Dana Brown

Academic Advising | Academic Support | Accessibility Resources and Services | Office of Opportunity Programs

Dana Brown serves as the Assistant Provost for Student Academic Success, where she provides leadership and strategic direction for Academic Advising, Academic Support, Accessibility Resources and Services, and the Office of Opportunity Programs. With a career spanning over 20 years in higher education, Dana has dedicated herself to fostering student success, closing equity gaps, and advocating for underrepresented, underserved, and underrecognized students.

Previously, Dana was the Senior Director of Enrichment and Opportunity Programs, where she established and oversaw the Office of Opportunity Programs (OP), developing and leading eight initiatives, including the SUNY Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), My Brother’s Keeper Teacher Opportunity Corps, the Foster Youth College Success Initiative, Empire State Opportunity Program (ESOP), Empire Promise Program (EPP), Presidential Scholars (PSOP), and the Military Veteran Opportunity Program (MVOP). Her leadership has contributed to measurable improvements in student retention and academic success, including a significant increase in course completion rates among OP participants.

Before her tenure in Opportunity Programs, Dana was a Mentor and Academic Advisor at SUNY Empire, where she co-founded the institution’s first Advising Center. She also led the SUNY Complete project, a statewide effort to re-enroll students who had stopped out, further demonstrating her commitment to access and degree completion. Her advocacy extends beyond SUNY, as she serves as the Director of Program Development for Make A Play, Inc., a nonprofit that bridges the gap between home, school, and community for K-12 students.

A lifelong advocate for educational equity, Dana holds an M.Ed. in English and Middle/Secondary Education for Professional Licensure and a B.S. in English Literature and Middle School Education from Lesley University. She is a certified teacher in English Language Arts for grades 5-12 and has developed and taught courses in educational planning, children's literature, and writing for the workplace.

Dana envisions a future where higher education systems actively dismantle barriers to student success. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in advocacy, innovation, and the belief that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive.