Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned just a year into her tenure, following significant campus unrest sparked by the war in Gaza. Her decision comes four months after she authorized the New York Police Department to intervene during student protests, resulting in the arrest of about 100 students and triggering widespread demonstrations at other universities across the U.S. and Canada.

Ms. Shafik, the third Ivy League president to step down over handling protests related to the Gaza conflict, cited the intense strain on both the university community and her family as factors in her decision. She acknowledged the challenges of navigating a deeply divided campus and expressed concern over the threats and abuse directed at herself, colleagues, and students.

Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will take over as interim president. Ms. Shafik, a respected Egyptian-born economist with an extensive career at institutions like the World Bank, IMF, and the Bank of England, indicated that she would be returning to the UK to lead a review on international development at the request of the Foreign Secretary. Her resignation follows the departure of three Columbia deans after they were implicated in text messages using “antisemitic tropes” during discussions about Jewish students.