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By BROOKLYN DRAISEY
University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook has announced his upcoming retirement as the institution celebrates record-breaking fundraising and 150 years in existence.
The Cedar Falls university president, who began his tenure in February 2017, shared with the UNI community Friday morning his intentions to retire at the end of the 2026-2027 academic year with the commitment to stay at UNI until his successor arrives.
Nook said in a news release from the institution that serving UNI and the state has been "one of the greatest privileges" of he and his wife, Cheryl's, lives.
"In many ways we feel like most of our soon-to-be UNI graduates as they enter their final semester. We are about to leave a place where we have built so many wonderful relationships, a place we love, a place -- we call home," Nook said in the release. "We truly appreciate the care and support the Panther Family has shown us and are proud to be a small part of the UNI legacy of helping our students, alumni, and colleagues enrich lives, communities and the world."
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In the weeks of the fall semester preceding Nook's retirement announcement, UNI students, staff and faculty celebrated the institution's 150th anniversary and closed out a fundraising campaign totaling more than $342 million. UNI was also the only state university this year to see higher enrollment of first-year students than in 2025, the total of 1,709 also the highest since Nook's first year on campus in 2017.
Former board of regents member and UNI Our Tomorrow fundraising campaign co-chair Katie Mulholland said in the release that the UNI community is "indebted to President Nook for helping make a special place even stronger during his tenure."
Iowa Board of Regents President Robert Cramer said in the release that UNI has evolved its academic offerings to meet workforce needs and has established an "innovative partnership" for placebound students with community colleges.
"The University of Northern Iowa is truly thriving," Cramer said in the release. "Our state is exceedingly grateful to President Nook and the UNI community for positively impacting so many Iowa families and communities."