by Natalia Mittelstadt
Columbia University announced that it has appointed University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin as its next president, the Ivy League school’s fourth leader in five years.
Mnookin will be Columbia’s fifth president in four years, according to the Columbia Spectator.
Mnookin (pictured above) said, “It has been a true honor to be a part of the Wisconsin family. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, even in a challenging period for higher education, and I know great possibilities lie ahead for the UW–Madison campus community.”
Jay Rothman, president of the Universities of Wisconsin, said, “During her tenure, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin brought unbounded energy, resilience and deeply thoughtful leadership to this great university. As she now takes on a new opportunity at another prestigious institution, we extend our substantial gratitude for her service and wish her continued success in the years ahead.”
The New York City school has had three since August 2024, following Palestinian-backed Hama’s Oct. 2023 terror attack on Israel, then Israel declaring war on Hamas.
Pro-Palestinian protesters built on-campus encampments and took over at least one building. In August 2024, University president Minouche Shafik resigned after facing criticism over Columbia’s handling of the pro-Palestinian campus protests.
In May 2025, the school authorized the New York City Police Department to end demonstrations and arrest protesters.
President Trump and his administration maintained at the time of the protests and in their aftermath that there was widespread antisemitism at Columbia and cut millions in funding before a settlement was reached.
The search for a new president began in April 2025.
Acting University President Claire Shipman has held the position since March 2025, after interim President Katrina Armstrong served for seven months before returning to her former position as the Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s CEO.
Mnookin will start her new position on July 1, the university announced on Sunday.
Before working at UW–Madison, Mnookin served for seven years as Dean of UCLA School of Law.
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Natalia Mittelstadt is a reporter for Just the News. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
Photo “Jennifer Mnookin” by Bascombasement. CC BY 4.0.
