Melody Rose became the 15th president of

Marylhurst University Marylhurst University was a private applied liberal arts and business university in Marylhurst, Oregon. It was among the oldest collegiate degree-granting institutions in Oregon, having awarded its first degree in 1897. Marylhurst was founded as ...

in 2014. Prior to her Marylhurst presidency, Rose was the first female Chancellor of the

Oregon University System The Oregon University System (OUS) was administered by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education (the "Board") and the Chancellor of the OUS, who was appointed by the Board. It was disbanded in June 2015. OUS was responsible for governing the s ...

(OUS). She was appointed the interim chancellor of the OUS from February 2013 to May 2014, and was later appointed Chancellor from May 2014 to August 2014. Before moving to the Oregon University System, Rose served in a number of roles at Portland State University, culminating in her service as vice provost for academic programs and instruction and dean of undergraduate studies. She is also the founder and first director of the Center for Women's Leadership. Rose was also professor and chair of the political science division before moving into academic administration. While on the PSU faculty, Rose authored a number of award-winning books, articles and chapters on the U.S. presidency, social policy, women and politics, and elections. Her fourth book, an edited volume entitled ''Women and Executive Office: Pathways and Performance'', was published during the 2012 elections. She received her bachelor's degree in politics from the

University of California at Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located on Monterey Bay, on the edge of ...

(

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

) and a master's degree in public administration, a master's in government and a Ph.D. in government from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

. Rose volunteers for education, civic engagement and women's organizations. She was a 2013 Portland Business Journal Women of Influence honoree, and she received the 2010 Governor's Women of Achievement Award. She served as president of the City Club of Portland in 2011–12, and she is an active member of the

International Women's Forum The International Women's Forum (IWF), founded in 1974 as the Women's Forum of New York, is an invitation-only women's organization with some 7,000 members. Its mission is "to support the women leaders of today and tomorrow". The IWF hosts two con ...

. On May 17, 2018, Marylhurst University announced it would close its doors after 125 years of service. In a May 17, 2018, press release, Chip Terhune, chair-elect of the Marylhurst Board of Trustees, which voted on May 16, 2018, to close the institution, thanked Rose for her leadership in difficult times. "On behalf of my fellow Trustees, I want to thank Dr. Rose for her expertise and leadership during these challenging times and express our continued trust in her as she shepherds our community through this transition," Terhune said. "We value her guidance and her insistence on prioritizing what’s best for students, faculty and the rest of the Marylhurst community."

References

Cornell University alumni University of California, Santa Cruz alumni Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Portland State University faculty Living people Marylhurst University Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-academic-administrator-20C-stub