Alumni News
Alumni updates – January 2025
Learn which of our alumni started new roles and attended conferences this month.
Abigail Swetz – Alumni in the Spotlight
Abigail Swetz’s (MPA ’19) favorite part about her role as executive director at Fair Wisconsin is that every day is different from the last.
Alumni updates – December 2024
Learn about some of the many ways La Follette alumni are making a positive impact this month.
UniverCity partnership inspires new homestead credit in Adams County
While completing his La Follette degree, John O’Malley (MIPA '23) partnered with UW–Madison's UniverCity Alliance on a project that inspired a new Homestead Credit Incentive program.
Tom Hruz – Alumni in the Spotlight
Tom Hruz (MPA ’97) has served as an appellate judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District III, since 2014.
Jill Karofsky – Alumni in the Spotlight
As a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, every day Jill Karofsky (MA ’92) is tasked with thinking about the most important issues of our time and is challenged by thorny legal issues.
Alumni updates – November 2024
Read about new books, new jobs, and other updates from our alumni.
Michael Luckey – Alumni in the Spotlight
Luckey has worked as chief of staff at the Wisconsin State Senate, as a policy advisor and legislative aide at the State Assembly, and currently as assistant to the Jefferson County administrator.
La Follette alum heads Berlin chapter of Democrats Abroad
Since 2021, Constance Chucholowski (MIPA ’14) has served as chair of the organization in Germany, where she currently works as the founder and managing director at a public affairs firm.
Alumni updates – October 2024
Congratulations to our alumni who have recently received promotions or started new jobs!
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Alumni Profiles
Richard Shrout, MPA ’72
"The big lesson that I can pass to current students is the knowledge that a masters degree is just a ticket to get you into the door. Life after that is a continuing process of learning new things and sharpening what you thought you already knew.”
Corissa Uselmann, MPA ’20
"I think the biggest thing I learned at La Follette is that our job isn’t done until we have completed an evaluation stage on any given project or work product. I have taken this to heart and have actively worked towards implementing data-driven feedback loops in every role or project I have worked on professionally."
Karina Virrueta Running, MPA ’17
"The workshop course was as challenging as it was rewarding. I also made lasting friendships with my peers and the professors."
Hilary Shager, MPA ’05
"La Follette is the epitome of the Wisconsin Idea. And it’s certainly not just about Wisconsin—the staff and faculty have done so much to connect students with alumni and new, real-world opportunities."
Sophia Rogers, MPA ’19
"La Follette has prepared and empowered all of us to do amazing things."
Muhammed Fofana, MPA ’22
"The client-based project was one of my favorite experiences at La Follette. I worked with a great team of faculty, client, and classmates."
Jess Rutstein, MPA ’20
Alum Jess Rutstein works as a FoodShare Program and policy analyst for the WI Department of Health Services.
Ryan LeCloux, MIPA ’18
"The small cohort size really allows you to get to know your classmates and interact with the faculty."
Yixuan Cheng, MIPA, MPH ’21
"The small class size and ability to gain quantitative skills also drew me to the La Follette School since I had limited experience with them as an undergraduate."
Mikhaila Calice, MPA ’19
"I am extremely grateful for how flexible the program is. Its design allows students to craft a curriculum that suits their own specialties."
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