President Choi’s Accomplishments
Mun Y. Choi, Ph.D. serves as the 24th president of the University of Missouri — a dual role as chancellor of the University of Missouri and president of the University of Missouri System. In this role, he oversees the academic, business and financial aspects of the four universities, as well as a health care system and statewide extension program.
In partnership with the University of Missouri Board of Curators and university leadership, President Choi introduced a new collective vision systemwide shortly after he arrived in Columbia: to advance the opportunities for success and well-being in Missouri, the nation and the world through transformative teaching, innovative research and meaningful engagement.
University of Missouri Chancellor
At MU, President Choi has led efforts to strategically grow MU’s stature as an AAU (Association of American Universities), land-grant flagship research university. In 2021, he launched MizzouForward, a $1.5 billion, 10-year investment in faculty excellence, student success and modern infrastructure.
President Choi’s MU leadership team, working closely with faculty, staff and committed stakeholders, have set Mizzou on a record-breaking path with:
- Estimated $485 million in research (NSF HERD) expenditures in fiscal year 2024.
- 75% graduation rate, the highest among all public universities in Missouri.
- 95% of graduates obtaining successful career outcomes or continuing their education within six months of earning their degree.
- #4 Best Value among all flagship universities in the United States according to U.S. News & World Report.
He is the chair of the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities’ Commission on Food, Environment, & Renewable Resources and a member of the SEC Executive Committee.
Professional and academic background
President Choi came to Missouri in 2017 after nine years at the University of Connecticut where he served as provost and executive vice president (2012-2017) and earlier as dean of engineering (2008-2012). His 30-year career in higher education also includes serving eight years as a department head of mechanical engineering and mechanics at Drexel University (2000-2008) and six years as an assistant and associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (1994-2000).
He earned his bachelor’s degree in General Engineering from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University.
Personal history
His parents brought their family to the United States from South Korea when Choi was nine years old and grew up in Akron, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois. Choi is married to Suzanne Choi and together they have three children (Alex, Christopher and Cosette) and two bichon frises (Max and Coco).