Lindsey Shirley, Ph.D., currently serves as the Senior Associate Vice President for Engagement & Extension at Colorado State University (CSU). From Wichita, Kansas to Rome, Italy, Lindsey has championed innovation in teaching and learning, driving transformative changes across secondary, post-secondary, and Extension education on a global scale.

Lindsey’s work as a professor sparked a curiosity about how land grant universities could better respond to the booming outdoor recreation economy. Her pioneering research culminated in the creation of the groundbreaking Bachelor of Science degree in Outdoor Product Design and Development at Utah State University, the first program of its kind in the nation. Now at CSU, she’s focused on enhancing the lives of Coloradans through lifelong learning opportunities, leveraging the dynamic platforms of CSU Online, Professional Education, Extension Programs, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Lindsey’s commitment to community impact earned her induction into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship in 2021.

Before arriving at CSU, Lindsey was the Associate Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement and Associate Director of the Extension Service at Oregon State University (OSU). There, she worked together with state leadership, driving statewide initiatives that were instrumental in fulfilling the mission of Oregon’s First Gentleman, Dan Little, and former Governor Kate Brown to advance the mental and physical health of Oregonians.