Incoming University of Michigan president Kent Syverud is stepping down a month before he takes office after being diagnosed with brain cancer, he announced Wednesday.
Syverud, chancellor of Syracuse University, was to join Michigan in May.
“Last week, I wasn’t feeling well, and I wanted to be treated at the Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. After more tests, I went to the University of Michigan to get more tests from their experts. I want to talk to you directly: I found out that I have some kind of brain cancer,” said Syverud in an announcement on Wednesday morning by the University of Michigan.
Syverud added that he has received treatment at Michigan Hospital and Crouse, making a point to emphasize the importance of research universities in building health care.
“I also find myself reflecting on what this moment has made clear to me: the amazing gift of great research universities,” he wrote. “These institutions, places like Syracuse, like Michigan, are not only available to teach and discover, but to translate that into caring for people when they need it most. I am lucky, in ways that I do not take for granted, to receive treatment in one of the best medical centers in the world. That is what research universities make possible. I have used my work to believe more in what I believe in, and now more than ever.”
Syverud added that although his brain cancer diagnosis and treatment “will prevent me from serving as the 16th President of the University of Michigan,” the Board of Regents invited him to join the faculty as a professor at the law school and serve as a special advisor to the board. Syverud earned both his juris doctor and master’s degrees in economics at UM and previously taught at the law school from 1987 to 1997.
Syverud shared a similar message with the Syracuse community.
The Michigan regents plan to launch a new official search soon, with details to be shared “in the coming days,” according to their statement. Meanwhile, the regents say their focus is on supporting Syverud as he undergoes treatment.
“Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Kent, his family and those who care for them. We know how deeply Kent loves Michigan. And we love him. His integrity. His integrity. His wisdom, and his values. We are committed to honoring these values as we move forward together,” board chairman Mark J. Bernstein wrote in a statement signed by other regents.
As Michigan begins its search for its next president, interim leader Dominic Grasso, the former UM Dearborn chancellor, is nearing the end of his year on the job. Both and the board noted in a statement issued on Wednesday that he will continue to work as the search for the president continues.
“We are still a place of hope and promise—values that feel even more meaningful today,” Grasso wrote.
Syverud, a legal scholar, previously headed the law school at Washington University in St. Louis and Vanderbilt University before taking the top job at Syracuse in 2014. His surprise resignation means Michigan has been without a permanent leader since last May, when former president Santa Ono stepped down to pursue the presidency of the University of Florida. Ono has served in Michigan for less than three years after succeeding Mark Schlissel, who was fired as president in January 2022 after having an affair with a subordinate. Schlissel later returned to a professional position.
Syverud’s resignation also marks another benefit to the Big Ten, a conference in which leadership has changed frequently. Not counting Syverud, who has never officially served, eight of the 18 presidents or chancellors at Big Ten member institutions have left since the start of 2025, and the ninth will leave in June.
Syverud’s resignation before taking office is similar to what Northwestern University faced in 2022, when incoming president Rebecca Blank stepped down after being diagnosed with cancer.
News of Syverud’s acquisition prompted an outpouring of support on Wednesday.
“I am deeply saddened to wake up to the news that my lifelong mentor, Kent Syverud, has been diagnosed with brain cancer,” Mike Spivey, CEO of Spivey Consulting Group, which specializes in adoption, wrote on LinkedIn. “I can say two things with certainty. My career is what it is because of Kent. And if there is anyone on this planet who can face a diagnosis like this with courage and peace it is him. My thoughts are with his entire family who I love so much.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also expressed her support for Syverud.
“Kent Syverud has been a steadfast leader of Syracuse University and a champion of its students, faculty and community,” Hochul wrote in a statement posted to X. “My thoughts are with him and his family as he begins this battle. We are all rooting for his strength and recovery.”
