Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Florida State University
I'm DeOnte Brown. I grew up in Quincy, Florida, and I was the first in my family to go to college. Today I lead the division that guides FSU undergraduates from their first semester to graduation day.
My personal commitment to student success is powered by the belief that every student deserves access to opportunity, support and pathways to excellence.
DeOnte Brown is Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Florida State University. His division serves most FSU freshmen and sophomores. It includes Advising First, the University Honors Program, the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement, the Office of National Fellowships, and the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement.
He grew up in Quincy, Florida, and was the first in his family to go to college. He started at Tallahassee Community College, then earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from the University of Central Florida. He went on to earn a Master of Education from Florida A&M University and a Ph.D. in learning sciences from Clemson University.
He began his FSU career in 2010 as an academic success coach. He later ran the federally funded Upward Bound program, spent six years building student success programs at Clemson, and came home to FSU in 2021 to lead CARE. FSU named him dean in November 2025.
He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He lives in Tallahassee with his wife and their three children.
Earlier roles: Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance (2008 to 2009), Florida A&M University graduate assistant (2009 to 2010), and FSU Upward Bound program assistant (2008 to 2009).
Student success shows up in the numbers. Here are a few milestones from the programs and divisions DeOnte has led.
Figures come from public FSU and Clemson reports, linked in In the news.
DeOnte led FSU's Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement from 2021 to 2025. His team expanded the QUEST Scholars Program for first-generation students and launched Illuminate for Pell Grant recipients. In 2023, FSU earned national recognition as a First Scholars Institution. CARE also started the Horizons Unlimited Conference and a First-Generation Alumni Network that reaches more than 30,000 FSU graduates.
At Clemson, DeOnte led programs for first-year students of color, first-generation students, and men of color. CONNECTIONS won a NASPA Excellence Award and posted 97.1% retention for its 2017 cohort. He also helped build Renaissance MAN, a four-year program that pairs mentoring with research for college men of color. In 2020, Clemson gave him the job of building a new department, Community Achievement and Student Empowerment.
DeOnte's doctoral research at Clemson studied what helps Black college students thrive at predominantly white universities. He surveyed students at 11 universities across seven southern states. He looked at how support from faculty, peers, and administrators, along with identity and cultural strengths, shapes how students see their lives and careers.
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Planning a conference, a commencement, or a student success event? Looking for a partner on first-generation or transfer student work? Send a note and DeOnte will get back to you.