Graduate School

Deans & Staff

Meet the Deans and the staff of the Graduate School.

Leadership

  • Thomas A. Lewis

    Thomas A. Lewis

    Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Religious Studies
    Office Hours: Mondays from 3-4 pm
    No office hours week of February 19, March 18, and April 1, 2024.

    Email Dean-of-GraduateSchool@brown.edu to request an in person or Zoom meeting.
  • Sarah Delaney in a dark red/pink shirt and jacket in front of a window

    Sarah Delaney

    Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Chemistry
    Meetings by appointment.
    Areas of Expertise Liaison to programs on academic affairs, Doctoral/MFA program reviews, Academic affairs policy, Academic issues/concerns, Academic code cases for doctoral students
  • Vanessa Ryan

    Vanessa Ryan

    Senior Associate Dean of Student Development
    Office hours appointments, Tuesdays 1-3 pm, and appointments at other times are available through online self-scheduling.
    Areas of Expertise Academic advising, special programs and Distinctive Opportunities, including Open Graduate Education, Brown Executive Scholars Training, Brown-Wheaton Faculty Fellows, Deans’ Faculty Fellows, Proctorships, and Interdisciplinary Opportunities Fellows programs, liaison to the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, the undergraduate College, Center for Career Exploration, and the Division of Campus Life
  • Alycia Mosley Austin

    Alycia Mosley Austin

    Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion
    Appointments available through online self-scheduling.
    Areas of Expertise Develops initiatives to foster positive and supportive climate and community, Liaison to programs and offices to support positive student experience and retention, Liaison to programs on recruitment planning and outreach
  • Maria Suarez

    Maria Suarez

    Associate Dean of Student Support, Deputy Title IX Coordinator
    Meetings times available through online self-scheduling, and by appointment.
    Areas of Expertise Support practices and policies, Support for individual students, Medical and personal leave, Coordinates with Office of Institutional Diversity, Liaison to the Office of Campus Life and Student Services, including Student and Employee Accessibility Services, as well as to Counseling and Psychological Services
  • Ethan Bernstein

    Ethan Bernstein

    Executive Dean of Administration and Finance
    Areas of Expertise Administration management, Admission, Day-to-day operations
  • William Wittels

    William Wittels

    Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs
    Areas of Expertise Graduate Digital CV, Program review support, Updating of academic policies, Fellowship application support

Staff

  • Barbara Bennett

    Barbara Bennett

    Academic Affairs Manager
    Areas of Expertise Liaison to Registrar and Bursar, Processing of Master's theses and PhD dissertations, Processing of leaves, withdrawals, and exchanges
  • Susan Ely

    Susan Ely

    Communications and Special Events Manager
    Areas of Expertise Graduate School website manager, Social media , Graduate School communications and special events
  • Maria Faria

    Maria Faria

    Admission Coordinator
    Areas of Expertise Program liaison for the PhD programs in Africana Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Archaeology/Ancient World, Chemistry, Classics, Comparative Literature, Computer Science, Earth, Envir. & Planetary Sciences, Economics, Egyptology and Assyriology, Engineering, English, French and Francophone Studies, German Studies, Hispanic Studies, Italian Studies, Literary Arts, Mathematics, Modern Culture & Media, Music: Multimedia Composition, Music: Musicology & Ethnomusicology, Philosophy, Physics, Portuguese & Brazilian Studies, Religious Studies, Slavic Studies
  • Maria Glanvill headshot

    Maria Glanvill

    Executive Assistant to the Dean and Graduate School Office Manager
    Areas of Expertise Executive administrator for the dean, Programming support, Special events planning and logistics
  • Maija Hallsmith

    Maija Hallsmith

    Assistant Director of Academic Diversity
    Areas of Expertise Diversity, equity and inclusion programming and outreach, Graduate program climate and community support
  • Julie Kindschy

    Julie Kindschy

    Manager, Admission & Reporting
    Areas of Expertise Managing admission operations
  • Byrd McDaniel in a white shirt and dark jacket outside in front of a tree in winter

    Byrd McDaniel

    Assistant Director of Student Development
    Areas of Expertise Open Graduate Education, Global Mobility Research Fellowships, Deans’ Faculty Fellows Program, Interdisciplinary Opportunities Program, Brown-Wheaton Faculty Fellowships, Research Matters, Effective Performance Workshops, other Distinctive Opportunities
  • Steven Radilla

    Steven Radilla

    Diversity Initiatives Program Coordinator
    Areas of Expertise Diversity recruitment, DEI programming support, PREP program coordination
  • Michelle Rose

    Michelle Rose

    Financial Coordinator
    Areas of Expertise Processing and review of graduate student appointments, External funding incentive plan and stipend top-ups, Conference and Research Travel
  • Mary Heather Smith in a white jacket with a grey shirt in front of a window

    Mary Heather Smith

    Manager of Data Analytics
    Research Interests Design, manage, and produce data reports and visualizations, Assist academic departments and University partners with the use of graduate student enrollment data and reports, Serve as University-wide expert on graduate student data definitions and integrity, Prepare data submissions for external agencies and organizations, such as AAUDE and NSF
  • Lisa Tillson

    Lisa Tillson

    Admission Coordinator
    Areas of Expertise Program liaison for Applied Math, Biology and Medicine-all programs, Center for Computational Molecular Biology-CCMB, Cognitive/Linguistics/Psychology, History, History of Art, Neuroscience, Political Science, Public Health-Doctoral, Sociology, Theatre and Performance Studies-all programs

Partners

  • Chris Gilbody standing up wearing a dark suit and blue shirt.

    Chris Gilbody

    Director, Graduate School Financial Aid
    Office of Financial Aid | Page-Robinson Hall 2nd Floor
    Research Interests Financial aid,, financial education,, debt management,, loan borrowing
  • Lorie Hoyle in a dark jacket and light shirt in front of a window

    Lorie Hoyle

    Sr. Financial Analyst
    Budget, Planning, and Analysis | South Street Landing
    Areas of Expertise Graduate School Financial Planning and Budget, Operations management - stewardship, grand funds, travel funds, and payroll, Graduate program financial analysis and support
  • Gail Lee

    Gail Lee

    Human Resources Coordinator
    University Human Resources | South Street Landing
    Areas of Expertise Graduate student payroll administration
  • Zhichun Lin

    Zhichun Lin

    Assistant Director, Career Counseling (Graduate Students)
    Center for Career Exploration | 167 Angell Street
    Areas of Expertise Graduate/doctoral students career development, Career development for international graduate students
  • Morgan Orlandi

    Morgan Orlandi

    Student Engagement Specialist
    School of Professional Studies | 225 Dyer St
    Areas of Expertise Master's student engagement, events, and activities , Liaison with Campus Life, student organizations, and academic departments
  • Sonja Paulson

    Sonja Paulson

    Assistant Director, International Student Services (PhD and MFA Students)
    Office of International Student & Scholar Services (OISSS) | Page-Robinson Hall Suite 420
    Research Interests F-1/J-1 students, Visiting Research Fellows-VRF, Questions about on and off-campus employment authorization, Liaison to departmental administrators
  • Wendy Zhu

    Wendy Zhu

    Labor Relations Data Specialist
    University Human Resources | South Street Landing
    Areas of Expertise Graduate student union-related union membership policies and processes, Graduate student union bargaining unit list management, Graduate student union dues processes