Dr. Debbie Tahmassebi is provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Prior to joining Marquette, she served as provost at Westminster University in Utah, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University, and professor of chemistry at the University of San Diego. As part of her Jesuit formation, Tahmassebi participated in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ Ignatian Colleagues Program, among other AJCU sponsored conferences and retreats.

Among her accomplishments as provost at Westminster, Tahmassebi introduced a three-year accelerated bachelor of science in nursing degree, helped lead the student life cycle group that works to identify barriers and solutions to the successful achievement of strategic enrollment goals and student success, and collaborated with faculty on an update to the university’s core curriculum.

While dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara, Tahmassebi expanded the college’s Center for Arts and Humanities, promoted the digital humanities and initiated the artist-in-residence program, and launched a state-of-the-art lab for virtual and augmented reality to serve as a pedagogical and creative resource for disciplines across the college. Tahmassebi also promoted research activity and partnerships in the college, including the provision of funded opportunities for undergraduate research and creative endeavors. She was committed to enhancing diversity, inclusion and equity in the college, expanding an Inclusive Excellence Post-Doc program, and hiring an extraordinary set of talented underrepresented faculty members.

An organic chemist, Tahmassebi has received more than $1 million in funding for her DNA research and related programs.

Tahmassebi holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California at San Diego.