New UW Leadership

Wilcots, who’s been part of the UW campus since 1995, steps in as interim chancellor. Althea Dotzour

On May 17, Eric Wilcots became UW–Madison’s interim chancellor. He succeeds Jennifer Mnookin, who left to become president of Columbia University.

Wilcots has served as the dean of the UW’s College of Letters & Science since 2020. He’s been part of the UW–Madison campus since 1995, when he started as a lecturer in the astronomy department before joining the faculty a year later.

In another key leadership change, John Zumbrunnen has been named UW–Madison’s provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. The provost is the university’s chief academic officer and second-ranking official, supporting its teaching, research, and outreach mission.

Zumbrunnen had served as interim provost since last June, following Charles Isbell Jr.’s departure to become chancellor of the University of Illinois–Urbana–Champaign. Over the past 18 years, Zumbrunnen has held a variety of academic and administrative leadership positions at UW–Madison.

“I am excited to continue the valuable work of the Wisconsin Idea, which will guide me not only as a foundational value, but as a perennial challenge to create a positive impact in the world through excellence in research, education, and service,” he says.

Published in the Summer 2026 issue