Columbia University has selected Jennifer Mnookin, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as its next president. Mnookin, a legal scholar and former UCLA law dean, will remain at UW–Madison through spring commencement before moving to New York. Her appointment follows a turbulent three years at Columbia that included student protests, federal research cuts and leadership turnover. Mnookin gained notice for steering UW–Madison through partisan scrutiny while expanding research spending to $1.93 billion and launching financial-aid guarantees for Pell-eligible and tribal students. Columbia’s trustees cited her record managing polarized politics and federal interactions as central to the choice. The selection closes a prolonged leadership search: Mnookin replaces acting president Claire Shipman and follows a string of interim leaders since Minouche Shafik’s 2024 resignation.