President Michael Schill announces resignation

Michael Schill announced today that he will step down from the presidency of Northwestern University, concluding a three-year tenure that saw continued ascension across the University’s three campuses, record fundraising and a steady rise in national rankings of the best universities in the country.

“Over the past three years, it has been my profound honor to serve as president of Northwestern University,” Schill said in a message to the community a short time ago. “In that time, our community has made significant progress while simultaneously facing extraordinary challenges. Together, we have made decisions that strengthened the institution and helped safeguard its future.”

He also acknowledged myriad challenges, including an ongoing federal research funding freeze and other issues.

“As I reflect on the progress we have made and what lies ahead, I believe now is the right time for new leadership to guide Northwestern into its next chapter,” Schill said in his message. “Therefore, I have decided, in consultation with the leadership of the Board of Trustees, that I will step down as President.”

• Read his announcement to the Northwestern community >

The Board of Trustees will name an interim president soon. Schill will continue in his role until the interim president starts and will work until then to assure a smooth transition. He also will continue to work with the Board of Trustees on efforts to get the University’s frozen federal funding restored. After stepping down, Schill will take a sabbatical from the University, then return to teach and conduct research as a faculty member at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Board of Trustees Chair Peter Barris praised Schill for his leadership and devotion to Northwestern through turbulent times.

“The Board of Trustees is enormously grateful to President Schill for his leadership during a period of unparalleled challenges at Northwestern and across higher education,” said Barris. “In spite of many headwinds, President Schill and his administration worked diligently to defend Northwestern’s mission and accomplished lasting achievements that contribute robustly to Northwestern’s continued advancement among the great universities in the United States and around the globe.”

Schill was named Northwestern’s 17th president in August 2022 and took over the position that September.

Under Schill’s leadership, Northwestern climbed to No. 6 in the U.S. News & World Report national rankings, the highest ranking in the University’s history. He also oversaw the second- and third-highest fundraising years on record in Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025. During his tenure, the University raised nearly $2.5 billion overall.

Among his other accomplishments, President Schill:

• Led efforts to ensure the continuation of funding for critical research during a federal funding freeze;
• Helped establish academic and research centers, positioning the University as a leader in the sciences, including the Pat & Shirley Ryan Family Research Acceleration Fund, the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago, the Querrey Simpson Institute for Regenerative Engineering, the National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology, the Northwestern Network for Collaborative Intelligence, and the NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky;
• Promoted free expression and engagement across difference, including the launch of the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement and the establishment of the President’s Advisory Committee on Free Expression and Institutional Speech, which submitted a Statement on Free Expression and Institutional Speech;
• Oversaw major capital projects, including the Social Science and Global Affairs Hub, the restoration of Deering Library, the new Ryan Field, the Kip and Sara Kirkpatrick Softball Stadium, the Cohen Lawn project, and the groundbreaking for a new building to unite the Kellogg School of Management’s many degree and executive programs.

“These achievements reflect the collective brilliance and devotion of many,” President Schill said in his message to the community.

“I’m forever grateful to President Schill for his service to Northwestern,” said Professor Eli Finkel, who served on the President’s Advisory Committee on Free Expression and Institutional Speech, and co-directs the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement.

“President Schill has demonstrated exceptional grace in exceptional times, and he has been a stalwart defender of the most foundational academic virtues: open inquiry, passionate engagement, and a fierce commitment to the belief that intellectually diverse communities become so much more than the sum of their parts.”

“President Schill’s support and leadership have been vital for Northwestern’s scientific initiatives, like the Giant Magellan Telescope partnership and prioritizing data science and AI research and education for the University,” said Vicky Kalogera, professor of physics and astronomy and a key scientific leader in Northwestern’s Giant Magellan Telescope initiative.

“These efforts help unlock the University’s ability to make groundbreaking advances in science and engineering, now and for years to come,” said Kalogera, who also serves as director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics, and of the newly established SkAI Institute, the NSF-Simons National AI Institute for the Sky.

Schill also guided the University through a hazing scandal that began before his tenure but came to light shortly after he arrived on campus. In response, the University instituted new rules and practices to protect student-athletes.

He also dealt with unrest on campus after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s response. In the months after the attack, the University updated its policies to curb antisemitism on its campuses, resulting in a dramatic decrease in the number of reported incidents.

“It has been my privilege to work alongside extraordinary colleagues and to witness firsthand the resilience, generosity and strength of the Northwestern community,” Schill said. “I would like to thank my extraordinary administrative team who work tirelessly to further the interests of the University, our deans and academic leadership who promote the highest ideals of academic excellence, the faculty and staff who make Northwestern one of the greatest academic institutions in the world, and the many board members, alumni and donors who care so much about our University. And lastly, I appreciate our students, who I am confident will go on to change the world for the better.”