Brown University President to step down after 15 years

Brown University President Christina Paxson announced on Monday, August 3, 2026, that she will step down at the end of the 2026-27 academic year, concluding a 15-year tenure marked by significant institutional growth and a series of high-profile challenges. Paxson, who became president in 2012, is the longest-serving current leader of an Ivy League university.

In an open letter to the university community, Paxson stated the timing was right for a leadership transition, allowing a new president to set the vision for the university's next phase. She noted she had previously extended her tenure to manage the university's clash with the federal government over research funding.

That conflict emerged during the Trump administration's second term, as federal officials targeted elite universities over campus climate issues, including responses to protests related to the war in Gaza. In July 2025, the administration moved to block $510 million in federal research grants for Brown. The university subsequently reached a settlement that restored the funding. The agreement required Brown to commission a third-party evaluation of its campus climate, particularly for Jewish students, and...