Alex Underwood

Alex Underwood is the University Registrar at The University of Arizona. He champions the
Office of the Registrar’s commitment to serving as a campus thought partner by designing
efficient, student-centered processes that uphold the integrity of the academic record and
advance student success.

With more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration, Alex is known for
driving strategic, equity-minded leadership across complex academic and operational
environments. Before joining Arizona, he served as the Executive Director of Academic Systems
and Student Records for City Colleges of Chicago, the largest community college district in
Illinois, supporting more than 80,000 students annually. His earlier roles there included District
Director of Academic Systems and Registrar of Malcolm X College. Alex began his professional
journey as an Academic Advisor, an experience that continues to energize his student-focused
and service-oriented approach.

Alex is an active contributor to the registrar profession. He is a former President of the Pacific
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO), serves on the Board of
Directors for the Association of American Universities (AAU) Registrars, and contributes to the
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) as faculty for
Registrar 201, a member of the Curriculum Committee, and a former elected member of the
Nominations and Elections Committee.

He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Ph.D. program in Higher Education at the University
of Arizona, where his work focuses on organizational effectiveness and the evolving role of the
modern registrar.