Mnookin would be the fourth chief in three years at Columbia.
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Columbia College has chosen Jennifer Mnookin, a authorized scholar and present chancellor on the College of Wisconsin at Madison, as its subsequent president.
Jennifer L. Mnookin
College of Wisconsin–Madison
Mnookin has led the Wisconsin flagship since 2022 and can stay in her position by the spring graduation. Earlier than taking the highest spot at UW-Madison, she served as dean of the UCLA College of Legislation.
Mnookin would be the fourth chief in three years at Columbia. Since 2023 the establishment has been disrupted by scholar protests, confronted $400 million in cuts to federal analysis funding and agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement with the Trump administration.
Mnookin will change Claire Shipman, the previous co-chairperson of the Board of Trustees, who has been performing president since March 2025, when interim president Katrina Armstrong resigned. Armstrong took over for Minouche Shafik, who was the college’s final everlasting president and resigned in August 2024.
In keeping with The Wall Avenue Journal, Columbia selected Mnookin due to her success navigating polarized politics in Wisconsin and coping with the federal authorities.
Throughout her tenure, Mnookin launched packages guaranteeing full monetary assist for Pell-eligible in-state college students and for undergraduates who’re members of federally acknowledged Wisconsin American Indian tribes and pursuing their first diploma. She additionally elevated the establishment’s analysis spending to $1.93 billion, making it the fifth-highest-ranked establishment within the nation for analysis expenditures.
Her time period has not been with out controversy, although. Final July, the establishment closed its range, fairness and inclusion workplace amid scrutiny into its funding from Republican state lawmakers. In October, the college introduced cost-cutting measures after it had federal grants terminated and obtained stop-work orders on some tasks.
In a assertion, Mnookin mentioned her time at UW-Madison has been “life-changing.”
“It has been a real honor to be part of the Wisconsin household. I’m happy with what we’ve got achieved collectively, even in a difficult interval for greater training, and I do know nice potentialities lie forward for the UW-Madison campus group.”
Jay Rothman, president of the Universities of Wisconsin, prolonged “substantial gratitude” to Mnookin.
“Throughout her tenure, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin introduced unbounded vitality, resilience and deeply considerate management to this nice college,” Rothman mentioned.
