Boston University President Robert Brown announced on Sept. 7 he would be leaving the position at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year. University faculty and Student Government officials discussed his legacy, as the BU Board of Trustees searches for his replacement.
Brown became the University’s 10th president in 2006 and during his 17 year presidency, he has dedicated himself to, “the continued improvement of academic quality in all domains through the establishment of clear priorities, benchmarking, and periodic review,” according to his University profile.
During his presidency, Brown put his effort to make BU “(move) forward in all the right dimensions with confidence.”
“One of the things I’m proud of, that I did not think back in 2005 would be a big agenda item, is how we’ve been able to, with resources and with changes, diversify the student body, not only racially and ethnically, but also socioeconomically,” Brown said in an interview last month.
One of his memorable accomplishments was the “Choosing to be Great” plan, which focuses on strengthening the quality of the University’s undergraduate and graduate programs to attract world-class faculty members.
“Early in his Presidency, Dr. Brown initiated an 18-month planning process that culminated in the 10-year strategic plan, ‘Choosing to be Great,’ that articulates BU’s core values embedded in a set of institutional commitments,” according to his BU profile.
In 2012, BU was invited to join the Association of American Universities, an organization of leading research universities in the U.S. and Canada. University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Jean Morrison said that Brown bringing the University into the AAU was one of his most notable accomplishments.
“President Brown has done an extraordinary job of elevating the stature of the faculty and the scholarly profile of the institution,” Morrison said. “In research, scholarship and creative work, he has enabled and led the University to hire and retain outstanding faculty.”
New academic initiatives such as the Kilachand Honors College, the School of Global Studies within the College of Arts and Sciences, and the establishment of the $100 million Rajen Kilachand Fund for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering have also come to fruition as a result of Brown’s campaign.
“He has laid an extraordinarily sound foundation on which we can continue building,” Morrison said. “He has positioned the University for continued success.”
Before becoming the president of BU, Dr. Brown held numerous leadership positions at various institutions. Brown has served as Massachusetts Institute of Technology provost, dean of the School of Engineering and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Brown was also awarded the prestigious Simon Ramo Award in 2014 by the National Academy of Engineering, “for his contributions to engineering and his leadership in transforming disciplines in institutions.”
It is currently unknown who is to take his place following his retirement at the end of the school year. A new appointment should be made by next Spring.
“The University has a very strong foundation, and very good leadership in place at the board level, the Board of Trustees, so I am confident that all the ingredients are in place for us to continue to make progress,” Brown said last month.
