Brown University President Christina Paxson announced Monday she plans to leave her post next summer.
“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 wrote in a letter describing her departure after the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
Paxson started as Brown’s president in 2012.
During her tenure, the university raised its emphasis on research, created a School of Public Health, expanded its footprint in Providence’s Jewelry District, lent its name to the state’s largest hospital group and boosted financial aid.
Brown was also the scene of a shooting last December that killed two students and shocked the state.
The assailant who opened fire, a former Brown grad student, later killed himself.
Brown also faced protests from students over the university’s investment in companies supporting Israel.
Chancellor Brian T. Moynihan wrote in a letter to the community that he asked Paxson – whose contract was extended last year to June 2028 – if she would stay longer. Without going into detail, beyond the length of her tenure, Paxson called it the best time for her, her family and the university for her to move on.
Moynihan credited her with steering “the university through very challenging times, including a pandemic, dramatic policy changes for higher education, and a tragic shooting. She has done so with that balance of commitment to academic excellence, operational excellence and a collaborative philosophy.”
Before coming to Brown, Paxson was a professor and dean of the School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University.
According to the Brown Daily Herald, Paxson’s 15-year tenure will be longer than any current Ivy League president when she departs next year.
Brown plans a national search to find Paxson’s successor.
In July 2025, Brown reached a $50 million settlement with the Trump administration to restore funding for federally sponsored medical and health sciences research.
In her letter, Paxson wrote, “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.”
She wrote, “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.”
