PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — James Morone, the John Hazen White Professor of Public Policy and professor of political science and urban studies, has been appointed director of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions. Morone will succeed Marion Orr, the Frederick Lippitt Professor of Public Policy and professor of political science and urban studies, who has directed the Taubman Center since July 2008. Morone begins his new position on July 1.

“Professor Morone is a natural choice to be the next director of the Taubman Center,” said Brown President Christina Paxson. “An outstanding scholar and teacher, he understands the need for rigorous, nuanced analysis to inform policy debates and the important role of public policy education at Brown.”

Morone, a graduate of Middlebury College, earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. At Brown since 1982, he has been honored as a teacher and gifted lecturer and is a multiple recipient of the Barrett Hazeltine Citation, presented annually by the graduating class at Brown. He has written and lectured extensively on health care policy and health care reform. His books have attracted popular and academic acclaim; his Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History (2003) was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

“I’m just delighted to be named director of the Taubman Center. The center has an important mission: To think creatively about the problems that challenge us — in Providence, in Rhode Island, across the United States, and around the world,” Morone said. “Today, more than ever, we need fresh approaches to public policy. As the new director, I am eager to build on existing partnerships and to create new ones as we work together to create a more just, peaceful, and prosperous society.”

The A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions

Since 1984, the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions has been Brown’s hub for connecting students, faculty, the community, and distinguished visitors for interdisciplinary study, research, and advocacy of sound public policy and the betterment of American institutions.

The Taubman Center administers an undergraduate degree in public policy and American institutions as well as the Master of Public Affairs and Master of Public Policy degree programs. The center has brought a faculty of distinguished academic scholars in political science, education, economics, sociology, community health, and related areas together with a roster of experienced policy practitioners.