Bentley University Announces Jennifer N. Brown as Dean of Arts and Sciences

Bentley University has named Jennifer N. Brown as the next dean of Arts and Sciences, starting this July. The announcement was made by Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Paul Tesluk in an email to the Bentley community following a rigorous and extensive search and selection process.

Dr. Brown joins Bentley from Marymount Manhattan College, where she currently serves as chair of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of English and World Literatures. At Marymount Manhattan, Dr. Brown has been instrumental in mentoring faculty and leading the promotion and tenure process in her division, and collaborating closely with the college’s business program.

Beyond her current role, Dr. Brown has served as a department chair and designed and implemented successful creative interdisciplinary academic programs. She has spearheaded curricular revisions to better meet the school’s business needs, address career concerns of liberal arts majors, and attract a diverse student body, including first-generation students. Dr. Brown has also been deeply engaged in furthering academic policies that support students and faculty.  

Dr. Brown holds a PhD in English and doctoral certificates in Women’s Studies and Medieval Studies from the City University of New York, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Georgetown University. She is a distinguished scholar in English and world literatures, with a research and teaching specialty in the medieval literature of England, written by and for women. Her debut novel, The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton, is set to be published by St. Martin’s Press in 2026.