President Christina Paxson P’19 will lead a search committee for the next provost, according to a Tuesday Today@Brown announcement. The search follows an Aug. 11 announcement that Provost Richard Locke P’18 will depart from his role at the end of the fall semester. Locke will assume a new role as vice president and dean of Apple University, The Herald previously reported.
According to the announcement, the search committee will be headed by Paxson and include nine members: Anna Aizer, professor of economics; Jennifer Friedman ’92 MD’96, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology; Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve, associate professor of sociology; Lawrence Larson, professor of engineering; Brian Meeks, professor of Africana studies; Govind Menon, professor of applied mathematics; John Mustard MS’86 PhD’90, professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences and environment and society; Melinda Rabb, professor of English; and Sohini Ramachandran, professor of biology and computer science and director of the Center for Computational Molecular Biology. The committee, staffed by Marguerite Joutz ’15, chief of staff to the President, will meet in the coming weeks to find Locke’s successor.
Paxson wrote that “members of the Brown community will have opportunities to engage in the search process and convey their views on the opportunities, challenges and priorities ahead, as well as key qualities and experiences to seek in the next provost.”
The provost is Brown’s chief academic officer, overseeing operations of the College, Graduate School, School of Engineering, School of Professional Studies, School of Public Health and Warren Alpert Medical School. Paxson wrote that the provost “is responsible for ensuring academic excellence and advancing key academic priorities; leading a collaborative budgeting process; and strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion in partnership with colleagues.”
Locke arrived at the University in 2013 to lead the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and assumed the role of provost in July 2015. During Locke’s tenure, he “made lasting contributions that have helped make Brown stronger across the entire academic enterprise,” Paxson said in the announcement of his departure.
The new provost will work closely with members of the Brown community as well as Paxson to advance the University’s mission. “I want to extend my gratitude in advance to the members of the search committee for their commitment to this important search process,” Paxson wrote.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Locke will depart the University at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. The Herald regrets the error.
