Providence, Rhode Island [Brown University] — Karen Davis, a human resources executive with significant experience in higher education, academic medicine and social service organizations, has been named vice president for human resources at Brown University.

Davis is currently at Harvard Univeristy, where she serves as director of total rewards and human resources services, the No. 2 human resources position at Harvard. Davis' position at Brown is a new one, created by reorganizing duties within several departments. Davis will join the University July 1, 2008.

"I am delighted that Karen Davis will bring to Brown her wealth of human resources experience in an academic setting," said Beppie Huidekoper, executive vice president for finance & administration. "Karen was my colleague at Harvard, and I know her to be an excellent administator with a keen ability to effect change in a complex environment."

Davis will be responsible for managing a human resources department of 40 people who support the University in the areas of organizational effectiveness, training and professional development, staffing, compensation, benefits, work/life balance, employee and labor relations, human resources information systems, and shared governance.

Additionally, Davis will serve at a member of the President's Cabinet, as well as chair the Human Resources Advisory Board (HRAB). HRAB is the faculty and staff committee created to advise the adminstration on critical human resource issues. In her role, Davis will aid the University in evaluating its organizational and human resources needs and opportunities, assess the effectiveness of existing structures and programs, and recommend a set of strategic goals and implementation plans.

Brown will also look to Davis for her advice and support on workforce and succession planning, staffing, employee relations, performance management, and executive compensation.

Davis has more than 20 years in experience in human resources adminstration in higher education, academic medicine and social service organizations. For the past eight years, she has had a leading management role at the Office of Human Resources at Harvard University. She was responsibie for implementing a new human resources/benefits/payroll system with a mulit-million dollar capital budget and a project team of over 100 personnel. Prior to her work at Harvard, Davis served as a human resources management consultant to the New York University School of Medicine. From 1990 to 1999, Davis was an associate dean for faculty and staff services at Harvard Medical School. Previously, she held posts in the New York City Human Resources Administration and the Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Davis holds an M.S. in Health Policy Management from the Harvard School of Public Health and a B.A. from Allegheny College.