Dear colleagues,
I write to share the news that Jeff Brown, dean of Gies College of Business, has announced that this academic year will be his final year as dean.
Jeff was appointed as the college’s dean in 2015 and was reappointed in May 2020. I commend Dean Brown highly for setting forth a clear vision of what he wanted the college to achieve and for his commitment to access, innovation and excellence in the college. During his tenure, Gies has reimagined its undergraduate and graduate programs to serve more learners than ever before and pioneered a new future in online education.
Among his many accomplishments over the last eight years, which include transformations across all of the mission areas of the college, one that Dean Brown will long be remembered for is his effort in ushering in the largest single gift in the history of the University of Illinois – a $150 million naming gift from Larry and Beth Gies in 2017. Deservedly, Jeff was named the 2021 Dean of the Year by Poets&Quants.
In addition to serving as dean, Jeff is a professor of finance and was the founding director of the Center for Business and Public Policy, having joined the Gies faculty in 2002.
I will be meeting with the Gies Executive Committee to discuss plans for a search for the next dean of the Gies College of Business. We will provide more information in the coming weeks.
Please join me in thanking and congratulating Dean Brown for his outstanding leadership and service to the college and to our university. Jeff has always encouraged us to be big and bold in our thinking and aspirations. I look forward to all he will continue to accomplish in his next steps.
Sincerely,
John Coleman
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost
