Robert J. Jones became the 34th president of the University of Washington in August 2025 and holds a faculty position in the Department of Biology. A distinguished crop physiology and seasoned university leader, Jones previously served as chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for nine years, and before that, as president of The University at Albany (SUNY Albany). Prior to his administrative leadership roles, he spent over 34 years as a member of the faculty and senior administrator at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
At Illinois, Jones launched the world’s first engineering-based medical school and expanded access to a college degree through scholarships like the Illinois Commitment and led a $2.7 billion fundraising campaign. Under his leadership, enrollment grew by 25 percent. Jones also launched radical research partnerships and initiatives in quantum computing, bioprocessing and precision fermentation and the inflammatory states that underly many human diseases.
Jones has served as a leader in numerous national academic organizations, including as chair of the boards of the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors. A Georgia native and first-generation college student, he holds degrees in agronomy and crop physiology from Fort Valley State, the University of Georgia, and the University of Missouri. Jones is married to Dr. Lynn Hassan Jones, M.D., and together, they have five children and a growing number of grandchildren.