Robert A. Brown

Last updated

Robert A. Brown
10thPresident of
Boston University
In office
2005 –July 31, 2023
Thesis The shape and stability of three-dimensional interfaces  (1979)
Doctoral advisor L. E. Scriven

Robert A. Brown (born July 22, 1951) is a chemical engineer and university administrator. He was the 10th president of Boston University and a former provost of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1991, Brown was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering for the application of computing techniques to fundamental and practical problems in fluid mechanics, rheology, and crystal growth.

Contents

Biography

Brown is a chemical engineer by training. A native of San Antonio, Texas, [2] he received his B.S. and M.A. in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and his Ph.D., also in chemical engineering, from the University of Minnesota in 1979. [3]

In 1979, Brown joined the faculty of MIT as an assistant professor, where he worked for 25 years before moving across the Charles River to become the president of Boston University. During his tenure at MIT, he served as the Warren K. Lewis Professor of Chemical Engineering, co-director of the MIT Supercomputer Facility, head of the department of chemical engineering, and dean of engineering. In 1998, he became the provost of MIT.

Brown was selected as the 10th president of Boston University in May 2005. He was inaugurated in September 2005, succeeding Aram V. Chobanian, who served from October 2003 until June 2005.

In January 2006, Brown became an honorary citizen of Singapore for his key role in bringing world-class graduate research and educational programs to Singapore through the creation of collaborations between the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [4] In February 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Brown to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a panel established to maintain a steady stream of expert advice from the private sector and the academic community on a wide range of scientific and technical matters. [3] Brown is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a director of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. [5]

Brown served as a member of the board of the Aalto University from 2008-2010. [3] He was honored with the National Academy of Engineering Simon Ramo Founders Award in 2014 for his contributions to engineering and society. [6]

Presidency of Boston University

Under Brown's presidency, Boston University created the Arvind and Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College, a residential honors college for Boston University undergraduates, which was dedicated in 2011, [7] and the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, established in 2014, which combines traditional international relations with faculty in the humanities and social sciences interested in global students, as well as the traditional area studies centers.

In 2013, the university created the Initiative on Cities, with the former Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino as a founding co-director. [8] The IOC focuses on engaging urban leaders, academics, and policy makers to help plan for the development of essential services and sustainable infrastructure necessary for cities to flourish. Following Mayor Menino's death in fall 2014, his legacy was continued through the Annual Menino Survey of Mayors. [9]

The progress of Boston University has been acknowledged in many ways, including improved academic rankings and by bond rating improvements. Most notably, in 2012, Boston University was admitted to the Association of American Universities (AAU), the group of premier public and private research universities in the United States and Canada. [10]

New facilities built during Brown's presidency include:

Many of these initiatives have been driven by the university's first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, which was launched in 2012 with the goal of raising $1 billion by the end of 2017. [20] The goal of the campaign was raised to $1.5 billion in September 2015. [21]

Brown retired as President of Boston University on July 31, 2023. [22]

Personal

Brown lives in Brookline with his wife, Beverly Brown, who works at Boston University as director of development, industry at the School of Public Health at Boston University. They have two grown sons. [3]

Awards and honors

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References

  1. ↑ "Beverly Brown". Boston University Office of the President. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  2. ↑ Bombardieri, Marcella (March 26, 2007). "At BU, a leader who's all ears". Boston Globe. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Biography". Boston University Office of the President. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "The Honorary Citizen Award" . Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Robert A. Brown". Board of Directors. DuPont. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Robert A. Brown". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  7. ↑ Jahnke, Art (September 23, 2011). "$25 Million Gift Largest in BU History". BU Today. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  8. ↑ Jahnke, Art (November 13, 2013). "Menino Lands at BU". BU Today. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  9. ↑ "2014 Menino Survey of Mayors". Boston University Initiative on Cities. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Boston University Joins AAU". Association of American Universities. November 5, 2012. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  11. ↑ Seligson, Susan (September 18, 2014). "An Esteemed Name for BU's Center for Student Services". BU Today. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  12. ↑ Laskowski, Amy (September 19, 2013). "The Games Begin on New Balance Field". BU Today. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  13. ↑ "33 Harry Agganis Way". Boston University Housing. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  14. ↑ Friday, Leslie (September 24, 2012). "State-of-the-Art Med Student Residence Has It All". BU Today. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Law School Complex". Boston University School of Law. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Engineering Product Innovation Center at Boston University's College of Engineering". Boston University College of Engineering. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  17. ↑ Seligson, Susan (September 16, 2014). "New Visitor Center Named in Honor of Alan and Sherry Leventhal". BU Today. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  18. ↑ Freyer, Felice J. (October 6, 2014). "BU biolab nears OK amid hopes for tackling Ebola, safety concerns". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering". BU Facilities Management & Planning. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  20. ↑ "BU to launch first University-wide campaign". Campaign for BU. August 10, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  21. ↑ Brown, Joel (September 18, 2015). "Campaign for Boston University Goal Boosted to $1.5 Billion". BU Today. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  22. ↑ "BU Appoints Kenneth Freeman Interim University President as Search Continues". Boston University. May 11, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  23. ↑ "BU President Honored by CASE". BU Today. February 6, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
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