Alumni: Staying Connected

The Moses Brown Alumni Association and friends joined together to kick off Homecoming weekend on Thursday, October 19 at the annual Fall Alumni Awards Reception. Held at the Providence Art Club, the event celebrated two accomplished Moses Brown alumni: Eric Cioè Peña ‘01, who received the Outstanding Young Alum Award, and Keith Monchik ‘90, who received the Karin Morse ‘79 Service to Alma Mater Award.

“Independent Schools like Moses Brown teach you to think outside the box,” remarked Eric Cioè Peña ‘01 upon receiving his award. “It taught me to think that when someone says you can’t do something, I should always say ‘Why? Why can’t we do that?’ Having that boldness, especially for the things that MB teaches are important like integrity and service, is why I’m standing in front of you today.” 

“Volunteering allows us to give back in a meaningful way - whether it’s through mentorship, community service, or supporting the next generation of students,” said Keith Monchik, ‘90. “Receiving the Service to Alma Mater Award is a tremendous honor, but also serves as a reminder of the ongoing work that we have ahead of us. Our commitment to volunteerism and community service must remain steadfast not just as individuals, but as a collective force for good.”

Head of School Katie Titus joined the celebration for fellowship and recognition of Eric and Keith’s service, congratulating them on the honor bestowed by their peers. “You are among the long list of MB alumni who are living our mission as graduates,” remarked Katie. “We are grateful to you for representing Moses Brown so well both here in our backyard and around the globe.”  

Meet the Awardees
 

Outstanding Young Alum Awardee

The Outstanding Young Alumnus/a Award honors a recent alumnus for outstanding accomplishments and service in his or her professional, personal, or civic life. His or her achievements inspire young alumni.ae and bring honor to Moses Brown.

Eric Cioè Peña ’01

Eric, M.D. M.P.H. is the founder and current Vice President of the Center for Global Health of Northwell Health and the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He is an associate professor of Emergency Medicine. He is also the ACEP lead ambassador to El Salvador. He is a graduate of SUNY Downstate Emergency Medicine Residency program and the Columbia University International Emergency Medicine Fellowship. He has worked extensively in Ecuador, Guyana, India, Botswana, Dominican Republic, and El Salvador on health systems development projects, trauma care and humanitarian assistance. He has a Masters in Public Health and Humanitarian Assistance from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and received his doctorate of medicine with concentration in Global Health from the University of Pennsylvania.

Eric is leading the global initiatives at Northwell and Hofstra with specific focus in stakeholder-led projects centered on access to global mental health, global surgery, utilization of technology to close health-equity gaps globally as well as to mitigate the effects of climate change on global health. Dr. Cioè Peña was redeployed in 2020 and 2021 with Northwell at a 108-bed COVID alternate care facility in conjunction with the State of New York as the Medical Director where he directed the care of over 1,000 COVID patients. Dr. Cioè Peña is the past president of the Global Emergency Medicine Academy of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine and is also the past president of the Global Emergency Medicine fellowship consortium. He served on the Public Health and Injury Prevention committee and is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Eric has met and been recognized for his work in Global Health by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, Minister of Health Frank Anthony in Guyana and most recently President Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

Karin Morse ’79 Service to Alma Mater Award

The Karin Morse ’79 Service to Alma Mater Award recognizes an alum for outstanding service to Moses Brown School. This person’s voluntary contributions have been long term, extend beyond the work of most volunteers, and speak to MB’s proud tradition of service to community.

Keith Monchik ’90, P ’24, ’28

Keith is a well-known and respected orthopedic surgeon with OrthoRI.

He earned his M.D. from Ross University, where he earned the distinguished academic scholar award and was valedictorian.  Keith completed his residency and surgical training and trauma fellowship at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital where he won the house staff excellence award and the public service award. 

