Student Affairs bolsters student engagement, retention efforts with two new hires

The university has appointed two leaders from Baltimore-area universities to lead key student engagement and retention efforts at Johns Hopkins.

Brittini Brown, who served as associate vice president for student affairs at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will assume the role of associate  vice provost for student engagement and dean of students on July 5.

Tiffany Mfume, who served as associate vice president for student success and retention at Morgan State University, will assume the role of associate vice provost for student success  and retention initiatives on July 10.

Brown brings significant student affairs leadership, programming, and assessment experience. At UMBC she led areas including student life and engagement, event and conference services, facilities and operations, student affairs creative services, off-campus student services, civic life and democratic engagement, and risk management. She possesses a deep strategic and operational background serving students across learner groups and particular expertise in assessment and program efficacy.

At Johns Hopkins, Brown will play a vital part in leading the university's strategic efforts to facilitate and support student engagement and enhance the student experience with a focus on fostering a strong sense of community and student belonging. She will develop and implement strategy and manage operations to support undergraduate student engagement, leadership development, and student development. Additionally, Brown will serve as a partner and adviser to student affairs units across divisions to ensure that processes, outcomes, and engagement efforts for graduate student life meet both student needs and desired university outcomes.

At Morgan State, Mfume led the university's retention and graduation efforts, enhancing outcomes by bolstering technology resources for student advising, data analysis, and early alert systems. Mfume, known among colleagues and peers as an effective leader and champion for student success, is a frequent contributor and speaker at higher education conferences.

Mfume will lead, direct, and coordinate Johns Hopkins' efforts to meet student needs, enhance student progression and retention, and improve graduation outcomes. She will support, develop, lead, and coordinate efforts that make it possible for students to thrive, with attention to the needs of first-generation, limited-income, international, and underrepresented students. Her core responsibilities will include expanding collaborations to implement a systems-thinking approach. Mfume will play a critical role in supporting and ensuring the effective development, implementation, and monitoring of the university's student success strategic plan and its components focused on building university and student capacity for success.