The John and Barbara Brown Fund for Student Researchers

Established 2020

Dr. Apryl Renee Brown, M.D. (member) and The Brown Family

The John and Barbara Brown Fund for Student Researchers was established at Sigma Xi through a generous pledge in 2020 from member Dr. Apryl R. Brown, M.D. and her siblings Daryck Brown, Wendi Brown, and the late John Brown. The fund will support the annual participation of student researchers from underrepresented minority (URM) groups in Sigma Xi programs, with priority for participation in the Sigma Xi Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference.

The Brown Family has established this Sigma Xi fund to honor their parents, John and Barbara Brown, and the legacy of scientific excellence they passed down to multiple generations of  their children and grandchildren and through their support for youth programs in the Detroit, MI area. John and Barbara Brown believed that higher education, especially in the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) fields, was the start to a successful career and life and they instilled that belief in their family and members of their community.

Dr. Apryl R. Brown is a member of Sigma Xi, elected through the University of Michigan Chapter in 2010. She is currently a Professor of Public Health Biology at Wayne County Community College in Detroit and Editor-in-Chief for the MedCrave Online Journal of Public Health.

About John H. Brown, Jr. and Barbara L. Brown

John H. Brown, Jr. earned two Bachelor of Science degrees, one in Physics and the other in Mathematics from the Detroit Institute of Technology. He became a licensed professional engineer (PE) in the state of Michigan during the late 1970s, which was an accomplishment achieved by few African Americans. John worked many years for Honeywell and General Motors. He retired from the Detroit Water & Sewage Department where during his tenure the state of Michigan certified him as an asbestos supervisor. In addition to his full-time employment, he taught air conditioning & refrigeration night classes for the Detroit Board of Education.

Barbara L. Brown was the first person in her family to complete a secondary education upon graduating from Pershing High School in Detroit, Michigan, class of January 1953. Barbara enrolled in Wayne State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Education.  Through the Tau Chapter at Wayne State University, Barbara was initiated into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., which is a historic organization founded by college educated African American women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs uplifting the African American community. Barbara taught for 39 years for the Detroit Board of Education.

John and Barbara were married for more than 53 years. They were loving parents to Apryl, Daryck, John, and Wendi and grandparents to seven grandchildren.

Please contact Michael D’Ambrosio, Major Gifts Officer, at (703) 209-4628 or mdambrosio@sigmaxi.org to learn more about supporting student programs and special funding opportunities at Sigma Xi.