University of Michigan's Board of Regents selected Vanderbilt provost C. Cybele Raver to become the university's 17th president.

The University of Michigan Board of Regents announced Aug. 18 that it has chosen C. Cybele Raver, provost of Vanderbilt University, to become the school's 17th president.

Regents are scheduled to formally vote on Raver's appointment during a special meeting Sept. 1. If the board approves, as expected, she would take office Dec. 1. She would succeed Domenico Grasso, who plans to remain president through Nov. 30 to help with the handoff.

Raver has served as Vanderbilt's provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs since 2021. Before that, she was deputy provost at New York University and held faculty positions at the University of Chicago and Cornell University. She holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Yale University, and her research has centered on child development, education policy and poverty.

In a statement released alongside the announcement, Raver said she was honored to be selected and described the University of Michigan's impact in research, education, economic growth and public service as "unmatched."

"I look forward to working alongside faculty, staff, students and alumni to lead Michigan forward with clarity and confidence," Raver said.

Faculty Senate Chair Kentaro Toyama said the university's teaching staff welcomed the pick.

"As faculty, we're happy that an accomplished scholar with significant experience in university administration was selected by our regents, and we look forward to a strong, collaborative partnership based on transparency and shared governance," Toyama said.

The announcement comes as U-M prepares to open its Ann Arbor campus for the fall semester, with new and returning students moving into dorms and starting classes in the coming weeks. Students interviewed on campus said they were focused on the start of the term rather than the presidential search.

"I'm excited to move into my fall dorm. I'm also excited to start my classes," student Kendall Hall said.

"It's like a bittersweet emotion. You're ready to get going, but then your family's back home. But once you get into the swing of things, it really takes off," student Liam Cohrs said.

Elaine Maimon, former president of Governors State University, said the search comes as university leaders across the country face growing political pressure from state and federal officials over campus policy. "I don't see people really defending the status quo because there is room for improvement," Maimon said. "I think the problem here is that those improvements shouldn't be mandated in a partisan way by the federal government or state governments."

Grasso took over as U-M's president on an interim basis and led the university through a period of leadership turnover in the president's office. Raver would be the first person in years to arrive from outside the University of Michigan system to hold the top job. She brings experience from Vanderbilt, NYU, the University of Chicago and Cornell.

The Board of Regents' Sept. 1 special meeting will determine whether Raver's appointment becomes final. If approved, she would begin her term Dec. 1 and take charge of a university with campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint and a research budget among the largest in the country.