UI President Barbara Wilson

Barbara Wilson begins year two

Barbara Wilson, the 22nd president of the University of Iowa, will begin her second year of presidency in the summer of 2022.

University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson started her second year as the head Hawkeye this past summer after being appointed by the state Board of Regents in 2021. Wilson is the third woman to serve as the UI’s president. According to the UI Presidential Search Committee Campus-Wide Survey, 80 percent of more than 300 respondents supported Wilson for the position. Respondents said they believe Wilson is well-positioned to handle UI challenges and opportunities. She was selected by the regents in late April 2021 and is set to serve a five-year term unless the regents extend her contract. Her annual salary is $600,000. As the 22nd president of the UI, Wilson oversees 31,206 students, 25,287 employees, a sprawling health care system, and a reputation as a top-tier writing university. She replaced President Bruce Harreld, who held office from 2015-21. Wilson is a lifelong academic with a background in journalism and communication arts. Wilson earned her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison between 1979 and 1985. She then spent 12 years at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a faculty member before she moved to the University of Illinois system. While there, she served the system in a variety of capacities, including her most recent position as the executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs. While at the University of Illinois system, Wilson served as the primary liaison to the University of Illinois Systems Board of Trustees and led two diversity and one sexual misconduct committees. She also led a system-wide initiative to promote leadership opportunities for women in faculty positions and spearheaded a $2 million initiative to celebrate the impact of the arts and humanities. Wilson also focused on the recruitment of underrepresented minority faculty members. Colleagues and students at the University of Illinois system touted Wilson as a strong leader who embraces connection building in higher education. In her first year at the UI, Wilson spent time building relationships and trust with the community. Wilson spent the year meeting with academic colleges and various student groups across campus to learn more about the university and why students choose to come to the UI. Each year, the university president conducts a President’s Leadership class offered to second-year students to develop their leadership skills.