Robert A. Brown

Dr. Robert A. Brown is president emeritus of Boston University, a professor of engineering, and a professor in the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences. As a researcher in the field of engineering, his main area of interest is mathematical modeling of transport phenomena in materials, and he has published more than 250 papers on various topics.

Professor Brown is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, and served as executive editor of Chemical Engineering Science from 1991 to 2004. He also serves as chair of the Academic Research Council of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Singapore, and is a member of Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council.

In 2008, Professor Brown was honored as one of the top 100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. In 2014, the National Academy of Engineering awarded him the Simon Ramo Founders Award for his contributions to engineering and his leadership in transforming disciplines in institutions. That same year, he was elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Prior to his appointment as president of Boston University, Professor Brown was provost and Warren K. Lewis Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As president of Boston University from 2005 until 2023, Professor Brown elevated the institution’s position as a leading private research university. He implemented its first strategic plan, which focused on strengthening the quality of undergraduate and graduate programs, attracting world-class faculty members, and facilitating their research and scholarship, culminating in an invitation to join the Association of American Universities in 2012.

Professor Brown’s other significant academic initiatives include the Kilachand Honors College, the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, the $100 million Rajen Kilachand Fund for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering, and the creation of the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, housed in the Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences.

Professor Brown earned his BS and MS in chemical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and his PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota.

Writings

Brown, R.A. (2025). “Will the American research university make it to its 100th birthday?" elsevier.com/connect/will-the-american-research-university-make-it-to-its-100th-birthday

Brown, R.A. (2025). “Don't Rank Research Universities--Compare Them.” Issues in Science and Technology, 41 (2) Winter 2025, 31-34. Brown-Dont-Rank-Research-Universities—Compare-Them-Winter-2025

Brown, R.A. (2024). “The Case for a More Strategic Financial Management System.” Inside Higher Education, January 11, 2024. insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2024/01/11/financial-management-system-guided-strategy-opinion

Brown, R.A. (2023). “My Reflections after 18 Years as BU President.” Letter to the Boston University community. bu.edu/articles/2023/pov-my-reflections-after-18-years-as-bu-president/

Brown, R.A. (2021). “A Simple Model for Control of COVID-19 Infections on an Urban Campus.” Proc. National Academy of Sciences, 118, No. 36.