Office of the President

Malcolm King portrait
Malcolm King, 2024 
Photograph by Michele Biagi A'24

Malcolm King is the interim president of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. He graduated from Cooper’s Albert Nerken School of Engineering in 1997 and has substantiated his strong sense of appreciation and pride by remaining engaged with his alma mater since then.

King was elected to The Cooper Union Board of Trustees in 2013 and became Chair of the Board in 2020. In June 2024, he was elected interim president when Laura Sparks, Cooper Union’s 13th president (2017-2024), made the decision to bring her time with Cooper to a close. King will serve as interim president for the year while a comprehensive search is conducted for Sparks’ successor.

In addition to serving as Board Chair, King has chaired the Audit Committee and served on the Free Education Committee (FEC) which issued the plan to return to full-tuition scholarships that was approved by the board in 2018. The plan has achieved a six-year freeze on tuition, increased scholarship levels to cover an average 83% of tuition costs, enabled 50% of students to attend tuition-free, and provided for new investments in academic and student life.

King has also served as co-chair of Cooper Union on Wall Street (CUWS), an alumni group that supports the school through fundraising initiatives and provides guidance to students and alumni interested in careers in financial services. Prior to assuming the role of interim president, he was Managing Director and Control Executive for Cybersecurity at Wells Fargo. His previous positions include Managing Director and Head of Security Engineering at State Street Bank, as well as leadership roles at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. He began his career at Federal Express as an engineer in the Information Security division. King has also contributed his expertise to industry groups such as the Cyber Risk Institute, where he has provided insights on regulatory compliance and best practices.

King grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and currently resides in South Orange, NJ, with his wife and their three children.
 


Read Malcolm's King's Messages to the Cooper Community.
Read archived Messages to the Cooper community.

Malcolm King holds regular Office Hours for faculty, staff, and students to share ideas and concerns. There is also a suggestion box for you to share your thoughts.

 

Learn more about the Presidential Search.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.