Trustee Knake: Build on the land grant heritage and help MSU “be a safer place for everyone”

<p>“I actually got my start as an academic here in East Lansing,” says <a href="https://twitter.com/reneeknake">Knake</a>. “I spent a decade on the faculty at the MSU College of Law. That was after graduating from the University of Chicago Law School, practicing law for a few years, both in private practice and government work, and then realizing what I wanted to do most was become a law professor. I'll always be grateful for that start.</p><p><br></p><p>“in 2016, I transitioned to a position at the University of Houston, a wonderful opportunity that I think came up, in part, because of the great beginnings I had here at Michigan State. At the same time, I was raising kids and as they were getting older, we weren't really sure at first whether they would transition to join me in Texas full-time. What we've decided is best for our family is for our children to stay in East Lansing and continue to be raised here.</p><p><br></p><p>“And it's part of why I care so much about the university. It's where I got my start as an academic. East Lansing, because of the Michigan State community, is a wonderful place to raise your children.”</p><p><br>Knake is an internationally recognized expert on legal ethics. What does that mean, and how will that skill set help you steward MSU?</p><p>“I always approach any situation from the perspective of being trained as a lawyer. And I think that is useful in any setting, but perhaps, especially the setting that the board finds itself in now. How the board will go forward on the question of the investigation that the attorney general has been conducting regarding the Nassar abuse and the release of 6,000 some documents is an immediate concern for me.</p><p><br></p><p>“My training and perspective I think also gives me, not only just as a lawyer but as an academic, a broader perspective of what the role of a university is and especially what is the role of a land grant institution, in educating students for the 21st century. It's that combination of background and my legal ethics