The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has named C. Cybele Raver, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, as the university’s 17th president.
The board will conduct a special meeting on Sept. 1 to take a formal vote. Pending approval, Raver’s appointment will take effect Dec. 1.
Raver is a nationally recognized leader in higher education with a strong reputation in developmental social science and university strategy. Since becoming Vanderbilt’s chief academic officer in 2021, she has helped strengthen the university’s research and academic enterprise.
Among her accomplishments, she has advanced Vanderbilt’s research enterprise, with the university surpassing $1 billion in annual research expenditures; recruited eight new deans; launched the College of Connected Computing, the university’s first new college in over 40 years; and expanded Vanderbilt’s academic footprint to New York City; San Francisco; Chattanooga; and West Palm Beach, Fla.
“Raver has a proven record of building strong teams, expanding research excellence, and strengthening every institution she has served,” says Michael Behm, chair of the U-M Board of Regents. “She understands what it takes to lead a complex, world-class university and she shares our unwavering belief that Michigan has been, is now and must remain the best university in the country. We are confident she is the right leader for this moment and we look forward to the board’s formal vote.”
A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Raver is the Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Psychology and Human Development at Peabody College, where her research on children’s development, education policy, and poverty has attracted more than $24 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and others.
Before joining Vanderbilt, she served as deputy provost at New York University and held faculty roles at the University of Chicago and Cornell University. Raver holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Yale University.
“It is an extraordinary honor to be considered as the University of Michigan’s 17th president at this pivotal moment in higher education,” Raver says. “Michigan’s scale and impact across research, education, economic growth and public service are unmatched, and I’m eager to build on its remarkable legacy. I look forward to working alongside faculty, staff, students and alumni to lead Michigan forward with clarity and confidence.”
Raver’s selection follows a national search led by the university’s Presidential Search Committee, with the assistance of leading executive search firm Spencer Stuart.
President Domenico Grasso will continue to lead the university through Nov. 30, and will work closely with Raver to ensure continuity in academic and research leadership through the transition.
“It will be an honor to welcome Raver as the university’s next president,” Grasso says. “Michigan is a remarkable institution, and I look forward to working with her in the weeks ahead to ensure a smooth and successful transition.”
Sandy K. Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, says, “The chamber congratulates the University of Michigan on naming C. Cybele Raver as its new president. We look forward to our continued partnership with U-M under her leadership as she becomes only the second female president of this storied institution, following in the footsteps of the transformative leadership of Mary Sue Coleman.
“We also thank President Domenico Grasso for providing stability for the university, and ensuring it continued to play its critical economic and education role in our region and state through this transition.”
