(The Verge) – On March 13, the Monmouth University Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Paul R. Brown has been appointed the eighth president of the University.
Brown is the current Dean of the College of Business and Economics at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and will begin his career at Monmouth University on August 1. Current Monmouth president Paul G. Gaffney II will conclude his ten years of leadership and retire on July 31.
The Board of Trustees made their final decision on February 26 at a special meeting. Chair of the Board Robert B. Sculthorpe, a Monmouth graduate from the class of 1963, said, “Dr. Brown was our first and unanimous choice to be the new president of Monmouth University. He is an outstanding leader with the qualifications to help Monmouth University continue to prosper as a strong, vibrant institution.”
Upon accepting the position, Dr. Brown stated, “It is with tremendous excitement that I look forward to joining the Monmouth University community as its eighth president. The University’s enthusiasm and commitment to making its mark on the higher education landscape is palpable across Monmouth’s Board of Trustees, faculty and staff. Students are at the heart of Monmouth, and it is my honor to serve them, as well as the larger university community, in an effort to reach new heights of excellence. I could not be more thrilled with this opportunity.”
Brown began his current position as a dean at Lehigh University in July 2007. Brown is the current dean of the College of Business and Economics at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a position he assumed in July 2007. This is one of four Colleges at Lehigh that offers programs in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional higher education. Under Brown’s direction the College of Business and Economics was able to complete a Strategic Plan that was endorsed by the faculty and set the trajectory for the College over the next ten years.
During his tenure, Brown managed high levels of enrollment in Lehigh’s undergraduate and graduate programs, and he hired faculty at an unprecedented pace. Brown also implemented significant leadership alterations that focused primarily on undergrad and grad leadership and the leadership of the College’s centers. Throughout his career at Lehigh, he successfully raised over $40 million in unrestricted funds and also for endowed faculty chairs.
Prior to his employment at Lehigh University, Brown also spent time at New York University and Yale University. In addition, he held visiting appointments at the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) in Fontainebleau, France, and the International University of Japan (IUJ), in Niigata, Japan.
Brown spent over 20 years at New York University’s Stern School of Business. There, he held various senior academic and administrative positions at the school and university level. These positions included:
- Associate dean of executive MBA Programs
- Academic director of TRIUM (NYU Stern’s global executive MBA program in alliance with the London School of Economics and Political Science – LSE – and HEC School of Management in Paris)
- Chair of the Department of Accounting, Taxation and Business Law at NYU Stern
In terms of outside research, Brown has various interests. His research in financial reporting and analysis include topics such as financial statement analysis, FASB/SEC policy analysis, international reporting and analysis, earnings measurement and management, and managing earnings expectations.
Brown is a professor of accounting with an emphasis on financial analysis and governance. He is the author of the eBook, Foundations of Financial Statement Analysis, and he helped co-author Financial Reporting, Financial Statement Analysis, and Valuation: A Strategic Perspective (through sixth edition).
Brown graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, and he was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his Doctor of Philosophy and his Masters of Professional Accountancy degrees form the University of Texas in Austin.
During the information session with Monmouth University students on February 1st 2013, Brown showed that he supports the student body’s interaction with the presidential decision-making process, by allowing them to meet with the candidates. Brown explained several similarities between Monmouth and Lehigh University, such as that both schools are private Universities with full-service activities on campus and division 1 sports teams. These parallels have served as preparation for Brown to fit in at Monmouth, and work to fill current President Gaffney’s shoes as a visible President on campus.
Brown and his wife, Joan G. Fishman, will move to the Doherty House (Monmouth University’s presidential residence) this summer along with their daughter Emma. Joan is currently the Board Vice-President of the Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Emma will begin school at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania this upcoming fall.
