Dear Members of the Brown Community,

I am very pleased to announce that Rashid Zia, undergraduate alumnus, associate professor of engineering and physics, and assistant provost for special projects, will serve as Brown’s next dean of the college, effective July 1.

As the senior academic officer for undergraduate education at Brown, Rashid will provide leadership to Brown faculty and staff in achieving excellence in liberal education for undergraduate students within the context of Brown’s Open Curriculum. Rashid will oversee academic advising, international study programs, classroom instruction, and the structure and support of undergraduate concentrations.

Rashid is an accomplished scholar and dedicated teacher, and his love for Brown was apparent throughout the selection process. As a Brown alumnus who was a double concentrator in English and engineering, Rashid brings a unique understanding of the value of Brown’s Open Curriculum and the importance of a liberal arts education. He also has done exceptional work to understand and strengthen Brown’s approach to recruiting the very best scholars to Brown. In his role as assistant provost, Rashid has led efforts to use data to improve strategic decision making at Brown around faculty and graduate student recruitment and hiring.

Rashid graduated in 2001 from Brown with a combined A.B. in English and American Literature and Sc.B. in Engineering. He returned to Brown in 2006, after completing his M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

During the past 12 years as a member of the Brown faculty, Rashid has played a key role in helping to develop curricula and instruction in the School of Engineering. He has won multiple awards at Brown for excellence in teaching and scholarship.

As a researcher, Rashid works at the interface of electrical engineering, materials science, optical physics and physical chemistry to study the interaction of light and matter. He has been the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and a Department of Defense nominated Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), as well a Fellow of both the Optical Society of America and the National Forum on the Future of Liberal Education. Rashid is also the lead principal investigator for a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative on Quantum Metaphotonics & Metamaterials sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Rashid’s deep personal connection to Brown, his teaching excellence during more than a decade on the Brown faculty, and his mentorship of students in his research lab distinguished him among a pool of very strong candidates.

Numerous members of the Brown community offered their guidance and input during the search, and I extend my thanks in particular to the members of the search committee: Shontay Delalue, Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity; Eric Estes, Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services; Tal Lewis '90, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Religious Studies; Emily Oster, Professor of Economics and Professor of International and Public Affairs; Logan Powell, Dean of Admission; Besenia Rodriguez '00, Senior Associate Dean of the College; Christopher Rose, Professor of Engineering, Associate Dean of the Faculty for Special Initiatives; Katherine Smith, Associate Dean of Biology Undergraduate Education, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Research); Naveen Srinivasan ’19 (Applied Math - Computer Science), UCS Vice President; Mar Weiss '20 (International Relations), UCS Chair of Academic Affairs; Mary Wright, Director of the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning; Shankar Prasad, Associate Provost for Global Engagement and Strategic Initiatives.

Brown will benefit tremendously from Rashid’s leadership as the University’s senior undergraduate academic officer. I hope you will join me in welcoming Rashid to his new role.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Locke
Provost