Brown employees and students turned out by the hundreds for Staff Appreciation Day and a Student Welcome Celebration, respectively, as the University continues its return to near normal operations.

From the Wall Street Journal to U.S. News and World Report, prominent rankings and surveys in the last year gave Brown high marks for its distinctive student experience, world-class teaching and high-impact research.

At a memorial marker on Wriston Quad that honors the six Brown alumni killed on 9/11, students, faculty and staff honored each of those graduates and reflected on the defining two-decade impact of the attacks.

University President Christina H. Paxson and Professor of Africana Studies Noliwe Rooks looked to Brown’s history for lessons on how to center truth and advance knowledge amid a challenging global moment.

Vincent Harris, who became director of the Brown Center for Students of Color in June, brings a decade of experience creating inclusive university spaces where students from historically underrepresented groups thrive.

The first in-person Summer@Brown sessions since COVID-19’s arrival are welcoming nearly 800 high school students to campus this summer, while many others participate virtually from across the globe.

In an effort to achieve near-universal vaccination and return to more traditional operations, Brown will require all faculty, staff and students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

About 114 Brown sophomores, juniors and seniors have moved into the new building, where they will reside while enrolled for this year’s summer term; the building’s full opening will coincide with the Fall 2021 semester’s launch.

In the days leading up to their Commencement ceremonies, members of the Class of 2021 attended campus events preparing them for graduation day and celebrating their academic accomplishments at Brown.

In keeping with a Brown tradition of elevating student voices at Commencement, seniors George Kubai and Siddhi Nadkarni will encourage their classmates to strengthen communities and remove barriers.

The annual Black Arts Showcase offered students an opportunity to celebrate art by members of the Black student community at Brown safely and in-person — and to enjoy traditional soul food to-go.

Brown is planning to return to a two-semester academic calendar, standard course enrollments, mostly in-person operations and normal student residence occupancy for 2021-22, President Christina H. Paxson wrote to campus.

The revised plan will reduce building scale, create new green spaces and complement the character of the neighborhood, while strengthening the undergraduate residential experience and reducing student impact on local housing.

The spring event series, which invites students to engage in a different COVID-safe activity each week, is part of a University-wide push to create more in-person campus events for students.

As a coordinator in the Office of Military-Affiliated Students, Brown junior and Marine Corps veteran Katie Yetter is leading initiatives to more fully integrate student veterans and ROTC participants into the campus community.

The first-year student procession through the Van Wickle Gates — a tradition that symbolizes their official entry into the Brown community — was adapted to ensure the health and safety of Brown and its neighbors.

After a postponed arrival due to the pandemic, Brown’s 1,756 first-year undergraduate students began their first term at the University on Wednesday, Jan. 20 — and five of them shared their stories.

A new initiative has both encouraged adherence to health protocols, contributing to Brown’s low COVID-19 case count, and mobilized more than 70 staff members whose work responsibilities were altered by the pandemic.

Employees from across the University have redefined their roles to address challenges arising from the ongoing pandemic, supporting world-class teaching, research and student opportunities.

With increasing COVID-19 cases in Rhode Island and nationally, and an uptick of positive cases on campus, Brown will move to online-only instruction for undergraduate and graduate students for the final six days of classes.

With the second phase of the University’s return to fall term in-person operations underway, students have more opportunities to engage in campus activities that have been modified to meet health guidelines.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors moved into their residence halls from Sept. 18 to 20, launching the second stage of Brown's phased plan to resume in-person undergraduate activity.

As part of a phased approach to welcoming students to campus for the fall, the University will allow additional undergraduates to move in this month, with some small undergraduate classes to be held in-person beginning in October.

“Untitled (Lamp/Bear),” affectionately known as Blueno, has been the Brown community’s constant companion for four years — now, it’s headed elsewhere for long-term conservation.

A project launched by Brown Esports has convened more than 60 undergraduates, graduate students and alumni together to create from afar a virtual replica of Brown’s campus.