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A4 & Alumni Fall Weekend 2008

By Eugene Mahr '77

The annual gathering of Brown alumni volunteer leaders over Alumni Fall Weekend (AFW) had something for everyone and was a special moment for Asian/Asian American alumni. The weekend workshops took place on campus on Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27. The sessions brought together people from various groups -- from BASC to local Brown clubs, the Brown Annual Fund, class reunions, and alumni affinity groups.

A4 was well represented in the proceedings, with many Board Members in attendance. During the full Board meeting on Saturday, the Board reviewed the past year’s accomplishments and mapped out plans for 2008-2009.  At the conclusion of the meeting, leaders of most of the Asian/Asian-American student organizations sat down with the Board to explore ways to promote greater contact and collaboration. It was decided that A4 would sponsor and organize a career panel in early November, the day after the annual community retreat.  The panel would tackle career and workplace issues with a particular emphasis on the unique challenges facing Asian/Asian Americans.

After the meeting, board members had an opportunity to network with affinity group leaders from other organizations at a reception sponsored by Alumni Relations and the Multicultural Alumni Committee (MAC).  Many students and alumni from A4, the Inman Page Council, and the Latino Alumni Council met and exchanged ideas on programs, activities, and engagement with our constituencies.

From there, AFW participants moved on to an awards banquet, hosted by President Ruth Simmons and VP of Alumni Relations Todd Andrews.  A number of awards were given to alumni for their service to the University. The highest honor and highlight of the evening was the William Rogers Award, given to a graduate whose service to society is representative of the words of the Brown Charter: living a life "of usefulness and reputation." The award “recognizes important contributions to humankind made by Brown alumni anywhere in the world.”  This year’s recipient was Dr. Jim Yong Kim ’82, a public health physician who co-founded Partners in Health and was the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” award in 2003. In his remarks, Dr. Kim talked about his undergraduate days at Brown, including his active involvement with the Third World Center and other students of color. It was a gratifying conclusion to a productive and informative weekend.

Photos by John Maciel and Eric De Los Santos '89