"Mnookin has led the Wisconsin flagship since 2022 and will remain in her role through the spring commencement. Before taking the top spot at UW-Madison, she served as dean of the UCLA School of Law. Mnookin will be the fourth leader in three years at Columbia. Since 2023 the institution has been disrupted by student protests, faced $400 million in cuts to federal research funding and agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement with the Trump administration."
"Mnookin will replace Claire Shipman, the former co-chairperson of the Board of Trustees, who has been acting president since March 2025, when interim president Katrina Armstrong resigned. Armstrong took over for Minouche Shafik, who was the university's last permanent president and resigned in August 2024. According to The Wall Street Journal, Columbia chose Mnookin because of her success navigating polarized politics in Wisconsin and dealing with the federal government."
"During her tenure, Mnookin launched programs guaranteeing full financial support for Pell-eligible in-state students and for undergraduates who are members of federally recognized Wisconsin American Indian tribes and pursuing their first degree. She also increased the institution's research spending to $1.93 billion, making it the fifth-highest-ranked institution in the country for research expenditures. Her term has not been without controversy, though. Last July, the institution closed its diversity, equity and inclusion office amid scrutiny into its funding from Republican state lawmakers."
Jennifer Mnookin will become Columbia University's next president after leading the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2022 and will remain at UW-Madison through spring commencement. She previously served as dean of the UCLA School of Law. Columbia has seen leadership turnover and institutional challenges, including student protests, $400 million in federal research funding cuts, and a multimillion-dollar settlement with the Trump administration. Mnookin was selected in part for her experience navigating polarized politics and federal relations. At UW-Madison she launched programs guaranteeing full financial support for Pell-eligible in-state students and certain Wisconsin American Indian undergraduates and raised research spending to $1.93 billion. Her tenure included controversy: closure of the DEI office and cost-cutting after federal grant terminations.
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