BYU College of Life Sciences Dean Laura Bridgewater announces the appointment of Michael Brown as the new chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, effective June 1. Brown currently serves as the department’s associate chair and has facilitated former chair Michael Stark’s transition to associate dean.
“I gratefully acknowledge the tireless service of Dr. Michael Stark,” Dean Bridgewater says. “He has continued to carry many of the department chair responsibilities these last several months while also assuming the responsibilities of associate dean.”
Brown’s career provides a rich background with valued insights to guide the department. “Dr. Michael Brown is known for his wisdom, equanimity, and deep commitment to the mission of BYU,” Dean Bridgewater says. “His department will be richly blessed by his leadership.”
Brown earned an undergraduate degree in microbiology from BYU and a master’s degree in anatomy from Colorado State University. He received his doctorate in anatomy, molecular, and integrative neurosciences from Colorado State University in 1999. Brown joined the faculty at Brigham Young University in 2003. He served as director of the Neuroscience Center from 2010–2015.
In recognition of Brown’s exceptional work at BYU, he is the recipient of the Karl G. Maeser Professional Faculty Excellence Award, the C. Joseph Rowberry Teaching and Learning and Faculty Fellowship, and the College Distinguished Service Faculty Award, among other honors.
“I love the talented faculty, staff, and students in our department,” says Brown. “I am deeply grateful for the chance to work together with them in spirit-filled classrooms and labs to discover the beautifully complex molecular and cellular mechanisms of the human body.”