Henry S. Bienen will serve as interim president of Northwestern University starting September 16, following the resignation of President Michael Schill. The announcement was made by the university’s Board of Trustees.
Peter Barris, chair of Northwestern’s Board of Trustees, said in a message to the community, “We believe Henry is uniquely suited to follow President Michael Schill’s tenure and continue to support the University. 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.”
Bienen previously served as Northwestern’s 15th president from January 1995 to August 2009. During his time at the university, he led efforts that increased academic prominence, research capacity, financial stability, and athletic achievement. The endowment grew significantly under his leadership, applications rose sharply, and both faculty and students received numerous awards.
“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. “I care a great deal about the Northwestern community, which has been a major part of my life for more than 30 years.
“Our institution is resilient and embodies the very best of higher education and its endless promise to transform lives. As we start a new academic year, I am excited to build on the momentum created by Northwestern’s incredible faculty, students, staff and alumni.”
Michael Schill had served as president since 2022. His tenure included continued growth across all three campuses, record fundraising levels, and an improvement in national rankings among top universities in the United States. After taking a sabbatical from the university, Schill plans to return as a faculty member at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
The Board of Trustees stated it will provide additional information about selecting Northwestern’s next president when available.
“We will be working closely with Henry to ensure we can continue to support our outstanding faculty, postdocs, staff and students, and Northwestern’s ecosystem of diverse and interdisciplinary research to deliver world-class research developments and education,” Barris said.
Bienen is also recognized as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has held board positions with organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations, Chicago Board of Education, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, MetroSquash, and United Football League.
A political scientist by training, Bienen began his presidency at Northwestern in 1995 while also serving as professor management and strategy at Kellogg School of Management. Before joining Northwestern he was dean at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He has consulted for several government agencies including the U.S. Department of State and National Security Council.
From 2015 to 2020 Bienen was president of the Poetry Foundation. In recognition for their contributions to campus life at Northwestern in 2008—the university named its School of Music after Henry Bienen and his wife Leigh Bienen.