Early Bird

Announcing new University leaders

MSU Denver welcomes a new government-affairs director, chief of staff and faculty fellow.

By Lindsey Coulter

December 2, 2020

Please join the Office of the President in welcoming Kaycee Gerhart, director of government affairs, and Edward J. Brown Jr., chief of staff, to the campus community, and in congratulating Sam Jay, Ph.D., who will serve as Metropolitan State University of Denver’s first-ever faculty fellow, working closely with Brown and other members of the University’s Senior Leadership Team.

“Edward, Kaycee and Sam will fill critically important roles at MSU Denver,” said President Janine Davidson, Ph.D. “I am excited to work with them to strengthen the University’s legislative advocacy and decision-making processes as well as the connection between leadership and faculty.”

Edward J. Brown Jr.

Brown is a higher-education administrator with 20-plus years of experience in the areas of executive leadership, student success and diversity. As a member of the president’s Senior Leadership Team, Brown will provide operational leadership and supervision for high-priority University projects, manage the decision-making processes and ensure coordinated implementation. 

He comes to MSU Denver after having served as chief of staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2018 with responsibility for day-to-day operations of the chief diversity officer’s office and managing several administrative units and strategic priorities. He also served as chief of staff at Tuskegee University from 2014 to 2017, working directly for the president with oversight for implementing and managing strategic initiatives and serving as university spokesman. In addition to working with the operational and administrative functions of the university, he co-led a yearlong strategic-planning process, led efforts for integrating the Student Success Collaborative predictive-analytics platform across campus, created the President’s Men and Women Leadership Program and oversaw commencement exercises.

A first-generation college graduate, Brown also served as director of diversity programs and assistant director of student services for the College of Textiles at North Carolina State University in Raleigh from 2008-14. At N.C. State, he developed and monitored the college’s Equal Opportunity Plan, facilitated diversity workshops, served on the Staff Senate and the African American Cultural Center Advisory Board and co-founded an award-winning targeted initiative for males of color.

Kaycee Gerhart

Gerhart brings a decade of nonprofit and public-sector experience to her new role. As the former policy director for then-Colorado state Sen. Mike Johnston, Gerhart developed, advanced and advised on hundreds of bills in the areas of education, finance, economic development and more. In addition to her work within the Colorado legislature, Gerhart oversaw all stakeholder engagement and constituent services across the northeast Denver Senate district.

Gerhart’s experience in policymaking has also led her to build and activate successful coalitions of advocates at the local, state and national levels for a variety of public-interest initiatives and projects. Most recently, she supported nonprofit executive teams in health care and education to attract the resources and community support needed to advance their organizations’ missions.

A first-generation college graduate, Gerhart earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in English Literature from San Diego State University. She started her career as a high school math teacher in Denver Public Schools and enjoys staying connected to K-12 education through her service as a board member at Wyatt Academy and mentor with the Challenge Foundation.

Sam Jay, Ph.D.

Jay will serve as MSU Denver’s inaugural Presidential Faculty Fellow. Jay joined MSU Denver as an affiliate faculty member in 2011 and has progressed through the ranks to associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Communication Studies. He earned a bachelor’s degree in cinema studies from the University of Iowa, a master’s degree in film history and criticism from the University of North Texas and a doctorate from the University of Denver, where he majored in communication studies with a minor in digital-media studies. Jay also served as vice president and president of the Media Studies Division of the Western States Communication Association and is a member of the International Association for Communication and Sport and the National Communication Association. He and wife Catherine are parents to daughters Iris, Odette and Teddy.

As the Presidential Faculty Fellow, Jay will get a behind-the-scenes view of the administration of the University at the highest levels. He will receive 15 hours of reassigned time for the semester and will work full-time in collaboration with Davidson and the Senior Leadership Team.

In the role, Jay aims to build awareness of MSU Denver among prospective students as well as community, state and national leaders; bring a faculty perspective to University decision-making; and grow his leadership skills.