The Iowa Board of Regents has selected Mark Nook to be the 11th president of the University of Northern Iowa. Nook is a native of Holstein, and received his undergraduate degree from Iowa State. Since 2014, he has been the chancellor of Montana State University-Billings, which has a student body about one-third the size of UNI’s 12,000 student population.
“This is a university that’s done amazing work,” Nook said as he addressed a gathering after the regents’ vote. “You’ve taken an orphanage and turned it into one of the great, public, comprehensive universities. [My wife] Cheryl and I are very excited for this opportunity to work with you and continue that amazing work to build this university, to help support this state, and to continue to educate Iowans to serve Iowa.”
Nook has degrees in physics, mathematics, and astronomy. He also spent seven years in various administrative roles in the University of Wisconsin system.
He was chosen over two finalists: Current UNI Interim President and Provost Jim Wohlpart, and former Temple University President Neil Theobald.
