In a unanimous decision, the University of Michigan Board of Regents has appointed C. Cybele Raver as the new president of the university. Raver, who is currently the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Vanderbilt University, will assume her role on December 1, taking over from President Domenico Grasso.
Grasso has been at the helm since May 2025, initially as an interim leader, following the departure of Santa Ono. Raver’s academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Yale University. Her career prior to Vanderbilt included significant roles at New York University, the University of Chicago, and Cornell University.
Upon her confirmation, Raver expressed her enthusiasm to contribute to the university’s esteemed heritage. She stated, “You have truly a wonderful way of building a lifelong sense of community, while also channeling a fierce pride in winning. And I just love that about this university.”
Raver plans to apply her expertise as a quantitative social scientist in her decision-making roles across the university’s Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, as well as Michigan Medicine. She noted, “I look forward to learning about your perspectives, your viewpoints across our faculty, our students, our staff, our alumni, and our Michigan community. You can also expect me to take swift and decisive action after weighing your input and the evidence.”
The board of regents expressed strong confidence in Raver’s ability to enhance research initiatives and strengthen academic teams, stating, “She is the best person to lead our complex, world-class university at this moment.”
President Grasso will continue in his duties until the end of November and will work closely with Raver to facilitate a smooth transition in leadership.
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