houston, Texas, is the largest city in the United States in which the mayor plays no active role in the city's public school system. Rich will examine why Houston has not followed other major American cities in equipping their mayor with the power to influence public school outcomes. Additionally, he will question whether mayoral control in Houston is necessary or feasible. Faculty Sponsor: Kenneth Wong

Zachery Rufa ‘14 Freak[show]: An Examination of the Cultural Phenomenon of the American Freakshow and Its Exhibition of Difference Zach will research the history of the American Freakshow in the 19^th and 20^th centuries and will consider its legacy today. He will analyze archival documents and photos and examine the modern day remains of Freak performance in his study of the historical conditions surrounding the rise and fall of the institution of the Freakshow. Additionally, Zach will consider the place and function of the Freakshow in society and the nature of the construction of the Freak identity in relation to the exhibition of disabled or ‘freakish' bodies. Sponsor: Rebecca Schneider

Benjamin Sadkowski ‘14 Squatters and State Power: Documenting the Remnants of the Amsterdam Squatter Movement ‘Squatting' has been used by Amsterdam residents as a method to secure housing since the 1960s, but the tactic was declared illegal by the Dutch government in October 2010. Using a combination of documentary photography and recorded interviews, Benjamin will explore the remnants of the Amsterdam squatter movement in order to understand the economic, political, and cultural incentives behind squatting. Benjamin will compile his photographs and interviews into a web-based multimedia project that will engage others to consider more critically the global issue of adequate housing. Sponsor: Theresa Ganz

Robert Joseph Sandler '13.5 CreatureCast Creation Robert will create (script and animate) a series of videos about the adaptation and evolution of neural layouts for the CreatureCast blog run by the Dunn Lab at Brown University. CreatureCast serves as a tool to describe the intrinsic beauty of many aspects of science. Robert will work with Professor Dunn to create videos that serve as pedagogical tools, and also function as objects of scientific and artistic integrity. Sponsor: Casey Dunn

Bradley Silverman ‘13 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 Under Democratic and Republican Administrations: Is There a Partisan Bias in Enforcement of Section 5? Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Justice Department must preclear all laws affecting voting in jurisdictions with histories of discriminatory voting practices. Using federal records dating back from 1965, Bradley will review each individual preclearance decision made by the Justice Department since the law's implementation and examine how presidential administrations over time have enforced the act. Bradley's research will analyze White House partisanship and bureaucratic factors in Washington, DC, and will be informed by material from the Department of Justice, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress. Sponsor: Steven G. Calabresi (Northwestern University)

Sanchita Singal ‘13 Examining Decision-Making and Medical Adherence Counseling through Analysis of Healthcare Providers' Counseling Skills Sanchita will examine how medical adherence counseling and decision-making occurs for adults living in Punjab, India. She aims to interview healthcare providers about their experiences with patients, transcribe audio-recordings of patient-provider interactions, and use computer software to analyze her data through a mixed-methods approach. Through this experience, Sanchita hopes to gain insight into the patient-provider relationship and investigate methods to potentially improve communication and discussions of medical care within various cultural contexts. Sponsor: Ira Wilson

Claire Straty ‘13 The Material and Cultural Reconfiguration of Rural/Small-Town Life in Northern Michigan Claire will explore how rural, small-town life in Northern Michigan is changing as a result of socio-economic shifts and contemporary processes of marginalization. She will utilize ethnographic research methods to examine how second-home growth, economic shifts, and rising class divisions are spurring new social configurations and altering small-town culture. Sponsor: Rebecca Carter

2012 Royce Sport and Society Fellows

Evan Coleman ‘13 Adding Education to the Soccer Culture In many countries, soccer is seen not only as a game but as a way of life. However, the passion and enthusiasm that many children have for this ‘beautiful game' is left untapped. Evan will work with Streetfootballworld to analyze and articulate the approaches that a select number of development organizations use to promote education and opportunity among young soccer players, particularly in the developing world. Sponsor: Jonathan Ready

Khalil Fuller ‘14 NBA Math Hoops Khalil is the founder of NBA Math Hoops, a nonprofit organization committed to improving math literacy among urban youth by creating innovative educational tools that harness the power of basketball. This summer, Khalil will explore the possibility of creating strategic partnerships with charter schools and organizations known for their work in underserved communities, as well as the potential of incorporating Math Hoops' Classroom Kits. Additionally, Khalil will develop a comprehensive strategy to measure the impact of the classroom material's effects on participating youth. Sponsor: Alan Harlam

Kasey Haas ‘13 Using Sport to Promoting Policy and Awareness in the Lives of the Disabled Sport programs for the disabled are critical in promoting social inclusion. Kasey will investigate the effectiveness of strategies to advance awareness and policy in an effort to increase inclusive sport opportunities for disabled populations. Sponsor: Sarah Everhart Skeels

Erika Mueller ‘13 Beyond Sport: Using Sport for Social Change Erika will spend the summer as an intern for Beyond Sport. She will explore how Beyond Sport addresses local and global issues through sport with particular regard to social inclusion and conflict resolution. Sponsor: Eli Wolff

