Yolande Brown Chan
Yolande Chan (formerly, Yolande E. Brown) SB '82, SM '82 was MIT's first Black Rhodes Scholar and MIT's first female Rhodes Scholar. She came to the Institute from Kingston, Jamaica in 1978 and graduated with simultaneously awarded bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Course VI) in 1982. That year, she travelled to Oxford University, where she earned an M.Phil. in Management Studies (1984). Dr. Chan went on to earn a Ph.D. in Business Administration (MIS) from the Ivey Business School at Western University (1992).
Her research focuses on innovation, knowledge strategy, digital strategy, digital capabilities, and business-IT alignment. At Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, she served as Associate Dean of Research, PhD and MSc Programs; the E. Marie Shantz Chair of Digital Technology; Director of the School’s Monieson Centre; Associate Vice-Principal (Research); Co-chair of a 2017 university-wide review of racism, diversity and inclusion; Provost’s Designate on the Queen’s University Council on Anti-Racism and Equity; and Co-chair of a Smith School working group on equity, diversity and inclusion. Dr. Chan currently lives and works in Canada, where she is the James McGill Professor and Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University. At McGill, she is a member of the Black Faculty and Staff Caucus and continues to advocate for equity and inclusion.