Hollins University has named Gary L. Brown, Ph.D., as the school’s vice president for student success, well-being, and belonging. He will be responsible for critical components of the student experience outside the classroom and serve as a committed student advocate. Brown will join Hollins on January 1, 2024.
“Gary Brown was unmatched in the care he exemplified for our students and his deep desire to be a part of the Hollins community,” said Hollins President Mary Dana Hinton. “Every person with whom we consulted spoke to his quiet presence and yet his strength of character as a leader and supporter of students. I believe he will elevate student success, well-being, and belonging to new heights and am excited to have him join the team.”
Brown comes to Hollins from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, where he was vice chancellor for student affairs since 2018. Last year, he was also named interim vice chancellor for university advancement. He previously served for 11 years in various roles including dean of students and interim vice chancellor for student affairs at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), and two years in North Carolina Wesleyan College’s Division of Academic Affairs.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from NCCU in 2002, Brown went on to complete an M.Ed. in higher education administration at North Carolina State University, a Master of Divinity at Shaw University Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in higher education leadership at North Carolina A&T State University. He received NCCU’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2016 and was named the Vice Chancellor’s Senior Administrator of the Year for 2014-15. He is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the American College Personnel Association.
“I look forward to joining the Hollins community,” Brown stated. “We will build upon the strong foundation that has already been laid in supporting Hollins students and meeting their holistic needs. We will also aid in their preparation for the world that awaits them and that so desperately needs their gifts, talents, skills, and abilities.”
Hollins University is dedicated to academic excellence, creativity, belonging, and preparing students for lives of purpose. Hollins provides an outstanding and academically rigorous undergraduate liberal arts education for women and entrepreneurial and innovative graduate programs for all in a gender-inclusive environment.
