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.

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. 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, Brown is receiving major grants for pioneering research that will lead to tremendous innovation for this country. Our faculty, staff and students are doing both basic and applied research that holds the promise of advancing medical treatment, improving human wellbeing through technological progress, helping us understand the human condition and society, and influencing policy that addresses critical issues facing nations and communities. We also continue to expand access to a Brown education and to admit the best and brightest students in alignment with our commitment to bring students with a diversity of ideas, perspectives and experiences to Brown to educate them for lives of meaning and purpose.

I will look back on my time as Brown’s president as the most rewarding job I could possibly have had. Truly, it has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I have had the distinct privilege of collaborating with extraordinary colleagues — members of my senior team, faculty, staff, alumni and parents — and, above all, the joy of working alongside Brown’s remarkable students. The trustees and fellows of the Corporation of Brown University have been an endless source of wise advice and support.

Together, we have moved this University forward, expanding access to education and supporting education, research and scholarship that make the world better. We have celebrated our many shared successes and supported one another through times of challenge and profound loss. Through it all, our collective focus has been on doing what is best to advance Brown as both a world-class research university and a vibrant, caring and inclusive community.

I look forward to Brown’s future. Universities thrive on the excitement of new ideas and the healthy challenge of reinvention that only a new president can bring. As we navigate a transformative era for higher education in America, Brown’s model — open, collaborative, curiosity-driven and student-centered — is more essential than ever. It is the right time for a new Brown president who will have the distinct privilege and pleasure of leading a university that is exceptionally well positioned for impact in the years ahead.

My husband, Ari Gabinet, and I are deeply grateful for the warm embrace we have received from the Brown, Providence, and Rhode Island communities. After more than 14 years, this is home, and we plan to contribute to Brown’s continued success and support our local community in the years to come.

Chancellor Brian Moynihan will provide further information regarding the search process, which will engage members of the Brown community. While the search for the next president gets underway, we still have much to accomplish together in the year ahead. In a few weeks, as always, I will send a letter to the community that lays out goals for the coming year. This is not a time to put ambitious plans on pause. I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to move Brown forward.

In the meantime, I wish you a restful and productive conclusion to your summer. 

Ever true, with love and gratitude,

Christina H. Paxson
President