About Us

The Brown Club of D.C. organizes a variety of programming throughout the year, including social, cultural, educational, athletic, and service-based events, both virtual and in-person. To offer a diversity of programming, BCDC also partners with other cities’ Brown alumni clubs and nationwide affinity groups, such as the Asian American Alumni Alliance, the Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC), and the Brown University Latino Alumni Council (BULAC). We operate fundamentally with the gracious support of our club membership and volunteers like you! The BCDC Board meets every month, and everyone is welcome to attend or offer ideas and feedback offline.

• Emily Dietsch ‘06 is an academic consultant who lives and works in DC. After a brief stint in the sciences at Brown, ultimately she chose the arts and graduated with a dual concentration in American Studies and the History of Art & Architecture in 2006. In between Brown and doctoral studies at the George Washington University, she worked for the Rhode Island State Treasurer’s Office, first on a winning campaign and then in the Investments Division amidst the historic economic crisis of 2008. Following graduate school she returned to New England to design collaborative learning events for a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-supported project that aimed to reduce the silo effect among sectors in the American healthcare system. At Brown she was part of the sailing team, slung 80-cent beers at the Underground (may it rest in peace), wrote articles for the Brown Daily Herald and local magazines, and served as a Research Assistant at the Taubman Center for American Politics & Public Policy. She still misses the soft-serve machines at the Ratty, and the endearingly musty smell of stacks in the Rock.

• Sean Siperstein ’05 is a litigation attorney and project manager working in the e-discovery field. At Brown, he officially concentrated in History and unofficially concentrated in political organizing, was a student researcher for Brown’s landmark Slavery & Justice Committee, and consumed way too many late-night slices of pizza from The Gate (R.IP.) Sean moved to DC after graduation to work in politics and nonprofits, and returned in 2011 after receiving his law degree from the University of Miami. He joined the BCDC board in late 2012 and has held a slew of roles since then, including Co-President. In addition to serving as BCDC’s institutional memory and social media voice, Sean chairs the alumni Friends group supporting the work of Brown’s Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice, and actively supports and volunteers with HIAS and Jews United for Justice. A proud New York native who swears by the superiority of his home state’s bagels, Sean is nevertheless a huge fan of Call Your Mother’s output (as well as its delightfully-evil babka muffin).

• Corey Lipow ’08 is a healthcare consultant with Guidehouse Inc specializing in data and claim analytics. He concentrated in comparative literature and East Asian Studies at Brown, prior to receiving a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown (now the McCourt School of Public Policy). At Brown, he studied abroad in China for six months; while in the professional world, he has contributed to the effectiveness of such programs as Medicaid and Medicare, and has also consulted for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Literature remains a passion for Corey, as he is always meandering his way through the classics. He also likes to ride his bike around the environs of DC and has been involved in the social sports of the area.

• Kevin O’Brien ‘13 is a bicycling and trails advocate for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, having lived (and ridden) in the DC area since 2015. At Brown, he concentrated in Public Policy and Economics with a healthy dose of literature courses sprinkled in for good measure. He then had a brief stint in Boston before landing in the nation’s capital where he immediately found community with the Brown Club of DC, serving in a variety of roles since 2016. After several years working for – and organizing – a national environmental organization, Kevin took a 6-month hiatus in 2021 to thru hike the 2,1920-mile Appalachian Trail. Now settled back in DC, Kevin is eager to help build community anew in our post-pandemic world. You can spot Kevin on his bike about town, or back in Rhode Island with his family where he is always always sure to stop by East Side Pockets and Blue State Coffee.

• Chris Meyers ’16 is a consultant for the federal government living in Washington, DC and working for MetaPhase Consulting. Chris primarily serves clients in Homeland Security but has also led projects for infrastructure and broadband expansion in the US. When not working, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Natalie, and dog, Mose, and watching/attending hockey games and F1 races. At Brown, Chris was a four-year swimmer on the men’s swim team, formerly holding Brown records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and 200 and 400 medley relays. His favorite Providence restaurant was the underrated and underappreciated Tallulah’s Taqueria on Ives St. Chris looks forward to bringing a new perspective to BCDC, and putting on events for alums of all ages and interests!

• King Pascual ’14 is originally from the Philippines, but spent his teenage years in McAllen, Texas. He concentrated in Human Biology and Ethnic Studies at Brown. After Brown, King taught in NYC as part of Teach for America, before transitioning into healthcare startup and healthcare education, and eventually earning his M.D. from George Washington University. Currently, he is an internal medicine physician at Howard Hospital and otherwise enjoying everything Washington DC has to offer. In his spare time, King likes to explore new trails at Rock Creek Park with his partner and their dog, Couver. Fun Brunonian Fact: he still thinks Mama Kim’s bulgogi is undefeated to this day.

• Patricia Grant EMBA ’21 is an academic dean at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. She is a staunch supporter of equity and access in education from PK-20. In addition to her professional service, she is on the board of trustees of Achievement Prep, a long-standing charter school in DC’s Ward 8. At Brown, Patricia studied business administration in the Executive MBA program, jointly administered by Brown and IE Universities. Patricia also holds degrees in Africana Studies and Higher Education Management from Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. Patricia enjoys experiencing the world’s cultural tapestry through travel. She only has two continents to go.

• Victoria Sams ’90 is a happily returned DC native, moving here in 2012 after twenty years away in some wonderful places. After working in DC in various jobs, she realized Comp Lit was it and went to UCLA for an MA/PhD and a life of academic nomadism. That life involved helping to start a literary journal, researching theater and immigration history in London over many years, teaching humanities at UCLA and contemporary drama, Caribbean literature, and other courses at Dickinson College. She is currently a senior program officer in Education Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Other interests include serving on the education committee for ANERA, a non-profit that works with refugees and vulnerable communities in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan, and trying to keep plants alive. She misses Funk Night and wishes there were more dance parties in her life.

• Evert Justice Finger ’16 AM ’18 hails from the plains of Northern Colorado, but has been in DC for three years now. He graduated in 2016 with his bachelors in Sociology and Urban Studies, before receiving his graduate degree from Brown’s Urban Education Policy program, where he was introduced to DC via the US Department of Education. He is joining BCDC in hopes to bring community to more Brunonians after a time when the pandemic took away many people’s ability to gather and is incredibly excited to have in person events once again! Professionally, Evert has been active in the DMV area within higher education, as well as working with grassroot organizations to improve their educational programming and training tools. In his spare time, Evert serves as a Board Member of the Capital Pride Alliance since 2020, and is serving on its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee, while managing the “StillWe Lead” professional development initiative. He can also be found on the national mall playing kickball, out for a run, or trying a new food truck when he decides that the run is over.