“Shaped by the Catholic faith, I am delighted to join a university that is deeply rooted in its tradition and teaching,” said Milano. 

Milano is an attorney with a rich background in public policy, having served in all three branches of the federal government. While at SMU Dedman School of Law, she was a staff editor on the SMU International Law Review. After law school, Milano clerked for the Honorable Reed C. O’Connor in the Northern District of Texas.

Most recently, Milano served as a presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. During her tenure as an appointee, she was on the forefront of civil rights issues involving the COVID-19 pandemic. Milano also had a leadership role in the agency’s first Title IX enforcement initiative.

 As director of UD’s Office of Civil Rights, Milano will help foster a campus environment free from sexual harassment and discrimination and will be responsible for the oversight of compliance requirements that fall under Civil Rights and Title IX. She similarly will be responsible for the oversight of allegations of discrimination or sexual harassment, maintaining and tracking all statistics required by university policy as well as federal and state regulations.

Further, Milano will serve as the campus Title IX coordinator and provide Title IX-related consultation to senior officials as necessary; oversee prompt and thorough investigations; develop Title IX education and awareness programs; maintain training records; recommend policies and practices; and oversee the activities of campus deputy Title IX coordinators.

“My mission is to help cultivate an environment at UD where students and faculty alike can be devoted to the primary ends of education,” said Milano.  

Raised in South Texas, Milano is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Italian. As a native Texan, she was thrilled to move to Dallas with her husband, Bennett.