Columbia University is preparing to appoint Jennifer Mnookin, the current chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as its next president, Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing individuals familiar with the process.
Her selection would conclude a turbulent search that will bring the Ivy League institution its fourth leader since late 2023.
Mnookin, who previously served as dean of the UCLA School of Law, is expected to succeed acting president Claire Shipman. The search has been marked by delays, complications, and the withdrawal of several prominent candidates.
Shipman was appointed Columbia University’s acting president following the resignation of Katrina Armstrong as interim president, in the wake of backlash over her testimony to a White House antisemitism task force and rising campus tensions linked to antisemitic incidents.
During her testimony, Armstrong to recall any specific antisemitic incidents on campus - despite their documentation in Columbia’s own antisemitism report.
Armstrong herself was a temporary appointment, having replaced former President Minouche Shafik, who resigned following allegations of her mishandling of antisemitism on campus.
The Trump administration sharply criticized Columbia’s response to antisemitism on campus, freezing $400 million in research funding last year as part of a broader effort targeting major universities and their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Columbia later reached a settlement, agreeing to pay $221 million in penalties and to reduce its financial reliance on international students, who constitute roughly 40% of its enrollment.
In December, Columbia announced it was delaying its presidential search, despite earlier plans to name a new president by January 1. The delay followed the withdrawal of Harvard provost John Manning after initial discussions, as well as Vanderbilt chancellor Daniel Diermeier, who had previously opted out of consideration.
Mnookin became chancellor at UW-Madison in 2022 after 17 years on the faculty of UCLA. She previously taught at the University of Virginia School of Law and served as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School.