Henry S. Bienen named interim president of Northwestern University

Northwestern University’s Board of Trustees today announced that Northwestern President Emeritus Henry S. Bienen will serve as interim president, effective Sept. 16, following the announcement last week that President Michael Schill would be stepping down.

“We believe Henry is uniquely suited to follow President Michael Schill’s tenure and continue to support the University,” said Peter Barris, chair of Northwestern’s Board of Trustees, in a message to the community. “With more than three decades of service to our community, Henry has a deep knowledge of Northwestern and shares our love and passion for the institution.

• Read the message from Peter Barris, Chair of the Board of Trustees >

Northwestern’s 15th president, Bienen served the University from January 1995 to August 2009. A nationally recognized leader in higher education, he led Northwestern to increased academic prominence, research prowess, financial strength and athletic success. During his tenure, Northwestern faculty and students received numerous academic awards, the endowment quintupled, applications for admission skyrocketed and the University’s reputation grew both nationally and internationally.

• Read more about Bienen’s tenure as Northwestern’s 15th president >

“I am honored to be asked to serve Northwestern again, and I look forward to helping the University I love so dearly navigate what is a critical and difficult time for research universities,” Bienen said. “I care a great deal about the Northwestern community, which has been a major part of my life for more than 30 years.

“Our institution is resilient and embodies the very best of higher education and its endless promise to transform lives. As we start a new academic year, I am excited to build on the momentum created by Northwestern’s incredible faculty, students, staff and alumni.”

Bienen takes on the interim role following the resignation of Michael Schill, who has held the office since 2022, overseeing continued ascension across the University’s three campuses, record fundraising and a steady rise in national rankings of the best universities in the country. After a sabbatical from the University, Schill will return to teach and conduct research as a faculty member at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

The Board of Trustees will share more information with the University community about steps to select Northwestern’s next president when it is available.

“We will be working closely with Henry to ensure we can continue to support our outstanding faculty, postdocs, staff and students, and Northwestern’s ecosystem of diverse and interdisciplinary research to deliver world-class research developments and education,” Barris said.

Bienen is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served as a board member for numerous organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Chicago Board of Education, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, MetroSquash and the United Football League.

A political scientist, Bienen assumed the presidency at Northwestern in 1995, and also was a professor management and strategy in the Kellogg School of Management.

Previously, he was dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He has been a consultant to several government organizations including the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency and the World Bank, and served on the executive committee of Steppenwolf Theatre. Most recently he served as president of the Poetry Foundation from 2015 to 2020.

In 2008, Northwestern’s Board of Trustees honored Bienen and his wife, Leigh, a senior lecturer emerita at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, by naming the University’s School of Music the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music.

Upon the announcement, Northwestern Now asked the former president to reflect on his return to the University, what he is looking forward to most and what has changed since his tenure 16 years ago.

How has Northwestern changed since you served as Northwestern’s 15th president?  

Obviously, it has expanded greatly. The student body is roughly the same size as when I was president and we continue to enroll amazing students, but the research portfolio and footprint have grown significantly. I did my share of building, but my successors, Morty and Mike, did a lot as well, including numerous new centers and physical buildings. The growth in the medical school, medical research and research funding has been truly impressive — all are quite a bit larger than during my time. The University has continued on a trajectory of excellence across all measures, and it’s been amazing to see.

What is one enduring thing about Northwestern that is and always has been — some pride point that brings us all together? 

I think the University is a really great creative community. One of the things I’ve always liked about it is that although we’re not a massive university, we’re great at so many things, and we really celebrate and champion a multidisciplined education. I’m proud that Northwestern is strong across so many fields — the sciences, engineering, business, the arts and humanities, our law, journalism and education schools, community services, athletics — there are too many to mention. We really fire on all cylinders. I think the community is deeply proud of that.

You and Leigh live near the Chicago campus and Michigan Avenue. What do you love about Streeterville and the Chicago campus? 

We love living in downtown Chicago. It’s so vibrant. You can walk to so many things — great restaurants, museums, the lakefront. We’re theater people (we’ve both served Chicago’s theater community) so being close to downtown Chicago and the great theaters is phenomenal. Not only are we close to our amazing downtown campus, but the arts are at your fingertips here. We love it.

What is one key thought or message you want to say directly to the Northwestern community at this particular moment in time? 

I care a great deal about this University. It’s been a huge part of my life since I arrived in 1995. My family, my wife (who taught at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law) are deeply invested. Several of our grandkids and nieces have been students at Northwestern. We are hugely committed to the continued excellence of the University in all of its manifestations — the arts, the sciences, the humanities, the professional schools, athletics, everything. I will work as hard as I can to continue that upward trajectory.