PROVIDENCE, RI [Brown University] – Provost Richard M. Locke, an innovative leader who has been instrumental in strengthening Brown University’s academic excellence and shaping a more vibrant and cohesive community through a deep commitment to diversity , equity and inclusion, was named the next vice president and dean of Apple University.
Locke will step down from Brown at the end of calendar year 2022, leaving a distinguished legacy that includes raising the profile of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, building a foundation to inaugurate a landmark fundraiser for scholarships and teachers. research and collaborating with other administrative leaders to double faculty diversity. An internationally renowned scholar and authority on international labor relations and labor rights, comparative political economy, and corporate accountability, Locke was recruited by Brown of MIT in 2013 to serve as Howard R. Swearer Director of the Watson Institute. On July 1, 2015, he was named Brown’s 13th provost.
Brown President Christina H. Paxson said Locke is an exceptional academic leader whose legacy of collaboration and dedication will leave a lasting impact throughout the University.
“While I am saddened that Brown is losing such an extraordinary academic leader, I recognize that his new role is one that Rick is both extremely enthusiastic about and extremely well positioned to take on,” Paxson said. “Since joining Brown to lead the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs in 2013 and taking over as provost in July 2015, Rick has made lasting contributions that have helped strengthen Brown across the academic enterprise. .”
As Academic Director of the University, Locke worked closely with senior deans, faculty, and administrative colleagues at the institution, championing Brown’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to research and education to solve pressing societal issues, Paxson said.
