Josie Brown Appointed Interim Dean of WNEU College of Arts & Sciences
SPRINGFIELD — Josie Brown has been named interim dean of the Western New England University (WNEU) College of Arts & Sciences.
“Dr. Brown stood out to me for her passion and compassion — that is, her unquestioned loyalty and commitment to Western New England University and her abiding devotion to the well-being of our students,” said Curt Hamakawa, acting university provost. “Over her 18-year tenure at Western New England University, Dr. Brown has earned the admiration, respect, and support of her peers and colleagues, as well as the legions of students who have graced our campus over this period.”
Brown joined the College of Arts & Sciences faculty in 2003, most recently serving as assistant dean for Arts and Sciences; professor of African-American, Caribbean, and Black Literatures; and student advisor, as well as the Study Abroad assistant director.
As an undergraduate, Brown double-majored in English and African-American Studies at Bates College. She then went on to pursue a master’s degree in English at Queens College in New York. Brown earned her Ph.D. in English from Stony Brook University with a concentration in African-American, Caribbean, and Post-colonial Literatures. In September 2019, she was honored by the African American Female Professors Award Assoc.
“Dr. Josie Brown is a scholar of many talents. She is an outstanding teacher, an authority in Caribbean literatures, a superb higher-education administrator, and an expert and a leader in diversity,” said Saeed Ghahramani, who will be rejoining the university’s College of Arts & Sciences faculty, where he previously served as dean since 2000.
