Indiana 250: Karen Bravo

Karen Bravo became dean of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in July 2020. She joined its faculty 16 years earlier, in 2004, teaching international law, international trade law and business courses. An international law scholar and expert in the study of human trafficking, her research interests include labor liberalization, personhood, slavery and human trafficking. She is founder and leader of the Slavery Past, Present and Future project, which brings together scholars of slavery from multiple disciplines.

Being a leader

My favorite part of leadership is seeing the bigger picture for the institution and the opportunity to engage with and affect. This forest-versus-trees perspective allows for identification of opportunities and challenges that stimulate problem-solving and designing strategic responses. Another consequence is that I am able to identify connections and potential connections that will benefit our students, alumni and prospective students.

Another favorite part is the opportunity to work with a team to create, plan and implement opportunities for our students, faculty and alumni that will foster their success.

Favorite gadget

This will sound cliched, but my favorite gadget is my iPhone. … It is an “office in my pocket,” the means of connectivity to family and friends, the means to search for information, and source of distraction through the various useful apps.

Leadership lessons

Be humble—it’s not (all) about you; you are here to serve through leadership. Try not to take things (too) personally. Silence is often better than words, and a calm response is better than a heated one. You will enjoy seeing others flourish and meet their potential (especially if they did not see the possibility in themselves). Setting an atmosphere that lets your team know that you welcome professional and constructive critique. It is impossible to know everything, and there is great pleasure in learning from others and their expertise. Some decisions are hard, but if you make them for the benefit of the institution, you are able to face the consequences. Consult widely and with your team when making decisions.

Pets

Lucky, our beagle, is a pandemic puppy. We gave in to our younger daughter’s importunities for a dog. We adopted Lucky from the Blackford County Animal Shelter. We called her “Lucky” because she had been adopted and returned, so we were lucky that she was available for us to adopt her. She was lucky because she had been abandoned at night beside a river and was rescued after a Good Samaritan called the shelter.

In addition, we have two cats (Sage and Periwinkle), who were adopted from the Humane Society, and a guinea pig (Dandelion) adopted from a
pet store.•