*This message was sent as an email to Colorado State University leadership.

October 17, 2024

Dear Colleagues:

I am excited to announce two new leadership appointments within the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President. Dr. Michael Galchinsky of Georgia State University has accepted the role of Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Affairs (VPDUA), effective May 1, 2025. Dr. Lisa Dysleski of CSU’s College of Natural Sciences has accepted the role of Assistant Vice Provost (AVP) for Academic Success and Advising, effective November 1, 2024.

Drs. Galchinsky and Dysleski are outstanding leaders with strong track records in advancing student success initiatives. They have been selected for two roles redesigned with expanded responsibilities to further elevate the excellent work that is being done across CSU to drive data-informed strategies for a diverse student population. The VPDUA position will replace the role of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs, and the AVP position will replace the role of Executive Director of the University Academic and Advising Department.

About Dr. Michael Galchinsky

Dr. Galchinsky currently is the Senior Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, Professor of English and a Jewish Studies scholar at Georgia State University. He also oversees Georgia State’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Online Education. Dr. Galchinsky has spent 26 years at Georgia State in various leadership roles at all levels across the institution, and he has spent 10 of those years in the Office of the Provost where he also previously served as Associate Provost of Institutional Effectiveness. Additionally, he held the Rabbi Joachim Prinz Memorial Fellowship from the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, and is a Faculty Fellow at Yale University’s Center for Cultural Sociology. Coming from Georgia State, home to the National Institute for Student Success (NISS), Dr. Galchinsky brings with him a breadth of knowledge and a unique background that can help us further move the dial on student success at CSU.

About Dr. Lisa Dysleski

Dr. Lisa Dysleski is well-known and highly regarded as an innovative and dedicated academic leader at CSU. Dr. Dysleski is a CSU alum, past faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and a long-time Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in CNS. She has worked at CSU for more than 20 years, and has served in various leadership roles including previously as Director of the CNS Learning Community. During her tenure as AD she has continued to re-envision the College’s learning community program and its student success efforts, elevating them to include national best-practices and increased collaborations across campus. These collaborations have included multiple units from the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Inclusive Excellence, centering on serving the needs of students historically excluded from participation in STEM disciplines. As a former department Key Academic Advisor and CNS advocate for expanding the College’s advising cohort, she will be a dynamic leader for our exceptional advising community.

Gratitude to the CSU Community

There are many people to thank for the success of these highly competitive searches including our campus community who participated in the candidate open fora and provided feedback. I am grateful to Associate Provost Steve Dandaneau, committee chair for the VPDUA search, and the search committee members who guided our national search with Steve. I also want to express my appreciation to Dr. Jen Aberle, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs in the College of Health and Human Sciences, who served both as chair of the internal search committee for the AVP position and as Interim Executive Director of the University Academic and Advising Department following Gaye DiGregorio’s retirement. Many thanks as well to the committee members who served on the search with Jen.

Finally, I want to offer my deepest gratitude to Dr. Michelle Stanley, Professor of Music and College of Liberal Arts Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies,  who has been serving in the Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs role since the summer and will continue to do so until Dr. Galchinsky joins our team. Michelle has been an absolutely wonderful colleague and collaborator, and I am immensely appreciative for her wise leadership and relentless dedication.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Galchinsky and Dr. Dysleski on their new roles. We are fortunate they have chosen CSU to pursue their passion for higher education, student success, access and inclusive excellence.

Sincerely,

Marion

Marion K. Underwood, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice President