Mnookin will be Columbia’s fourth leader in three years.
DNY59/iStock/Getty Images
Columbia University has selected Jennifer Mnookin, a legal scholar and current president of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to be its next president.
Jennifer L. Mnookin
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mnookin has led the Wisconsin flagship since 2022 and will continue in that role during spring commencement ceremonies. Prior to serving as dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she served as dean of the UCLA School of Law.
Mnookin will be Columbia’s fourth leader in three years. The agency has been disrupted by student protests since 2023, cut federal research funding by $400 million and agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement with the Trump administration.
Mnookin will succeed former board co-chair Claire Shipman, who has served as acting president since the resignation of interim President Katrina Armstrong in March 2025. Armstrong succeeds Minouche Shafik, the university’s last permanent president who resigned in August 2024.
according to wall street journalColumbia chose Mnookin because of her success in navigating Wisconsin’s polarizing politics and engaging with the federal government.
During her tenure, Mnookin launched programs that guarantee full financial support to Pell-eligible in-state students and undergraduate students pursuing their first degree who are members of a federally recognized American Indian tribe in Wisconsin. She also increased the agency’s research spending to $1.93 billion, making it the fifth-largest research spender in the United States.
However, her tenure has not been without controversy. Last July, the agency closed its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion amid scrutiny of its funding by Republican state lawmakers. In October, the university announced cost-cutting measures after federal funding ended and it received stoppage orders for some programs.
Mnookin said in a statement that her time at UW-Madison “changed her life.”
“I am honored to be a part of the Wisconsin family. Even during challenging times in higher education, I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I know there are tremendous possibilities for the future for the UW-Madison campus community.”
UW President Jay Rothman expressed his “heartfelt thanks” to Mnookin.
“Throughout her tenure, President Jennifer Mnookin has brought endless energy, resilience and thoughtful leadership to this great university,” said Rothman.
