Lelei Finau-Starkey

Lelei serves as the Assistant Dean for the Program in Exploratory Studies (PES) and Office of Undergraduate Education.  The Program in Exploratory Studies is the academic home to over 2,500 students, including approximately 25% of each entering first-year class. In this role Lelei provides strategic leadership, manages the academic and administrative policies and processes of PES, and serves as the primary point of contact for dean’s office functions. While several courses are taught within or closely affiliated with PES, the program has no faculty and does not confer degrees. Rather, it is an advising and student support program that serves as a campus-wide open option major.

Lelei is a lifelong Buff who grew up in Security, Colorado and now lives in Denver with her husband and two children.  Lelei started working for CU Boulder as a student assistant over 20 years ago and knew that CU was the place for her. She earned a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder and an MA in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Human Learning from the University of Colorado Denver.  Lelei’s favorite part of her job is working together as a team to support students as they discover who they are and helping them reach their personal and academic goals.

In her free time, Lelei likes to talk about food, cook for friends and family, and travel to enjoy delicious food from around the world.