PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — As the 2022-23 academic year begins at Brown and more than 3,203 new undergraduate, graduate and medical students arrive on College Hill, the University also welcomes a group of 62 dynamic new scholars and educators to the Brown faculty.
With research and teaching expertise on topics ranging from global health security to climate change, brain science to diaspora studies, and architecture to algorithms, Brown’s newest faculty members represent a wide range of fields, backgrounds and viewpoints. Welcoming faculty with such diversity of experience comes at a time when Brown is developing an operational plan for significantly growing its research enterprise.
“Our faculty are accomplished researchers, creative artists and educators whose work expands knowledge at the leading edge of their disciplines and, in partnership with Brown students and staff, makes a positive impact in communities both locally and across the globe,” said Provost Richard M. Locke. “I’m delighted to welcome this cohort of talented scholars to Brown to build on and amplify efforts across campus to develop solutions to many of the most vexing questions faced by society today.”
The arrival of 62 new faculty members reflects Brown's strategic efforts to recruit top scholars from research areas — articulated in the Building on Distinction strategic plan and related operational plans — in which the University is uniquely poised to have a meaningful impact. And with nearly 30% of this year’s new faculty members coming from groups historically underrepresented in higher education, strategic investments in actions outlined in Brown's Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan are helping to ensure that faculty represent the varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences critical to advancing knowledge, learning and discovery.
In addition, multiple new deans (including those with interim appointments) will lead schools and academic units in their first full academic years in 2022-23: Ronald Aubert, interim dean of the School of Public Health; Tejal Desai, dean of the School of Engineering; Dr. Mukesh K. Jain, dean of the Warren Alpert Medical School; Thomas Lewis, interim dean of the Graduate School; Shankar Prasad, dean of the School of Professional Studies; and Leah VanWey, dean of the faculty.
Desai, who began her tenure at Brown on Sept. 1, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Opening Convocation ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 10.
The new professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers will serve across the University’s academic departments, divisions and schools. The full listing of new faculty, with links for more information about each of them, follows below.
Humanities and Social Sciences
Leslie Acton
Lecturer in Environment and Society

Christelle Alvarez
Assistant Professor of Egyptology and Assyriology

Rick Baldoz
Associate Professor of American Studies

Sandra Barnes
C.V. Starr Professor of Sociology

Keisha Blain
Professor of Africana Studies

Jayna Brown
Professor of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies

Donghyun Danny Choi
Assistant Professor of Political Science
.jpg)
Becci Davis
Lecturer in Visual Art

John Diamond
Professor of Sociology and Education Policy
Gemma Dipoppa
Assistant Professor of Political Science

John Eason
Watson Family University Associate Professor of Sociology and International and Public Affairs

Kim Gallon
Associate Professor of Africana Studies

Macarena Gomez-Barris
Professor of Modern Culture and Media

Chris Grasso
Professor of History

Heeyeong Jung
Lecturer in East Asian Studies

Tricia Kelly
Lecturer in Education

Kent Kleinman
Faculty Director of the Brown Arts Institute, Professor of the Practice of History of Art and Architecture
Nell Lake
Lecturer in English

Shelley Lee
Professor of American Studies

Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo
David S. Josephson Assistant Professor of Music

Elisa Macchi
Assistant Professor of Economics
Kyuwon Moon
Lecturer in East Asian Studies

Mark Ocegueda
Assistant Professor of History

Mindi Schneider
Lecturer in Environment and Society

Matthew Shenoda
Professor of Literary Arts

Grace Talusan
Lecturer in English

Ivan Tan
Lecturer in Music

Timo Vollbrecht
Lecturer in Music

Alexander Weheliye
Malcolm S. Forbes Professor of Modern Culture and Media

Karin Wulf
Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director and Librarian of the John Carter Brown Library, Professor of History





