Dr. Raymonde Brown

STATE COLLEGE — After nearly four decades of educating future nurses and expanding nursing education across Pennsylvania, Dr. Raymonde “Rae” A. Brown retired from Penn State on July 1, concluding a 37-year career in nursing education and academic leadership.

Brown began her nursing career in critical care at Lewistown Hospital before joining Penn State as a nursing instructor. During her tenure, she helped develop several of the university’s nursing programs, including the Online RN to BSN, Accelerated RN to BSN and Second-Degree BSN programs.

Most recently, Brown oversaw undergraduate nursing programs at 12 Penn State campuses as well as the university’s online nursing program.

A graduate of the Williamsport Hospital School of Nursing, Brown earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State before receiving a doctorate from the University of Maryland. She also served as an AACN Fuld Leadership Fellow and held numerous leadership positions within critical care nursing and Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing.

Among her career milestones, Brown was a member of the first cohort of nurses certified in critical care nursing and later earned certification in nursing education.

She and her late husband, Joseph S. Brown, co-founded the Pennsylvania Society of Critical Care Medicine. The organization continues to recognize their contributions through an annual award bearing their names.

Throughout her career, Brown authored numerous publications, presented at national conferences and secured millions of dollars in funding to support nursing scholarships and program development.

Her work earned several teaching and leadership honors, including selection as the inaugural recipient of the ATI Nursing Education Academic Nurse Leader Award, a national recognition honoring excellence in nursing education leadership.

In announcing her retirement, Penn State colleagues credited Brown with helping expand nursing education opportunities across the Commonwealth while mentoring generations of nursing students and faculty members.

Brown retired with the title of professor emerita.