Alumni and friends
A network of more than 2,000 La Follette School alumni and friends stay connected through news, social media, financial support, and sharing updates about themselves.
Connect
Get the latest news and stay up to date on what’s going on at La Follette.
Give back
There are a number of ways to keep the La Follette School spirit alive.
Share updates
We want to hear about your successes and how things are going.
News
Connect
Share an update
The La Follette School encourages alumni and friends to share news about their careers, families, achievements, and hobbies for inclusion in the News & Notes newsletter. You can also email updates to: alumni@lafollette.wisc.edu.
Social media
Stay up to date with the latest news and events by following the La Follette School on social media.
Subscribe to our emails
Subscribers can choose to receive our monthly newsletter, notices about public events, or occasional opportunities for alumni and friends to engage with the school.
Explore alumni news and profiles
Sharing news about the latest development from our alumni around the world.
Career development for alumni and friends
Alumni considering job changes are encouraged to create an account on the La Follette School Career Hub where they may sign up to receive weekly or monthly updates of their choosing. Alums may also subscribe to the Jobs4Alumni list serve (email list), but this will be used much less frequently after March 2026.
To create a LFS Career Hub account:
- Watch our sign-up video (may need to be logged into a Google account)
- Watch this short video to learn more about using the site
- OR just go to the Hub, click SIGN UP in the upper right corner, and follow the prompts
To join the email list:
- Send your name and non “.edu” email address to careerdev@lafollette.wisc.edu
- Use the subject line: “Jobs4Alumni”
Alumni, friends and students are invited to join the La Follette group on LinkedIn, a professional networking web site. Joining allows members to find and contact other La Follette members on LinkedIn. As the site’s administrator, the school’s Career Director ensures every member has a professional connection to La Follette. This group helps members to:
- Reach individual members from La Follette, who are all students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the school
- Accelerate careers and business through referrals from La Follette group members
- Know more than a name by viewing rich professional profiles from fellow La Follette group members
- Contact participating alumni and friends as a group
Awards
The annual Alumni of Distinction Award recognizes alumni for their contributions to the La Follette School and outstanding service throughout their careers.
Tony Carroll
The 2026 Alumni of Distinction Award goes to Tony Carroll (MA ’80) for outstanding service throughout his career and to the School.
Stephen Webster
Former Executive Director of United Way of Wisconsin, social justice and disaster resilience leader.
Tom Loftus
Retired U.S. Ambassador to Norway and Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Wesley Sparkman
Director, Dane County’s Tamara D. Grigsby Office for Equity and Inclusion.
Bill Cosh
Policy Advisor, Office of Wisconsin State Senator André Jacque.
Support
You can help make the La Follette School of Public Affairs even better by contributing your time, expertise, and financial support.
Each year, hundreds of La Follette School alumni and friends volunteer their time and talents with our students and School. THANK YOU!
You can pay it forward through events like speed networking, mock interviews, student mentoring, class reunions, and more.
The La Follette School can work with you too
Several La Follette School courses provide students with opportunities to conduct research and analysis while contributing to the capacity of partner organizations. Your business can serve as a client for class project, something we call “service learning.”
Questions? Email outreach@lafollette.wisc.edu
Alumni and friends can share with students information about their jobs and workplaces through professional development activities that include speed networking, mentoring, and informational interviews.
To get involved:
- Learn more here
- OR Contact the Career Director’s Office: careerdev@lafollette.wisc.edu
Donate
Gifts to the La Follette School help fund learning opportunities for students and vital research on policy issues. Donations help the La Follette School provide financial support to students and carry out its practice of the Wisconsin Idea.
