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Liz Magill

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Liz Magill
File:M-Elizabeth-Magill-Inauguration (cropped).jpg
Magill at Penn inauguration 2022
9th President of the University of Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 1, 2022
Preceded byAmy Gutmann
13th Dean of Stanford Law School
In office
2012–2019
Preceded byLarry Kramer
Succeeded byJennifer Martínez
Personal details
Born
Mary Elizabeth Magill

1966 (age 57–58)
Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
RelativesFrank J. Magill (father)
EducationYale University (BA)
University of Virginia (JD)

Mary Elizabeth Magill (born 1966) is an American legal scholar and academic administrator, who became the ninth president[1] and 27th leader of the University of Pennsylvania in July 2022.[2] She is an administrative and constitutional law scholar, who began her academic career at University of Virginia, becoming a Professor of Law. She later served as dean of Stanford Law School and as provost of the University of Virginia.[3]

On December 9, 2023, Magill announced her intent to step down as university president, once an interim president was named.[4][5]

Early life and education

A native of Fargo, North Dakota, Magill is the daughter of Frank Magill, a senior United States federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Her brother, Frank Magill Jr., is a District Judge in Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Yale University in 1988, where she served as the head of the Yale College Democrats, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995.[6]

Professional career

From 1988 until 1992, Magill worked as a senior legislative assistant for United States Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota.[6]

Following law school, Magill worked as a law clerk for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1995 until 1996, and then worked as a clerk for United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg from 1996 until 1997.[7] She became member of the American Law Institute.[8]

In 1997, Magill joined the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Law, where she worked for 15 years.[9] A scholar of administrative and constitutional law, she was the Joseph Weintraub–Bank of America Distinguished Professor of Law, the Elizabeth D. and Richard A. Merrill Professor,[9] and from 2009 to 2012, the school’s vice dean.[6][10]

In 2012, she was named dean of the law school at Stanford University, where she was also Richard E. Lang Professor of Law.[1]

2016 Magill was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[11]

2019, she returned to the University of Virginia to serve as the school's provost.[10]

In July 2022 Magill became ninth president of the University of Pennsylvania.[1] [10] She is also a Trustees University Professor and Professor of Law at Penn Carey Law.[9]

2023 antisemitism response

A little more than a year into her presidency, Magill came into the spotlight in September 2023, drawing criticism for not giving enough support to the academic freedom of faculty and students protesting in support of Palestinians, as well as faculty who were harassed for their participation in an on-campus literature festival called Palestine Writes.[12] Tensions escalated in the wake of the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the ensuing conflict. During the next two months major donors began to publicly withdraw their support for the university and made calls for Magill to resign, alleging she was responding inadequately to antisemitism on campus.[13][14][15] In response Magill announced a plan in November 2023 to combat antisemitism with a task force and a student advisory group.[12]

On December 5, 2023, Magill testified in front of the House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with the presidents of MIT and Harvard, about anti-semitism on university campuses.[12] The three university presidents had exchanges with Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik about whether calls for Jewish genocide would be considered bullying and harassment under campus policies.[16] Magill responded that it would be "context-dependent" whether calling for genocide would violate the university's policy. The response went viral, drawing tens of millions of views on social media with condemnation, including from Democratic Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro.[17][18] The board of trustees held an emergency meeting on December 7, with Magill retaining her position.

At this hearing (full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J0Nu9BN5Qk ) President Magill , in her opening statement, clearly stated that antisemitism is abhorrent.

The Wharton Board of Advisors, which oversees the Wharton School, called for a change in leadership. A coalition of donors, politicians, and business leaders also denounced her testimony.[19] Stone Ridge Asset Management CEO Ross Stevens threatened to rescind a donation of his companies shares, at that time worth $100 million USD, to Penn's Wharton School, if Magill did not resign. Stevens wrote in a letter to his staff, that Magill had violated Stone Ridge’s code of conduct.[20] On December 9, 2023, Magill announced her resignation as president.[4] She will continue to serve as the leader of the university until a replacement is found.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "M. Elizabeth Magill nominated to become president of the University of Pennsylvania". Penn Today. January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  2. ^ Isidore, Chris (October 20, 2023). "Who is Liz Magill, the University of Pennsylvania's embattled president". CNN. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  3. ^ Karen Sloan, Stanford looks to Virginia for its next dean, The National Law Journal (July 24, 2012).
  4. ^ a b Mitovich, Jared; Cohen, Molly; Siddiqui, Imran; Desai, Saya (December 9, 2023). "PENN PRESIDENT LIZ MAGILL TO RESIGN". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "Penn President Liz Magill resigns after testimony on antisemitism drew bipartisan criticism". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Stanford Law Faculty Biography: M. Elizabeth Magill
  7. ^ Gilbert, Samantha (August 16, 2012). "Meeting Magill: getting to know the new dean of Stanford Law". Stanford Daily. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  8. ^ Institute, The American Law. "Members". American Law Institute. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "About President Liz Magill | Office of the President". president.upenn.edu. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c "M. Elizabeth Magill". www.law.upenn.edu. University of Pennsylvania Law School. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  11. ^ "M. Elizabeth Magill". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Bunch, Susan Snyder | Joseph N. DiStefano | Jesse (December 7, 2023). "Penn President Liz Magill faces mounting pressure to resign from Capitol Hill as university backs her". https://www.inquirer.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  13. ^ Egan, Matt (October 12, 2023). "Billionaire CEO demands UPenn leaders quit and donations halt over alleged failure to address antisemitism on campus | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  14. ^ Schwartz, Brian (November 2, 2023). "Wall Street titans help to fuel Ivy League donor revolt". CNBC. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  15. ^ Lonas, Lexi (October 16, 2023). "UPenn loses big donor, board member resigns citing 'antisemitism'". The Hill. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  16. ^ Karni, Annie (December 7, 2023). "Questioning University Presidents on Antisemitism, Stefanik Goes Viral". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  17. ^ Saul, Stephanie; Hartocollis, Anemona (December 6, 2023). "College Presidents Under Fire After Dodging Questions About Antisemitism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  18. ^ "Penn president responds to backlash over testimony on antisemitism". Washington Post. December 8, 2023. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  19. ^ Egan, Matt (December 7, 2023). "Major donor calls on UPenn president to resign, threatens to rescind $100 million in stock | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  20. ^ Hart, Madeline Berg, Jordan. "Wall Street CEO tells Penn president: Resign or I'll pull $100 million". Business Insider. Retrieved December 10, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ Saul, Stephanie; Blinder, Alan (December 9, 2023). "Penn's President Resigns, After Her Responses About Antisemitism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
Academic offices
Preceded by President of the University of Pennsylvania
2022–present 		Incumbent
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