January 2, 2024

Dear Colleagues: 

With a strong sense of excitement and honor, today I officially begin serving in two important roles at Colorado State University. The first is as your Provost and Executive Vice President, serving with you as trusted stewards of CSU’s academic enterprise; and second, as a member of an exceptional institution of higher education whose impact is far-reaching and drives meaningful change in a complex world.  

My experiences through the search process and in the weeks leading up to this moment have shown me how warm, welcoming, and truly extraordinary you are as a community. I already have learned this about you: you are caring, you contribute at high levels in your respected roles, your passion for inclusive excellence is inspiring, and you have a national reputation for innovation, creative scholarship, student success, sustainability, research and so much more. I am proud to call myself a CSU Ram, and I look forward to our journey together to foster excellence and lift this institution up to its greatest aspirations. 

Thank you for all you have done to welcome me as a candidate and colleague. I look forward to joining the CSU and Fort Collins community for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Monday, January 15. I hope to see you at the Oval at 11 a.m. for opening comments prior to the march, and at The Lincoln Center for the program that follows.  

I know many of you are still on winter break or trying to take some additional time off around the start of this new year. I hope your holidays were restful and filled with meaningful time with friends and loved ones. My holidays were filled with moving to beautiful Colorado, settling into a new home with my husband, and preparing to begin a new chapter in my life at CSU. I am overjoyed to be here and thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside you.  

Sincerely, 

Marion 

Marion K. Underwood, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President