PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — President Christina H. Paxson and Chancellor Brian T. Moynihan announced in a pair of letters to the Brown University community Aug. 3 that Paxson has decided that the 2026-27 academic year will be her last as president.
Paxson began her service as Brown’s 19th president on July 1, 2012. Now in her 15th year, she said that Brown has achieved the goals the community established together early in her presidency through the Building on Distinction strategic plan.
“Fifteen years is a significant tenure for any president, and in that time, this amazing community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents and friends showed up in so many ways to achieve the bold aspirations in the strategic plan we developed together near the beginning of my presidency,” Paxson wrote in her letter. She added that the time is right for a new leader.
“Brown is wonderfully poised to begin its next chapter, and a transition in leadership now will ensure the vision for the next phase is set by Brown’s next leader and stewarded by them from the beginning,” Paxson said. “I am committed to ongoing work to contribute to Brown’s strength and resilience until I step down at the end of the academic year.”
In Moynihan’s letter to the Brown community, he echoed that a leadership transition will prepare the University to embark on its next chapter.
“Chris Paxson has been an inspiring, visionary, purpose-driven and amazingly steadfast and stalwart leader for Brown, and of course I asked her if she would stay longer,” Moynihan said. “The Corporation in May 2025 had unanimously approved the extension of President Paxson’s term to June 30, 2028, but she let us know she feels that Brown will soon be ready to begin a new strategic planning process. It is her strong belief — and the Corporation and I agreed — that it is the right time to find a new president who will lead this multi-year effort for Brown and be in place to implement their vision for the next generation.”
In her letter, Paxson stated that she fulfilled the goals of her term extension, which was approved shortly after reports in April 2025 that the federal government had frozen Brown’s research funding.
“In May of 2025, I agreed to extend my service as president past the previous June 2026 end date of my term so that I could help Brown navigate a federal funding freeze that imperiled our mission of research and education,” Paxson said. “I am proud that we came to an agreement with the federal government that restored our funding while staying true to Brown’s values.”
While the federal landscape remains volatile for all colleges and universities, Paxson said the University is receiving major grants for pioneering research that will lead to innovation for the country, propel the development of medical treatments, improve human wellbeing, advance understanding of the human condition and society, and influence policy that addresses critical issues facing nations and communities. She noted that Brown also continues to expand access to talented students who will bring a diverse range of ideas, perspectives and experiences to Brown.
The Corporation of Brown University will launch a national search to identify Brown’s 20th president, Moynihan told the community in his letter. His letter included a list of Paxson’s accomplishments spanning academics, access and affordability, improving the physical campus and the Brown experience, and economic development and local partnerships in Providence and Rhode Island.
“We are committed to involving members of the Brown community to help us find the best person for Brown’s next chapter, while at the same time we work with President Paxson to establish priorities for her final academic year,” Moynihan wrote.
The full text of Paxson’s and Moynihan’s letters sent to Brown students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and donors is included below.
From President Paxson, Aug. 3, 2026
Leadership transition: Preparing for Brown’s next chapter
Dear Members of the Brown Community,
My first year as Brown University’s 19th president began on July 1, 2012. I was excited to be joining a university with such a distinguished and distinctive history. I remember, at the time, feeling a profound sense of optimism and gratitude, coupled with the humility that comes with the enormous responsibility of leading a great university.
More than 14 years later, the experience has been all that I could have hoped for, and more. I fell in love with Brown and all that Brown stands for: its embrace of excellence in education and research in the service of society; the priority it places on intellectual curiosity and independence; and its strong sense of community that binds students, faculty, staff and alumni together.
And so, it was with mixed emotions that I informed the Corporation of Brown University earlier today that the 2026-27 academic year will be my last as Brown’s president. This is the right decision for me and my family. And I firmly believe that it is the best path for Brown. Fifteen years is a significant tenure for any president, and in that time, this amazing community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents and friends showed up in so many ways to achieve the bold aspirations in the strategic plan we developed together near the beginning of my presidency. We worked vigilantly to demonstrate the value of Brown to the world, and we all can be proud of and deeply grateful for the transformative impact of a community-driven fundraising campaign that made so much of our work possible.
Brown is wonderfully poised to begin its next chapter, and a transition in leadership now will ensure the vision for the next phase is set by Brown’s next leader and stewarded by them from the beginning. I am committed to ongoing work to contribute to Brown’s strength and resilience until I step down at the end of the academic year.
