Columbia University has selected Jennifer Mnookin, currently serving as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to assume its presidential leadership effective July 1. This appointment marks a strategic move by the Ivy League institution to navigate beyond a period of significant disruption spanning the past two years.
The university’s presidency has experienced considerable instability, with Mnookin becoming the fifth individual to hold this position within just four years. Her predecessor, Nemat Shafik, resigned in August 2024 following intense scrutiny of her administration’s handling of campus protests and deepening divisions within the university community.
Columbia’s recent challenges have been substantially influenced by federal intervention during the Trump administration. Shortly after assuming office last year, the administration targeted Columbia as the initial focus of a broader campaign to reshape protest policies, admission criteria, and academic curricula at elite American universities.
Federal authorities took severe measures against student activists, including the imprisonment of participants in pro-Palestinian demonstrations during 2024. The administration additionally canceled $400 million in research grants allocated to the university and its affiliated hospital network, citing concerns about combating antisemitism on campus. Further financial threats involved potentially withholding billions in government support.
These pressures culminated in a settlement agreement wherein Columbia consented to pay over $220 million to reinstate research funding. The university also committed to restructuring its student disciplinary procedures and implementing a federally endorsed definition of antisemitism across both academic instruction and disciplinary committees investigating students critical of Israeli policies.
Mnookin brings substantial academic leadership experience to her new role, having previously served as dean of UCLA School of Law before assuming her current position at Wisconsin-Madison in August 2022. She holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, a law degree from Yale Law School, and a doctorate in the history and social study of science and technology from MIT.