Marion Underwood is Colorado State University’s Provost and Executive Vice President. She serves as CSU’s chief academic officer and as the second in command within the university administration.

Underwood oversees areas including the Office of the Provost; the deans of the Libraries, Graduate School and eight colleges; the offices of the Vice President for Research and the Vice President for Student Affairs; and the Office of the Chair of the Faculty Council, among other responsibilities. As a renowned scholar and accomplished academic administrator grounded in the land-grant tradition, Underwood provides academic vision and leadership through collaboration with faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters.

Prior to her work at CSU, Underwood was dean for the College of Health and Human Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University; a faculty member at Reed College; and a professor and administrator at the University of Texas at Dallas where she served as the Ashbel Smith Professor of Psychological Sciences, associate dean of programs and administration in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and dean of graduate studies and associate provost.

Underwood holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wellesley College, and a master’s degree and doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Duke University.​