Terry Brown has been named as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

The school announced that Brown, currently dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, will assume her duties next semester.

Brown said she took the job here because Parkside presents her with new challenges and greater opportunity for personal growth.

“What I see at Parkside is a much more diverse student body in terms of race and ethnicity, more first-generation students, and students in greater need of support in their early years to help them succeed in college-level courses,” she said. “I believe [UW-Parkside] is making a huge difference in the lives of those students and that’s really what I want to do: I want to make a difference in the lives of students.”

Brown also said the university’s strong commitment to serving the region attracted her to UW-Parkside.

As provost, Brown’s duties will include supervision of curriculum, teaching, faculty appointments, academic resources and support programs. In addition to overseeing the university’s 33 undergraduate majors and three masters programs, she will supervise the Center for Community Partnerships, the UW-Parkside library, advising and career services, campus technology, and student support services.

“Dr. Brown’s experience in academic leadership, her portfolio of scholarly accomplishments, and her student-focused approach to higher education make her ideally suited to our campus,” said UW-Parkside Chancellor Deborah Ford.

“Selecting the right person was difficult because we had four excellent finalists for the position. Terry brings a level of experience and success that will help move our campus forward.”

Brown holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Florida. Her baccalaureate and masters degrees in English were attained at Virginia Tech.

She joined the UW-River Falls English department in 1989. As dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Brown leads the largest college on campus, with 2,200 students, nearly 200 full- and part-time faculty, and an $8.8 million budget.

Current interim provost and Vice Chancellor Gerald Greenfield will return to his teaching duties on a full-time basis.