Dear Colleagues,

This week, you received an email from President Amy Parsons about transitions in leadership in the Provost’s Office. It is my honor and privilege to write to you today as your Interim Provost and Executive Vice President. During this interim period, I will continue to build on the strong foundation for academic and research excellence that Dr. Marion Underwood led during her tenure.

Over the past 20 years, I have witnessed the strength and purpose of this community as it fulfills the land-grant mission every day. I believe in the promise of this mission, I believe in CSU, I believe in our students, and I believe in all of you. We have an exciting CSU Strategic Roadmap guiding us, tremendous leadership centrally and across all sectors of our campus, and a community of faculty and staff who creatively collaborate to meet obstacles head on.

And, while these are particularly challenging times in academia, it is my firm belief that out of challenge emerge innovation, change that moves us forward, and our best selves. We have a community with the passion and expertise to capture opportunities when they present themselves, and to create new prospects where they did not previously exist. CSU stands as one of the top public institutions this nation has to offer, and I am hopeful for our future.

As I think about the next few months, my job is not just to keep the lights on for the next provost and executive vice president – but to work intentionally with you and our campus leadership to keep our momentum. Our students come here for an outstanding education. Our world-class faculty dedicate themselves to teaching and research that delivers ground-breaking discoveries every day. Our staff show up in so many ways each day to support the work of our great university. And, together, we keep driving forward.

My commitment to you is to listen, advocate, support, and engage with optimism and transparency as we advance over these next few months. Please feel free to reach out and look for invitations to talk over coffee and donuts (or fruit … as our colleagues in Food Science and Human Nutrition remind me).

Sincerely,

Lise

Lise M. Youngblade, Ph.D.
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President