After nearly 40 years of distinguished service to the Brown community as an esteemed professor and a dynamic administrator, Deputy Provost and Interim Dean of the Graduate School Janet Blume has shared with me her plans to retire at the end of this academic year. Her final day at Brown will be June 30, 2026.

As a faculty member in engineering, Janet taught and mentored thousands of students while making important research contributions in Brown's renowned solid mechanics group. In her current roles in the Provost's office and as interim dean of the Graduate School, as well as prior work in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, Janet has been a steadfast champion for Brown's faculty and students, helping to devise and implement academic initiatives, spearheading special projects and guiding academic departments through periods of transition and renewal.

Janet came to Brown as an assistant professor of engineering in 1986, shortly after becoming the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in applied mechanics from Caltech. Her arrival at Brown marked another first: She was the first female faculty member in Brown's solid mechanics group. In addition to her research, Janet has gained recognition for her accomplishments in the classroom and working directly with graduate and undergraduate students. During her career, she received the Philip J. Bray Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Physical Sciences, the School of Engineering Dedicated Faculty Award and the Karen T. Romer Prize for Excellence in Advising. She takes pride in seeing students she taught not only establish successful careers in academia but also become prominent leaders here at Brown. Her former students include Greg Hirth, vice president for research; Tejal Desai, dean of the School of Engineering; Megan Dansby Russell, associate dean of engineering; and Rashid Zia, a professor of engineering who served as Brown's dean of the College from 2018 to 2025.

I cannot resist sharing something Janet wrote to me about her connection to students as she reflected on her retirement. She wrote, "I am proud to have taught thousands of undergraduate and graduate students over the years and am honored to have been a part of their lives and educations. I've tried very hard to help them become confident, successful college students and find their pathways, whether in engineering or something else. I especially loved teaching the first-year students. It was a chance to introduce them to engineering, but also to college -- to help them find their stride, interests and peer groups. I tried to give them confidence and chances to fail and recover. Like so many Brown faculty, I tried hard to be a caring and encouraging adult presence."

Janet is well regarded for her deeply empathetic approach to everything she does, and her unyielding commitment to building strong relationships has been a hallmark of her time at Brown. Both as an educator and as an administrator, she has consistently earned the respect of colleagues for always being ready to contribute to efforts to make Brown better and make our community stronger.

Janet's career as an administrator began in 2011, when Professor Kevin McLaughlin became dean of the faculty and tapped her as an associate dean and later deputy dean. Her role afforded the opportunity to be interim chair of academic departments when, for various reasons, the chair position was empty. In total, Janet served as interim chair for nine different departments and centers across the humanities and social sciences, providing steady and effective leadership through these transition periods. Those who have worked with Janet know that she relished her interactions with department managers and other staff professionals, whom she regards as exceptionally talented and dedicated individuals performing the critical day-to-day work of making the University run and supporting students throughout their educational careers.

In 2022, Janet assumed the role of deputy provost. In addition to spearheading critical university initiatives, serving on or leading important committees and working with faculty and staff from countless offices around campus, Janet was tasked with leading negotiations with the Teaching Assistant Labor Organization, Brown's first undergraduate labor union, and later with the Brown Postdoc Labor Organization. Those who were part of these negotiations know that she welcomed the opportunity to find common ground between two sides, and to work toward solutions that ultimately made Brown a better place to learn and work. That unwavering dedication both to the people of this University and the institution has been present in all of Janet's work through the years, and we'll miss her stalwart and versatile leadership.

Upon her departure, Janet plans to spend more time with her family (including her cats), going for walks with friends and colleagues and looking for volunteer opportunities. She also plans to spend time sharpening her technique behind the drum kit and playing with her colleagues in their faculty band, Dirty Filthy Basement.

Brown has been a true home to Janet, and some might know that she met her husband, now an emeritus professor of engineering, at the University. They have two children who grew up on the Brown campus, while their daughter-in-law is a Brown alum. We look forward to Janet remaining a part of the extended Brown community.

I will announce plans in the coming weeks for staffing the Office of the Provost. We also continue to make strong progress in the search for a new dean of the Graduate School, and I expect to be able to announce an appointment before the end of the fall semester. Please join me in thanking Janet for her distinguished service to Brown, and in wishing her all the best in her next chapter.

Sincerely,

Francis J. Doyle III, Provost