Former governor, UW System president questions hire for UW-Madison chancellor

MILWAUKEE - Former four-term Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson is questioning the hiring of a law school dean from California to run the flagship University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, saying he hoped she does not bring a “California philosophy” with her.

Thompson, a Republican, finished a 21-month stint as U.W. System president this spring.

He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a story published Wednesday that he was surprised that the UW Board of Regents hired Jennifer Mnookin to serve as UW-Madison chancellor. She’s the dean of the University of California, Los Angeles, law school.

Mnookin on Tuesday said during a news conference that she was willing to meet with Republican critics, who have characterized her as a liberal radical.