Dr. Alycia Mosley Austin is an accomplished leader of diversity and inclusion initiatives in graduate education. She has led work in this area for over a decade, serving as a visible national leader, with notable experience building programming for graduate students and incentivizing transformational change within graduate programs. Dr. Austin comes to Brown from the University of Rhode Island, where she served as Interim Associate Dean in the Graduate School.
At URI, she also served as Director of Graduate Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives, as the Associate Director of the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, and as Adjunct Assistant Professor in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She has led diversity and inclusion efforts in graduate education at URI since 2010.
We are delighted that this step is also a return to Brown for Dr. Austin, as she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience from Brown University in 2001. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego in 2010.
Dr. Austin will provide strategic direction for a wide range of programs and initiatives, working hand-in-hand with programs to re-imagine graduate education in a way that promotes a sense of belonging for all members of the community.
Her appointment follows a national search chaired by Dean Andrew G. Campbell, who led a committee that included graduate students, faculty and staff representatives. We would like to thank the search committee members below, as well as many others, including graduate students and campus partners, who participated in the search.
- Andrew G. Campbell, Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Medical Science
- Alison DeLong, Associate Professor of Biology, Molecular, Cellular Biology Biochemistry
- Eric Estes, Vice President for Campus Life & Student Services
- Maija Hallsmith, Diversity Initiatives Program Coordinator, Graduate School
- Edward Hawrot, Senior Associate Dean for the Program in Biology, Alva O. Way Professor of Medical Science
- Thomas A. Lewis, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Religious Studies
- Christopher Rose, Associate Provost for STEM Initiatives, Professor of Engineering
- Amanda Ruiz, PhD Student, Pathobiology
- Vanessa Ryan, Associate Dean of Student Development, Graduate School
- Maria Suarez, Associate Dean of Student Support, Graduate School
- D’Ondre Swails, PhD Student, Africana Studies
- Staffed by Ray Windsor, Executive Assistant and Graduate School Office
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Austin to the Graduate School and to Brown.