NDSU President David Cook hired to lead Iowa State University

David Cook, leader of North Dakota State University, has been named the new president of Iowa State University.

The Iowa Board of Regents announced Tuesday afternoon that Cook, one of two finalists for the Iowa State University presidency, has been chosen to lead ISU after President Wendy Wintersteen’s retirement in January. His official start date is March 1, Iowa Board of Regents President Sherry Bates said.

“The board’s vote was unanimous, and we are excited to have him here and see how he continues to move Iowa State forward,” Bates said.

Under his five-year contract, Cook will receive an annual salary of $700,000 and a five-year deferred plan starting March 1, 2026, with annual, $100,000 contributions, according to a press release from the board of regents.

Cook told ISU community members during a public forum last week that returning to ISU would be like coming home, as he grew up in Ames and completed his undergraduate education at the university. He said at the time he would not come back just to “reinvent the wheel” if selected, but to build on the legacy Wintersteen left and bring ISU to new heights.

“Whoever got this job was going to be in great shape, because she left the place better than she found it,” Cook said. “That’s incredibly obvious to me, the amazing work that’s been done under her tenure, and I’m going to do my best to keep it going.”

Wintersteen announced her plans to retire in May, after which the board of regents contracted with AGB Search and formed a committee to review candidates. Working with a timeline described by AGB Search Managing Principal Rodrick McDavis as “very, very, very tight,” the presidential search committee spent the summer creating a presidential profile and going through applicants, eventually narrowing down a pool of 78 people to eight semifinalists.

Of the four finalists selected for in-person interviews and public inquiry through forums, only two ended up coming to campus last week — Cook and Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Benjamin Houlton.

Cook told reporters Tuesday after the announcement that he had never thought as an ISU student that he would be in the position he’s in now, but when the job opened up he was “immediately” extremely interested in it and didn’t have to think long about applying.

As he will remain president-elect for a few more months, Cook said he will spend this time ensuring a smooth transition at North Dakota State University and getting connected with his new university — “a lot of outreach, a lot of listening, a lot of engagement.”

Understanding ISU’s finances and its relationship with the Iowa Legislature are both high priorities, he said, as he will enter his new role fully during the legislative session.

“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 legislature wants to see from the institution,” Cook said.