In this letter to the Brown community sent on October 16, 2024, Dean Rashid Zia announces Dawn King’s appointment as Deputy Dean of the College for Curriculum, recognizing her contributions to Brown’s academic community and outlining her upcoming role in guiding undergraduate curricular programs and initiatives.
I am delighted to share that Dawn King, Senior Lecturer in Environment and Society, has been appointed Deputy Dean of the College for Curriculum, effective November 1, 2024. Dawn will be stepping down from her current role as Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Environmental Sciences and Studies concentration as she assumes this new role within the College.
In this role, Dawn will steward the College’s policies and programs related to the undergraduate curriculum, including support for undergraduate concentrations. She will also serve as a liaison to faculty and staff in academic departments around curricular issues and, as a member of the College Curriculum Council, will help facilitate the review of new and existing undergraduate academic programs. Dawn will manage the team of academic deans and professional staff who support the College’s curricular programs, including the Brown-RISD Dual Degree program and the Curricular Resource Center, as well as co-curricular programs for experiential learning, fellowships, pre-professional advising, and undergraduate research.
Dawn arrived at Brown as a Visiting Lecturer in 2012 and now serves as both a Senior Lecturer and longstanding Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES). During her 13 years at Brown, Dawn has earned the Comfort and Urry Excellence in Advising Award (2015), the Karen T. Romer Award for Excellence in Advising (2023), and the Swearer Engaged Faculty Teaching Award (2023).
As an undergraduate advisor, Dawn focuses on meaningful student development. She has supported first-year, second-year, Brown|RISD dual degree, RUE and transfer students as they navigate Brown’s unique Open Curriculum, and has operated as a thought partner for undergraduate advising efforts like the Brown Matched Advising Program for Sophomores (MAPS), the Brown Choices program, and 1stYear@Brown.
Beyond advising, Dawn’s multiple terms of service as a College Curriculum Council member have helped to shape student opportunities, and enriched curricular design frameworks. Her teaching celebrates experiential learning and community engagement, and a longstanding relationship with the Swearer Center underscores her commitment to value-based work. Dawn has proudly led over 1,600 students in 170 engaged scholarship programs, championed for the Brown Community Council, and has supported several Brown fellowship committees – including Fulbright, Udall, UTRA, and Royce.
Please join me in congratulating Dawn on this new role! Dawn and I look forward to partnering with you and colleagues across campus to advance Brown’s curriculum.
Sincerely,
Rashid Zia, Dean of the College