Marisa Quinn, the longtime assistant to President Ruth Simmons who was a ubiquitous presence by her boss's side for five years, will become the new head of Brown's public relations office, the University announced July 1.
Quinn, who coordinated much of the president's busy schedule and handled many of her communications, will replace Michael Chapman as vice president for public affairs and University relations August 1.
"I've had this great opportunity to work closely with President Simmons," Quinn said, "and I've learned so much about the University."
She said she was looking forward to being a voice for Brown and advancing the University's goals, including internationalization and the continued physical expansion of the campus.
Quinn started her career at Brown in the public affairs office, serving as director of community and government relations from 1999 to 2003. Simmons, who Quinn said told her about the vacancy created by Chapman's departure, said in an interview that Quinn "has many skills and a good deal of knowledge about public affairs."
Simmons is planning to go without an assistant temporarily while she searches for a replacement, she said, a process that will take "at least a couple of months."
Chapman will continue to work at Brown "for the immediate future" to "work on several projects for President Simmons that we will determine shortly," he wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. "This is a good time for new leadership in PAUR," he wrote.
