Lewis Brooks named founding director of new Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts

Brandeis Stories

Lewis Brooks named founding director of new Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts

Lewis Brooks '80, P'16, to lead critical component of university's plan to reinvent liberal-arts education

By Steven Foskett
September 29, 2025

Lewis Brooks '80, P'16, a longtime advertising executive and Brandeis trustee, will lead the newly created Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts, a cornerstone of the university's effort to reimagine higher education by strengthening the connection between rigorous academic learning and practical, career-focused applications.

Brandeis President Arthur Levine recently made the announcement in a communication to the campus community. Brooks will serve as founding director at the center as the university rolls out The Brandeis Plan to Reinvent the Liberal Arts, a university-wide, faculty-backed, and Board of Trustees-funded initiative to create a bold new approach to college education.

As global chief information officer at DDB Worldwide, an award-winning advertising network, Brooks oversaw technology initiatives in more than 90 offices around the world. Levine said Brooks' deep alumni and corporate connections will help the center ramp up quickly.

"Lewis brings a wealth of experience to the Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts," Levine said. "He understands Brandeis' critical role in advancing a new model for college education that prepares students to contribute and lead in the world the moment they graduate."

Brooks will partner with the Hiatt Career Center and the Career Strategies and Engagement Center at the School of Business and Economics to develop a world-class career education and advising program, and will collaborate with faculty across the university to build a cutting-edge, competency-based curriculum for our students.

His work at the center is part of the broader push at Brandeis to redefine what a liberal arts education can be. The university is partnering with ETS, a global education and talent solutions organization, to deploy its AI-centric Futurenav Compass, a GPS-style tool for the education-to-workforce journey. Future Brandeis graduates will leave campus with a separate, competency-based transcript documenting durable skills and microcredentials gained through coursework and experiential learning.

"At a critical moment for both Brandeis and all of higher education, I am excited and honored to take on the challenge of leading the Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts," Brooks said. "The innovation and opportunity fueled by the center will prepare students for a rapidly evolving workplace, and will serve as a model for other institutions."

Brooks served on the Brandeis Alumni Association's board of directors from 2011 through 2025, as an at-large member, representative to the Hiatt Career Center, and vice president. From 2019-23, he served as president of the Alumni Board. He has also served on the Brandeis Board of Trustees since 2019. He will take a leave of absence from the board as he steps into the founding director's role.

"Lewis brings a wealth of experience to the Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts. He understands Brandeis' critical role in advancing a new model for college education that prepares students to contribute and lead in the world the moment they graduate."

President Arthur Levine