Fayetteville, N.C. – Fayetteville State University is excited to announce Sonja M. Brown, Ph.D., a highly experienced higher education professional, as the new Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Faculty Affairs.
In this role, Brown supports the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor by working with deans and department chairs to recruit and retain highly qualified faculty members who will help advance the mission and strategic plan of FSU.
As a member of the provost’s Office, she will also assist in planning, organizing, and monitoring academic program areas and implementing strategies to promote FSU goals and priorities with a focus on academic excellence.
“We welcome the invaluable expertise Dr. Brown brings to FSU,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor, Monica Leach, Ed.D. “Brown’s experiences will be a vital component to the success of our bold academically focused goals of the Ready for Tomorrow strategic plan.”
Brown served in various leadership positions, including Dean of the College of Media and Mass Communication at The American University in the Emirates in Dubai and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Great Basin College before joining FSU.
Throughout her career, she has supported students, faculty, and staff on remotely based, community college and university campuses.
As a faculty member at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Brown taught courses in interpersonal communication, mass media, and research methods. She is the co-author and editor of four books and several journal articles about representations of Black women in media and Black women’s leadership experiences.
Brown graduated from several national administrative professional development programs, including the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Women’s Leadership Institute in 2010 and the American Council on Education (ACE) Department Chair Leadership Academy in 2010.
She earned her Bachelor’s and Master of Arts degrees in Communication Studies from Fresno State University, and her doctorate in Communication Studies from the University of Georgia.
