Columbia Board of Trustees Announces Jennifer L. Mnookin as the University’s Next President

Dear members of the Columbia community,

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