Wyclef Jean Named Brown Fellow
NEW YORK - Grammy-winning Haitian-born international recording artist and humanitarian, Wyclef Jean, is not a university graduate but he has now been named as a visiting fellow at Rhode Island`s Brown University.
The former Fugees member and Haitian Presidential hopeful has been appointed as a visiting fellow in the Department of Africana Studies at the University. `His presence allows us to really think through some of the issues related to Haiti and expand what we are already doing,` said Tricia Rose MA`87 PhD`93, professor of Africana studies and chair of the department. Jean will be joining the University this academic year to engage in Brown`s Haitian Initiative, according to a University statement. As a visiting fellow, Jean will be participating in events and discussions both on campus and remotely. Rose added that the appointment expands the department`s effort to embrace ideas and hear from people with a broad range of experiences. `The visiting fellows program is designed to create more dynamic opportunities for dialogue and community building around issues,` Rose said. She added that Jean`s experiences in the arts make him a uniquely valuable member of the Brown community. Jean arrived on campus on Monday and was able to attend two events related to the Haitian Initiative - a lecture by public health advocate Paul Farmer and a talk given by Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat MFA`93. He recently threw in the towel after the Haitian Electoral Council ruled him ineligible to run for President of Haiti in the November elections.
