Dr. Daniel A. Brown – LU’s new Associate Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs
January 04, 2021 | by Shelly Vitanza
Lamar University is pleased to announce that Dr. Daniel A. Brown has joined LU as Associate Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs. Brown began working on November 1. 
“We are delighted to welcome Dann and he is already fully engaged in LU administration,” said Dr. Brenda Nichols, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Dann’s combination experience from teaching positions, research and administrative roles made him a standout for this critical team role. Plus, he is a friendly engaging person who will thrive in the culture at LU.”
Prior to assuming this role, Brown served as dean of University College, Director of the PACE Center and Principal Investigator for U.S. Department of Education Title III / V Hispanic Serving Programs at Texas State University. As dean of University College, Brown was responsible for several signature programs, including campus academic advising, the Bachelor of General Studies interdisciplinary degree program, the Athletic Academic Center, the Common Experience and Common Reading programs and the Texas Success Initiative program.
Brown authored and served as principal investigator on five federally funded programs while at Texas State with a combined grant portfolio of nearly $15,000,000. Brown also oversaw the nationally recognized PACE Center, a one-stop center providing academic advisement, career counseling, peer mentoring, academic coaching and University Seminar to all first-year students. The PACE Center received the NACADA Outstanding Institutional Advising Center Award in 2016, and a PACE peer mentor was identified as the Outstanding Mentor of the Year by CRLA in 2017.
Before joining Texas State, Brown served as dean of the University at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. In addition to his duties as dean, he authored and served as principal investigator on three Title V / CCRAA Hispanic Serving Institutions grant projects. Prior to coming to Texas, Brown served as a faculty member, interim department chair and program coordinator at Eastern New Mexico University.
"Lamar University is an exciting place to be in the higher education world,” said Brown. “The combination of being a part of an academic enterprise that is nimble and responsive to the needs of our students, families and community, as well as the vital role LU plays in providing access to higher education in southeast Texas makes the university and Beaumont a perfect fit for me and my family. I've met many new colleagues and am really looking forward to getting to know more of our faculty, staff, students and alumni."
Brown received his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Oklahoma State University and M.S. and B.S. degrees in biology from Pittsburg State University. He has published peer reviewed articles in a variety of journals, including “Plant Disease,” the “Journal of Phytopathology,” “Canadian Journal of Forest Research,” “Tree Physiology,” “International Journal of Plant Sciences” and “Journal of Arboriculture.” While holding administrative appointments since 2005, he has authored $24.7M in successful federal and state grant projects. His research focuses on quantitative approaches to student success and the synergistic and non-target effects observed as programs and interventions are focused on undergraduate student achievements in persistence, retention and graduation.
Brown has also served his academic community, serving as president of the Association of Deans and Directors of University Colleges and the New Mexico Higher Education Assessment Association. He has been recognized as a Leader of Change by the National Center for Continuous Improvement and was as semi-finalist for the Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award from the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition in 2007. Brown has supported the growth and professional development of his peers through consultancies and provided keynote remarks in a variety of academic settings. Most recently, he served on the executive council for the Austin College Attainment Network and represented Texas State on the E3 Alliance, an Austin-based non-profit organization focused on the intersection of education and economic development. Until his transition to Lamar University, Brown was a member of and chairperson for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Undergraduate Education Advisory Council.
Dann and wife, Lisa, are the proud parents of a son, Michael. The family resides in Beaumont.
“We are delighted to welcome Dann and he is already fully engaged in LU administration,” said Dr. Brenda Nichols, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Dann’s combination experience from teaching positions, research and administrative roles made him a standout for this critical team role. Plus, he is a friendly engaging person who will thrive in the culture at LU.”
Prior to assuming this role, Brown served as dean of University College, Director of the PACE Center and Principal Investigator for U.S. Department of Education Title III / V Hispanic Serving Programs at Texas State University. As dean of University College, Brown was responsible for several signature programs, including campus academic advising, the Bachelor of General Studies interdisciplinary degree program, the Athletic Academic Center, the Common Experience and Common Reading programs and the Texas Success Initiative program.
Brown authored and served as principal investigator on five federally funded programs while at Texas State with a combined grant portfolio of nearly $15,000,000. Brown also oversaw the nationally recognized PACE Center, a one-stop center providing academic advisement, career counseling, peer mentoring, academic coaching and University Seminar to all first-year students. The PACE Center received the NACADA Outstanding Institutional Advising Center Award in 2016, and a PACE peer mentor was identified as the Outstanding Mentor of the Year by CRLA in 2017.
Before joining Texas State, Brown served as dean of the University at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. In addition to his duties as dean, he authored and served as principal investigator on three Title V / CCRAA Hispanic Serving Institutions grant projects. Prior to coming to Texas, Brown served as a faculty member, interim department chair and program coordinator at Eastern New Mexico University.
"Lamar University is an exciting place to be in the higher education world,” said Brown. “The combination of being a part of an academic enterprise that is nimble and responsive to the needs of our students, families and community, as well as the vital role LU plays in providing access to higher education in southeast Texas makes the university and Beaumont a perfect fit for me and my family. I've met many new colleagues and am really looking forward to getting to know more of our faculty, staff, students and alumni."
Brown received his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Oklahoma State University and M.S. and B.S. degrees in biology from Pittsburg State University. He has published peer reviewed articles in a variety of journals, including “Plant Disease,” the “Journal of Phytopathology,” “Canadian Journal of Forest Research,” “Tree Physiology,” “International Journal of Plant Sciences” and “Journal of Arboriculture.” While holding administrative appointments since 2005, he has authored $24.7M in successful federal and state grant projects. His research focuses on quantitative approaches to student success and the synergistic and non-target effects observed as programs and interventions are focused on undergraduate student achievements in persistence, retention and graduation.
Brown has also served his academic community, serving as president of the Association of Deans and Directors of University Colleges and the New Mexico Higher Education Assessment Association. He has been recognized as a Leader of Change by the National Center for Continuous Improvement and was as semi-finalist for the Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award from the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition in 2007. Brown has supported the growth and professional development of his peers through consultancies and provided keynote remarks in a variety of academic settings. Most recently, he served on the executive council for the Austin College Attainment Network and represented Texas State on the E3 Alliance, an Austin-based non-profit organization focused on the intersection of education and economic development. Until his transition to Lamar University, Brown was a member of and chairperson for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Undergraduate Education Advisory Council.
Dann and wife, Lisa, are the proud parents of a son, Michael. The family resides in Beaumont.