RIT selects assistant provost and assistant vice president for faculty diversity and recruitment

Rochester Institute of Technology has appointed Donathan L. Brown to the new position of assistant provost and assistant vice president for faculty diversity and recruitment.

While overseeing the Office of Faculty Diversity and Recruitment, Brown will provide institutional leadership for the effective recruitment and advancement of a diverse and excellent faculty body. He will work collaboratively with senior leaders, faculty, shared governance groups and other senior administrative staff to provide leadership and support of all activities of the office. He will place particular emphasis on recruiting historically underrepresented faculty and providing strategic guidance to support retention-related efforts that include professional development, mentoring, academic diversity and equity, work-life policies and other climate issues.

“Brown’s accomplishments to date well prepare him for this role at RIT—whether his exemplary faculty record at Ithaca College or his experience in helping create a pipeline for diverse faculty, creating developmental initiatives for junior faculty in the areas of teaching and scholarship, or assisting departments in establishing diversity recruitment plans,” said Keith Jenkins, RIT’s vice president and associate provost for Diversity and Inclusion. “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Brown to continue and build on the outstanding work of the Office of Faculty Diversity and Recruitment.”

Currently Brown is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Ithaca College, where he also serves as the director of faculty diversity and development for the School of Humanities and Sciences. Since beginning his tenure-track role in 2011, Brown has published four books, along with 10 articles and book chapters on matters pertaining to African American and Latinx social policy.

In 2017, Brown earned a U.S. Fulbright Professorship where he taught race and American politics at the University of Maribor in Slovenia. He has also earned five teaching awards, including Ithaca College’s highest honor, the Ithaca College Faculty Excellence Award.

In 2014, he was named Chair of the Ithaca College Diversity Scholars Fellowship Program. Under his leadership, the program accomplished many feats, such as expanding the program to three of Ithaca’s five schools, elevating the program to a college-wide faculty recruitment initiative, while also providing policy and procedural counsel to deans and provosts. Brown also played a pivotal role in the successful retention of several past fellows onto tenure-track positions at Ithaca College.

“I am delighted to welcome Donathan to RIT,” said RIT Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Ellen Granberg. “He has an exceptional set of talents and experience that will help us continue to improve faculty recruitment and retention.”

Brown, who assumes his role on Aug. 15, holds a bachelor’s degree from Illinois College, a master’s from Syracuse University in communications and rhetorical studies, and a doctorate in rhetoric and public affairs from Texas A&M University. He also holds a certification in university teaching from Syracuse University.

“I am very excited to join the RIT family and work alongside instrumental leaders like Dr. Keith Jenkins and Dr. Ellen Granberg, while also joining the phenomenal Office of Faculty Diversity and Recruitment team,” said Brown.