Abstract In this Zoom interview, which took place a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Alba Malaga, who was completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown’s Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics at the time, speaks about her experience navigating quarantine due to social distancing policies, motherhood, and research in the early days of […]
COVID-19
Sara Caitlin Potter, class of 1998
Abstract In this interview, Sara Caitlin Potter, Brown University class of 1998, discusses her experience as an animal lover and volunteer at the Pawtucket (Rhode Island) Animal Shelter and Handsome Dan’s Rescue during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Potter begins by talking about her work as the Coordinator of the Talent Development Program at the University […]
Teena Shetty, Class of 1995 (MD’00)
Abstract In this interview, Dr. Teena Shetty, Brown University undergraduate class of 1995, MD 2000, discusses her experiences as a neurologist in New York City during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Shetty begins by explaining why she chose to participate in the oral history project, noting the value of capturing this moment, particularly as it relates […]
Yukti Agarwal, class of 2024
Abstract In this interview, Yukti Agarwal, Brown University class of 2024, shares her experiences as a Brown | RISD dual degree student and international student during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Agarwal begins by detailing her family background and highlighting the educational challenges women and girls face in India. She explains the deal she made with […]
Karina Wang, class of 2021
Abstract In this interview, Karina Wang, Brown University class of 2021, discusses the COVID-19 global pandemic, her participation in a protest for racial justice following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police, and the University’s decision to transition multiple varsity athletic teams to club teams. Wang begins by explaining why she […]
Finch Collins, class of 2021
Abstract In this interview, Finch Collins, class of 2021, describes his early memories of his time at Brown University and explains how COVID-19 has impacted his undergraduate experience. Collins begins by explaining why he decided to attend Brown, citing his mother’s experience as an ’88 alumna, his time at a STEM high school, and Brown’s […]
Shuyan Wang, class of 2020
Abstract In this interview, Shuyan Wang, class of 2020, discusses life on campus, her experience as an applied math concentrator, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on her home in China and her life in the United States. Wang begins by talking about her family and early education in Nanjing, China, where she explains […]
Virginia Thomas, class of 2020
Abstract In this interview, Virginia Thomas, Brown University class of 2020, discusses her experience as an academic during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Thomas begins by recalling that she heard about the Coronavirus on the news but tried to believe the virus would not spread despite what she knew about transnational networks from her training in […]
Emily Tunkel, class of 2019
Abstract In this interview, Emily Tunkel, Brown University class of 2019, discusses their time at Brown and shares their experiences living through the COVID-19 global pandemic. Tunkel begins by talking about some of the work they did during their time at Brown, including at the Office of Residential Life and with Brown Motion Pictures. They […]
Soyoon Kim, class of 2019
Abstract In this interview, Soyoon Kim, Brown University class of 2019, describes her experience serving as a Program Coordinator at the Global Brown Center for International Students during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Kim begins by explaining that she first heard about COVID-19 from her family in Korea but was not immediately concerned about the virus […]
Samantha Kiernan, class of 2019
Abstract In this interview, Samantha Kiernan, Brown University class of 2019, discusses her experiences during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Kiernan discusses international news and anecdotal stories and later her personal struggle with potentially catching COVID-19. Kiernan begins by elaborating on her interest in international relations, her study abroad time in Ireland and China, and her […]
Shira Buchsbaum, class of 2019
Abstract In this interview, Shira Buchsbaum, Brown University class of 2019, describes her experiences as a graduate student and future librarian during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Buchsbaum begins by sharing why she chose to attend Brown University for her undergraduate studies. She explains her family legacy at Brown and feeling at home while on campus. […]
Mary Gannon, class of 2017
Abstract In this interview, Mary Gannon, Brown University class of 2017, discusses the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on her work as the Wildlife Outreach Coordinator for the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife and on local wildlife and conservation efforts. Gannon begins by recalling her initial thoughts on the pandemic and the […]
Sara Matthiesen, class of 2015
Abstract In this interview, Sara Matthiesen, Brown University class of 2015, discusses her experiences as a professor and social justice activist in Washington, DC, during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Matthiesen begins by recalling that she first learned about COVID-19 from an international student who regularly attended her office hours. She explains that she was concerned […]
Hector Mooney, class of 2011
Abstract In this interview, Hector Mooney, Brown University class of 2011, describes their experience traveling through Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Mooney begins by explaining that they chose to attend Brown because the environment and politics were far different from their hometown’s in Virginia. They recall the transition from the Appalachian Mountains to […]
