Brown launches digital hub to expand community, career exploration for students, alumni

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - As Brown undergraduate Daria Geller began considering the pursuit of a Ph.D. after graduation, she was initially daunted by the process and unsure of where to begin. That's where Brown Class of 2021 alumna Sarah Ryan came in.

As a clinical psychology research assistant at Brown, Ryan mentored Geller through a Spring 2024 psychology research project, teaching her how to screen study participants and analyze data, and encouraging her to advance her academic studies and research.

"Sarah shared her experiences applying to postgraduate programs in clinical psychology," said Geller, a member of the Class of 2025.5. "She demystified it for me and gave me a boost to start planning."

Those kinds of powerful interactions - sometimes small, and sometimes deep and sustained - stand to grow and flourish with the support of BrownConnect+, a new digital hub for Brown students, alumni and friends that will enable expanded career development, community building, networking and more.

BrownConnect+ launched on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The rollout of the platform is the most recent step in a series of steps to sustain lifelong relationships and strengthen career development for Brunonians worldwide. It follows the 2023 launch of the Center for Career Exploration, which has expanded career support for students and is empowering them to achieve meaningful lives and careers at Brown and beyond.

"The new BrownConnect+ platform continues the University's investment in supporting career exploration through facilitating connections, enabling mentoring relationships and expanding the impact of the Brown network through one unified and expanded tool," said Associate Dean of the College Matthew Donato, executive director of Brown's Center for Career Exploration.