Ann Arbor, Michigan — The next president of the University of Michigan said Wednesday that he cannot take the job because of brain cancer.
Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud said he received the diagnosis after not feeling well last week.
“I am currently undergoing treatment at the University of Michigan… I realize that I am one of the many, many people facing a diagnosis like this — people who show up every day with courage,” Syverud said. “I take inspiration from all of them.”
Syverud was appointed in January and was scheduled to become president in May.
The University of Michigan’s interim president, Domenico Grasso, will remain in his position while the university’s board searches for another leader.
Instead of serving as president, Syverud will be a professor at Michigan Law School and serve as an advisor to the Board of Regents, the board said.
Santa Ono was university president until 2025, when he was poised to become president of the University of Florida. but This move backfired When the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s universities, voted 10-6 against it in June.
Political conservatives have criticized Ono for his past support of Diversity, equity and inclusion Other programs and initiatives they viewed as unacceptable liberal ideology.