Dear Members of the Brown Faculty,

As Professor Amanda Lynch concludes her term as director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES), I write to request nominations for her successor. Amanda has done exceptional work as the inaugural director of IBES, and the Institute is poised to continue to make important contributions to areas of pressing need through teaching, research, engagement and programming.

What follows is the position summary and candidate qualifications. I am grateful to the following faculty members, who have agreed to serve on the search committee, which I will chair and will be staffed by Deputy Provost Elizabeth Doherty.

Anna Aizer, Professor & Chair of Economics
Karen M. Fischer, Louis and Elizabeth Scherck Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences
Scott A. Frickel, Professor of Environment and Society and Sociology
Kevin McLaughlin, George Hazard Crooker University Professor of English, Dean of the Faculty
David Rand, Stephen T. Olney Professor of Natural History, Chair of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
David Savitz, Associate Dean for Research, Professor of Epidemiology, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Professor of Pediatrics
Laurence Smith, John Atwater and Diana Nelson University Professor of Environmental Studies

The committee will meet over the coming weeks to conduct an internal search. Please direct inquiries or expressions of interest to me at [email protected], or to Deputy Provost Elizabeth Doherty at [email protected].Applications will be accepted until December 15, 2019.Regards, 

Richard M. Locke
Provost

The Director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society

Brown University seeks an exceptional scientist and visionary leader to serve as the next director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES). The director will be charged with advancing Brown’s substantial strengths in environmental research, teaching and service to address the full range of pressing environmental issues--from molecular to planetary--in interdisciplinary, collaborative and holistic ways.   

Launched in 2013 in conjunction with Brown University’s strategic plan, Building on Distinction, IBES is central to the University’s commitment to contribute to Sustaining Life on Earth by conducting exceptional, cross disciplinary research, fostering innovation, and providing a model for environmental sustainability to the campus community and beyond. IBES unites and draws upon faculty expertise from diverse disciplines, including the following core departments: Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Sociology; History; and Economics.

With the support of University President Christina H. Paxson, Provost Richard M. Locke, and the active encouragement of the Institute’s distinguished Advisory Council, the last several years have been a period of significant growth for IBES. The Institute occupies a recently renovated facility that includes state-of-the-art classrooms, offices, the Brown’s Environmental And Remote Technologies (EARTH) lab, and a 4,000 square foot rooftop research greenhouse with plants from all over the world.  Through these and other investments in people and infrastructure, Brown is committed to increasing further the Institute’s already substantial national and global impact.

Director Responsibilities

The Director is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the Institute’s ongoing research initiatives and educational programs, and provides intellectual leadership for its multidisciplinary community of affiliated scholars and students. The Director is also the Institute’s principal liaison to the University’s broader academic community and administration, and represents IBES locally, nationally and internationally. In addition, the Director, assisted by an Associate Director and other staff, has overall responsibility for the Institute’s day-to-day operations, including budget and finance, fundraising, and external relations, as well for cultivating an inclusive climate to promote a sense of community and to inspire progress and productivity. 

In seeking exceptional candidates to lead IBES on a continued growth trajectory, the University will give greatest consideration to the following attributes and qualifications:

1. Academic Accomplishment. We are looking for an individual with a track record of high impact publications, a history of consistent external funding, and strong reputation in his/her field. The Director must demonstrate a commitment to research that is consistent with IBES’s overall mission. S/he must be able to evaluate academic scholarship from different disciplines, understand and embrace the standards of excellence expected in faculty recruitment and promotion processes, and be respected as an academic by both the IBES faculty and the broader Brown University faculty community. 

2. Administrative Experience/Leadership Style. As IBES continues to develop, the next Director must be capable of managing an increasingly complex organization with many different stakeholders (faculty, staff, students, Advisory Council Members, administrators, donors, visitors, etc.). Key qualifications for this position include a demonstrated record of successful fundraising, program development, faculty recruitment, and organizational management, and a leadership style that is both inclusive (participatory) and directed. The Director will enrich and promote the distinctive Brown environment across the undergraduate, graduate and professional continuum. The Director must have a demonstrated track record of embracing and advancing diversity and inclusion as a path to academic excellence.

3. Vision and Strategy. The Director is responsible for developing a vision for achieving the University’s aspirations for the Institute, and for advancing a strong governance model and a clear and successful strategy, developed with substantial faculty participation.   

A search committee of faculty members will meet over the coming weeks to review candidates, with the goal of having a new Director in place by July 1, 2020. Please direct inquiries or expressions of interest to Deputy Provost Elizabeth Doherty at [email protected]. Applications will be accepted until December 15, 2019.

Brown University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic global community; as an EEO/AA employer, Brown considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of, gender, race, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.