Provost search

Meet George Mason’s new Provost and Executive Vice President, Marion Underwood

ckearney — Wed, 27 May 2026 16:45:27 +0000

Meet George Mason’s new Provost and Executive Vice President, Marion Underwood ckearney Wed, 05/27/2026 - 12:45

Marion Underwood most recently served as provost and executive vice president at Colorado State University. She previously held senior leadership roles as dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences at Purdue University and dean of graduate studies and associate provost at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Marion Underwood. Photo provided

What attracted you to George Mason? Was there a particular aspect of the university that made you say “I want to lead here”?

I am strongly attracted by the opportunity to lead the academic enterprise at such an innovative university on a steep upward trajectory. I am impressed by George Mason’s rare distinction of earning Carnegie designations as both an R1 and an Opportunity University, by the ambition of being an opportunity research university. I am compelled by the university’s core values of inclusivity over exclusivity, willingness to take risks, embracing diversity, viewing education as opportunity’s great equalizer, and examining our full truths no matter how messy. I am excited to collaborate with President Washington, other leaders, and the university community to help create a national model of a large-scale, high-impact public university.

What are you most excited about or cautious about when it comes to higher education and AI?

I am excited by the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to force us all to focus on what is most uniquely human: our voices, our ability to communicate with particular audiences, our judgement and discernment, our intuition, and our creativity. AI can detect patterns and make predictions from large amounts of data that could save time and help us focus on what only humans can do. I am excited to work with faculty and staff on preparing students to lead in a world fueled by AI and to use AI ethically and responsibly. My greatest fear about AI is that we will not move fast enough to put ethical guardrails in place, that it will make our work more homogenous if we are not careful, that it will perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and that the burden of the tremendous resources it consumes will be borne by already marginalized groups and communities.

During your presentation you mentioned the importance of the university building public trust as a modern anchor institution. Can you explain what that means and why it’s important?

I learned about this idea from EAB, an educational consulting firm. Modern anchor institutions build trust because they make lives better for the people in their communities and their regions. Modern anchor institutions are outward looking, connected, inclusive, engaged in the community, and proud to do applied research that solves real-world challenges. More traditional ivory tower universities are inwardly focused, set apart from the community, take pride in being exclusive, and do research that is more pure than applied.

What’s your approach to input and collaboration with faculty and staff?

Shared governance begins with respecting each other’s expertise and roles at the university. I believe in communicating early, often, and transparently, and being open to feedback. I strive to create an atmosphere of psychological safety in conversations, where proposals are made stronger by people voicing different perspectives, where it is safe to disagree and voice fears as well as hopes. We need to be open to innovation, which means we have to end what is not thriving. I always hope that we can think together creatively and strategically about new ways of working, but consider carefully what to do first and what investments will have the greatest impact. I try to encourage being university minded, focusing on the larger missions of student success, research excellence, access, and community engagement, but realize that is hard when people care about their own work so passionately and are such outstanding champions for the parts of the university they lead.

Where do you see immediate opportunities to impact the student experience and ensure our graduates are prepared for the future?

As a clinical psychologist who studies the pain of social exclusion, I know that human beings have a fundamental need to belong. I am excited to collaborate with the faculty and with University Life to make George Mason an even more inclusive, welcoming community where all students can learn and experience the joy of feeling part of the community in close relationships with their peers, staff, and the faculty. A huge opportunity to make sure our graduates are prepared for the future is to always be strengthening and modernizing the academic curriculum, to make it even more challenging, inspiring, and future-oriented. We also need to consider the co-curriculum, students’ opportunities to participate in organizations on campus but also to be at the forefront of creating knowledge in a research lab or an artist’s studio, learning about the world of work in an internship or a practicum setting, or studying abroad.

What are you most looking forward to in your first year at George Mason?

I am most excited to get to know the people of George Mason, the faculty and staff and students and academic leaders, to start to understand what you all have done to enable this young university to grow and thrive and excel, and to work with you all to envision new ways to advance the excellence of the university.

What’s one thing people might not know about you?

