0 CommentsMnookin, who currently serves as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will step into the role July 1, 2026 after a nine month national search.
On Sunday, January 25, Columbia’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Jennifer L. Mnookin as next president of Columbia University. Mnookin is the current Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin’s flagship campus in Madison. She previously served as the dean of UCLA School of Law.
Mnookin’s academic background includes an AB from Harvard University, a JD from Yale Law School, and a Ph.D in History and Social Study of Science and Technology from MIT. She is an experienced legal scholar, with her work focusing on wrongful convictions, forensic, and visual evidence.
David J. Greenwald, Chair of the Board of Trustees, commented in the press release that, “Jennifer will be an exceptional leader for Columbia’s future … As president, she will lead Columbia forward with strength and a firm commitment to the University’s cherished values.” President-designate Mnookin added, “I am honored and thrilled to join Columbia University at this important moment.”
Mnookin will be the next official president of the University since Minouche Shafik stepped down in August of 2024. In the meantime, Columbia has been under the leadership of Interim President Katrina Armstrong, who assumed the role from August 2024 to March 2025, and Acting President Claire Shipman, who took leadership in late March of 2025 and will serve as Interim President until Mnookin assumes the presidency in July. On Mnookin, Shipman noted, “She brings an inclusive and mission-driven approach to leadership and has demonstrated an ability to move from vision to execution while earning trust across diverse communities.”
Mnookin’s appointment is facing backlash from groups unsatisfied with her response to the 2024 encampments on UW-Madison’s campus. Mnookin first authorized police to displace the encampments on campus, but when the encampment was reinstated, worked to negotiate with protestors to peacefully end the encampment. Shafik, Armstrong, and Shipman have all been criticized for their handling of both the 2024 encampments and their aftermath, which included agreeing to a deal with the Trump administration in March of 2025 to unfreeze $440 million dollars in federal funding for the university in exchange for increased government oversight.
Mnookin, for her part, seems to acknowledge the environment in which she will become president, noting, “I look forward to working closely with faculty, students, and staff, and with both our local and global community of alumni and friends, to advance the University’s critically important mission and to ensure that its teaching and research continue to contribute meaningfully to society.”
Email from the Office of the Secretary to the Columbia community on January 25, 2026 at 8:12 pm:
We are writing with the exciting news that the Board of Trustees has unanimously selected Jennifer L. Mnookin, the current chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as the next president of Columbia University. She will begin her tenure on July 1, 2026. We had hoped to share this announcement with you tomorrow, rather than on a snowy Sunday evening, but given the intense media interest, we wanted you to hear from us right away.
President-designate Mnookin brings to Columbia an exceptional academic and leadership pedigree and a reputation for building trust through listening and engagement. She is known as a thoughtful consensus builder who strives for excellence in every pursuit, bringing both vision and energy to the work of institutional leadership. She will be a remarkable leader of our great university.
As Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, she has led a flagship public research campus serving more than 50,000 students across 13 schools and colleges with more than 25,000 faculty and staff, including a medical school and an affiliated health system. Across more than two decades in higher education, including nearly 17 years on the faculty of UCLA, including seven years as Dean of UCLA School of Law, she has demonstrated deep respect for the transformative power of higher education, including shared governance, the student experience, academic freedom, and the central role of teaching and research in defining and advancing a university’s mission. Mnookin received her AB from Harvard University, her JD from Yale Law School, and a PhD in history and social study of science and technology from MIT.
More information about Jennifer’s career, scholarship, and accomplishments can be found on the Presidential Transition webpage.
President-designate Mnookin’s appointment is a result of the diligent work of the Presidential Search Committee, which was created last spring to identify our next president. The Committee, comprised of trustees and faculty, with input from our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, conducted a thorough and inclusive national search, engaging a broad cross-section of the Columbia community and considered dozens of exceptionally qualified candidates.
On behalf of the Trustees, we extend our sincere thanks to the members of the Presidential Search Committee, and especially to its co-chairs Jonathan Lavine, CC ’88, and Andrew Barth, CC ’83, Business ’85, for leading this exceptional effort during one of the more challenging periods in Columbia’s history.
We also want to express our deep appreciation to Acting President Claire Shipman, CC ’86, SIPA ’94, for her outstanding leadership and service to the University for the last 10 months. She generously stepped into the role in late March 2025, and her steady guidance and unwavering commitment to protecting and moving our institution forward have positioned Columbia well for this next chapter.
We look ahead with excitement as Jennifer prepares to assume the presidency, and we are grateful to the Columbia community for its engagement and support throughout this process.
Sincerely,
David J. Greenwald
Co-Chair, Board of Trustees
Jeh C. Johnson
Co-Chair, Board of Trustees
Header via Columbia Office of the Secretary
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