Leaders across the state react to Chancellor Mnookin’s departure

Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin has served our state's flagship university well, working to protect and advance critical research and world-class education to the benefit of students, faculty, and our entire state. I thank her for her great work and wish her the best as she moves on from Wisconsin to a new opportunity.

-Governor Tony Evers

Over the past few years, I have had the privilege of working closely with Chancellor Mnookin to provide Wisconsin students with the highest quality education and the tools they need to succeed. Chancellor Mnookin embraced the Wisconsin Idea and put it into action - giving students more opportunities to learn, make an impact in our community, and tackle the world's most pressing problems. I wish her nothing but the best in her next adventure as president of Columbia University.

-U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin

As the flagship of the Universities of Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has long been a prized asset for all Wisconsinites. 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.

-Jay Rothman, president of the University of Wisconsin System

Chancellor Mnookin has truly left an indelible mark on this institution, one that will resonate for generations. From the beginning of her tenure, there were many difficult times that would have shaken even the most talented leaders. Yet Chancellor Mnookin was remarkable in how she steered the University of Wisconsin with a steady hand through treacherous times, with the ability to bring the community together. She is a leader that inspires all around her to do their best, deeply committed to our students. Her vision has ensured the Wisconsin Idea continues to impact our students and the state, while also flourishing globally. On behalf of the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents, I want to thank her for her deep commitment to our institution. We will miss her but wish her well as she embarks on her next chapter, secure in the knowledge that her extraordinary contributions have prepared us for an even stronger future.

-Amy B. Bogost, president, University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents

Chancellor Mnookin is an extraordinary academic and leader-her résumé and accomplishments speak for themselves. What I admire and will remember most, however, is how down to earth she is. She always made time for a student in the hallway, a colleague after a meeting, or an alum at a football game.

The UW is a stronger institution, and Wisconsin is a better state, for her having been here.

-Kyle Weatherly, vice president,
University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents

I want to thank Chancellor Mnookin for her service to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and applaud her commitment to the students. Chancellor Mnookin had many great accomplishments during her tenure, such as bringing more free speech to campus and closing its division of DEI. I enjoyed working with her as we both wanted students to reach their full potential and have a successful and impactful life after graduation. I wish her nothing but the best and I know that Columbia University will be in great hands with her at the helm.

-Rep. Robin Vos, speaker,
Wisconsin State Assembly

I had an excellent working relationship with Chancellor Mnookin and we were able to advance many shared goals for the City of Madison and UW-Madison. I'm particularly proud of the work we did around creating more affordable housing, expanding voting access on campus, and improving our transportation network. I'm sad to see the Chancellor go but wish her the very best at Columbia.

-Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway

While no two leaders ever see eye to eye on every issue, Chancellor Mnookin maintained a constructive working relationship with the City of Madison throughout her tenure, which I am thankful for. Even in difficult moments, she took the time to hear my concerns and ensured her administration engaged with the City in thoughtful, good-faith efforts. As an alder, I do not have jurisdiction over university affairs, but the Chancellor understood the importance of city-campus coordination, particularly when student safety and well-being were at stake.

Under her leadership, the university partnered with the City of Madison to help create hundreds of affordable student housing units. This innovative model allowed the university to identify students most in need of discounted housing, the City to approve the projects, and private developers to construct them. It was a rare example of government, higher education, and the private sector working together effectively.

She also directed UW Housing to work closely with the City and fund the majority of a comprehensive student housing study, including surveys, focus groups and in-depth market analysis. That work directly informed new city policies and contributed to early signs of progress in easing the student housing crisis, with vacancy rates rising to nearly 6% after being as low as 2.3% at the start of my term.

-District 8 Alder and UW Student MGR Govindarajan (via X)

I want to recognize Jennifer Mnookin as a visionary leader who has led remarkable institutions during her tenure. From my regard, her ethos was a big draw in my decision to become dean of the School of Medicine and Public Health and vice chancellor for medical affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2025. She is a humanistic leader with a strong north star of values, understands the health care landscape, and is deeply committed to advancing both the research enterprise and people throughout the institution. We will miss her intensely on campus and Columbia is fortunate to have recruited her as their next leader.

