Marion K. Underwood is an American psychologist and incoming Provost for George Mason University as well as former provost and executive vice president of Colorado State University.George Mason University (May 27, 2026). "George Mason University selects Marion Underwood as provost and executive vice president". George Mason University press release, retrieved May 29, 2026.Marcomm (October 3, 2023). "Marion Underwood named CSU provost and executive vice president". Colorado State University press release, retrieved November 13, 2024. She formerly served as dean of Purdue University's College of Health and Human Sciences, a position she assumed on August 1, 2018.Huckaby, M. (April 20, 2018). "UT Dallas dean to take helm of Purdue's Health and Human Sciences". Purdue University press release, retrieved November 20, 2018.Staff writer (April 23, 2018). "Purdue names health and human sciences dean". Inside INdiana Business. Retrieved on November 20, 2018.Piper, J. (May 31, 2018). "Transitions: Missouri State campus selects its first female chancellor, U. of Southern California resigns". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved on November 20, 2018. She is a researcher in social aggressionCNN Press Room (September 10, 2015). "CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° breaks news about teens and social media in provocative two-year long investigation". Retrieved on November 20, 2018. and is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science.
Career Underwood graduated from Wellesley College in 1986 and received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Duke University in 1991. She joined the faculty at Reed College in 1991, where she received tenure.Marion K. Underwood CV (November 2017), retrieved on November 20, 2018. From 1998 to 2018, she had various roles at the University of Texas at Dallas. In 2008, she was named to an Endowed Chair, as Ashbel Smith Professor."Endowed Chairs & Professorships" , UT Dallas. Retrieved on November 20, 2018. From 2015 to 2018, she served as dean of graduate studies and associate provost.
She studies social aggression (also known as relational aggression) in children and teens as well as adolescents' use of social media, text messaging, and other digital forms of communication. Her work has been seen on CNN, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, among others.Dell'Atonia, K. (October 5, 2015). "Seven ways parents can help 13-year-olds start their social media lives right". The New York Times. Retrieved on December 13, 2018.Senior, J. (August 4, 2018). "The high school we can't log off from". The New York Times, Opinion. Retrieved on December 13, 2018.Roberts, K. (February 26, 2014). "The psychology of begging to be followed on Twitter". The Atlantic. Retrieved on December 13, 2018.
BlackBerry project As part of a longitudinal study, Underwood provided free BlackBerrys to ninth-graders in exchange for permission to study the teens' text messages.ScienceDaily (September 9, 2013). "Antisocial texting by teens linked to bad behavior". Retrieved on December 13, 2018. On average, each student sent 1,321 text messages per month (about 43 per day).Bristol, T. (August 2, 2011). "Texting changes the way kids communicate" . Journal Review. Retrieved on December 13, 2018. Underwood and her colleagues found that less than 2% of text messages had antisocial content (such as rule-breaking, drug use, physical aggression, or property crimes.) Many of the text messages included teens "building each other up" and providing support.
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