He is also currently an Assistant Clinical Professor in Brown's Warren Alpert Medical School and serves as a team physician for Johnson & Wales University, and several schools in the R.I. Interscholastic League including Moses Brown football. Keith also sits on the Rhode Island Interscholastic League's Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.  

He has been/was a member of the R.I. Disaster Medical Assistance Team for 17 years and been a part of many federal disaster responses, including to the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City and the Haitian earthquake. 

This summer, Keith was very helpful as the School made arrangements for coverage while Joyce Freeman, trainer is out on leave.

Keith is a present Trustee and Keith’s children Nathan ’24 and Emeline ’28 have attended Moses Brown since lower school.

Alumni Volunteer

Event Host 2010, 2011
MBAA Board 2007-2015, Clerk 2012-2015
HOS Search 2008
Reunion Class Agent 2005, 2010, 2015

Boards and Committees

Enrollment & Marketing 2014-present
Nominating 2012-2015
Campaign Steering 2014
Former Trustee 2012-2015

Present Trustee, Enrollment & Marketing

Moses Brown School invites the community to the first of two opportunities to remember and honor the life and legacy of King B. "Doc" Odell—a Memorial Meeting for Worship on Saturday, October 28 at 10:00 a.m. at the Providence Meeting House (99 Morris Avenue, Providence, RI). A celebration of Doc's life and legacy will take place during Reunion 2024, May 17-18, 2024.

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King B. "Doc" Odell, Jr. , a highly respected and revered member of the Moses Brown School community, passed away on September 26, 2023. Doc was a teacher, advisor, mentor, coach, colleague, friend and confidant to thousands of students, faculty, staff and parents alike. Doc’s influence on the school and its students was immeasurable, and while his loss will be deeply felt by the entire community, his long and influential tenure has left a lasting legacy.

Doc was best known for his high standards and relentless expectations as a teacher of French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Latin, and as track coach extraordinaire. He came to Moses Brown in 1953, initially teaching geography in the middle school. He served as the chair of the world language department for four decades, lived in the dorms for 20 years and was head of the boarding department for 16 years. With all of these accomplishments and contributions, Doc was most proud of having been Interim Upper School Head in 1995-1996.  

Doc was the faculty advisor to various clubs and organizations, including the French Club, Debate Club, Broadcasting Club, Flying Club, House Council, Radio Club, Spanish Club, Italian Club, Young Republicans Club, and the yearbook, The Mosaic. For over 30 years, Doc also led much-sought-after student trips to England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Morocco and his favorite - Italy.  More recently Doc was the Moses Brown School Archivist and in 2022, the room he thought should be named the Moses Brown Room, became the Dr. King B. Odell, Jr. Archives and Reading Room.

Doc’s dedication to teaching and his expertise in languages were recognized by the Rhode Island Foreign Language Association, which named him Teacher of the Year in 2000. In 1990, the American Association of Teachers of French honored him with the Excellence in Teaching French Award, highlighting his exceptional contributions to the field of education.

In addition to his role as a teacher, Doc began his coaching career at Moses Brown as middle school tennis coach, then quickly became a highly successful track and field coach, leading the Moses Brown teams to numerous victories and championships. He served as the head winter track coach from 1964 to 1997 and the head varsity coach of cross-country and spring track from 1964 to 2004. Under his leadership, the teams achieved three Rhode Island Interscholastic League Winter Championships, 22 New England Prep School Track Association Winter Championships, eight New England Cross-Country Championships, 14 spring New England Track Championships, three victories at the Peddie School Relays, and a second-place finish at the Prep School Mile Relay of America at the Penn Relays. For six years, Doc served as head of the New England Prep School Track Association, creating divisions which remain to this day. It comes as no surprise that in 2000, Doc was inducted into the MBAA Hall of Fame.

Doc’s commitment to excellence in both teaching and coaching was self-evident and students rose to his high expectations, (often to avoid his acerbic wit). In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the school, the Moses Brown Community named the outdoor track the Doc Odell Track in 2005. This honor was a testament to his dedication and ability to motivate athletes, whether in the mile, the 100-yard dash, or the hurdles. In recognition of his exceptional contributions Doc was honored with the Frank Lanning Award by Words Unlimited, the statewide organization of sports writers, sportscasters, and sports publicists, at its 60th annual Sports Banquet in February 2006.

Doc’s educational achievements were not limited to his time at Moses Brown. After graduating from Aldrich High School in Warwick, RI, he earned an A.B. from Suffolk University, an A.M. from Brown University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. As a Fulbright scholar, he conducted research and taught at the Universities of Grenoble, Perugia, and Valencia, building on his expertise in languages and education.

During his 33 years in the U.S. Air Force and R.I. Air National Guard, Doc had assignments in both Intelligence and Personnel while rising to Lieutenant Colonel.

Doc’s entrepreneurial spirit was kindled as a paperboy in the Lakewood section of Warwick and as he spent summers on Block Island, he became a prominent businessman there. He began as the manager of the Narragansett Hotel in New Harbor which he managed for decades.  He was the long-time owner of King’s Spa, a building that then became The Water Street Inn, the Empire Theater, and the Sky King Snack Bar at the Block Island Airport. As the 20 or so Moses Brown students he employed each summer could report, he also owned the Western Union franchise for the island for many years.  Doc was also President of Star Resorts, with interests in ski operations on Okemo Mountain in Vermont.  

Doc’s passion for teaching and coaching, dedication to his students and the Moses Brown Community by shaping the lives of others has left a lasting legacy for future generations.

For community members who are so inclined to share a sentiment or memory with Doc's family or our community, we encourage you to do so here.

Moses Brown track athlete Sophia Gorriaran '23, was recently featured on Rhode Island PBS Weekly News. The segment highlighted her remarkable achievements, the hard work she puts into her training, and her path to becoming a talented track athlete. 

Gorriaran's track career began at a young age when she discovered her love for running. Through her competitive spirit, passion, determination, and dedication Sophia has earned numerous accolades. Most recently, she set a new record in the 800 meters and captured the top spot in the 1500 meters and the 4 x 400 relay, which she anchored.

Beyond her athletic achievements, Gorriaran is also an exemplary student who manages to balance her academic responsibilities with her rigorous training schedule. After recently graduating from Moses Brown, Sophia will continue her track and field career at Harvard University. With dreams of competing in the Olympics, we can't wait to see what Sophia will accomplish at Harvard and beyond. 

Watch the news segment here.

Congratulations to Jaeson "Jae" D'Alessandro, a graduating senior at Moses Brown School, who received the Lieutenant Governor's Award for his outstanding efforts in serving the local community and effecting positive change through his leadership roles.

Established in 1993, the Lieutenant Governor's Award has bestowed recognition upon hundreds of students who have made a difference in their respective school communities. This award is presented to a graduating senior residing in Rhode Island who embodies specific qualities of a true student leader.

The qualities include a demonstrated dedication to their studies and a commitment to community service, as well as leading positive change in their school or community and inspiring other students to excel and achieve.

D'Alessandro's commitment to service and his ability to lead others have set him apart. Throughout his high school years, he made a positive impact by dedicating himself to serving the Providence community through the creation of a club to help address inequities faced by Providence Youth. Jae led at MB as co-president of the school and as a two-year captain of the varsity soccer team.

D'Alessandro's remarkable achievement was recognized at the Rhode Island State House on Monday, June 5, where he was honored alongside 19 other local seniors.

Jae shared "I feel incredibly honored that Moses Brown nominated me for this award, and it was rewarding to know that the service work I have done in Providence and the leadership roles I have taken on were recognized and appreciated by others."

Thanks for a great Reunion 2023 weekend which took place May 12-13. It was wonderful to see alums back to celebrate together from the Classes of 1948–2018. Congratulations again to the MBAA Spring Awardees and Hall of Fame Inductees.