Shawn Brown named College of Medicine's senior associate dean for strategic planning, integration and institutional performance

In this role, Brown will lead the college’s strategic planning and performance management processes, coordinate academic priorities across the health enterprise and support translating strategic goals into measurable outcomes. His responsibilities will include chairing the college’s Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Committee, which provides ongoing assessment of strategic priorities and opportunities for institutional improvement.

"Academic medicine is increasingly complex, with a wide range of forces making our environment less predictable," said Gregory C. Postel, MD, dean of the College of Medicine, Christian R. Holmes professor and executive vice president for health affairs at UC and chair of the UC Health Board of Directors. "Our ability to anticipate change, align priorities and continuously evaluate our progress is essential to our future success. Shawn’s leadership in developing our joint strategic planning framework with UC Health makes him particularly well positioned to keep this work at the forefront of our institutional agenda."

The appointment reflects an evolution in how the college approaches strategic planning. Rather than treating planning as a periodic exercise, the college is establishing a continuous process of setting priorities, monitoring performance, assessing emerging opportunities and risks, and adjusting strategies as circumstances change. This approach also strengthens coordination with the university and UC Health's strategic planning frameworks across their shared missions.

"Strategic planning is only as valuable as the difference it makes for our learners, our patients and our community," Brown said. "I'm grateful to Dr. Postel for his confidence, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the college and the academic health enterprise to keep our priorities clear, measure our progress honestly and adapt as the landscape changes."

Brown will continue serving as chief of staff, a position he has held since joining the college in 2023. In this capacity, he serves as a trusted adviser to the dean, leads dean’s office operations, and advances executive effectiveness through strategic counsel, informed decision-making, and leadership coordination and follow-through on executive priorities.

Brown brings extensive experience in executive leadership, organizational strategy and institutional effectiveness, including previous responsibility for strategic planning at SUNY Westchester Community College. He earned a Doctor of Education (EdD) from Northeastern University and recently completed a graduate certificate in artificial intelligence through UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

Featured image at top: Exterior of the CARE/Crawley building on UC's medical campus. Photo/University of Cincinnati.