Brown-Tougaloo Partnership
Date May 11, 2026
All News

Partner Voices: Strengthening Partnership Through Shared Purpose

Director of the Brown-Tougaloo Partnership Dr. Juana Parillon shares reflections on Brown University partners' April visit to Tougaloo College, where the Partnership's biannual strategic planning meeting concluded with the launch of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Early Identification Program in Medicine.

On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, a group of Brown University members made their way to Jackson, Mississippi, to visit Tougaloo College for our annual Brown-Tougaloo Partnership (BTP) Spring Meeting. For some, this was their first trip to Tougaloo, and for others, it was an opportunity to once again bask in the rich history of Jackson, embrace the moss on campus, and reconnect with our Tougaloo colleagues. It was truly a magnificent trip.

Mrs. Marta Collier-Youngblood, then Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives & Social Justice, Dr. Diva Melvin, Assistant Professor and Pre-Health Advisor in the Biology Department, and Ms. Sharita Washington, Program Coordinator in the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research, curated the trip and served as gracious hosts. An extensive array of Tougaloo colleagues, too many to name, also participated in enriching our experience. 

During our time together, we heard from students engaged with the Brown Pre-College and JPS - Tougaloo Early College High School partnership. We also explored the Semester Exchange Program and the many other programs under the BTP umbrella, and dined with Tougaloo students. 

Not only did we achieve a full day of strategic planning, but we also launched the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Early Identification Program (EIP). We celebrated the EIP's 50th with honorees like Dr. Robert Smith and President Emerita Beverly Hogan, and participation from Provost Josiah J. Sampson III, Vice President Matthew Guterl, Professor Tony Bounds, Dr. Joseph Diaz, Dr. Diva Melvin, as well as Jireh Harris and Wadelyn Middleton, two recent graduates starting the EIP this Fall. 

Needless to say, this Spring Meeting was both incredibly productive and enriching. It was also an opportunity for us to set aside time to dream about the next 60 years of this partnership. That alone makes our time together invaluable.  

A group of adults who are sitting down listen to a high school student giving a presentation
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A current JPS-Tougaloo Early College High School student shares her experience participating in the Brown Pre-College program in summer 2025 with Brown-Tougaloo Partnership program partners and advisory council members.

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Brown-Tougaloo Partnership program partners pose for a photo with JPS-Tougaloo Early College High School students and staff.

Three faculty of diverse backgrounds engage in a discussion
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(Left to right) Dr. Joseph Diaz, Associate Dean for Pathways and Community Engagement at Brown; Dr. Diva Melvin, Assistant Professor of Biology and Pre-Health Advisor at Tougaloo; and Dr. Miranda Freeman, Dean of Humanities and Associate Professor of English at Tougaloo, engage in conversation.

Two men engage in discussion
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John Cutler, member of the Advisory Council on Relations with Tougaloo College, and Dr. Santanu Banerjee, Tougaloo physics professor and longtime Brown Pre-College instructor, enjoy a conversation.

A man and an elderly woman are seen engaged in discussion
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Keith Barnes, Athletic Director at Tougaloo, and Shelley Fidler, member of the Advisory Council on Relations with Tougaloo College engage in conversation.

4 people of divese ages and backgrounds pose for a formal photo
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(Left to Right): Dr. Matthew Guterl, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Brown; Dr. Juana Parillon, Assistant Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement and Director of the Brown-Tougaloo Partnership at Brown; Dr. Robert Smith, Tougaloo alumnus and a key figure in the development of the Early Identification Program (EIP); and Dr. Joseph Diaz, Associate Dean for Pathways and Community Engagement at Brown, pose for a photo.

A group of people sit around a conference room table listening to a man who is standing up sharing remarks
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Prior to the start of the program, select attendees of the Early Identification Program (EIP) 50th Anniversary celebration gather to listen as Dr. Robert Smith shares stories about the program's history.

A man is seen accepting a large frame from a woman
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Dr. Matthew Guterl, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Brown, accepts a commemorative frame from Dr. Diva Melvin, Assistant Professor of Biology and Pre-Health Advisor at Tougaloo. The plaque honors the late Dr. Galen Henderson, whose leadership was instrumental in the development of the Early Identification Program (EIP).

Large group of people pose for a photo in front of a slide
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Attendees of the Launch of the EIP 50th Anniversary Celebration gather for a photo.