FIT president Joyce F. Brown to step down in 2025

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a part of the State University of New York (SUNY), has announced that its long-time leader Joyce F. Brown is stepping down as president.

Brown was appointed as the FIT’s first female and first African American president in 1998 and will step down at the end of the 2024–2025 academic school year after nearly 26 years at the institution.

On leaving FIT, Brown said in a statement: “Serving as FIT’s president has been my honour and privilege. Much has been accomplished over the past two decades, including establishing FIT as a higher education community that is committed to inclusivity, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology.

“I will spend the next year continuing to move the institution forward while working to find FIT’s next leader who will build on our strengths and take the college to even greater heights.”

One of Brown’s achievements during her presidency includes the development of the FIT’s new 10-story academic building on West 28th Street, the school’s first academic addition to the campus in more than 40 years. The building has been designed to offer a state-of-the-art learning environment with 26 smart, energy-efficient learning spaces (classrooms, studios, and labs) and a double-height knitting lab.

FIT president Joyce F. Brown leaving after more than 25 years

Other highlights during her tenure include creating 33 new degree and credit certificate programmes at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and expanding degrees in the areas of computer animation and interactive media, cosmetics and fragrance marketing and management, fashion design, footwear and accessories design, liberal arts and sciences, and toy design.

In addition, Brown established the Social Justice Center at FIT, an initiative focused on increasing the number of Black, Indigenous and people of colour in roles across the creative industries, launched the Center for Innovation at FIT, an off-campus centre for faculty to pursue research, and the DTech Lab, FIT’s on-campus innovation lab merging design thinking with emerging technologies.

Robin Burns-McNeill, board of trustees chair at FIT, added: “Dr. Joyce Brown’s vision has transformed FIT, and her tenure has been one of the most significant periods of leadership in the college’s history.

“Her commitment to technology, innovation, and DEI modernized the college, while also deepening its commitment to our mission and to graduate success. The college will have the benefit of her strong leadership over the next year as we embark on a search for the next visionary to become the president of FIT.”