The Iowa Board of Regents voted unanimously Tuesday in selecting David Cook as the 17th president of Iowa State University after a months-long national search.
Since 2022, Cook has served as president of North Dakota State University, a land-grant university with nearly 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The North Dakota State University Foundation credited Cook with stabilizing enrollment after years of decline, boosting graduation rates, advancing the university’s research status and strengthening its fundraising and legislative partnerships.
Cook will fill ISU's highest office on March 1, following Wendy Wintersteen’s retirement in January.
“I am deeply humbled by this opportunity — a bit speechless, candidly. It’s a lot to take in,” Cook said following the announcement. “This is an institution that means so much to my wife and I. It is coming home.”
Cook was born and raised in Ames and graduated from ISU in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication.
He earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in organizational communication at the University of Kansas, where he gained tenure and held numerous leadership roles. This included vice chancellor and founding dean of the KU Edwards Campus and School of Professional Studies and vice chancellor for public affairs and economic development.
As Cook transitions to ISU, he said one of his first priorities is understanding the university’s finances.
“Higher ed financing is complicated,” Cook said. “It’s different in every state, and it’s imperative that a leader really understands how the finances work.”
Cook said that includes learning more about the Iowa Legislature.
“Our biggest funder is the state Legislature, our biggest partner and collaborator. And so really doing my best to understand the relationship, how that whole process works and frankly what the legislators want to see from the institution,” Cook said.
Cook said another priority during the transition will be engaging with students, staff and faculty, followed by outreach and field days across Iowa.
While ISU has a larger student body, at 31,105 compared to North Dakota State University, Cook said both share the same land-grant mission.
“It's really in my DNA to have a deep love for that kind of work, and I see how it makes a difference in a state,” Cook said.
During a public forum last week, Cook said key areas he’d like to focus on at ISU include the ethical use of artificial intelligence, diversified revenue streams, collaborations with other universities and keeping student enrollment numbers up.
Cook’s five-year contract includes an annual salary of $700,000, along with a five-year deferred plan with annual contributions of $100,000, according to the Board of Regents.
A 12-member presidential search committee identified finalists for the board to consider. The other candidate in the running was Benjamin Houlton, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig issued a statement Tuesday night congratulating Cook.
"ISU is one of the premier land-grant institutions in the nation, and it’s located in one of the most agriculturally productive places in the world. Strong leadership at Iowa State is critical to the success of our students, farmers and rural communities," Naig stated.
