Shankar Prasad PhD’06 will step down from his role as dean of the School of Professional Studies, effective Jan. 31, University officials announced Thursday.
Prasad will become the chief strategy officer of Carnegie, a higher education marketing firm, according to an email announcement from Provost Francis Doyle. Sandra Smith, senior associate dean for professional and executive education, will serve as interim dean while the University searches for Prasad’s permanent successor.
Since becoming dean in 2022, Prasad established Brown’s first online master’s program and expanded non-degree programs like short courses and certificates. He also helped launch the Center for Master’s Student Excellence, which aims to provide community and professional development for master’s students.
Prasad previously served as vice president for academic innovation and deputy provost, working “closely with Brown leaders to advance academic excellence, improve operational effectiveness and financial sustainability, and promote community through a range of priorities and initiatives,” according to Doyle’s announcement.
In these roles, Prasad helped establish Brown’s first strategy for advancing global education and contributed to the University's academic transition to in-person learning following COVID-19.
His driving motivator for his work at Brown was creating “pathways of access” for diverse learners worldwide, Prasad wrote in an email to The Herald.
“I'm excited to build on this work through my transition to Carnegie,” Prasad added. In his new position, he will help over 750 colleges and universities “navigate the complex and rapidly shifting higher education landscape,” he explained.
For him, the School of Professional Studies serves as the “bridge between centers of academic excellence across schools, institutes, departments and the world of professional learners.”
“Our school has the unique opportunity to ensure that Brown fulfills its educational mission and helps train future generations of principled leaders,” Prasad added. “Our ambitions to grow and expand who we serve and how we serve them is bold, and the next dean will be joining an incredibly talented community of staff and faculty.”
Claire Song is a university news and science & research editor for The Herald. She is a sophomore from California studying Applied Math-Biology. She likes to drink boba in her free time.
