The Brown Women’s Network aims to keep the 40,000+ member Brown alumnae, student, and staff community engaged with the University and each other through a variety of programming—from podcast interviews with noteworthy women of Brown, to live events throughout the year, to seasonal newsletters, and more.
Brown Women’s Network
Bringing together Brunonian women who are interested in tapping into their shared Brown roots for their lifelong social, professional, and intellectual development.
Events
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Undue Burden: A Conversation with Shefali Luthra ’14 About Life and Death in Post-Roe America
Friday, October 25 | 4 p.m. ET | Pembroke Hall, Room 305 | Learn More
Hear from Shefali Luthra, award-winning health reporter and author of “Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America.” Luthra’s work traces the real-life stories of patients confronting the realities of the current abortion landscape following the fall of Roe v. Wade. Joined in dialogue by Ben Brown ’08 MD’12, chief of the section of complex family planning and an attending physician in the division of general obstetrics and gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, the two will discuss the life-threatening consequences of limiting access to reproductive healthcare.
Presented by the Friends of the Pembroke Center. Co-sponsored by the Brown Women’s Network; the Division of Biology and Medicine’s Office of Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; the Sarah Doyle Center for Women and Gender; and the School of Public Health.
MicroSkills: Bridging the Skills Gap for School and Work
Monday, November 4 | 5:30 - 7 p.m. ET | List Arts Building, Room 120 | Register
Join us for an engaging conversation between professor of emergency medicine Resa E. Lewiss ’92 and acclaimed journalist Soledad O’Brien P’24 as they explore the insights and impact of the award-winning book “MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact.” Co-authored by Dr. Lewiss, this groundbreaking business and self-help book offers practical strategies for personal and professional growth. Recognizing that each individual navigates different career pathways, the book equips students and early-career professionals with small, intentional actions—known as microskills—that can profoundly shape their development and well-being.
Presented by the Brown Women's Network and the Brown Club of RI. Co-sponsored by the Brown Club of Boston, Brown University Department of Africana Studies, Brown University Department of Sociology, the Friends of the Pembroke Center, Harvard Club of RI, MomDocFamily Network at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, the Office of Well-Being - Division of Biology & Medicine at Brown University, the Sarah Doyle Center for Women and Gender, and the School of Engineering at Brown University.
Industry Night
Monday, December 9 | 5:30 p.m. ET
This event series provides unique insights from industry leaders, networking opportunities, and a discussion on graduate admissions for current students and alumnae. Please stay tuned for more information on panelists and registration.
Presented by the Brown Women's Network and the Women's Launch Pad. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Pembroke Center and the Sarah Doyle Center for Women and Gender.
Get on the invite list
Want to get on the invitation list for future events? Make sure your alumni profile on myBrown is up to date.
Nominate an alumna
Know an incredible alumna who we should feature in an upcoming article, podcast, and/or event? Tell us about them!
Nominate a Graduating Student
The Susan Pilch Friedman ’77, P’08 Excellence Award in Women’s Leadership recognizes an undergraduate senior each year who has demonstrated exemplary leadership during their time at Brown – this could be in academics, athletics, extra-curricular activities, and/or off-campus efforts, or a combination of these.
Maya F. Laur '24 is originally from Wendell, Massachusetts, and will be receiving an A.B. in modern culture and media, and an Engaged Scholarship Certificate with a focus in art, a tool for social change.
She is a writer, artist, and activist with a passion for community and social change. During her time at Brown, Laur has volunteered as an editor and consultant for the Tenderloin Opera, a theater company by and for unhoused individuals and their allies; served as a storytelling fellow, using poetry and prose to spotlight grassroots movements for immigrant justice, prison reform, disability justice, and homeless rights around Providence; and worked as a Brown Outdoor Leadership Training (BOLT) mentor, leading backpacking trips for underclassmen in the White Mountains.
In her four years at Brown, Laur has also served as a sexual health and peer education advocate at the MET school, a research intern for Suffolk University’s Women and Incarceration Project, and a community-based learning and research fellow for Brown University’s Anthropology of Homelessness course. Most recently, Laur partnered with Brown students and Providence residents of diverse immigrant experiences to workshop and produce an original play, “Yearning to Breathe Free,” as an intergenerational, intercontinental reimagining of immigration stories; a call for solidarity across centuries, continents, borders and backgrounds; and a vision of a world where all are welcome.
In her free time, Laur can often be found embarking on Polar Plunge excursions to Barrington Beach, leading musical Shabbat services with fellow Jewish women or watching the sunrise with her friends.
