A new era for the Brown School

The Brown School community celebrated its expansion Sept. 24 with a ceremonial groundbreaking for an innovative new building of approximately 105,000-square feet set to open in summer 2015. Among those doing the heavy lifting with shovels (under the supervision of Alberici’s Omar Senghore, far left) were (from left:) Brown School student Nikedra Doughty, a master of social work candidate; Holden Thorp, PhD, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs; Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton; Harry J. Seigle, a member of the Board of Trustees and of the Brown School’s National Council; donors Christine Homan and Scott Homan; and Eugene S. Kahn, member of the Board of Trustees and chair of Brown’s National Council. Afterward, guests and members of the Brown School community were invited to a reception in Goldfarb Commons, at which they could autograph a limestone slab — demonstrated (below) by Dean Edward F. Lawlor, PhD, the William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor — that will become part of the new building’s foundation. When completed, the new facility will double the Brown School’s footprint on the Danforth Campus and bring the school, as Lawlor said, into “a new era.” (Credit: James Byard/WUSTL PHOTOS (2)