Dear Lynx community, 

It is with great enthusiasm that I announce the appointment of Dr. Karen A. Marrongelle as CU Denver’s next Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Dr. Marrongelle will assume this vital role with a wealth of experience, an extraordinary track record of leadership, and a bold vision for the future of CU Denver. Her appointment, effective July 28, 2025, marks a significant step forward as we continue to strengthen our reputation as Colorado’s premier public urban research university and a transformative force for our students, the communities we serve, and the broader world.

Dr. Marrongelle’s career exemplifies a steadfast commitment to innovation, academic excellence, and student success, values that resonate deeply with our campus community, Karen A. Marrongelle CU Denver’s mission, and me. Currently, she is serving as the Chief Science Officer at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), where she oversees science operations for the federal agency. Its mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering. Her leadership at NSF has been transformative, including her role in launching the first new directorate in over three decades, the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, which exemplifies her ability to drive strategic innovation in large, complex organizations.

Prior to her tenure at NSF, Dr. Marrongelle served as the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Portland State University, where she spearheaded interdisciplinary collaborations, strategic resource realignment, and initiatives that positioned the college for long-term success. Notably, she led Portland State’s first-ever cluster hire, a process that e nriched faculty excellence while fostering interdisciplinary research and teaching. Her leadership philosophy—rooted in transparency, collaboration, and inclusivity—has consistently delivered impactful results and created lasting legacies.

Dr. Marrongelle’s dedication to empowering faculty and staff, advancing impactful research, and fostering student success aligns seamlessly with CU Denver’s goals. As provost, she will focus on enhancing academic excellence, developing innovative programs, and broadening access to and the impact of our strong academic portfolio to reach a broader base of learners—from pre-collegiate to retirement. She believes, as I do, that these endeavors must be pursued with a future-forward perspective to position CU Denver as a leader in transforming education in this evolving higher education landscape. Her vision includes leveraging CU Denver’s strengths in innovation, research, and community partnerships to build a better future for everyone we serve. 

Dr. Marrongelle shares my excitement about joining our team. “I am excited to join CU Denver at an important moment in its history and look forward to collaborating with Chancellor Christensen and every member of the campus community as we navigate through the opportunities and challenges of this moment to realize widespread success in academic innovation, research excellence, and student achievement,” she said. “During my visit to the campus as a finalist, I gained a deeper appreciation for the commitments we all share to the students we serve at CU Denver and the vital mission of the institution as the anchor for excellence in higher education right in the heart of Denver.”

On behalf of the CU Denver community, I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the members of the provost search committee for their diligent and thoughtful work. Special thanks go to our search committee co-chairs, College of Arts & Media Dean Lucinda Bliss and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Phillip De Leon, who ran a thorough yet expedited international search to ensure we could begin our next academic year with a new provost. Through the committee’s good work and commitment to a rigorous and comprehensive process, we brought exemplary candidates to campus and were able to hire a leader of Dr. Marrongelle’s caliber.

As Dr. Marrongelle prepares to join us, I know you will join me in welcoming her warmly to our CU Denver family. I look forward, with great anticipation, to the energy, expertise, and vision she will bring to our university, and I am confident that her leadership will inspire us all to reach new heights in our shared mission.