Robert A. Brown

This page is about the university president. For the mining industry person see Robert A. "Volcanic" Brown.

Robert A. Brown (born July 221951) is the 10th president of Boston University. He was formerly the provost of MIT.

Additional recommended knowledge

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

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Recognize and detect the effects of electrostatic charges on your balance

Education

He is a chemical engineer by training. A Texas native, he received his B.S. and M.A. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and his Ph.D from the University of Minnesota in 1979.

MIT

In 1979, Dr. Brown joined the faculty of MIT as assistant professor. He worked at MIT for 25 years before moving across the Charles River to become the president of Boston University. During his tenure at MIT, he served as co-director of the MIT Supercomputer Facility, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and Dean of Engineering. In 1998, he became the provost of MIT.

Boston University

Dr. Robert Brown was selected as the 10th president of Boston University on May, 2005. He was inaugurated on September, 2005, succeeding Aram V. Chobanian, who served as President from October 2003 until June 2005.

Other honors

Dr. Robert Brown became an honorary citizen of Singapore in January 2006. In February 2006, President George W. Bush appointed President Brown to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a panel established to maintain a steady stream of expert advice from the private sector and the academic community on a wide range of scientific and technical matters. Dr. Brown is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Personal Life

Dr. Brown is married to his wife Beverly. They have two grown sons.