Karen Colley Is the New Provost at the University of Illinois Chicago

Karen Colley has been appointed provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has been serving as acting provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Dr. Colley joined the faculty at the university in 1991 and was named a full professor in 2002. She has held many positions at the university, including both as professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular genetics and the dean of the Graduate College. She also previously served as interim university librarian and dean of libraries, as well as a prior stint as acting provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2021.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Colley began her focus on graduate student education by co-founding and co-leading the Graduate Education in Medical Sciences program in the College of Medicine, the first umbrella graduate program at the university. She also served as the associate director of the Medical Scientist Training Program and as the associate dean for graduate research and education in the College of Medicine. She is a past president of the Society for Glycobiology.

Dr. Colley received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University. She earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Washington University in St. Louis and continued her training in cell and molecular biology as an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles.