Concentration:
Applied Mathematics-Economics and Computer Science

Community Engagement through Swearer:
Bonner Community Fellow, Laidlaw Scholar and Swearer Center Student Advisory Committee member

Jay Philbrick ’24.5, is a Bonner Community Fellow, Laidlaw Scholar and Swearer Center Student Advisory Committee member. An Applied Mathematics-Economics and Computer Science concentrator, he is interested in using economic research and software development for social change. Philbrick believes that “economics . . . has always been a way to measure public policy” and that opportunities for engaging with community organizations through his Bonner fellowship has given him “exposure to it in an applied business setting.”

As a Bonner Fellow, Philbrick works doing research for Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG), a startup accelerator for businesses in Providence making a positive social impact, which is also one of the Swearer Center’s partners for programs such as the Social Innovation Fellowship. Now in his fourth year as a Bonner Fellow working with SEG, Philbrick reflects on why he applied for the Bonner Community Fellowship and how the experience has connected him to the community.

“[Bonner] ticked all the boxes for things I wanted to get out of the college experience,” he says. “I wanted to get off College Hill and work with community partners and learn from them. I think when I saw the Bonner application, I knew this would be a great opportunity to learn outside of the classroom, and hopefully contribute something to the community.”

Philbrick grew up in a rural town in Maine where there weren’t many community organizations, and he attended a high school that didn’t have resources to set up community partnerships. His Bonner fellowship has provided the opportunities he was looking for to get involved in community engagement and a structure that he says keeps him accountable.

Last Spring, Philbrick also joined the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Program, which has allowed him to connect his interest in economics and public policy through research. Philbrick’s research topic analyzes a historic juvenile justice reform bill and its effectiveness in reducing prison populations. The Laidlaw Scholars program was also an opportunity for Philbrick to meet like-minded student leaders who are interested in socially impactful research.

“The friends I've made in the program, both here at Brown from the [Laidlaw] cohort and at other schools are incredible,” he explains. “I was able to talk with other people who are really passionate about justice reform, but also people who really care about development economics, and people who care about cancer testing. There was such a diverse array of interests all focused on research.”

Philbrick is also a member of the Swearer Center Student Advisory Committee (SAC), where he collaborates with leaders from the Swearer Center in monthly meetings to promote community engagement at Brown. At a Swearer SAC meeting, he learned about The Community-Engaged Data & Evaluation Collaborative (CEDEC). This new Swearer Center program partners with community organizations to provide them with data and software engineering support. CEDEC aligns with Philbrick’s interest in using computer science for social impact, which inspired the idea to connect CEDEC with his final class project for CSCI 0320: Introduction to Software Engineering. He is currently leading the effort to enable students to complete full-stack web applications for community organizations, and support technology needs in the community. “While we won't be able to get this done this semester,” he says. “It may start as soon as next semester for CSCI 0320, and there will be semester-long opportunities for engagement as well.”

Philbrick credits the Swearer Center with helping to shape his experience at Brown and who he has become over the past four years.

“From the students to the staff to the work itself, my engagement with Swearer has really transformed who I am,” he explains. “It's really allowed me to combine a lot of my academic goals with making a real impact, and that's something I've always cared about. Swearer has also helped me understand that there are good options everywhere for making an impact. I want to do a PhD and be a researcher, but I also want to make sure that research has an impact. I think Swearer has broadened my horizons in important ways and has taken a lot of the pressure off [of deciding on a career] . . . I don't feel like I have to go down one particular path to have the impact I want on the world.”

Philbrick also encourages everyone at Brown to get involved at the Swearer Center: “The Swearer Center is such a supportive community, and everyone there really cares about having an impact,” he says. “If you’re someone studying CS, there's a place for you. If you're someone studying IAPA, there's a place for you. If you're someone studying TAPS and MCM, there's a place for you. Go send that email, apply to that program and it might change your life.”

• Learn more about the Bonner Community Fellowship.
• Read about the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Program.