Laur will be working at an inn in Newport this summer, before attending a social-justice theater program in Ecuador in the following school year. In her life beyond Brown, she hopes to continue to harness art as a tool for social change, be that on Broadway, in the streets or beyond.
Isha Ponugoti '25 is from Carmel, Indiana, and will receive an A.B. in computer science-economics with a certificate in entrepreneurship in December 2024. Through her contributions to Brown, Ponugoti has leveraged technology and entrepreneurship to drive social impact and build community.
This year, she founded the University’s Girls Who Code chapter and quickly grew its membership to 60 students, building a robust community of women in tech both at Brown and in Providence. As president, she led her 10-person executive board to establish a mentorship program for Providence middle schoolers; she also designed and taught coding lessons to 20 students weekly at Sophia Academy, an all-girls charter school.
To further her love for teaching, Ponugoti has been a teaching assistant (TA) for many computer science courses, most recently serving as a head TA for Brown’s new foundational course on AI. By the end of her tenure, the number of female TAs increased from zero to a near-majority, largely due to her active efforts in recruiting qualified female candidates to ensure gender diversity in computer science education.
As a recipient of the Social Innovation Fellowship (SIF), she worked with Edesia, a social enterprise fighting malnutrition. In collaboration with another SIF fellow, Ponugoti spent the past year building a deep learning algorithm to more quickly and accurately detect Alzheimer's disease. In 2022, she took her interests abroad, working at a cleantech startup through Brown’s Signature Sweden Entrepreneurship program.
Moreover, Ponugoti has enriched campus life through her leadership across diverse areas. While vice president of the South Asian Students Association, Brown’s largest cultural organization, she led initiatives with Brown Cooking Club, RISD and more. As a transfer and resumed undergraduate education (RUE) peer advisor, she facilitated non-traditional students’ transition to Brown. Further, as a tour guide and admissions rep, she shared her love for Brown with hundreds of prospective students.
Looking ahead, Ponugoti plans to continue exploring the intersection of tech, innovation, and meaningful social change
Alumnae News & Stories
Alumni & Friends
Alumni Award Spotlight: Attorney and volunteer Mandy Tachiki ’95
Years after finding her passion for volunteering as a student, this corporate lawyer continues to bring her drive, energy, and love for the Brown community to her work.
The research leader in cardiology and gene therapy reflects on her family’s history of giving back and explores how Brown has been a foothold to grow her remarkable career.
Driven by a passion to be a leader in her field, this Brown volunteer brings that same energy to her ongoing work to help move the University forward.
A celebrated past and a vibrant future
In 1891, Brown welcomed the first women to its student body. To recognize this milestone, the Brown Women’s Network honored the past, present, and future of all women of Brown with its 130 Years of Women at Brown celebration. In a series of special events held throughout the 2021-22 academic year, we paid tribute to the generations of inspiring and successful Brunonian women who have driven societal change and made a difference in the world.
Programs & Initiatives
Women’s Launch Pad Mentoring Program
The Women’s Launch Pad pairs junior and senior class undergraduate women with Brown alumnae mentors, connecting women across generations, career paths, and all aspects of life after Brown.
Women’s Voices Amplified Podcast Series
A podcast of incredible women from all corners of the Brown ecosystem sharing their insights on work, life, and living in today’s world. Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon.
The views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of Brown University.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/gcRyzn5f1jY
Latest episode
Entrepreneur Jennifer Gomez '08 on being a boss, building a company, and the importance of community.
Women have powerfully contributed to the progress and advancement of Brown University for 130 years. There is no question that women will continue to lead and innovate within the Brown community, in our nation, and in the world. I'm thrilled that we are celebrating the outstanding achievements of women in our community.
More Resources
Women’s Programming Offered by Brown
Here are some ways to stay informed, tools you can utilize for career and relocation assistance, and groups of like-minded alumni you can join to get you started.
- BrownConnect internship and alumni-to-alumni networking platform
- Career counseling through the Center for Career Exploration for up to three years following your graduation
- Information and resources for recent graduates
- Access to e-journals and library resources (including Sage, JSTOR, and more)
- Welcome Kits with tips on things to do and how to stay connected to the Brown community in NYC, DC, LA, SF, or Boston
- Brown Alumni & Friends on social media
Contact
Questions? Ideas? We want to hear from you!
The Brown Women’s Network welcomes your input as we aim to connect and engage Brown’s vibrant alumnae community. Email us for more information, questions, or submissions.
The Brown Women’s Network is open to all members of the University community. Network activities focus on the experiences of those who identify as cis or trans women, as well as non-binary people who are comfortable in spaces that center on the experiences of women.