Josie Brown Named Dean of Hillyer and A&S

The University of Hartford has appointed Josie Brown as dean of Hillyer College and the College of Arts & Sciences, beginning July 2.

Brown comes to UHart from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa., where she has served as the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences since 2022. Prior to that, Brown spent 17 years at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass., in both teaching and administrative roles. She served as interim dean for two years and assistant dean for seven years in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“I am thrilled to be joining the University of Hartford community, and I am particularly excited to be joining Hillyer College and the College of Arts & Sciences," Brown says. “This is a time of wonderful opportunity as we work together to modernize the curriculum and to foster opportunities between the two colleges, while also pursuing collaborations with the others on campus. I look forward to working with faculty, staff, administrators, and the UHart community.”

“I am excited to welcome Josie Brown into this new role as dean of both Hillyer College and the College of Arts and Sciences,” University of Hartford Provost Katherine Black says. “I believe she has the knowledge and experience to enhance their distinctive missions and their synergies, and I look forward to working with her to support the two colleges’ and the University’s goals.”

Brown received her doctoral degree focused in English literature from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her areas of academic concentration include African American literature, Caribbean literature, and Postcolonial theory and literature.

Brown succeeds Frances Altvater and Mark Blackwell who have led Hillyer and A&S, respectively, as interim deans since 2022.