2003 Ann Castle Award Recipient: Shelley Brown

In 2003, Shelley Brown was director of development research and systems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She had been in that position since 1987, directing a staff of over 20 employees. Shelley pioneered work in monitoring Initial Public Offerings and venture capital activities, as well as gathering valuable data through surveys of MIT founders, alumni, and top prospects. Previously, she was a director of development research at Boston University and a prospect researcher at Brandeis University. She presented at both NEDRA and APRA conferences, and served as a director of APRA in the early 1990s. She served as a co-chair of the national BSR/Advance Users Group. According to a colleague, "Shelley Brown demonstrates the highest level of commitment to her profession. In every institution she has served, she has led her department in setting an example of quality. She constantly seeks to develop and maintain excellence of service in every facet of operations in research and development information systems areas. She is an innovator, whose ideas have allowed the research department to stay at the forefront of its field. Finally, she is a thoughtful, dedicated, and caring individual and supervisor who never loses sight of the fact that people are the most important element in the equation."