Robert E. (Bob) Brown is an Associate Director for University-Community Partnerships, Michigan State University Outreach & Engagement. He brokers, facilitates and participates in university/community partnerships that are scholarly, community-based, collaborative, responsive, and capacity-building for the public good. He also develops undergraduate and graduate level curriculum on community engagement. Brown specializes in:
- Co-creating systemic engagement platforms to link science and community wisdom for transformational change
- Creating iterative, strategic action across community and academic networks
- Multi-level logic modeling to articulate interconnected pathways of change
- Framing and operationalizing engagement within developmental and ecological contexts
- Co-creating collective impact with engaged practitioners by combining human development, community development, and economic development
Prior to working at MSU, Brown worked in the United Way System at United Way of Genesee County, United Way of Muskegon County, and United Way of Michigan. He has also worked in Michigan's aging network and Michigan's food bank network. He is a past board member of the Michigan Association for Evaluation. He has a master's degree in public administration from Western Michigan University. Brown lives in Flint, Michigan with his wife Johanna and their son Desmond (who's excited about being in the 2nd grade).