John Sheridan ‘13 BASES Providence John will develop the Baseball Academy of Students Engaged in Sport (BASES), a nonprofit organization he founded in an effort to increase graduation and college matriculation rates of at-risk youth in Providence. BASES will provide coaching in baseball as well as academic mentoring and college advising. Sponsor: Barrett Hazeltine

Jocelyn West ‘13 Investigating Practical Applications of Olympic Values to Promote Healthy Physical and Moral Development in Dominica's Youth In partnership with the Dominica Olympic Committee (DOC), Jocelyn will explore how best to implement a summer pilot program aimed at teaching the Olympic values of fairness and sportsmanship to student athletes, coaches and teachers in Dominica. Sponsor: Luther Spoehr

2012 Swearer International Fellows Announced

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:34 -0400

The Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Howard R. Swearer International Service Fellowship. The Fellowship is a full-time, summer fellowship for sophomore, junior and senior students in the College to pursue international service work. The Fellowship reflects President Swearer's dual commitment to public service and international issues and it provides $3,500 to cover student's costs.

Amanda Chew '14 is a Math and Computer Science Sc.B concentrator. Amanda will be doing an internship with the NGO Nairobits, to create a 3D animation curriculum and syllabus to train the organization's trainers. Nairobits is a digital design school that provides free Infocomm Technology (ICT) education (i.e HTML, Photoshop, Illustrator) for Kenyan youth from the slums.

Ana Carolina Barry Laso '13 is an International Relations and Literacy Arts concentrator. Ana will be working with UPP Social in Rio de Janeiro to re-structure the state of law in underprivileged communities known as favelas after they have been "pacified" by state military forces. She will focus on linking their local organizations with state institutions after the removal of drug traffickers control in these communities.

Annie H Brown '12 is a Contemplative Neuroscience concentrator. To address the growing problem of diabetes in Villa Catalina in Chinandega, Nicaragua, Annie will engage in a nutritional education and 20-family garden project. The program consists of an emphasis on healthy diet as preventative health, family-based gardens of Moringa trees, and a women's community group with a meditation component.

Jake Comer '13 is an International Relations concentrator. Jake will be participating in conservation work on a game reserve in South Africa. He will learn professional methods of sustainably and responsibly managing the area's natural and cultural resources for the benefit of the local community.

Maya Manning '14 is a Cognitive Neuroscience concentrator. She will be interning with Fundacion Runa in Ecuador. Runa works with Kichwa guayusa farmers on social empowerment, environmental management, and community development. Maya will research agroforestry design, survey the needs of local families, and create a system to measure and analyze the benefit farmers receive from working with Runa.

Nathan Johnson Einstein '12 is a Political Science and Economics concentrator. CTS-Mexico analyzes, recommends, and oversees implementation of urban growth and transportation polices in Mexican cities. Nathan will be working within CTS-Mexico as a part of the Economics and Environmental Regulation branch. Nathan will focus his work on two particular projects focused on issues of urban accessibility and growth regulation.

Rie Elise Ohta '13 is a Development Studies concentrator. Rie Elise will go to Dakar, Senegal for an internship with the Global Research and Advocacy Group (GRAG). The work there will be on developing GRAG's new Learning Center for marginalized populations.

Sofia Quesada '12 is an International Relations and Middle East Studies concentrator. She will work in Guatemala with Peacebuilding en las Americas, an organization working to promote peace-building and non-violence in a war-torn society. Sofia's central role will be to assist in the development and implementation of the Alternative to Violence Program (AVP), workshops, and healing workshops for victims of trauma.

The Howard R. Swearer Public Service Fellowship has been established through contributions in memory of Howard R. Swearer, the fifteenth President of Brown University.

Students receive funding for global research

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:04 -0400

Sixteen undergraduates, selected through a competitive process to become Brown International Scholars Program Fellows, will receive $5,000 to conduct independent research projects with an international focus this coming summer. The fellowship program, housed in the Swearer Center for Public Service, is intended for “students thinking about the connection between their academic interest and its value to a public audience,” said Kerrissa Heffernan, director of the Brown International Scholars Program. Read more here.

Starr Fellow tackles health education in India

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:02 -0400

Nikilesh Eswarapu ’12 arrived at Brown with big ambitions. Inspired by a community service trip to Mexico during winter break, Eswarapu spent the summer of 2009 in India, laying the groundwork for his own nonprofit organization, the Milana Foundation. Today, a handful of Brown students work for the organization, spending the academic year discussing plans to improve health care in India and using their summers to implement their projects. Read more here.

Students revive century-old synagogue

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:48 -0400

For the past six years, the old Temple Beth-El Synagogue has stood empty, with its windows boarded up and grass uncut. But today, new flowers are blooming in its backyard and its windows now sport murals featuring rainbows, outstretched hands and the sun. Students from Brown, the Rhode Island School of Design and Providence College joined forces to restore the 101-year-old synagogue on Broad Street as part of RISD’s annual Alternative Spring Break project. Read the full article here.