On July 1, John Karl Scholz took office as the University of Oregon’s 19th president. 
At a welcoming event at the Student Welcome Center in March, Scholz said “I am drawn to the University of Oregon because I believe in the extraordinary role that our public research universities play in improving lives in the world around us.”
The UO Board of Trustees appointed Scholz in March 2023 after a lengthy search following the departure of President Michael Schill in August 2022. 
During this time, provost and former senior Vice President Patrick Philips served as the university’s interim president, followed by his submission to resign after the completion of the presidential search. The Board of Trustees subsequently appointed senior Vice President Jamie Moffitt for a brief term as interim president until Scholz’s July 1 inauguration.
The 22-member search committee, assisted by Parker Executive Search, appointed Scholz after a seven-month search, public forums, and two university-wide surveys to receive student input. However, finalist candidates were not revealed publicly, and no updates were given until Scholz’s selection was announced on March 13.
Students present at the public forums said that qualities they wanted in a president were someone who respected the student body, valued diversity, believed in UO’s potential as a public university, and supported accessible and affordable education. 
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the final profile for UO’s next President on December 6. 
According to UO, the profile called for a candidate who “will cultivate and nurture an environment that attracts and supports the highest quality, highest performing, and most diverse faculty, staff, and students to deliver on this mission of academic excellence, research, and public service.”
In total, there were 59 applicants for the role. The search committee narrowed this down to 11 candidates after the first round of interviews. 
Scholz, an economist and professor, was the former provost of the University of Wisconsin-Madison before his appointment at UO. A graduate of Stanford University, Scholz also served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary for tax analysis in the Department of the Treasury during the Clinton administration. 
During his time in the field of economics, Scholz researched earned income tax credits, intergenerational wealth, childhood and household wealth, and family welfare economics, among other topics.
Michael Schill, the previous UO president, was appointed in 2015. During his tenure, Schill oversaw the University of Oregon during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the construction of new residence halls and the Knight Campus.
Schill’s tenure was also marked by controversies, including the Erb Memorial Union transfer, as well as the University’s acceptance of large donations from Phil Knight of Nike. Schill will now be serving as president of Northwestern University.
In an email to the Emerald, Thuy Tran, assistant vice president for integrated communications, said Scholz would not be available for an interview until later in July.