UChicago Evicts Brown from Marine Biological Laboratory

In the "that didn't take long" category...

The University of Chicago has evicted Brown University from the Marine Biological Laboratory.

Today, Alison Maksym, an educational coordinator at MBL, confirmed:

"The Brown-MBL Graduate program is no longer recruiting for new PhD students at this time and there is no additional information on our websites."

In 2013, UChicago took over the esteemed but financially troubled research institute in Woods Hole, MA. Since then, it has gradually asserted control over the organization, hiring a new director and, as expected, setting up new collaborations favoring UChicago students, faculty, and researchers.

However, when the merger of UChicago and MBL was announced in 2013, the university pledged it was fully committed to expanding the MBL-Brown Graduate program.

A UChicago news release in 2013 stated:

 The Brown-MBL Partnership and Graduate Program will remain in place and the MBL and Brown University will retain all of their current academic and financial commitments to students and faculty. The University of Chicago is committed to the Brown-MBL Partnership and Graduate Program, and believes that such cross-institutional relationships strengthen the MBL. MBL continues to work closely with Brown University faculty and leadership to build and strengthen the Brown-MBL Partnership.

(https://news.uchicago.edu/article/2013/06/12/frequently-asked-questions-university-chicago-mbl-affiliation#%20Q.%20How%20will%20it%20affect%20the%20Brown-MBL%20Program?)

The Brown-MBL agreement was established in 2003 by then Brown Provost Robert Zimmer, now UChicago president. He signed an agreement creating the "Brown-MBL Graduate Program in Biological and Environmental Sciences in addition to faculty exchanges and research collaborations," according to the Brown website (http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2003-04/03-001.html)

Ironically, Zimmer seems to have unwound that agreement about a year after UChicago took over the MBL. Apparently sometime after the last known Brown-MBL retreat in November 2014, MBL quietly removed references to the 11-year-old Brown program from its website.

MBL, of course, does continue to offer graduate programs for UChicago students. Brown undergraduates can still take course offerings at MBL that are open to students at any schools if admitted.

In addition, the MBL retains its famous summer program that attracts scientists from all over the world.