Dean of the Faculty

The Dean of the Faculty is a senior member of the University's academic administration and is directly responsible for the recruitment, retention and development of University faculty.  The Dean works closely with the Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences and the Dean of the School of Engineering.

As the officer most directly involved in shaping and developing the Brown faculty, the Dean of the Faculty has a significant impact on the University's intellectual life and academic future. The Dean supervises and approves all faculty searches and departmental hiring plans; works with faculty governance committees on hiring, reappointment, promotion and tenure; convenes small discussion groups of department chairs and faculty on academic issues and initiatives; serves as the faculty's advocate within the University; and is a member of the President's Cabinet.

 

Dean Kevin McLaughlin

Kevin McLaughlin comes to the Dean's office from the Brown English Department, where his research focused on European and American literature of the 19th century, with special emphasis on the interconnections between literature and philosophy.  He is the author of two books - Writing in Parts: Imitation and Exchange in 19th-Century Literature, and Paperwork: Fiction and Mass Mediacy in the Paper Age - as well as the co-translator of Walter Benjamin's Arcades Project.  Dean McLaughlin has recently served as the chair of the English and German Studies departments.