Leading Executives in Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools
Alan M. Garber
President, Harvard University
Economist-physician who served as Harvard’s provost (2011–2024), Alan M. Garber was named Harvard’s president on August 2, 2024, and is leading the university through at least the 2026–27 academic year.
Sally Kornbluth
President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Cell biologist and former Duke provost, Sally Kornbluth became MIT’s 18th president on January 1, 2023, and has launched institute-wide initiatives in climate, health/life sciences, and humanistic collaboration.
Jonathan Levin
President, Stanford University
A leading economist and former dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Jonathan Levin became Stanford’s 13th president on August 1, 2024.
Maurie McInnis
President, Yale University
Art historian and higher-ed leader, Maurie McInnis became Yale’s 24th president (took office July 1, 2024; installed April 6, 2025), charting priorities around academic excellence, research impact, and open inquiry.
Claire Shipman
Acting President, Columbia University
Longtime trustee and former board co-chair, journalist-author Claire Shipman was appointed acting president in March 2025 and is steering Columbia during a leadership transition.
Christopher L. Eisgruber
President, Princeton University
Christopher L. Eisgruber has led Princeton since July 2013, expanding access for first-generation/low-income students and championing research and free expression.
J. Larry Jameson
President, University of Pennsylvania
Physician-scientist and former Penn Medicine dean, J. Larry Jameson was appointed Penn’s 10th president on March 13, 2025, with a term through June 30, 2027.
James B. Milliken
President, University of California (System)
Veteran system head James B. Milliken became the UC system’s 22nd president on August 1, 2025, after leading the University of Texas System and earlier CUNY and Nebraska.
Mildred García
Chancellor, California State University (System)
Mildred García, a first-generation college graduate, is the first Latina to lead a four‑year U.S. public university system and advocates CSU’s mission of scale, access, and upward mobility.
Julio Frenk
Chancellor, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Global health leader and former University of Miami president, Julio Frenk became UCLA’s 7th chancellor on January 1, 2025, with an agenda centered on research impact and civic partnership.
Paul Alivisatos
President, University of Chicago
Pioneering nanoscientist and academic leader, Paul Alivisatos has served as UChicago’s 14th president since 2021 while holding the John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professorship.
Michael I. Kotlikoff
President, Cornell University
Veterinarian-scientist and former provost, Michael I. Kotlikoff is Cornell’s president (acting beginning July 2024; confirmed in 2025), leading the university through a period of federal-policy headwinds and campus engagement.
Linda G. Mills
President, New York University (NYU)
Scholar of law, social work, and public policy, Linda G. Mills became NYU’s 17th—and first woman—president on July 1, 2023, after decades in senior leadership and research on trauma and domestic violence.
Michael M. Crow
President, Arizona State University
Architect of ASU’s “New American University” model, Michael M. Crow has led ASU since 2002, scaling enrollment, research, and access while emphasizing innovation and societal impact.
Mung Chiang
President, Purdue University
Engineer-entrepreneur Mung Chiang became Purdue’s 13th president on January 1, 2023, advancing “Excellence at Scale” and major industry partnerships across America’s hard‑tech corridor.
Walter “Ted” Carter Jr.
President, The Ohio State University
A retired U.S. Navy vice admiral and former University of Nebraska system president, Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. became Ohio State’s 17th president on January 1, 2024.
Robert J. Jones
President, University of Washington
Veteran public‑university leader Robert J. Jones took office as UW’s 34th president on August 1, 2025, after serving as chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign and president of SUNY Albany.
Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.
President, University of Notre Dame
Elected the 18th president effective June 1, 2024, Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., a Notre Dame alumnus and priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, leads the university’s Catholic academic mission.
John B. King Jr.
Chancellor, State University of New York (SUNY) System
Former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. became SUNY’s 15th chancellor in 2023, steering the nation’s largest comprehensive public higher‑ed system on access, research, and student success.
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