I was born in Beirut, Lebanon, when my Texan parents were living in Baghdad, Iraq, and went to kindergarten and first grade in Tripoli, Libya, where my father had some of his first jobs teaching geology at U.S. universities. I spent my elementary school years in Canyon, Texas, and my junior high and high school years in Manhattan, Kansas. Looking back on it, my family lived in locations others might find unappealing, but I thought we were so lucky because my parents always did a great job of helping us form relationships and appreciate what each place had to offer. They taught me that you can create a rich and interesting life in all kinds of places.

91�� selects Marion Underwood as provost and executive vice president

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Provost search

91�� selects Marion Underwood as provost and executive vice president

ckearney — Wed, 27 May 2026 16:34:34 +0000

91�� selects Marion Underwood as provost and executive vice president ckearney Wed, 05/27/2026 - 12:34

After a nationwide search, Marion Underwood has been named Provost and Executive Vice President at 91��, effective July 27. Underwood, former provost and executive vice president at Colorado State University (CSU), brings 35 years of academic, research and leadership experience to the role.

Marion Underwood. Photo provided

“Dr. Underwood’s career path has taken her to other institutions very compatible with George Mason, and she brings the right attitude and aptitude to thrive as our next provost,” said George Mason President Gregory Washington. “This is an important partnership as we forge George Mason into a university that is purpose-built to lead in the 21st century and beyond."

Her accomplishments at CSU included the creation of the university’s Strategic Roadmap 2025: A National Model for the Modern Land Grant University; formulating the CSU System Vision for Student Mental Health 2023; playing a critical role in fine-tuning CSU’s new hybrid RCM budget model; and the ongoing hiring and developing multiple outstanding academic leaders, including three deans.

“I look forward to working with faculty, staff, and University Life to strengthen a holistic student success model: expanding advising and basic needs supports, fostering belonging, advancing experiential learning and career-connected pathways, advancing research and scholarship based on societal needs, and building employer partnerships that help more graduates thrive,” Underwood said.

At Purdue University, Underwood served as dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences and distinguished professor of psychological sciences. She led the college through a period of strong enrollment growth and increased student success, oversaw a research portfolio of $32 million during the 2021-22 academic year, collaborated with the University Senate to create a new winter term, and led a university-wide cluster hire in Public Health, Health Equity, and Health Policy to attract faculty members to enhance expertise in diversity.

She also spent 20 years at University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), culminating in three years as dean of graduate studies and associate provost. During her time as graduate dean, the number of doctoral degrees awarded annually increased by 29%. She earned tenure as an associate professor of psychology at Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

She has more than 20 years of continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, more than 100 publications and an h-index of 51, recognition as an Ashbel Smith Professor at UT Dallas, and a distinguished professor at Purdue University. Her research on social aggression includes the 2003 book Social Aggression Among Girls and the upcoming second printing of her co-authored book Social Development: Relationships in Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence.

She is a strong advocate for student success, having collaborated with Enrollment and Access and Student Affairs to launch a transfer program at CSU in collaboration with Front Range Community College, and worked with the enrollment team there to recruit more rural students, while developing online offerings to meet unique needs of rural communities. She also developed a Student Mental Health Initiative for the CSU System.

Underwood has a BA in Psychology from Wellesley College where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and a master’s and PhD from Duke University in Clinical Psychology.

President Washington expressed his gratitude to Interim Provost Ajay Vinzé for his work; Vinzé will return to his role as dean of the Costello College of Business.

Washington also thanked the 21-member provost search committee, co-chaired by Melissa Broeckelman-Post, professor of communication and assistant provost for academic affairs; and Solon Simmons, faculty senate president, director of The Narrative Transformation Lab, and Vernon M. and Minnie I. Lynch professor in the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, for their work the past six months.

“Dr. Underwood’s career reflects broad leadership experience across major public research universities, grounded in a longstanding commitment to academic excellence, student success, and institutional innovation,” said Broeckelman-Post. “She is known for energetic, collaborative, and people-centered leadership, as well as for her commitment to mentoring, academic freedom, and inclusive excellence.

“Dr. Underwood’s work has consistently focused on strengthening the conditions that enable faculty, staff, and students to thrive,” added Simmons. “Her career reflects a strong belief that public research universities are at their best when they pair academic distinction with broad opportunity and sustained public purpose.”

