Gavin Brown

Who was Gavin Brown?

Gavin Brown AO was a Scottish-born mathematician, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney between 1996 and 2008.

After attending secondary school at Madras College in St Andrews, Brown graduated with a Master of Arts degree from the University of St Andrews, a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. His academic career began at the University of Liverpool, where he became a senior lecturer in mathematics.

Brown accepted the Chair of Pure Mathematics at the University of New South Wales in 1975 when he and his family emigrated to Australia. During this time, he was awarded the Sir Edmund Whittaker Memorial Prize and the Australian Mathematical Society Medal. At the University of New South Wales, Brown held a number of academic administrative posts, including Head of the Department of Pure Mathematics, Head of the School of Mathematics, and Dean of the Faculty of Science. In 1992, he became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Adelaide; later, in 1994, he became the Vice-Chancellor. He took up his position as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney in 1996, and retired from the university in 2008.