R.I. [Brown University] — Brown University’s chief investment officer, Jane Dietze, will depart the University following a period of exceptional endowment growth. The appointment of two Investment Office senior leaders to elevated roles will sustain the strength in management of Brown’s investments, ensuring ongoing support for scientific research, innovative educational programs, student financial aid and other priorities
Effective Dec. 31, 2026, Brown’s Investment Office will reflect the following leadership changes:
- Jane Dietze, who joined the Investment Office in 2013 and has served as Brown’s chief investment officer since 2018, will depart to become the first chief investment officer for the Fund for Science and Technology.
- Joshua Kennedy, a Brown Class of 1997 graduate who joined the Investment Office in 2016 and has served as deputy chief investment officer since 2022, will become Brown’s next chief investment officer.
- Peter Levine, a Brown Class of 1995 graduate who joined the Investment Office in 2018 and has served as managing director since 2019, will become Brown’s deputy chief investment officer.
Dietze’s departure follows a period of rapid growth in Brown’s endowment. Through the end of Brown’s Fiscal Year 2025 (the University’s most recent public reporting period), its performance stood in the top 5% of endowments and foundations for the prior 10-year period, as measured by Cambridge Associates. The endowment grew from $3.2 billion to $8 billion over that span, produced $5.6 billion in investment returns and contributed more than $2.2 billion to Brown’s budget in support of student scholarships, professorships, teaching, research, academic programs and other strategic priorities.
The endowment, now totaling more than 4,000 distinct funds, is a collection of charitable gifts designated via legal agreements with donors to be spent for specific purposes and invested by the University with the intent that each will grow in size and provide an ongoing income stream to support the specific endowed purpose. Nearly 60% of the endowment’s contributions to Brown’s budget support scholarships to ensure all students admitted to Brown can attend, regardless of income level, and professorships that support research and teaching across the University.
The appointments of Kennedy and Levine will ensure continuity in the Investment Office’s approach to prudently growing the endowment over time to meet its mandate of supporting Brown’s operating budget for current and future generations in perpetuity.
“Jane leaves Brown with a remarkable legacy of achievement,” Brown President Christina H. Paxson said. “The exceptional performance of our endowment has expanded our ability to invest in people and priorities across the Brown campus, and she has built an incredibly strong and deep investment team. In welcoming Josh and Peter to their new roles, we’re fortunate for the leadership of two accomplished Brown alumni who are well positioned to build even further upon the growth we have seen over the last decade.”
