Last updated Sept. 9 at 3:35 pm.
Henry Bienen will be Northwestern’s interim president starting Sept. 16, taking over from departing President Michael Schill, who announced his resignation Sept. 4, the University announced Tuesday.
Bienen served as NU’s president from 1995 until 2009 and was followed by former President Morton Schapiro. He also worked as a professor in the Kellogg School of Management, and in 2008, the Board of Trustees named the University’s School of Music after Bienen and his wife, Leigh.
“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 in the release. “I care a great deal about the Northwestern community, which has been a major part of my life for more than 30 years.”
Research was a central theme of Bienen’s time as president, according to the University. During Bienen’s 15-year tenure, research-grant funding increased nearly 200% for the University, according to Northwestern Magazine. Within that period, NU also opened its Qatar campus, which has drawn federal scrutiny in recent years.
Beyond NU, Bienen also served as the dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and in consulting roles for several government organizations, including the State Department, National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency and World Bank.
He was on the executive committee of Steppenwolf Theatre and held the role of president of the Poetry Foundation between 2015 and 2020.
Schill announced his resignation on Sept. 4, generating shock and mixed emotions from the NU community. The transition occurs during a time of tension between elite colleges and universities and Donald Trump’s second administration.
He is one of several university presidents to recently resign amid concerns from Republican lawmakers in Washington surrounding antisemitism on college campuses nationwide.
After a sabbatical, Schill will remain at NU as a professor at the Pritzker School of Law.
The Board of Trustees will share more information with the community about steps to select Schill’s permanent replacement when it is available, the press release said.
Traditionally, presidential search committees at NU have consisted of a combination of trustees, faculty, students, staff and alumni leadership. The University also typically releases a position profile spelling out candidates’ desired qualifications.
“We believe Henry is uniquely suited to follow President Michael Schill’s tenure and continue to support the University,” said Peter Barris, chair of NU’s Board of Trustees, in the release. “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.”
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