Meet George Mason’s new Provost and Executive Vice President, Marion Underwood

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Provost Search Committee and Timeline

ltennyso — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:09:49 +0000

Provost Search Committee and Timeline ltennyso Thu, 12/18/2025 - 14:09

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that we are beginning our national search for the next Provost and Executive Vice President of 91��. I have asked the President of the Faculty Senate, Professor Solon Simmons, and Professor and Assistant Provost Melissa Broeckelman-Post to chair the search committee, and after careful consideration, we are pleased to introduce the members of the search committee:

Solon Simmons, co-chair: Faculty Senate President; Director, The Narrative Transformation Lab; Professor, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
Melissa Broeckelman-Post, co-chair: Professor of Communication, Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs
Armand Alacbay: Visitor and Secretary, GMU Board of Visitors; Faculty Senate Liaison and Chair of the Academic Affairs
Sharnnia Artis: Vice President for Access, Compliance, and Community
Lisa Billingham: Professor and Director of Choral Activities, Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Trishana Bowden: Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Relations/President, GMU Foundation
Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations
Shane Caswell: Professor, School of Kinesiology
Rick Davis: Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts; Executive Director, Hylton Performing Arts Center; Professor of Theater
Kim Eby: Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development
Cameron Harris: Instructional Associate Professor, Donald G. Costello College of Business; Assistant Chair, Business Foundations
David Hull: Senior Associate Dean; Antonin Scalia Law School
Bijan Jabbari: Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Cynthia Lum: Distinguished University Professor and Director, Evidence-Based Crime Policy; Criminology, Law and Society
Nilima Mow: President of the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), Ph.D. student and Graduate Research Assistant in Linguistics
Rose Pascarell: Vice President, University Life
Amira Roess: Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology
Catherine Sausville: Director of Undergraduate Studies and Senior Instructor, Mathematical Sciences
JP Singh: Distinguished University Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government; Co-director of the Center for Human-AI Innovation in Society
Rachel Spence: Staff Senate President; Academic Manager, International Enrollment Partnerships, Global Education Office
Dan Stephens: Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Undergraduate Student Body President (TBA)

In selecting the members of the search committee, we wanted to ensure that we represented as many constituents as possible while keeping our committee manageable in size.

To give you a sense of the timeline, we anticipate that we will select a search firm and post a position description early next semester. We expect to do interviews in April and May, including presentations that will be open to the faculty, and if all goes well, our new Provost will begin work on July 1.

The Provost has a central role in shaping any institution, and I am confident that we will select a chief academic officer who will help us build a bright future together.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington

President

Provost search

Meet George Mason’s new Provost and Executive Vice President, Marion Underwood

What attracted you to George Mason? Was there a particular aspect of the university that made you say “I want to lead here”?

What are you most excited about or cautious about when it comes to higher education and AI?

During your presentation you mentioned the importance of the university building public trust as a modern anchor institution. Can you explain what that means and why it’s important?

What’s your approach to input and collaboration with faculty and staff?

Where do you see immediate opportunities to impact the student experience and ensure our graduates are prepared for the future?

What are you most looking forward to in your first year at George Mason?

What’s one thing people might not know about you?

Related Stories

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91�� selects Marion Underwood as provost and executive vice president

Related Stories

Topics

Provost Search Committee and Timeline

Provost search

Meet George Mason’s new Provost and Executive Vice President, Marion Underwood

What attracted you to George Mason? Was there a particular aspect of the university that made you say “I want to lead here”?

What are you most excited about or cautious about when it comes to higher education and AI?

During your presentation you mentioned the importance of the university building public trust as a modern anchor institution. Can you explain what that means and why it’s important?

What’s your approach to input and collaboration with faculty and staff?

Where do you see immediate opportunities to impact the student experience and ensure our graduates are prepared for the future?

What are you most looking forward to in your first year at George Mason?

What’s one thing people might not know about you?

Related Stories

Topics

91���� selects Marion Underwood as provost and executive vice president

Related Stories

Topics

Provost Search Committee and Timeline

91�� selects Marion Underwood as provost and executive vice president