University of Wisconsin Board of Regents announced a 23-person search and screen committee for a new chancellor on Friday, following the departure of Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin to Columbia. Board of Regents president Amy Bogost will chair the committee, which includes current deans, students, regents and industry partners from the UW Hillel Foundation, United Way of Dane County and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.
The committee is expected to formally assemble in the coming weeks to begin the preliminary process. The selected candidate will need the approval of the full Board of Regents before they can assume the role as chancellor.
Mnookin, who has served as chancellor since August 2022, will become the president of Columbia University July 1. Mnookin joins the rush of chancellors throughout the UW system taking new positions.
In the last year, the Board of Regents have overseen four chancellor transitions including UW-Oshkosh, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Milwaukee and UW-River Falls.
Mnookin’s successor will replace interim chancellor Eric Wilcots, former College of Letters and Science Dean, who begins his term May 17.
“It has been a true honor to serve as your chancellor for the past three and a half years,” Mnookin said in a campus-wide email Jan. 26. “When it comes time to say farewell, I will carry with me deep affection for UW-Madison, enduring gratitude for this community and profound faith in the promise of higher education.”
Staff from Universities of Wisconsin Human Resources, the Board of Regents and the executive search firm Isaacson Miller, will assist the search committee throughout the process of identifying candidates, according to the press release.
Following the search, the committee will send favored candidates to a Special Regent Committee chaired by Bogost to “interview finalists and forward a hiring recommendation for consideration by the Board of Regents,” the press release said.
Mnookin’s departure is one of an outflow of Universities of Wisconsin system leaders over the past year, including Board of Regents President Jay Rothman and UW-Madison Athletic Director Chris McIntosh.
Bogost called the committee’s work in the months ahead “critical to the future of the university and the state of Wisconsin.”
“UW-Madison is a world-class university that embodies the Wisconsin Idea in communities all across the state,” Bogost said.“It will be our goal to find a leader that accelerates the university’s reputation for excellence in teaching, research discovery, and public service while driving innovation in a rapidly changing higher education environment.”
Grace Carlson is the college news editor for The Daily Cardinal. As a staff writer, she's written in-depth on city Wisconsin politics, including the 2025 and 2026 State Supreme Court elections, as well as focusing on community coverage. Grace is interning at WisPolitics this summer.