Kimberly Dan, class of 2006
Abstract In this interview, Kimberly Dan, Brown University class of 2006, describes her path since leaving Brown as well as her experience with the COVID-19 global pandemic in the Philippines. Dan begins by explaining that she chose to attend Brown because her father insisted that if she wanted to study abroad she had to go […]
Charise Castro Smith, class of 2005
Abstract In this interview, Charise Castro Smith, Brown University class of 2005, talks about why she decided to attend Brown, what her campus experience was like, and how she pursued a career in theatre and film. Smith begins by describing her childhood as a first generation Cuban-American in Miami, Florida, and her high school education […]
Manya K. Rubinstein, class of 2001
Abstract In this interview, Manya Rubinstein, Brown University class of 2001, talks about opening and operating the Industrious Spirit Company in Providence during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Rubinstein begins by recalling that she first learned about COVID-19 from a friend who was living in China. She notes that she did not immediately feel like the […]
Maria Manuela Goyanes, class of 2001
Abstract In these interviews, Maria Manuela Goyanes, Brown University class of 2001, describes why she decided to attend Brown, her experience in the Theatre Department, and her career in theatre after Brown. Goyanes begins Part 1 by describing her childhood in Queens, New York, her parents’ immigration stories, and her early education at Bronx High […]
Beatrice McGeoch, class of 1997
Abstract In this interview, Beatrice McGeoch, Brown University class of 1997, shares her thoughts on education, work, and housing, in the times of COVID-19. McGeoch begins by recalling when COVID-19 became a serious factor in her work and life. She explains her work as the Director of Adult Education and Literacy Services at the Community […]
Bernadette Aulestia, class of 1994
Abstract In these two interviews, Bernadette Aulestia, Brown University class of 1994, discusses her time at Brown, her career path, and her family’s experience with the COVID-19 global pandemic. In part one, Aulestia begins by describing her childhood living in various places throughout Asia and Latin America. She explains that her father, who worked in […]
Mariah Draper Calagione, class of 1993
Abstract In this interview, Mariah Draper Calagione, Brown University class of 1993, talks about her path to attending Brown, her journey in co-founding Dogfish Head Brewing, and how the company evolved to meet community needs during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Calagione begins by sharing her family background. She describes her parents’ educational and career backgrounds, […]
Resa Lewiss, class of 1992
Abstract In this interview, Resa Lewiss, Brown University class of 1992 and practicing emergency physician, shares her thoughts on COVID-19 in the early days of the virus’ outbreak in the United States. Lewiss begins by explaining why she anticipated that COVID-19 would spread outside of China and eventually appear in the United States. She describes […]
Sarah Fox, class of 1989
Abstract In this interview, Dr. Sarah Fox, gynecologist, Clinical Assistant Professor at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, and member of the Brown University class of 1989, discusses the challenges and changes she faced as a women’s health provider during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Fox begins by explaining her thoughts and feelings as news about […]
Ingrid Rodi, class of 1976 (MD’79)
Abstract In this interview, Ingrid Rodi, Brown University class of 1976, MD ’79, discusses the ways that the COVID-19 global pandemic impacted her work as an infertility specialist and reproductive endocrinologist. Rodi begins by detailing her family’s legacy at Brown including her grandfather, who was a member of the class of 1905, and her grandmother […]
Candace Heald, class of 1974
Abstract In this interview, Candace Heald, Brown University class of 1974, discusses her experiences as a member of the last Pembroke College class, as well as her experiences learning about and adapting to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Heald begins by detailing her family’s legacy at Brown, her admission process, and her path to becoming a […]
Elizabeth B. West, class of 1973
Abstract In these interviews, Elizabeth B. West, Brown University class of 1973, discusses her experiences at Brown University during the Pembroke-Brown merger, the Vietnam War, and the Women’s Movement. She also talks about her thirty-year career in network news, her path to becoming a full-time documentary filmmaker, the inauguration of President Joseph Biden, and getting […]
Marlene Gerber Fried, class of 1972
Abstract In this interview, Marlene Gerber Fried, Brown University class of 1972, discusses teaching and reproductive justice activism during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Fried begins by remembering when she first learned about COVID-19. She recalls concerns around travel in early March 2020 as she flew home from visiting her grandchildren, but not being overly concerned. […]
Feven Teklu, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Feven Teklu, Senior Leadership Giving Officer in the Office of Advancement at Brown University, discusses her experiences as a woman of color and mother during the COVID-19 global pandemic and in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Teklu begins by sharing her personal background and talking about her childhood […]
Christina Smith, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Christina Smith, Associate Director for Undergraduate STEM Development at the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University, shares her experiences as a scholar and member of Navajo Nation during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Smith begins by explaining that she first started hearing about COVID-19 during a trip to Oregon […]
