Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison
Jennifer Mnookin has served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2022. Mnookin is the 30th leader of the state’s flagship public university, which serves nearly 48,000 students and employs 26,755 faculty and staff. The university, its affiliated organizations and related startups contribute $30.8 billion in economic impact, or 9% of the state’s economy, according to a Northstar Analytics report.
During her tenure, Mnookin launched Wisconsin RISE, an initiative to boost research and increase faculty hiring with the goal of addressing significant, complex issues that affect Wisconsin and the world. The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation recently committed $15 million over the next three years toward UW-Madison’s artificial intelligence research and education, the first area of focus for RISE.
Mnookin has also introduced initiatives to increase educational access. Through Bucky’s Pell Pathway, the university meets the full financial need for in-state students who qualify for Pell grants. The program has served 3,750 students in its first two years. In late 2023, she introduced the Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise Program, which covers all the costs of education for enrolled members of Wisconsin’s federally recognized tribes.
Mnookin was previously dean of the School of Law and Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles. A national expert on law, forensic science and evidence, Mnookin is also the founder and former faculty co-director of the Program on Undergraduate Law, Science and Evidence at UCLA.
Mnookin was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020.
Education: Bachelor’s, Harvard University; J.D., Yale Law School; doctorate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Nonprofits and Education
Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison
In the spring, Jennifer Mnookin was named the next chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the successor to retiring chancellor Rebecca Blank. At the beginning of the academic year, she became the 30th leader of the state’s flagship public university – an institution that includes 48,000 students, 24,200 employees and a $3.6 billion budget.
Mnookin was previously dean of the School of Law and Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles. Under her leadership, the law school set fundraising records and established endowments for student scholarships. A national expert on law, forensic science and evidence, Mnookin is also the founder and former faculty co-director of the Program on Undergraduate Law, Science and Evidence at UCLA. Earlier, Mnookin was vice dean for external appointments and intellectual life and vice dean for faculty and research at the university.
Mnookin was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020. She also serves on the advisory board of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. She previously served on the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Science, Technology and Law.
Education: Bachelor’s, Harvard University; J.D., Yale Law School; doctorate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
