Dr. Katrina Armstrong
Armstrong, who took leadership of the Ivy League university last August following the resignation of former president Dr. Minouche Shafik, will return to her previous role leading Columbia's Irving Medical Center. Claire Shipman, co-chair of the board of trustees, a Columbia graduate and a television journalist, has been appointed acting president until a permanent replacement is found.
"Dr. Armstrong accepted the role of interim president at a time of great uncertainty for the University and worked tirelessly to promote the interests of our community," said David J. Greenwald, chair of the board of trustees, in a statement.
In her own statement to the university community, Armstrong wrote: "Over the last few months, I appreciate having had the opportunity to play a small part in navigating this vast enterprise through some of the most difficult moments in its history."
Armstrong's departure comes at a critical juncture for the university, which recently announced significant policy changes after the Trump administration revoked approximately $400 million in federal research funding. The administration's actions were tied to concerns about how the university handled campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The new policies include:
Three federal agencies—the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and the General Services Administration—characterized these changes as a "positive first step" toward potentially restoring federal funding.
