Regents Launch National Search for UNI President

The Iowa Board of Regents unanimously approved a national search to replace University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook, who plans to retire.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in People

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a single wooden chair pulled out from an empty table beneath a pendant light, suggesting a seat awaiting a new university president. — The Iowa Board of Regents unanimously approved a national search to replace University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook, who plans to retire. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Iowa Board of Regents unanimously approved a national search for a new University of Northern Iowa president after Mark Nook announced his retirement on October 23, 2026. Nook will remain in the role until a successor is chosen and arrives on campus.

Why it matters

The search determines who will lead one of Iowa's public universities after Nook's decade-long tenure. The process will shape the university's direction as it selects a president for its Cedar Falls campus.

Nook's tenure reaches a full decade by the time he retires, with the board targeting July 1, 2027, the end of his contract period, for a new president to arrive. Board staff have not yet named a search firm or the members of the search committee.

The players

Mark Nook

Mark Nook is the president of the University of Northern Iowa, an institution he has led for a decade before announcing his retirement.

Iowa Board of Regents

The Iowa Board of Regents governs the state's public universities, including the University of Northern Iowa, and oversees presidential appointments.

The details

Board Counsel Aimee Claeys, joined by Chief Academic Officer Rachel Boon and Senior Communications Director Josh Lehman, will lead the search with board staff and work with committee chairs on a timeline. The process is expected to follow the cadence used in the 2025 Iowa State University presidential search that selected David Cook.

October 23, 2026: Nook announced plans to retire.
November 12, 2026: The Board of Regents approved the national search.
Friday: Board staff will seek applicants for potential search-firm partners.
April 2027: Finalist selections are to be presented to the board at its meeting on the UNI campus.
July 1, 2027: End of Nook's contract period and target date for a new president on campus.

Roadmap

The UNI search follows the same cadence and process used in the 2025 Iowa State University presidential search that selected David Cook. That precedent sets the expected pace for selecting a successor to a public university leader in Iowa.

Students, faculty, and Cedar Falls residents will see new university leadership arrive by the target date of July 1, 2027. The change affects everyone connected to the University of Northern Iowa, from enrollment to campus operations.

The takeaway

Searches for public university presidents typically run on a predictable timeline, so readers can track the finalist announcements expected in April 2027. Watching the board's spring meeting offers the clearest view of who will lead UNI next.

What happens next

Board staff will seek search-firm applicants on Friday, and finalist selections are to be presented at the board's April 2027 meeting on the UNI campus.