Jennifer Mnookin has been named as the next chancellor to lead UW-Madison.
She will be the university's 30th chancellor. Her appointment takes effect Aug. 4.
Here are five things to know about Mnookin (pronounced min-oo-kin):
She donated a kidney to her father
In late 2020, Mnookin donated a kidney to her father. The organ made its way from Los Angeles, where Mnookin leads the University of California Los Angeles law school, to her dad in Boston thanks to a solution developed at UW-Madison that extends the time that an organ can be safely stored outside of a body.
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She supports the Wisconsin Idea and increasing diversity
Mnookin said UW-Madison could serve as a national or global model for how public universities can extend past campus.
In a public forum, Mnookin highlighted a scholarship program she created for students who have faced significant life obstacles, efforts to work with Native American tribes.
Mnookin said in the forum that she was surprised at the lack of Native American students at UW-Madison, given the fact that there are 11 federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin.
She's versed in the law
Mnookin spent the last 17 years teaching law at UCLA, including the last six years as dean of the law school. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard, a law degree from Yale and a Ph.D. in science studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Lawyers have to listen carefully,” she said in a news release. “They have to think strategically. They are, fundamentally, trained as problem solvers and sometimes have to persuade people that don't necessarily see the world the way they do. They also have to be willing to engage across difference and think seriously about alternative points of view. I do think those are qualities that I will bring to this role as chancellor.”
She'll be leading a much bigger operation
At UCLA, Mnookin leads about 1,350 students, 130 full-time faculty and 150 staff.
You might see her on the hiking trails
Mnookin is moving to Madison with her husband, Joshua Foa Dienstag, who will join the UW–Madison faculty.
“We spend a lot of time hiking in California. We are very excited to explore some of the trails of Wisconsin,” Mnookin said in a statement.