Good afternoon, and welcome. Thank you, all, for being here today as we celebrate Veterans Day and honor in a special way the outstanding service of veterans in Brown’s community. 

I want to begin by recognizing:

• Joe Healey, Trustee of the Corporation, U.S. Army Veteran, Brown parent, and an incredible supporter of our military-affiliated students.
• And Mac Manning and the Office of Military Affiliated Students, who have done a wonderful job organizing today's event and who do so much throughout the year to support our military-affiliated community.

Each Veterans Day, we come together to recognize the service and sacrifice of those who have served our country, and to reflect on the many ways our veterans continue to contribute to our communities.

At Brown, we have a proud history of military service that dates to the University's founding. In 1776, Richard Stites became the first graduate of Brown University (then Rhode Island College) to die in military service. Since then, thousands of Brown alumni have served in the United States Armed Forces, from the Revolutionary War to the present day, in wartime and in peacetime.

That tradition continues today, and I'm incredibly proud of the progress we've made in recent years to strengthen Brown's commitment to our military-affiliated students.

In fact, for the third consecutive year, Brown has been ranked No. 3 in the nation among the Best Colleges for Veterans by U.S. News & World Report. This recognition is a testament to the work we've done across the University to make Brown a place where veterans can thrive, and to the many people who have helped make that progress possible.

At a time when we are honoring military service, it is disheartening that earlier this week we learned that Brown’s productive collaboration with the Naval War College in Newport is at risk of cancellation. This comes less than a year after the Pentagon cancelled military fellowships at 13 colleges and universities, including Brown.

These changes are especially distressing in light of purposeful steps that Brown has taken over 15 years to strengthen its ties to the military. This includes: 

• Doubling the number of undergraduate student veterans on campus (Today, we have 67 undergraduate student veterans, well beyond our original goal)
• Raising funds for scholarships for veterans from generous alumni;
• Expanding our ROTC program; 
• Developing a Military Fellows program that brought senior military officers to campus to teach and learn; 
• And building ties with the Naval War College and the Naval Underseas Warfare Center.

We honor Brown veterans today because preparing students for lives of public service—including military service— is central to our mission. We believe that the U.S. military is stronger and more effective when it includes individuals who have studied a wide range of subjects and been exposed to a wide range of views. We admit talented student veterans not only to recognize their service to our country, but also for all that they bring to Brown. 

Many Brown students enter college knowing little about military service or the history of U.S. military actions. Taking classes alongside student veterans, learning from military fellows, and engaging with them in discussions and debates, is invaluable to deepening our students’ understanding of complex global issues. 

And we've also seen remarkable growth among our graduate student veterans. At last year's Veterans Day ceremony, I announced that Brown would be expanding its participation in the federal Yellow Ribbon Program to provide additional financial support for veterans pursuing graduate degrees.

At the conclusion of the spring semester, we had 51 graduate student veterans and active-duty service members enrolled at Brown. Today, that number has grown to 90 students. That's an increase of more than 75 percent in just a matter of months!

I'd like to take a moment to recognize all of our student veterans and active-duty service members. Could I please ask you to stand for a round of applause?

I also want to recognize our ROTC cadets, who are preparing to serve our country while pursuing their Brown education.

We currently have 53 ROTC cadets, and this community has remained strong over the past several years. These students balance the demanding requirements of their academic work with military training and preparation, and I'm continually impressed by their dedication.

Could I please ask our ROTC cadets to stand for a round of applause?

Of course, our commitment to military-affiliated students goes well beyond enrollment and financial support. We also want to ensure that every student veteran feels welcomed, connected and supported as a member of the Brown community.

The Office of Military Affiliated Students plays a central role in this work, creating opportunities for students to build relationships, develop as leaders and support one another.

And today, I'm pleased to announce another way we're recognizing the contributions of this community.

Brown has established a new Brown University Military-Affiliated Community Leadership Award, which will be presented annually to a graduating student who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and service in support of our military-affiliated community. The award will recognize students who build camaraderie, support veterans and ROTC cadets, and strengthen connections between our military-affiliated students and the broader Brown community.

I'm delighted that we'll have this new opportunity to celebrate students who are making such a meaningful difference at Brown.

As you know, this is my final academic year as Brown's president. And as I reflect on the past nearly 15 years, the growth of our military-affiliated community is something that brings enormous pride. I'm deeply grateful to everyone who has helped make that progress possible, and I'm excited to see how this community continues to grow in the years ahead.

Our student veterans and ROTC cadets bring an extraordinary diversity of experiences and perspectives to Brown. They have followed many different paths, but they share a commitment to service and to something larger than themselves.

That commitment is something we should never take for granted. On behalf of everyone who works and studies at Brown, thank you to our veterans for your service, your sacrifice, and the many ways you continue to enrich our community and our nation.

Thank you.