-Nita Ahuja, dean, School of Medicine and Public Health and vice chancellor for medical affairs

In addition to her many other remarkable accomplishments as Chancellor, including leading us through unprecedented challenges for our campus and higher education in general, it her steadfast commitment to civil discourse and talking across difference that will shape UW-Madison well into the future. Columbia is getting a truly outstanding leader!

-Eric Wilcots, dean, Mary C. Jacoby Professor of Astronomy in the Department of Astronomy College of Letters & Science

Chancellor Mnookin's ardent commitment to human flourishing and the Wisconsin Idea embodies the essence of a human ecologist - someone who sees and strengthens the connections between people, ideas and communities. Her leadership tenure has been defined by an unwavering commitment to the highest levels of excellence and a relentless pursuit of innovation that has elevated our entire campus community. Through her transformative initiatives such as RISE, she's not only addressed the challenges of today but also built a strong foundation for the future of higher education. It has been a joy to partner with a leader who so deeply values the interconnectedness of our mission and our people.

-Soyeon Shim, Elizabeth Holloway ScharDean, Ted Kellner Bascom Professor, Consumer Science, School of Human Ecology

Chancellor Mnookin has led the university through challenging times while advancing research, expanding access and affordability for students, and collaborating with faculty, staff and students on priorities ranging from environmental sustainability to dialogue across differences. Shared governance is an ongoing commitment, and we appreciate Chancellor Mnookin's efforts to engage meaningfully, recognizing that continued, deep collaboration remains essential to the university's future; her service to the university and academic staff is genuinely valued.

-Alissa Ewer, chair, Academic Staff Executive Committee

The RISE Initiative that Chancellor Mnookin initiated has been a catalyst for the kind of interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-campus coordination that we need to take on the most complex challenges of our day. The RISE initiative offers a fresh take on the Wisconsin Idea filled with purpose and backed by resources - I believe it will be an enduring legacy from her time at UW. As lead of the RISE-AI Collaboration HQ, I am compelled by the vision that UW-Madison will establish itself as a trusted partner for Wisconsin and the world as we navigate the complex issues that artificial intelligence raises.

-Kyle Cranmer, director, American Family Data Science Institute

We'll miss Chancellor Mnookin as a fearless leader and dedicated scholar. She's a champion for higher education and the public good - exactly what the world needs right now. She understands the intersection of law and science more deeply than almost anyone I know, as well as the critical role academia can play in our increasingly complex world. During her time here, Chancellor Mnookin fully embraced the Wisconsin Idea. Her leadership at UW-Madison pushed our campus in the right direction, in her special way, at a critical time. And I'm sure she'll do the same for Columbia. We thank her for her many contributions to UW-Madison. I'm excited to see her thrive in New York!

-Krishanu Saha, professor of Biomedical Engineering, Pediatrics, and Medical History & Bioethics

Chancellor Mnookin has been bold and creative in developing new ideas at UW. Notable examples are the AI-RISE initiative that is transforming UW's computational landscape, and the newly launched Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub that will build an even more vibrant culture of entrepreneurship throughout our campus. She has also engaged effectively and continuously with citizens throughout our state to show off the enormous positive impact of UW-Madison. I'm sure the entire Badger family wishes her great success as she accepts this new challenge.

-William Murphy, professor, Biomedical Engineering, Orthopedics & Rehabilitation

Jennfer Mnookin had big chancellorial shoes to fill, following the immensely popular and extremely effective Rebecca M. Blank. Mnookin did it by walking a useful middle ground on the Middle East protests on our campus and in other ways as well. I wish her all the best in the big apple where I hope she is just the right quietly competent and effective person that Columbia needs at this point.

