Jennifer Brown appointed interim chancellor of Montana State University-Northern

HAVRE - Jennifer L. Brown, provost of Montana State University-Northern, has been appointed interim chancellor of the campus in Havre, according to an announcement from Montana State University President Brock Tessman.

Brown succeeds Greg Kegel, who will retire Aug. 1 after more than 44 years of service to MSU-Northern.

Brown joined Northern as provost in June 2023 after serving at Eastern Connecticut State University, where she was associate provost and dean of academic analytics. In that role, she advised the provost on campus initiatives, academic programming and student and faculty success; led strategic enrollment management efforts; and worked to strengthen institutional data systems and data-informed decision-making.

Her administrative experience also includes service as special assistant to the provost and vice president for academic affairs, chair of the Department of Economics and coordinator of the Labor Relations and Human Resources Management major at Eastern Connecticut State.

Brown holds a doctorate and a master's degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a bachelor's in economics from Weber State University. Her academic specialties include environmental economics, industrial organization and econometrics, and she has conducted research on the economics of educational and environmental issues.

"I am honored to serve MSU-Northern in this interim role and grateful for the trust placed in me," Brown said. "Northern is a special community because of its students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, and I look forward to working with them to continue supporting student success and the university's important mission in Havre and across the Hi-Line."

"Dr. Brown brings strong academic leadership, a commitment to student success and a data-informed approach to decision-making that will serve MSU-Northern during this transition," Tessman said. "I'm thankful for her willingness to step into this role, and I'm confident she will provide steady leadership for the campus and the communities it serves."

When she joined MSU-Northern, Brown said she had focused her career on student success and ensuring that students have the resources they need. She said she was drawn to the Havre campus by its people.

"The people at Northern are incredibly talented, incredibly hard-working and so generous," Brown said at the time. "I really just wanted to be a part of that community."