Brown has made his mark in journalism as a TV reporter, anchor and producer and now as an educator of college journalists. Brown received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He worked for 15 years for both commercial and public television stations covering state government and public affairs. He launched his teaching career at UNL in 1989 before moving in 1996 to Syracuse University, where he rose to associate dean of research, creativity, international initiatives and diversity. He was named dean of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications in 2021. In 2016, he was honored with a service award from the Association for Journalism and Communication.