Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — The University of Michigan is nearing the end of its presidential search, with a candidate who formerly taught and studied in Ann Arbor.
Kent Syverud, chancellor of Syracuse University, is slated to become the University of Michigan’s next president, with a formal regents vote set for Jan. 12. Syverud previously taught at U-M’s law school and earned two graduate degrees in Ann Arbor.
The appointment would conclude the interim presidency of Domenico Grasso, who stepped into the role last spring after former President Santa Ono left to pursue the University of Florida presidency, a position he ultimately did not receive.
A lawyer by training, Syverud has led Syracuse since 2014 and previously announced plans to leave the post at the end of the 2025–26 academic year. His academic career includes leadership roles at Vanderbilt University Law School and Washington University School of Law, along with a prior stop at Michigan Law, where he served as associate dean.
If approved, the appointment would bring a former Wolverine back to Ann Arbor, and this time in the university’s top leadership role.