Joyce F. Brown

Summary

Dr. Joyce F. Brown, who Dr. earned her doctorate and master’s degree in counselling psychology from New York University and her bachelor’s degree from Marymount College, is president of the Fashion Institute of Technology. Appointed in 1998, she is the college’s sixth president, and the first woman and first African American to hold the position. With her at the helm, the Fashion Institute of Technology incorporated sustainability into the curriculum through a natural dye garden, created a social justice center to help diverse students succeed in the industry, and constructed a new ten-story academic building—the first to be added to the campus in 40 years.

Biography

Dr. Joyce F. Brown, a highly regarded educator and academic administrator, has had over 40 years experience in public higher education. She held a number of senior administrative posts at the City University of New York before arriving at FIT, including acting president of Bernard Baruch College and vice chancellor of the university. Prior to her appointment at FIT, she was professor of counseling psychology at the Graduate School and University Center of CUNY, where she is currently professor emerita. Dr. Brown also served as a New York City deputy mayor for public and community affairs during the David Dinkins administration.

“What was most outstanding to me when I arrived was the opportunity that FIT presented. People don’t realize it’s part of SUNY [the State University of New York system], I think because they think of it as specialized,” Dr. Brown tells Elle. “We have connections to all of the top designers and all of the corporations, because it’s a big part of our mission to fuel those industries and to provide a career pathway for our students, so it kind of gets into rarefied air, in terms of how people think about it. What I saw was a real opportunity to get to young people who might be afraid to think of FIT as a destination for themselves.”

At FIT, Dr. Brown has led an ambitious, multi-year, multi-million dollar initiative coordinating strategic and investment planning that has transformed the college. She has built faculty ranks, increased technology, improved student services, enhanced the campus with new and renovated facilities, and invigorated its culture with ground-breaking initiatives in diversity and sustainability. In widely expanding the curriculum, she has added innovative new programs, interdisciplinary minors and raised the profile of the liberal arts. FIT serves over 8,000 full and part-time students with a faculty and staff of more than 1,700. Dr. Brown is FIT’s first woman and first African-American president.

Throughout her career, Dr. Brown has been a strong advocate for public higher education and has demonstrated knowledge of the many communities that make up New York. She directed special initiatives for CUNY, including the Urban Summit of Big City Mayors, as well as collaborations between the New York City Board of Education and the university which focused on improving academic preparation and retention in the secondary schools. In addition, she created and directed programs with the government of South Africa, including the Professional Development Program—an effort inspired by Nelson Mandela—designed to prepare black South Africans for key positions in business and industry.

“I imagine that for students of color, my being a Black president is a meaningful difference, and they want to believe that I will work to make sure they succeed. Through our new Social Justice Center, my goal is to create more opportunities for young people of color who otherwise may not have them. FIT is part of State University of New York and as a public college is not considered expensive but everything is expensive if you have no money. So, if I can create a pathway and more scholarships for able students to compete, then more will have a chance to succeed and excel,” she tells CFDA.

Active in numerous community, civic and professional organizations, Dr. Brown also serves as president of The FIT Foundation, an advisory and support body to FIT. She is currently a director of Advanced Functional Fabrics of America and the Park Avenue Armoury as well as a trustee of the Culinary Institute of America and the Economic Club of New York. She is also a Clean Revolution Ambassador for The Climate Group. In addition, she has served on state-wide commissions and task forces on the black family, child care and domestic violence. She has been honoured by numerous educational, cultural and civic organizations including New York University, Marymount College, Clark Atlanta University, The Town Hall, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

In recent news The Fashion Institute of Technology announced that Joyce F. Brown will be stepping down at the end of the 2024–2025 academic school year, concluding nearly 26 years of transformative service to the institution. “Dr. Joyce Brown’s vision has transformed FIT, and her tenure has been one of the most significant periods of leadership in the college’s history,” announced Board of Trustees Chair Robin Burns-McNeill. “Her commitment to technology, innovation, and DEI modernised the college, while also deepening its commitment to our mission and to graduate success.”

“Serving as FIT’s president has been my honor and privilege,” said Dr. Brown who earned her doctorate and master’s degree in counselling psychology from New York University and her bachelor’s degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York. “Much has been accomplished over the past two decades, including establishing FIT as a higher education community that is committed to inclusivity, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology. I will spend the next year continuing to move the institution forward while working to find FIT’s next leader who will build on our strengths and take the college to even greater heights.”

Personal Life

Dr. Joyce F. Brown is a native New Yorker from Harlem who grew up on 141st Street and Convent. She is married to Carl McCall, who was New York State Comptroller from 1993 to 2002 and ran as the Democratic candidate for Governor of New York in 2002.

References

• “FIT to be president – Joyce Brown of Fashion Institute of Technology”. Black Enterprise Magazine. 
• President Joyce F. Brown Announces Plans to Step Down in 2025 FIT
• Dr. Joyce Brown Reflects on Her Transformative Tenure at FIT Elle
• The Official Blog of FIT President Joyce F. Brown FIT
• The Evolution of FIT with Dr. Joyce Brown Black America
• Dr. Joyce F. Brown Used Technology and Intuition to Revolutionize How Students Learn at F.I.T. Time
• Biography FIT
• Joyce F Brown History Makers
• Career Conversations: Dr. Joyce F. Brown, FIT’s First Black & Female President CFDA