Jacob Palis, professor and director of the Instituto de Matematica Pura e Aplicada (IMPA) in Brazil, has been elected president of the International Mathematical Union (IMU). He was voted into office at IMU's 13th General Assembly, which took place this August in Berlin. Palis, who was born in Uberaba, Brazil, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rio de Janeiro and his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley. With more than 60 member countries, IMU is the largest mathematics association in the world. In addition to serving as a member of the ICTP Scientific Council since 1989, Palis has been course director of the Summer Schools and Workshops on Dynamical Systems since 1983.