During a round-table discussion with Wisconsin reporters Monday afternoon in Bascom Hall, Mnookin said she hopes her successor will benefit from “the enormous number of people who care deeply about the institution.”
She also said it is important that UW-Madison continues to promote pluralism and free expression by welcoming and encouraging a variety of perspectives and viewpoints on campus.
“While you can be a fierce advocate for what you believe, you should also bring curiosity to conversations with people who may not see the world exactly as you do,” Mnookin said. “Often you have something to learn from people who don’t exactly share your point of view.”
Mnookin has led the university since 2022. Before coming to Wisconsin, Mnookin served as dean of the UCLA School of Law, where she spent 17 years on the faculty.
Prior to joining UCLA, she was a professor of law at the University of Virginia School of Law and a visiting professor of law at Harvard Law School. Mnookin received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a law degree from Yale Law School, and a Ph.D. in history and social study of science and technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.