Brown University President Christina H. Paxson announced Monday that she will step down after the 2026–27 academic year. The move ends her tenure, which began in July 2012 and will have lasted 15 years.
In a letter to the Brown community, Paxson expressed mixed emotions over the decision, saying it was ultimately the right choice for her, her family, and the university. She noted that the university accomplished the goals made at the outset of her presidency.
“Fifteen years is a significant tenure for any president, and in that time, this amazing community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents and friends showed up in so many ways to achieve the bold aspirations in the strategic plan we developed together near the beginning of my presidency,” Paxson wrote. “Brown is wonderfully poised to begin its next chapter, and a transition in leadership now will ensure the vision for the next phase is set by Brown’s next leader and stewarded by them from the beginning.” …