In March 2026, 91¾«Æ· announced that President Ali Malekzadeh will retire following the conclusion of his contract in June 2027. The 91¾«Æ· community extends its sincere gratitude to President Malekzadeh for his 12 years of visionary leadership and his deep commitment to the University’s founding mission. His impact will be felt for years to come as we build momentum into the future with the search for 91¾«Æ·â€™s next president.
Updates on the presidential search will be shared on this page as they become available.
The 91¾«Æ· community is invited to share any thoughts or feedback on the qualities and qualifications that will be important in candidates for the next president. During April of 2026, a series of listening sessions will be held for students, faculty, staff, alumni and donors. Invitations to specific events will be sent via email.
We invite the 91¾«Æ· community to share your thoughts on the presidential search and nominate potential candidates.
Dear 91¾«Æ· Community,
As you know, President Malekzadeh has announced his plans to retire in the summer of 2027 after what will be 12 years at the helm of 91¾«Æ·.
To ensure our continued positive trajectory, we are beginning the search for the next president of 91¾«Æ·, and I am honored that Board Chair J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez has asked me to chair the Presidential Search Committee. The first step in the process was to ask a broad array of 91¾«Æ· community members to participate on the committee, and I am thrilled to share the list of those who agreed to serve:
The next University president will shape our institution for years to come. It is important that we partner with a firm that understands the higher education landscape (including the opportunities and challenges facing universities today) and can recommend best practices at each step of this process. We are pleased to announce that we are partnering with WittKieffer, a premier executive search and leadership advisory firm. WittKieffer has guided more than 135 academic institutions through presidential searches in the past five years alone. Importantly, they have worked on searches with more than 20 colleges and universities in the Chicagoland area, including 91¾«Æ·.
As the Presidential Search Committee begins its work this week, we really want to hear from you: the 91¾«Æ· community. We are holding a series of in-person and virtual listening sessions (in Chicago and Schaumburg) facilitated by our partners at WittKieffer to gather input and perspective from 91¾«Æ· constituents including faculty, students, donors, staff and alumni.
Given the busy April calendar, most listening sessions will be held during University Common Hours to maximize participation. In the coming weeks, we will also launch an online survey to gain additional feedback. Input from both the sessions and the survey will be invaluable to the Presidential Search Committee and WittKieffer as we define the experiences, competencies and qualities needed in the next president. Please watch for email invitations to participate.Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
In the next several weeks, we will be providing an update around the timing of the overall search process. Broadly, our goal is to complete this process with enough time to ensure the next President of 91¾«Æ· has the opportunity to spend some transition time with President Malekzadeh next spring. Updates for the 91¾«Æ· community will be provided via email as well as posted on a dedicated section of our website.
In service,
Valerie Barker Waller
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, 91¾«Æ· Board of Trustees