hello as the dean of Masters in professional programs it is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to the new academic year whether you're joining us on campus here in Providence Rhode Island or joining us online from some other part of the country or from some other part of the world I'm so looking forward to working with you this coming Academic Year and getting to know you and know how we can better support you to make the most of your brown experience for our new students I'm so excited that you'll be joining this incredible and vibrant campus you're going to be joining a community of Scholars who are at the Forefront of their fields and who are dedicated to Excellence and impact whether through teaching in the classroom or in their Laboratories as part of their research you'll also be joining a community of peers who are committed to collaboration and to respectful and open dialogue across diverse perspectives as you navigate the coming Academic Year I want to encourage you to take full advantage of all of the resources and support systems that we have in place and we've created a center for master students Excellence which will help you Excel academically nurture your health and well-being help you navigate Financial challenges and Forge a deep sense of belonging at our University it is critical to us that you feel home here at Brown University it can be intimidating to find a community within a large institution and that's why there are so many events social events educational events professional development and career related events that are in person and online to help you develop those friendships and to nurture that sense of inclusion and belonging on campus I want you to know that the entire division of Masters and professional students are committed to your success we're here to support you every step of the way and we're so thrilled that you chose to come to Brown this year