Members of the Brown Community,

I am writing to share the heartbreaking and unexpected news that our friend and colleague, Eric Estes, passed away early this morning after a sudden illness. He was 55 years old. His mother, Angela Estes, was able to travel to Providence before his passing, and I and other members of the senior administration team are spending time with her and Eric’s closest friends.

Eric came to Brown as Vice President for Campus Life in 2016 after holding a similar position at Oberlin College. Since then, the University has benefited from his vision and deep commitment to members of the Brown community.

Eric was especially dedicated to the success and well-being of students, as evidenced by the strengthening of residential life, health services, identity and cultural centers, student support, and other areas that occurred under his leadership. During his time at Brown, he guided plans for a new center for health and wellness and three new residence halls. The LGBTQ Center was given a new home, now known as Stonewall House. And Eric worked to build stronger supports for military-affiliated students, international students and students with disabilities. In addition to creating strong facilities and programs, Eric treasured his informal interactions with students, frequently hosting dinners and gatherings for students in his home.

Eric spoke often of the importance of inclusive community, appreciating others for their “true selves,” and recognizing and respecting the lived experiences of others. These values informed his commitment to ensuring that members across our community could cultivate understanding across differences. He played a pivotal role in convening students to build bridges and be in dialogue with one another. He also worked with faculty and staff across Brown to help advance the importance of sustaining a community of educators both inside and outside the classroom. His strong belief in ensuring the “holistic success” of our students was reflected in the development of a Campus Life roadmap that will have a lasting impact on how the University educates and supports students outside the classroom.

Truly, Eric’s impact was broad and deep. He served in essential leadership roles during some of the most momentous events for Brown. Eric and his team of professionals played pivotal roles in guiding Brown through the COVID-19 pandemic and in the challenges of this academic year. His excellent judgement and calm demeanor were essential during these difficult times. Though we had not yet had the chance to share this news, which would have been effective July 1, Eric was recently promoted to the position of Senior Vice President for Campus Life in recognition of the tremendous positive impact he’s had in his eight years of service at Brown.

No letter can do justice to the deep and lasting contributions Eric has made, but I will summarize others here.

Eric’s Deep Commitment to Higher Education

Before coming to Brown, Eric worked at Oberlin College and Conservatory for 12 years, serving his last five years as vice president and dean of students. He also served as an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and in Student Life and was the longest-serving director of the Multicultural Resource Center.

Prior to Oberlin, Eric held faculty and administrative positions at Duke and Syracuse. While on the Duke faculty, he chaired a presidential task force on LGBT matters, served on a presidential commission on the status of women, and was a faculty affiliate of the Center for LGBT Life. At Syracuse, he worked for three years in the Graduate School on professional development programs focused on excellence in undergraduate teaching. At Syracuse, Duke and Oberlin, Eric taught courses on modern Germany and the Holocaust, gender and mass violence, gender and sexuality, and athletics and U.S. culture, and (at Oberlin) connections between the college’s early missionary history in China and Asian American student activism on campus.

Eric served in recent years as a member of the Trinity College Board of Trustees and is the past president of the college’s national alumni association. He is also a past chair of the steering board for the Consortium on High Achievement and Success, a national organization focused on the academic success of students of color at institutions dedicated to liberal arts education. He has been an engaged member of the local communities he has called home over the years, serving most recently on the capital campaign committee for the Boys and Girls Club of Rhode Island and as a member of the Conservator Society at the Providence Public Library.

Beyond his many professional accomplishments, many of us will remember Eric best as a generous friend who always put the well-being of his colleagues first. In both celebratory moments and as we navigated major challenges, he brought warmth, compassion and an unwavering spirit of dedication and kindness. We will deeply miss Eric’s presence on campus.

In the coming days, I will share plans for interim leadership of the Campus Life Division. Eric has built a very strong team, and Brown will be well supported. Plans for a celebration of Eric’s life also will be announced in the coming days.

Our hearts go out to Eric’s mother, his brother, Christopher, his beloved dog, Eleanor, and all who knew and loved him.

Sincerely,

Christina H. Paxson
President