Dr. Leah VanWey, incoming dean of the faculty at Brown University
"With her extensive experience advising, teaching, and mentoring students, directing multiple academic units and conducting her own high-impact research, Leah's deep understanding of Brown's academic ecosystem positions her to support faculty across a wide range of disciplines," said Dr. Richard M. Locke, provost of Brown. "She's a collaborative and innovative leader who will partner effectively with departments across campus to ensure that their standards for faculty excellence support the University's teaching and research mission."
A professor of environment and society as well as sociology, VanWey joined Brown in 2008. She served several academic leadership positions before becoming dean of the School of Professional Studies in 2019.
"I look forward to playing my part in advancing Brown's teaching excellence across the disciplines and supporting high-impact interdisciplinary research as we work collaboratively to grow the research enterprise of the University," said VanWey on her new position. "And I am particularly excited to build on the foundation of progress made in faculty hiring through the University's Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and the upcoming recommendations of the Task Force on the Status of Women Faculty."
Before Brown, VanWey was a member of Indiana University's sociology faculty from 2001 to 2008. She earned her bachelor's degree and doctorate in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
