I write to share that after a successful decade-long tenure at Brown, Shankar Prasad, dean of the School of Professional Studies since 2022, will step down effective Jan. 31 to join the senior leadership team at Carnegie, a higher education marketing and enrollment strategy firm, as chief strategy officer. Shankar, a Brown Ph.D. alumnus, will depart after 10 years at Brown that also included appointments as deputy provost, vice president for academic innovation, and associate director of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. He has been instrumental in building on the University’s academic strengths, delivering instruction in compelling new ways and making Brown’s world-class education accessible to a diverse range of learners across the globe.

As the third dean of SPS and Brown’s first vice president for academic innovation, Shankar provided executive oversight of the school’s academic programs, finance and administrative operations, and student life, and worked with academic leaders across campus to develop new areas for growth and success. He managed a growing portfolio of master’s degree and professional programs and created initiatives to reach learners across the globe through digital education platforms, including partnering with the School of Public Health to launch an online master of public health program, Brown’s first exclusively online degree program.

With a focus on meeting the needs of diverse learners at various stages of their careers, Shankar led the expansion of Brown’s suite of non-degree programs, including corporate education programs, certificate programs and short courses that focus on rapid skill development. Additional initiatives launched under his leadership have focused on increased outreach to Brown alumni to promote learning opportunities, and wider access for University staff members to enroll in SPS professional programs. He led an expansion in support for master’s students on campus, including through the launch of a Center for Master’s Student Excellence. To cultivate a campus-wide approach to strengthened support for master’s students, he focused on building strong collaborations with key units across Brown, including Campus Life, Global Brown and the Graduate School.

In a series of leadership roles in the Office of the Provost from 2016 to 2022, Shankar worked closely with Brown leaders to advance academic excellence, improve operational effectiveness and financial sustainability, and promote community through a range of priorities and initiatives. Among other efforts, he played important roles in academic continuity and return-to-campus planning during the COVID-19 pandemic, strategic planning and reorganizations for multiple Brown schools, institutes and centers, and the transition of the Brown Arts Initiative to the expanded Brown Arts Institute.

With a longstanding focus on cultivating a diverse and inclusive community, Shankar also played a key role in advancing campus engagement efforts to support the development of Brown’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) in 2016, was a member of Brown’s Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Board and served in governance and advisory roles for the Leadership Alliance and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Brown. He wrote the University’s first global strategy for advancing research, teaching and learning around the world, working simultaneously to create an inclusive community for international students, staff and faculty on campus. In recognition of those efforts, the launch of the Global Brown lounge and the expansion of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, Brown was awarded a Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internalization in 2019.  

In assuming the role of chief strategy officer for Carnegie, a leader in higher education marketing and enrollment strategy, Shankar will be responsible for overall enterprise strategy and will oversee student search and success and presidential advisory offerings for the company. He leaves Brown with a long and successful track record of leadership and innovation, and a lasting impact on priorities ranging from online education and new academic programs to global engagement and support for graduate students on campus. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating his impact at Brown and wishing him well in his new role at Carnegie.

Growth in Brown’s suite of master’s programs remains an important priority for the University, and we will share plans for a national search for a new SPS dean in the coming weeks. Sandra Smith, senior associate dean for professional and executive education at the School of Professional Studies, will serve as the school’s interim dean upon Shankar’s departure at the end of the month, and I appreciate her commitment to taking on this important role.

Sincerely,

Francis J. Doyle III
Provost