Brown University president to step down after 2026–27 academic year

Brown University President Christina H. Paxson announced on Monday that the 2026-27 academic year will be her last leading the Ivy League institution, bringing to a close a presidency that will span more than 15 years.

"Fifteen years is a significant tenure for any president," Paxson wrote in a letter to the Brown community. "Brown is wonderfully poised to begin its next chapter, and a transition in leadership now will ensure the vision for the next phase is set by Brown's next leader."

Paxson, who became Brown's 19th president on July 1, 2012, said leading the university had been "the opportunity of a lifetime," praising the institution's commitment to academic excellence, research, intellectual curiosity and community.

When Paxson steps down, she will relinquish her status as the Ivy League's longest-serving president.

Paxson's relationship with President Donald Trump and his administration became increasingly strained over the past year, after the federal government froze more than $500 million in Brown University's research funding in April 2025 and launched multiple investigations into the school's compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.

In July, Brown reached an agreement with the Trump administration that resolved the investigations and restored access to the federal research funding.