MSU’s Brown reelected to arts and sciences national board
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Karyn Brown, a longtime Mississippi State educator and assistant dean for communication and media in the College of Arts and Sciences, now is serving a prestigious second term on the Board of Directors for the national Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences. CCAS board members are elected by the full membership during their annual meeting held this fall in St. Louis, Missouri.
“Professionally, this role allows me to collaborate with leaders from across the country and contribute to national conversations shaping arts and sciences education,” Brown said. “Personally, it is deeply meaningful to represent Mississippi State and the work I care so much about. I’m grateful for the opportunity to advocate for the role of liberal arts education in students’ lives.”
Founded in 1965, CCAS provides professional development for arts and sciences leaders. Its member institutions deliver more than half of all undergraduate instruction and oversee a broad range of graduate programs. The association includes 640 deans and 1,019 associate and assistant deans from more than 340 colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada and Kuwait.
“Karyn’s reelection to the CCAS Board of Directors is a testament to her leadership, vision and deep commitment to arts and sciences education,” said Rick Travis, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “She represents Mississippi State with distinction, and her service at the national level strengthens the work we do here on campus every day.”
Brown is recognized as a leader within CCAS, creating and codirecting the its Communicator Community, a national network for deans, associate and assistant deans, faculty and staff responsible for communication across member institutions. The group provides a collaborative space to exchange ideas, share best practices and strengthen messaging through virtual discussions.
An MSU educator with more than 30 years of experience in broadcasting and public relations, Brown earned her Accredited in Public Relations, or APR, credential in 2024, placing her among the 2% of PR practitioners worldwide with this designation. She is among approximately 4,500 active APR professionals internationally and one of only a few MSU employees to achieve the distinction.
An assistant dean since 2023, Brown promotes the College of Arts and Sciences and works closely with the Office of Public Affairs to advance MSU’s story across Mississippi, the Southeast, nation and beyond. She serves on the MSU Brand Education Steering Committee, a select group that guides employees in applying the university’s brand identity.
Brown, also an MSU Grisham Master Teacher, served as the college’s communication director and taught courses in the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre for more than three decades in broadcasting, communication and public relations. She previously coordinated the department’s broadcasting and public relations concentrations and the internship program.
She holds a master’s degree from Western Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Brown also earned a nonprofit management graduate certification from Duke University. Her early career included work as a WCBI reporter, producer and anchor in Columbus, KWQC-TV reporter and producer in Davenport, Iowa, led MADD-North Carolina as executive director and spokesperson, and worked in public relations with Mediacall Services in Macomb, Illinois.
She is a member of the Southern Public Relations Federation, Public Relations Association of Mississippi and its Starkville/MSU chapter, and the Public Relations Society of America.
MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences includes approximately 5,000 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 25 academic majors offered in 14 departments. Complete details about the College of Arts and Sciences are available at at www.cas.msstate.edu.
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