West Long Branch, NJ (August 2, 2013) Dr. Paul R. Brown, a respected academic leader and scholar, began his new role as president of Monmouth University on Thursday, August 1. Brown succeeded Paul G. Gaffney II, who retired on July 31 after ten years of strong leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is with tremendous excitement that I join the Monmouth University community as its eighth president. The University\u2019s enthusiasm and commitment to making its mark on the higher education landscape is palpable across Monmouth’s Board of Trustees, faculty and staff. It is my honor to serve them, our wonderful students, and members of the wider community in an effort to reach new heights of excellence,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n
Brown stated that his initial areas of strategic focus will include expanding opportunities for global education at the undergraduate level, and aligning graduate programs with the economic opportunities in the New York \u2013 Philadelphia business corridor. “I believe higher education has a higher calling than just mapping a four year degree to a job,\u201d Brown said. “But universities should also be held accountable in terms of what they\u2019re doing for their students.”<\/p>\n
During his first few weeks on campus, Brown will be meeting with members of his cabinet, faculty and staff, student leaders, alumni, and local elected officials.<\/p>\n
Brown and his wife, Joan G. Fishman, live on campus in the presidential residence, Doherty House. Their daughter, Emma, is a student at Franklin & Marshall College. \u201cWe are thrilled to be part of the Monmouth University community. The warm welcome we have received from the campus and our new neighbors has been wonderfully inviting,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved Brown\u2019s appointment on February 26. He comes to Monmouth University from Lehigh University, where he served as dean of the College of Business and Economics. Under Brown\u2019s leadership, the College of Business and Economics completed a transformative and wide-sweeping strategic plan. Brown also managed historically-high levels of enrollment in both undergraduate and graduate programs and recruited and hired faculty at an unprecedented pace. During his time at Lehigh, he raised over $40 million for endowed faculty chairs and unrestricted funds.<\/p>\n
Before joining Lehigh, Brown spent more than twenty years at New York University\u2019s Stern School of Business where he held a variety of senior academic and administrative positions including associate dean of NYU Stern\u2019s executive MBA Programs, and chair of the Department of Accounting, Taxation and Business Law.<\/p>\n
Brown also served on the faculties at Yale University\u2019s School of Management, the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD), and the International University of Japan, as well as guest lectured at universities in China, Singapore, and Brazil.<\/p>\n
Brown graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Franklin & Marshall College where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He received both his Doctor of Philosophy and his Masters of Professional Accountancy degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.<\/p>\n