Carolyn Brownawell, MBA

Deputy Executive Vice Chancellor, Human Resources

Carolyn Brownawell, MBA, (she/her/hers) is deputy executive vice chancellor for human resources at UMass Chan Medical School. She provides strategic direction to the Office of Human Resources for a wide range of programs and initiatives related to attracting, developing, and retaining talented staff and faculty at UMass Chan.

Brownawell joined UMass Chan Medical School in early 2023, bringing more than 35 years of experience in the higher education, technology, retail and financial service sectors. 

Before joining the Medical School, Brownawell served as the chief human resources officer for the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical and Denver campuses, serving more than 15,000 employees. Prior to that, she served as executive director of human resources at Boston University and spent 25 years in human resources with the MITRE Corporation, based in Bedford, Massachusetts, and McLean, Virginia. She began her career in human resources as a compensation analyst for the Zayre Corporation in Framingham and for Fidelity Investments in Boston. 

Brownawell is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and earned her master’s degree in business administration from Boston University. She is a certified compensation professional through WorldatWork and attended the Harvard Business School Women’s Leadership Forum and Strategic HR Management Program, and the Center for Creative Leadership’s Leadership for HR and Coaching programs.