-Tim Smeeding, professor emeritus, La Follette School of Public Affairs

Jennifer is the kind of leader that all universities need in today's climate. She leads with critical core principles around free speech and true viewpoint diversity. She is balanced, pragmatic and outcome oriented. Her ability to navigate and effectively lead through the broad and highly complex issues facing an institution like UW-Madison at a time like is both impressive and inspiring. It is very disappointing to lose such a leader and yet I take comfort that she leaves for an institution in such critical need of her talents.

-Ricky Sandler, CEO, Eminence Capital

Chancellor Mnookin has been a strong leader for UW-Madison. She has led with clarity, integrity and vision during a complex and dynamic time on campus. She leaves behind a stronger institution with major additions to the leadership team, a set of RISE initiatives for the future, and a new College Computing and Artificial Intelligence. We thank her for her time here in Madison and wish her the best at Columbia.

-Paul Shain, chair, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) Board of Directors

Chancellor Mnookin championed innovation, centered entrepreneurship in the university's mission and spearheaded the approval of the new College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence - the first new college in decades. Under her leadership, UW-Madison rightfully returned to the nation's top five universities for research funding.

In less than four years, her contributions have ensured that Wisconsin and Greater Madison are ready today to meet tomorrow's opportunities and have solidified the university's position as a place that solves the world's most difficult problems.

Although we lament the loss of the success that would have undoubtedly accompanied a longer tenure, we look forward to what we can accomplish in the next six months. We wish her all the best at Columbia, which has made a generational choice in the selection of its next president.

-Zach Brandon, president, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

Thank you, Chancellor Mnookin, for your extraordinary leadership and for being such a strong partner to Downtown Madison. Your support for our community, your integrity, your positivity and your genuine kindness made an incredible difference. We're grateful for all you gave UW-Madison and our downtown, and we wish you every success at Columbia.

-Jason Ilstrup, president,
Downtown Madison Inc.

Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin's leadership strengthened UW-Madison's research and innovation enterprise and reinforced the university's role as a global engine of discovery and commercialization. Through initiatives like Wisconsin RISE and the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub, she fostered collaboration and real-world impact. WARF is grateful for her partnership and leadership, and we congratulate her on this exciting next chapter at Columbia University.

-Erik Iverson, CEO of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)

Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin has been an outstanding friend and partner to UW Hillel, and she has consistently and thoughtfully supported our students. Her leadership, work ethic and commitment to building community has helped us grow the wonderful Jewish community the UW has long been known for. The UW Hillel Foundation is grateful to Chancellor Mnookin for her friendship, service, and leadership, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her through the spring semester. We remember fondly celebrating our holidays with the Chancellor. She has stood with us through the challenges, sorrow, and sadness that our community and the campus have experienced. Chancellor Mnookin has a big heart, and we've seen firsthand her deep commitment to students, faculty and staff. She has been an inspiring leader at Wisconsin, and we wish her great success in the future.

-Greg Steinberger, president & CEO, Andrea Steinberger, senior rabbi, University of Wisconsin Hillel

I am deeply appreciative of Chancellor Mnookin's unwavering commitment to Native students and her genuine desire to expand access and opportunity for them at UW-Madison. From the very first time I met her, it was clear she possessed not only an understanding of tribal sovereignty, but a profound respect for it. She approached our conversations with humility, curiosity, and a steadfast belief that education must serve as the great equalizer-opening doors for Indigenous students that had too often been closed.

Working alongside her to develop and implement the Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise program was an honor. Her leadership ensured that this initiative became more than just a policy-it became a transformative investment in our communities, providing tuition, room and board, and the support necessary for our tribal students to thrive. The program reflects her conviction that when Native students are given equitable access and the resources they deserve, they will continue to contribute greatly to Wisconsin, our sovereign nations, and beyond.

Chancellor Mnookin leaves a legacy of partnership, courage, and meaningful action. Columbia University will greatly benefit from her leadership, and we will greatly miss her here in Wisconsin, I wish her every success as she continues her important work. Her impact on Indigenous education will be felt for generations.

-Shannon Hosley, president of the Stockbridge-Munsee and chair of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council Board of Directors