PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Dr. Patricia Poitevien, a practicing physician and a senior administrator and faculty member within Brown University’s Division of Biology and Medicine, has been appointed the University’s vice president for campus life, effective June 1, 2025.
Brown President Christina H. Paxson shared news of Poitevien’s appointment in a Tuesday, April 1, letter to the campus. She noted that among an excellent pool of candidates in a national search, Poitevien stood out for her strong knowledge of developmental learning and her deep understanding of health and well-being as integral to student success.
“Pat is both a practicing pediatrician and an educator who has thoughtfully mentored and supported students across all stages of their academic and personal journeys,” Paxson wrote. “As a recognized expert in disparities in medical education and health care, she brings a demonstrated ability to cultivate understanding across differences.”
Poitevien will lead the Division of Campus Life, serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and work closely with the Corporation of Brown University on matters related to the student experience. The vice president for campus life is responsible for supporting holistic student success and working with faculty, staff and students to foster and maintain a campus community grounded in mutual respect and trust that encourages intellectual inquiry and development. Poitevien will oversee more than 20 centers, departments and offices and will collaborate with partners across administrative units and academic departments to create opportunities for all undergraduate, graduate and medical students to thrive.
Paxson noted that Poitevien has a deep appreciation for Brown’s focus on maintaining the resources, support and services to enable all students to succeed, and a set of experiences that makes her uniquely suited to understand student needs and to be a strong advocate for students. She has a personal relationship to the Brown student experience, having earned both bachelor’s and medical degrees as a graduate of the University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education. And while serving as interim vice president for institutional equity and diversity from November 2024 to February 2025, Poitevien worked with colleagues across campus to ensure that all members of the community could participate fully in the life of the University.
“I have had the extraordinary privilege of being an undergraduate, a medical student, an alumna, a faculty member and an administrative leader at Brown,” Poitevien said. “Each role has provided me with rich insight into what makes Brown a transformational place to learn, to teach, to work and to grow. As a pediatrician and a longtime residency program director and medical educator, I have spent my career thinking about developmental growth while examining and designing living and learning communities that promote inclusion and flourishing of learners. I am thrilled to tap into my skills, my experience and my personal love of Brown to lead the Division of Campus Life.”
An associate professor of pediatrics, Poitevien joined Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School faculty in 2018. Since 2022, she has held the role of senior associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, serving as a liaison between the medical school community, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and Brown’s affiliated clinical partners. She has enabled new collaborations and supported medical students in providing inclusive, community-centered education, mentorship and clinical care.
Prior to joining Brown, Poitevien was an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at New York University’s school of medicine from 2006 through 2018. She is the immediate past president of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors and was a founding member of the association’s Learning Community on Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine. Until 2022, she led the Brown Pediatrics Residency Program at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, which is an affiliated hospital of the medical school.
In addition to her degrees from Brown, Poitevien holds a master’s in clinical investigation from New York University School of Medicine.
Poitevien succeeds Eric Estes, a longtime education leader who passed away unexpectedly after a sudden illness in June 2024. Russell Carey, Brown’s executive vice president for policy and planning who has led the division on an interim basis, will continue in the role until Poitevien’s appointment takes effect on June 1.