Heidi Sasseville, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Heidi Sasseville, Senior Sales Clerk at the Brown University Bookstore, discusses her experiences living through the COVID-19 global pandemic. Sasseville begins by recalling that she heard about COVID-19 on the news and that changes to her day-to-day life came on suddenly. She explains that before everyone was sent home for an […]
Annalisa Heppner, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Annalisa Heppner, Project Manager for the Circumpolar Laboratory Inventory Project at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology at Brown University, shares her experiences working, maintaining a relationship, and protesting racial injustice, during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Heppner begins by recalling that she first started hearing about COVID-19 from her family members in […]
Rae Gould, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Rae Gould, Associate Director of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Brown University and member of Nipmuc Nation of Massachusetts, shares her experiences living with the COVID-19 global pandemic. Gould begins by recalling her initial thoughts on COVID-19 in March 2020. She remembers that she did not recognize it […]
Katherine Goldman, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Katherine Goldman, Center Manager of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) at Brown University, discusses her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as its impact on her work with immigration detention centers. Goldman begins by explaining how she first learned about COVID-19 through students and colleagues who […]
Mitchell Foster, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Mitchell Foster, a Residential Area Coordinator at Brown University, shares their experiences becoming a Brown staff member during the COVID-19 global pandemic and guiding students through increased racism against the Asian and Asian-American communities. Foster begins by explaining their upbringing in the Philippines and the ways that Filipino culture influenced their […]
Jennifer Currier, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Jennifer Currier, former Publications and Programs Coordinator for the Portuguese and Brazilian Studies Department at Brown University, discusses her experiences leading up to and participating in one of the Black Lives Matter protests in Providence, Rhode Island, following the murder of George Floyd. Currier begins by explaining her role at Brown, […]
Lydia Curliss, Staff
Abstract In this interview, Lydia Curliss, Physical Sciences, and Native American and Indigenous Studies, Librarian at Brown University and member of Nipmuc Nation of Massachusetts, shares her thoughts on the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the fight for Indigenous rights. Curliss begins explaining that nobody realized they would be social distancing […]
Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve, Faculty
Abstract In this interview, Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve, Associate Professor of Sociology at Brown University, discusses her experiences as a professor and academic navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Gonzalez Van Cleve begins by recalling her earliest memories of learning about COVID-19 and anticipating its impact on the Spring 2020 semester. She talks about assigning more readings […]
Rachel Cassidy, Faculty
Abstract In this interview, Rachel Cassidy, Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University, discusses her experiences leading up to and participating in one of the Black Lives Matter protests in Providence, Rhode Island, following the murder of George Floyd. Cassidy begins by recalling when she first heard George Floyd’s name and learned […]
Lynn Nottage, class of 1986, and Ruby Aiyo Gerber, class of 2020
Abstract In this interview, Lynn Nottage, Pulitzer-prize winning playwright and Brown University class of 1986, and her daughter, Ruby Aiyo Gerber, Brown University class of 2020, discuss their experiences at Brown, living through the COVID-19 global pandemic, and processing the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Nottage and Gerber both begin by explaining why […]
Shibei Guo, class of 2020
Abstract In this interview, Shibei Guo, Brown University class of 2020, shares her experiences as an international student from Wuhan, China, during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Guo begins by explaining why she decided to transfer to Brown after her first year of college at New York University. She emphasizes the allure of Brown’s open curriculum […]
Lorraine Estelle Adler, class of 1945
Abstract In this interview, Lorraine Estelle Adler, Brown University class of 1945, discusses her experience as a student during the war years and also touches upon the events of September 11, 2001, and the COVID-19 global pandemic. Adler begins by talking about her family background and early childhood. She describes growing up in Woonsocket, Rhode […]
Carol Canner, class of 1959 (interview 2 of 2)
Abstract In this interview, Carol Canner, Brown University class of 1959, describes the difficulty of mourning the death of her husband, Atle Gjelsvik, during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Canner begins by remembering how she and her husband met at Friday Club while she was pursuing her undergraduate degree and he was pursuing his PhD. This […]
Johanna Fernández, class of 1993 (interview 2 of 2)
Abstract In her second interview, Johanna Fernández, Brown University class of 1993, shares her experiences as a professor and radio show host in New York City during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Fernández begins by explaining how she came to host the morning show on WBAI (99.5 FM) in November 2019. She describes learning how to […]