Getting to Know Clark’s new VPI, Dr. William “Terry” Brown
Clark College named Dr. William “Terry” Brown, a college administrator from Connecticut to serve as its Vice President of Instruction. Dr. Brown started on July 8, the first day of summer term.
Dr. Brown is new to the Vancouver area. To transport their enormous Rhodesian Ridgeback dog “Chief,” Dr. Brown and his family drove more than 3,000 miles from Northford, Connecticut during the July heat wave. Despite the long journey and cross-country move, Dr. Brown has jumped feet-first into his role, meeting with leaders across the college, meeting a visiting delegation from Joyo, Japan, and touring the college’s new Boschma Farms facility during his first week on the job.
Learn more about the VPI Role | Professional Experience | Q&A: Fun Facts about Dr. Brown
The VPI role
As the senior academic officer of the college, Dr. Brown is responsible for the comprehensive academic landscape for all program development and assessment, in addition to leading a dynamic educational environment and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation for the college. Dr. Brown also will serve on the college’s Executive Cabinet, a leadership team led by the college’s president, Dr. Karin Edwards.
President Edwards said, “I am excited to welcome Dr. Brown to Clark College. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in teaching and leadership in higher education, in addition to a demonstrated commitment to equitable student success.”
Dr. Brown will oversee the college’s 650+ faculty members and over 100 academic and workforce programs including five bachelor of applied science degrees. The areas under the guidance of the VPI encompass five academic divisions, non-credit and workforce training, Library Services, eLearning, Faculty development/Teaching and Learning Center, Adult/Basic Education/ESL and Adult Literacy, outcomes assessment, accreditation, Guided Pathways, and academic support services.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be at Clark College,” said Dr. Brown. “Education is still the lynchpin for personal growth and economic success for our students and communities, and Clark College is at the forefront of making sure that anyone in our community has the opportunity to transform their lives and fortunes.” He added, “I look forward to joining the faculty, staff, and administrators at Clark in the impactful work we do for our students and communities.”
Dr. Brown was hired after a nationwide search that included extensive interviews with a hiring committee, college leadership, and an open forum with the college community.
Professional Experience
He has invested more than 30 years working in higher education, in both teaching and leading in colleges in Connecticut, Delaware, Tennessee, and now Washington State.
Previously, Dr. Brown was the Associate Vice President for Strategic Operations and Partnership Development at Connecticut State Community College, New Britain, Connecticut. Before that, he was the Chief Executive Officer for Gateway Community College in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dr. Brown’s career in higher education also includes administrative positions at Naugatuck Valley Community College, Waterbury, Connecticut, at Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Nashville State Community College, Nashville, Tennessee.
Earlier, Dr. Brown was a full-time faculty member at a community college in Connecticut, and an adjunct faculty member at two colleges in Delaware and another in Connecticut.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida, and a master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Delaware. He finished his professional training at Yale School of Medicine, completing predoctoral fellowships at Yale-New Haven Hospital and Yale Psychiatric Institute (now Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital), and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center.
A recognized higher education leader, Dr. Brown was named to the 100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut by the Connecticut chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for 2021. He was a member of the Class of 2023-2024 cohort of American Association of State Colleges and Universities Millennium Leadership Initiative.
Q & A: Fun facts about Dr. Brown
Q: Tell us about your family.
A: My wife, Yulonda Brown (née Candelario), is a certified surgical technologist who is excited about all the fishing opportunities in Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest. She also is looking forward to an opportunity to visit Alaska. Our son, Zion, is a liberal arts college student with a deep interest in history, aviation, and photography, and he will be starting at Clark in the fall. Our Rhodesian Ridgeback, “Chief” enjoys long hikes, followed by a longer nap.
Q: We hear you’re an avid cook.
A: I do love to cook, particularly several regional styles of barbecue. I learn to cook anything I love to eat. I cook southern Soul Food, Southeast Asian, Italian, Creole/Cajun. Lately, I’ve taken to grinding my own meat for burgers and homemade sausages and making sourdough bread and pizza dough from scratch.
Q: What other hobbies or sports do you enjoy?
A: Hiking, SCUBA diving and snorkeling, travel. In my younger days, I was a pretty good volleyball player. I could play any position but loved being on backline defense or middle blocker.
Q: Favorite music/genre?
A: Soul and R&B from the late-80s and 90s: Boyz II Men, New Edition, Jodeci, and Dru Hill are some of my favorite artists.
Q: Music/musician on your playlist?
A: I have a huge celebrity crush on Cardi B. Her attitude and honesty are captivating!
Q: Favorite book you read recently?
A: “Martin Luther King, Jr., on Leadership: Inspiration and Wisdom for Challenging Times” by Donald T. Phillips (2000)
Q: Favorite binge-watching?
A: Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day every year, I binge-watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies from “Captain America: The First Avenger” to “Avengers: Endgame” (with “Deadpool” thrown in, just for fun!).
Q: Favorite cities to visit?
A: I always look forward to a chance to visit Washington, D.C. and New Orleans, Louisianna.
Q: What is an interesting place you visited?
A: A trip to the Hawai’i had been a dream of mine since I was a teenager, and we visited Oahu and the Big Island in June of 2021. From visiting Pearl Harbor and hiking Diamond Head, to hunting wild cattle, to seeing sea turtles on black sand beaches and being in the water with manta rays, it was the trip of a lifetime.
Q: Favorite sports teams?
A: Florida Gators, Dallas Cowboys (I met Tony Dorsett when I was 6 or 7 years old, and I have been Cowboys fan ever since).
Q: What are you looking forward to exploring in the area?
A: All the outdoor activities – hiking and fishing especially—and getting the chance to visit Portland, Seattle, and eventually, Alaska.
Q: What was a memorable sight during your cross-country drive to start your new position at Clark College?
A: Driving through the Columbia River Gorge and seeing Mount Hood rising up in the distance was quite a sight.
(Editor’s note: Mount Hood is the highest point in Oregon at 11,249 feet, almost five times higher than Mount Frissell at 2,380 feet, the highest point in Connecticut.)
Q: How did your family drive across the country from Northford, Connecticut to Vancouver, Washington during a July heat wave with your enormous Rhodesian Ridgeback, Chief, riding in the backseat?
A: Slowly, over 11 days, with lots of breaks for walks! We drove an average of four to six hours per day—so not long, grueling hours driving. We stayed in dog-friendly hotels and provided ample opportunities for all of us to stretch our legs.
Q: What are you enthusiastic about at Clark College?
A: I am extremely excited about Clark College’s commitment to equity and social justice. Access to education is a civil right, and higher education is still the gateway to opportunity and success for so many members of our community. It is a privilege to be invited to serve here.
Q: How do you prefer people to connect with you?
A: I enjoy meeting people face-to-face whenever possible, but just connecting is the important thing. Anyone is welcome to stop by and say hello, but I need to explore Clark and get to know the campus, so I’m happy to visit you in your space.
