University of Oregon President Michael Schill leaving to lead Northwestern University
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — University of Oregon President Michael Schill will assume that office at Northwestern University this fall, the two schools’ board of trustees announced Thursday.
Schill has led Oregon since 2015. He previously served as the law school dean at the University of Chicago and at UCLA. He earned a degree in public policy from Princeton University and a juris doctor degree from the Yale Law School.
“I am thrilled, honored and humbled to join Northwestern, one of the world’s most prominent universities,” Schill said in a news release. “Northwestern has a long tradition of educating the brightest minds and pushing the boundaries of research and innovation.”
Schill said he looked forward as the school’s 17th president to building Northwestern’s standing as an innovation hub for the Chicago area, Illinois and the nation.
His selection comes 16 months after Northwestern President Morton Schapiro announced his retirement after more than a decade leading the university. Rebecca Blank was named Schapiro’s successor last October, but she announced last month that she was diagnosed with cancer and would be unable to become president.
Peter Barris, the incoming chair of the Northwestern trustees. chaired the presidential search committee.
The selection of Schill “was informed by his deep commitment to research and academic rigor, his focus on student access and success, his commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and demonstrated administrative leadership,” Barris said in the news release.
Law professor Jide Nzelibe was a faculty representative on the search committee.
“Schill completely immerses himself in his environment, prioritizing faculty and academic excellence, as well as student quality and accessibility across all backgrounds,” Nzelibe said. “He is a president who will go above and beyond what is expected.”
Schill’s research has focused on affordable housing, land use and race discrimination in the housing market.
UO Board of Trustees Chair Ginevra Ralph sent the following message to the campus community Aug. 11:
Dear University of Oregon community members,
It is with mixed emotions of pride and sadness that I announce that President Michael H. Schill will be leaving the University of Oregon to become president of Northwestern University. During his seven-year tenure at the UO, President Schill has significantly propelled the university forward, and so it is no surprise that he would be recruited by one of the most prestigious academic research institutions in the world.
As president, Michael Schill transformed our academic enterprise by increasing the size of the faculty to 800, growing externally funded research to $172 million, and launching groundbreaking academic endeavors including the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health, and partnerships such as Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance. During his tenure, the UO completed a $3.2 billion fundraising campaign and grew the endowment to $1.3 billion. Under President Schill’s Oregon Commitment initiative to improve student success, the university improved the four-year graduation rate by more than ten percentage points, increased total student financial aid to $43 million, and opened Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall dedicated to academic and career advising and the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center. The incoming undergraduate classes consistently increased in size, academic quality and diversity, with the most recent class of 2025 breaking numerous university records.
I and the other members of the Board of Trustees of the University of Oregon are immensely grateful for President Schill’s service and leadership to this university, and its faculty, staff and students. We are also extremely excited and optimistic about the future of the university. From this place of strength and success, with exceptional leadership, outstanding faculty, world-class students and the impactful work of our schools, colleges, Knight Campus, Ballmer Institute, academic initiatives and more—the University of Oregon heads into the future with great optimism and momentum. We are prepared for a new era of excellence, impact, and service to our students, community, and world as one of the country’s leading public research universities.
The board will move expeditiously to appoint an interim president. The interim president is expected to begin their service prior to the start of the academic year. At the board’s regular board meeting on September 15-16, trustees will discuss the launch of and process for an international search for the university’s permanent president.
President Schill leaves a lasting legacy of excellence at the University of Oregon. The board thanks him for his transformational leadership and looks forward to all he will accomplish at Northwestern.
Sincerely,
Ginevra Ralph
Chair, Board of Trustees of the University of Oregon
