Matthew Guterl, professor of Africana studies and American studies, will be the University’s next vice president for diversity and inclusion, according to a Today@Brown announcement from President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20.
In the message, Paxson also announced that the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity will be renamed the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The name change will “align the name of the office with its current operations,” given that it no longer oversees the University’s compliance and federal investigatory operations, Paxson wrote.
She added that the ODI will “focus on sustaining a thriving, diverse community where all community members feel welcome.”
Both Guterl’s appointment and the office’s name change will take effect on March 1.
Last month, President Trump signed an executive order to end federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs, sparking uncertainty about the future of DEI initiatives at institutions of higher education, including Brown.
“Determining what diversity and inclusion will look like in the coming years will require the voices of the entire campus community,” Guterl wrote in an email to The Herald. “I’m excited to begin those conversations with faculty, staff and students.”
“On all these fronts, Matt’s partnerships with Brown community members across campus and beyond will be vitally important as we continue to advance our diversity and inclusion work in compliance with the law,” Paxson wrote in the announcement.
Guterl began working at Brown in 2012 and served as chair of American studies for nine years. From spring 2016 to summer 2022, he was the faculty co-chair of the University’s Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Board, which oversees the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.
Guterl has published work on civil rights and race relations, and he was selected for a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2024. He received his bachelor’s degree in history from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and earned his PhD in U.S. history at Rutgers University.
Sylvia Carey-Butler formerly served as the vice president for institutional equity and diversity before stepping down after three years in the role in October. When she came to Brown, the University was beginning Phase II of its Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.
Since October, Patricia Poitevien ’94 MD’98 — the senior associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion for the Division of Biology and Medicine — filled Carey-Butler’s vacancy in an interim capacity.
Paxson announced the formation of an internal search committee in October tasked with finding Carey-Butler’s replacement. It was chaired by Paxson herself.
“As a leading research institution dedicated to strong student-centered education, Brown continues to recognize the critical importance of bringing diverse perspectives, knowledge and experiences to confront and solve the most complex challenges of the 21st century,” Paxson wrote.
Sophia Wotman is a University news editor covering activism and affinity & identity. She is a junior from Long Island, New York concentrating in Political Science with a focus on women’s rights. She is a jazz trumpet player, and often performs on campus and around Providence.
