Columbia University has named University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin its next president, the school's fourth in two years.
She starts July 1, the New York City-based college announced Sunday.
"President-designate Mnookin brings to Columbia an exceptional academic and leadership pedigree and a reputation for building trust through listening and engagement," the school said in the announcement.
"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."
Columbia's leadership turnover comes after a turbulent stretch for the Ivy League school, which has faced intense scrutiny and internal strain amid campus protests, political pressure, and debates over academic freedom and student discipline.
The university has cycled through multiple leaders since 2023, including Minouche Shafik and a series of interim and acting successors, as trustees have tried to stabilize the administration and restore confidence among students, faculty, donors, and federal officials.
Shafik resigned in 2024 after the university's handling of campus protests drew criticism from pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sides alike. Protests took place after the start of Israel's war in Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attack.
Columbia's leadership turmoil is tied to a high-stakes showdown with the federal government under President Donald Trump's second administration.
In early 2025, the administration cut about $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia, accusing the university of failing to adequately protect Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian campus protests over the Israel-Gaza war.
That funding freeze, which also involved threats to academic freedom and student discipline policies, set off intense negotiations and national scrutiny of Columbia's handling of demonstrations and campus safety.
Columbia finally agreed in mid-2025 to a settlement worth roughly $220 million with the Trump administration that restored most of its federal research funding in exchange for structural changes, including reforms to disciplinary procedures, adoption of a federal definition of antisemitism, and other policy adjustments.
Mnookin has led the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2022.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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