I am delighted to announce that Marlene Tromp will be joining UC Santa Cruz as campus provost/executive vice chancellor.
Tromp, vice provost at Arizona State University’s West Campus and a professor of English and women and gender studies, will arrive on campus June 1. Her appointment has been approved by UC President Janet Napolitano and will be finalized subject to the completion of her faculty appointment.
You can read more about Marlene’s background in the public announcement released today by our news office. In a competitive field of highly qualified candidates, Marlene’s commitment to excellence stood out. She understands and appreciates the culture of UC Santa Cruz. She embraces our innovative spirit, values the role of faculty consultation in effective shared governance, and is committed to diversity and to making educational opportunities available to all.
Marlene is a renowned scholar with broad interests and an inquiring, open mind. She started college planning to become a doctor but switched gears to study literature; she is an engaged participant in the world around her (she took time off during her graduate career to work as a community activist). She is the author of two books: Altered States: Sex, Nation, Drugs, and Self-Transformation in Victorian Spiritualism and The Private Rod: Sexual Violence, Marriage, and the Law in Victorian England. Indeed, she has gotten to know our campus over the years as a frequent attendee of our annual summer Dickens Universe conference.
Finally, Marlene’s energy and enthusiasm is infectious. In her current role as vice provost of ASU’s West Campus, she has been a strong voice for faculty and students, advocating on their behalf within the larger Arizona State University system. As a first-generation college graduate, she appreciates firsthand the challenges facing students who are the first in their family to pursue a four-year degree.
I look forward to working with Marlene to move this campus forward, pursuing goals that will foster our core mission of teaching, research, and public service.
I want to thank members of the search committee, chaired by Physical and Biological Sciences Dean Paul Koch, for their service. I am extremely pleased with the outcome of this search.
