The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees appointed Peter J. Mohler as the 30th president of The University of Alabama Monday. His term as president will begin July 21.
“To the faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters of The University of Alabama, I cannot wait to meet you, listen to you and learn from you,” Mohler said. “Together, we have the opportunity to build upon a legacy of excellence and shape the next era of impact at UA.”
Mohler’s appointment comes after University President Stuart Bell announced in January his intention to step down from his role in July. A presidential search committee was then formed, which held six one-hour listening sessions for University stakeholders in late January and early February.
Mohler currently serves as the executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge at Ohio State University, and formerly as its acting president in 2023.
He earned his bachelor’s in biology from Wake Forest in 1995 and his doctoral degree in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000. He also performed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Duke University, and served in faculty roles at the University of Iowa and Vanderbilt University.
Sid Trant, chancellor of the UA System, said that Mohler “has consistently demonstrated the ability to envision the future, set big and meaningful goals and implement ambitious yet achievable plans to reach them,” calling him “student centered in every sense.”
Mohler said he wants to learn the culture of Tuscaloosa by speaking with Bell and spending time on campus “to deliver impact for the citizens of Alabama.”
