Adrian Brown ’22 Named 2022 Lincoln Laureate

The neuroscience major wants to better humanity

Leadership, advocacy and devotion to creating opportunities for minoritized communities are the distinguishing characteristics that made Adrian Brown ’22 North Central College’s 2022 Lincoln Laureate. Brown, who majored in behavioral neuroscience, transferred to North Central in 2021 and completed his studies in the fall 2022 semester.

Each year, one outstanding senior is chosen from each of the four-year, degree-granting undergraduate institutions in the state of Illinois. Award recipients embody “leadership and service in the pursuit of the betterment of humanity and … overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities.”

A first-generation college student, Brown worked full-time in restaurants while pursuing his degree. He conducted extensive research with Dr. Maggie Gill, associate professor of neuroscience, thanks primarily to the Promotion of Underrepresented Minorities in STEM (PUMA-STEM) program, funded by the National Science Foundation. Gill said Brown “took on lab research with fervor.” Along with fellow student McKenzie Linden ’23, he presented a study titled “Impact of Differential Rearing on Cocaine Addiction” during the 2022 Rall Symposium.

Beyond his studies, Brown is an active citizen. He served as president of North Central’s Neuroscience Club, taking great strides to build the organization. He has also collaborated with the Psychology Club, and he helped coordinate study sessions to assist fellow Cardinal First members in obtaining U.S. citizenship. “I felt a sense of duty when helping them and appreciated when they would give the biggest smile and thank me,” he said. Brown’s immediate future is already taking shape. He and a friend are working on an ambitious project to open a community center in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.

Brown has also secured a position at Rush University working as a neuroscience lab technician and studying the effects of Parkinson’s disease. He has applied to graduate programs with the goal of getting a Ph.D. in neuroscience.

Brown credits his North Central professors and classmates with helping him succeed. “Whenever I needed support, I could turn to my classmates and professors,” he said. “I will always appreciate the professors sharing experiences from their career paths, whether about struggles or achievements. They have been so caring, welcoming and warm. I’ll never forget that feeling. It made me happier walking through North Central College every day.”

About The Author

Chaplain Eric Doolittle serves to connect people with their faith life. While he comes from a multi-generation United Methodist family, he has helped people from Atheists to Zoroastrians as they explore the deeper implications of their faith on vocation, purpose and meaning. As chaplain of the College, Rev. Doolittle also connects both the College and Naperville community to a wide variety of faith and justice advocacy resources. He can be reached at eldoolittle@noctrl.edu