The University of Michigan Board of Regents on Tuesday, Aug. 18, named C. Cybele Raver as its choice to become the university's 17th president, ending a turbulent search that saw one appointee step down before taking office.
Raver, a developmental psychologist who has served as Vanderbilt University's provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs since July 2021, would be only the second woman to lead U-M. Mary Sue Coleman held the role from 2002 to 2014.
The regents will hold a special meeting Sept. 1 at 11 a.m. to take a formal vote. If approved, Raver will take office Dec. 1, with interim President Domenico Grasso continuing to lead the university through Nov. 30.
"Dr. Raver has a proven record of building strong teams, expanding research excellence, and strengthening every institution she has served," Board of Regents chair Michael Behm said in the university's announcement. "We are confident she is the right leader for this moment."
What it means for Ann Arbor
U-M is Ann Arbor's largest employer. The university employed roughly 37,400 people as of January 2025, according to Ann Arbor SPARK data, more than six times the city's second-largest employer, Trinity Health Michigan. U-M's research expenditures totaled $2.16 billion in fiscal year 2025 across its three campuses, including $1.2 billion in federal funds.
Raver's research background centers on children's development, education policy and poverty. She has attracted more than $24 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation and the Spencer Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Yale University and a bachelor's degree from Harvard.
At Vanderbilt, Raver led the university past $1 billion in annual research expenditures, recruited multiple new deans, and launched the College of Connected Computing. She also oversaw academic expansion to New York City, San Francisco, Chattanooga and West Palm Beach.
A rocky road to the hire
The appointment caps more than a year without a permanent president. Kent Syverud was elected 16th president on Jan. 12 but never took office, stepping down after a brain cancer diagnosis. Grasso, formerly chancellor of UM-Dearborn, stepped in as interim leader.
As we reported Aug. 17, former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan withdrew from the search days before Raver's selection was announced.
The eight-member Board of Regents that chose Raver includes chair Behm, vice chair Carl Meyers, and Regents Jordan Acker, Mark Bernstein, Paul Brown, Sarah Hubbard, Denise Ilitch and Katherine White. The national search was conducted with executive search firm Spencer Stuart.
Immediate challenges
Raver will face several leadership vacancies upon arrival, including hiring a new athletic director by year's end and appointing a permanent Michigan Medicine CEO, according to MLive.
She will continue serving as Vanderbilt's provost through Oct. 31 before beginning at Michigan on Dec. 1. The regents' formal vote is scheduled for Sept. 1.
