Interim Dean of the College Scott C. Brown has been named a member of the inaugural class of impact fellows with the Aspen Institute Leadership Development Index.

The Aspen Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society.

The new fellowship will bring together stakeholders in a broad-based effort to advance the future of youth leadership development.

Seldom has the need for a generation of values-driven, community-oriented youth leaders been more apparent, says Aspen Index founder John Dugan. “We can no longer take leadership development for granted. We must provide opportunities for youth to cultivate their talent to address growing political, social, and scientific issues—not in some distant future, but today.”

As a senior impact fellow, Brown joins a cohort that includes college presidents and other education officials from across the United States.

“It is an honor to be selected to help further the goal of expanding young people’s access to high-quality leadership programs,” Brown says. “I am thrilled to be part of this important work.”