Jennifer Mnookin

Jennifer L. Mnookin became the 21st president of Columbia University on July 1, 2026, after serving as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A nationally recognized legal scholar, she has dedicated her career to advancing excellence in higher education through outstanding teaching and research, expanding access and affordability, serving the public good, and preparing future generations of engaged citizens.

As chancellor of UW–Madison from 2022 to 2026, Mnookin led a university of more than 50,000 students and 25,000 faculty and staff. She oversaw major investments in faculty hiring and research infrastructure, launched university-wide initiatives in artificial intelligence, interdisciplinary research, and civic dialogue, and strengthened student support systems while navigating a challenging federal funding environment and complex state politics.

Previously, Mnookin served as dean of the UCLA School of Law, where she spent 17 years on the faculty. She enhanced the school’s academic reputation and rankings, expanded clinical and experiential learning opportunities, led record fundraising efforts, and received UCLA Law’s highest teaching honor. Earlier in her career, she taught at the University of Virginia School of Law and Harvard Law School.

An elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2020, Mnookin has also held national leadership roles at the intersection of law, science, and public policy, including service on the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Science, Technology, and Law and co-chairing a National Academies’ report on facial recognition technology. She earned degrees from Harvard University, Yale Law School, and MIT. She and her husband, political theorist Joshua Foa Dienstag, have two adult children.