The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents has tapped Tonjanita “Tonja” L. Johnson, a senior vice chancellor in the University of Alabama System, to become the system's next president — and its first Black president. Johnson's appointment is set to begin on or about Jan. 1, 2027, when she becomes the 10th person to hold the role, overseeing 13 public universities.
A Unanimous Vote After a National Search
The regents' decision was unanimous, according to wisconsin.edu, which also confirms Johnson has served as the University of Alabama System's Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs since 2019. As reported by AL.com, Johnson will replace Jay Rothman, who according to the Associated Press was fired in April 2026. Johnson, 57, will inherit leadership of a system that, per wisconsin.edu, educates more than 164,500 students — though the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has put that figure at approximately 163,000, a discrepancy the available reporting does not resolve.
Johnson was one of three finalists for the job. The other two, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, were Bernard Savarese of the University of Tennessee system and Steven Holley of the University of Mississippi. Johnson's selection follows a career that has taken her through several very different kinds of campuses.
A Career Spanning Public Flagships and an HBCU
Before her current post, Johnson served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the University of Tennessee System, per her biography posted on wisconsin.edu. She has also held senior administrative and faculty appointments at Stony Brook University, Middle Tennessee State University, and Mississippi Valley State University, an HBCU — giving her, by the system's account, more than two decades of cabinet-level leadership experience across research universities, comprehensive institutions, and historically Black colleges.
Johnson earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mass communication from the University of Alabama and a doctorate in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University, according to her wisconsin.edu biography. AL.com reports that Johnson joined the University of Alabama System as vice chancellor in 2019.
Roots in Rural Alabama Shape Her Approach
Johnson was born in Choctaw County, Alabama, and grew up in the small town of Butler, according to AL.com, written by Williesha Morris. She told the outlet that growing up in Butler shaped her perspective on higher education, and said she looks forward to carrying values of hard work, service, engagement, and applying knowledge into her new role. Johnson called her appointment an extreme honor, saying she is humbled by the opportunity to serve the Universities of Wisconsin and its citizens, per the same report.
Barbara Humphrey, a University of Alabama System trustee, praised the pick while speaking at an Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Committee meeting on Nov. 6, according to AL.com. Johnson, she said, is an extraordinary leader deeply committed to higher education and student success. Kyle Weatherly, president of the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents, said the system opens opportunities for students and creates possibilities for future generations, adding that fulfilling that promise will require continued innovation.
AI, Enrollment and Finances Loom Large
Johnson takes the helm as the system confronts a mix of pressures tied to artificial intelligence, demographic shifts, and finances, along with questions about campus consolidation and its relationship with UW-Madison, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. During her finalist presentation, Johnson advocated for increasing AI fluency across academic disciplines, with particular attention paid to ethics and to involving faculty, staff and students in shaping related policy, the Chronicle reported.
Those challenges will greet Johnson almost immediately once her tenure begins around the new year. For a system still sorting out its enrollment count and its footing amid rapid technological change, the arrival of a leader with experience across research institutions, comprehensive universities and an HBCU marks a notable shift in direction for the Universities of Wisconsin.
