North Seattle College President selected for prestigious Fulbright scholarship

Dr. Warren Brown, President
North Seattle CC

North Seattle College President Dr. Warren Brown is one of only six Americans recently selected for a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship that pairs U.S. and Russian community college leaders for a two-week exchange of knowledge and higher education best practices.

As a recipient of the Fulbright Program's 2018 Community College Administrators Seminar, Dr. Brown will participate in an intensive two-week program in Russia where he will partner with postsecondary education leaders to lay groundwork for future collaborations, learn about the host country's education system and share the experiences of North employees and students abroad.

The seminar is scheduled for March 31-April 14, 2018. Participants will split their time between some of Russia's most exciting cities, including Kazan, Cheboksary and Moscow. The program is designed to strengthen and promote international cooperation, and focuses on the role of community colleges in higher education and the local community.

Dr. Brown became president of North Seattle College in 2014. During his tenure, he has led the college's successful seven-year accreditation evaluation, introduced a new seven-year Institutional Effectiveness Plan that guides college planning and vision, launched innovative new academic programs, including doubling North's bachelor's degree offerings, and successfully secured highly competitive statewide funds for a major capital construction project to renovate North's library. He is also preparing the college for the celebration of its 50th anniversary beginning in 2019.

As a Fulbright scholar, Brown said he plans to use the experience to identify and create shared learning opportunities for the two countries as well as to provide an educational framework to his Russian counterparts on Washington State's Board for Community and Technical Colleges, which is comprised of 34 colleges around the state.

The Fulbright program is an American scholarship program of competitive, merit-based grants awarded for international education to scholars and students. The program is part of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

North Seattle College is part of the Seattle Colleges District, which was chartered by the state Legislature in 1967. The Seattle Colleges is composed of North, Seattle Central College, South Seattle College, and Seattle Vocational Institute. As the largest community college district in the state, the district serves 45,000 students annually with more than 135 professional and technical programs, including nine applied baccalaureate degrees.