By Stephen DeAngelis
What happened at Brown today is heartbreaking beyond words, and my thoughts are with every student, family, faculty member, staff member, and neighbor whose life has been shaken by this violence. As a Brown parent and a member of this community who I chose to stay engaged long after my daughter graduated, seeing a place that has given my family so much joy and opportunity on the news for such a tragic reason feels deeply personal.
Brown has always represented curiosity, openness, and a belief that ideas can make the world better, not a place where families anxiously wait by their phones for confirmation that their loved ones are safe. To the students who spent today sheltering in classrooms and dorms instead of studying for finals, and to the families refreshing their screens and reliving every goodbye at the campus gates: your fear, anger, and grief are valid, and you are not alone.
In moments like this, it is tempting to let despair take over, to see only the headlines and not the quiet acts of courage and care that unfold behind them. Today, first responders, campus security, health care workers, administrators, and student leaders moved toward danger and confusion to protect, inform, and comfort others, and their actions are a reminder of the better side of our shared humanity. The Brown community—on College Hill and around the world—is already reaching out, checking in, organizing support, and holding space for one another, proving that even in darkness, connection is stronger than fear.
As someone who works in Artificial Intelligence and data, it is impossible not to reflect on the responsibility we all share as professionals and citizens. The tools that connect us in moments like this also carry stories, images, and narratives that shape how we respond—as leaders, as colleagues, and as neighbors. May we use our skills, our platforms, and our influence to build systems and policies that prioritize safety, dignity, and mental health, and that reduce the likelihood that any campus, anywhere, has to endure a day like this again.To the Brown students, alumni, faculty, staff, and families: you are in my heart tonight.
To those who are grieving unimaginable losses or facing long recoveries, may you find support, resources, and compassion around you in the days ahead. And to my fellow leaders and professionals reading this: let this be more than a moment of sorrow—let it be a call to lead with empathy, to invest in communities of care, and to never lose sight of the human lives at the center of every policy, product, and decision we make.
