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Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud is set to become the new president of the University of Michigan, replacing interim President Domenico Grasso. Syverud, who has been at Syracuse University since January 2014, announced his departure from the university at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. The University of Michigan Board of Regents will formally elect Syverud during a special meeting on Monday (January 12).
Syverud brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Before leading Syracuse University, he served as dean and university professor at Washington University in St. Louis and as dean at Vanderbilt Law School. Syverud also has strong ties to the University of Michigan, having been on the faculty at its law school from 1987 to 1997. He received his master’s and law degrees from the university and was a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
UM Regent Michael Behm expressed confidence in Syverud's leadership, describing him as a "fearless listener" and someone who can "achieve great things" across the university's campuses. Behm emphasized Syverud's ability to imagine and realize goals, a quality the university values in its leaders.
Syverud's appointment follows a period of leadership changes at the University of Michigan. Former President Santa Ono stepped down in May 2025, and Grasso has served as interim president since then. Syverud will be the fifth president to lead the university this decade.