I am pleased to share that James R. Kellner, professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology and environment and society, will serve as Brown’s inaugural Associate Provost for Corporate Engagement, effective July 1, 2026.

 

As the ways in which universities secure funding for research continue to evolve, shifting rapidly toward a more diversified approach, the University identified a need to bring aboard a dedicated leader in a new role focused on developing additional pathways of collaboration between corporations and the institution. Over the last year, I have worked with senior leaders at Brown to develop this new role, which will be committed to cultivating relationships that increase and diversify research funding, develop new student internship and career opportunities and deepen academic-industry collaborations.

 

In this new position, Jim will take on a campus-wide charge to enhance, promote and coordinate corporate engagement across our research and educational missions in the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences. Reporting to me, he will serve as a key strategic partner to the vice president for research, academic leaders, faculty and the Division of Advancement, as well as external partners ranging from corporations to nonprofits and small businesses, working to establish a university-wide corporate engagement strategy. He will identify relevant opportunities for university-industry partnerships, advise faculty on developing and strengthening relationships with industry and other external partners, and foster cross-disciplinary collaborations to promote novel approaches and solutions. He will also facilitate corporate engagement in support of student learning and talent development in collaboration with faculty, the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Career Exploration, the School of Professional Studies, the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning and other campus partners.

 

A member of the Brown faculty since 2013, Jim has published dozens of academic articles and has extensive experience pursuing and leveraging research funding from a variety of sources. He has received grants from NASA, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Defense. Since 2014, he has been a member of the Science Team for a competitively selected NASA mission on the International Space Station (the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation). Jim has also worked with Brown University undergraduates to launch a company that was supported by the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship. He worked with these students to successfully raise funding for the company outside the University.

 

Jim is also a dedicated teacher and mentor. He has educated a generation of Brown undergraduates in a popular gateway course, The Diversity of Life, for which he received the 2019 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Advising and Mentoring in the Biological Sciences, and the University’s Elizabeth LeDuc Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Life Sciences in 2023. Jim became the first director of early career development and training at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society in 2023, and has served as vice chair of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology. He has also provided service and leadership on a range of University committees, including the Advisory Committee on University Resources Management (ACURM), the Academic Priorities Committee (APC) and the Gifts and Grants Review Committee (GGRC). In 2025, he chaired a committee reporting to President Christina H. Paxson that defined core institutional values for Brown and a statement on University voice. 

In creating this role, Brown joins a growing number of leading research universities investing in dedicated leadership in corporate engagement and partnership. Jim’s experience leading large, international research collaborations gives him a deep understanding of how to identify new opportunities that diversify sources of revenue. Jim is excited to begin working with partners across campus to broaden fundraising opportunities as well as learning and career pathways for students, and to foster innovation and financial sustainability as we continue to adapt to a changing fundraising landscape.

 

Please join me in welcoming Jim Kellner to the Office of the Provost and thanking him for his continued service to the University.