The Western Massachusetts African American Female Professors Award Association (AAFPAA) recently honored Dr. Josie Brown, professor of English and assistant dean for the College of Arts & Science of Western New England University, with the Western Massachusetts African American Female Professors Award. The award honors African American female educators who bring dedication, diversity, and inclusion to the field of higher education. Candidates for the award are nominated by fellow faculty members, deans, and students of their institutions.
In a letter of support for Brown's nomination, Karl M. Martini, assistant dean for Graduate and Part-time Programs at Western New England University said, "Dr. Brown is a talented educator who supports students' learning and development both inside and outside of the classroom. She is a passionate instructor, teaching her students not only about African American and Caribbean literature, but also always making sure that she is setting students up for success."
As an undergraduate Dr. Brown double-majored in English and African-American Studies at Bates College. She then went on to pursue a Master's of Arts in English at Queens College in New York. Brown earned her Ph.D. in English from Stony Brook with concentration in African-American, Caribbean, and Post-Colonial Literatures.
Today Dr. Brown wears many hats at Western New England University. She is the Assistant Dean for Arts and Sciences, Professor of African American, Caribbean, and Black Literatures, and student advisor as well as the Study Abroad Assistant Director.
"Dr. Josie Brown is a scholar of many talents. She is an outstanding teacher, an authority in Caribbean literatures, a superb higher education administrator, and an expert and a leader in diversity," said Saeed Ghahramani, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "The fact that she consistently excels in all these areas makes her unique and a special person to work with. I am proud that she won the African-American Female Professor Faculty Award. She deserves it."
The award was presented to Brown at the 3rd Annual Awards Celebration held on Thursday September 26, 2019 at Bay Path University in Longmeadow. Dr. Yves Salomon-Fernanadez, president of Greenfield Community College was the keynote speaker and Dr. Patricia Marshall, deputy commissioner for Academic Affairs and Student Success at Massachusetts Department of Higher Education delivered opening remarks.
