Kate Battiato (MPA ’07) earned a Senior Certified Professional credential through the Society for Human Resource Management. She works as vice president of workforce development for the Wisconsin Health Care Association/Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living.
Mikhaila Calice (MPA ’19) was appointed in April by Marcus Hawkins, the newest member of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, to serve as his executive assistant. She was recently featured in an Energy Analysis and Policy story about her new role and her career path. After receiving an MPA from La Follette with a certificate in energy analysis and policy in 2019, Calice went on to complete a PhD in life sciences communication from UW–Madison in 2023.
Abigail Swetz (MPA ’19) was appointed as executive director of Fair Wisconsin, an LGBTQ+ rights and political advocacy group. Most recently, Swetz worked at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction where she served as the department’s communications director and as a member of the State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly’s cabinet.
Nicole Schreiber (certificate in public policy ’20) will be joining Sidley Austin LLP as a 2025 summer associate. She was also recently selected to participate in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Scholars Program in the fall. Schreiber has worked in legal positions for the proprietary trading firm Optiver since graduating from UW–Madison with a bachelor’s degree in political science and certificates in public policy and integrated studies in science, engineering and society in May 2020.
Lauri Luosta (MIPA ’21) started a new position as a child welfare summer intern at the Urban Institute. Over the summer, he will work as part of a team that is conducting research on child welfare. Luosta is currently pursuing a PhD in consumer behavior and family economics at the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology.
Emma Heins (MPA ’22) will join Advanced Energy United as their Wisconsin policy principal. In this role, she will expand her portfolio to include clean energy generation and transmission in addition to transportation. Previously, Heins worked as a policy manager for the Electrification Coalition, managing the organization’s state legislative portfolios and coalition building efforts in Wisconsin, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Nichole Springer (MIPA ’23) started a new position as a program officer of the Regional Flagship Languages Initiative Program for American Councils for International Education. While at La Follette, Springer held a project assistantship, conducting research and analyzing data in support of Professor Mark Copelovitch’s work.
Sophia Schoenfeld (certificate in health policy ’24) was named as one of the 2024 Troxell-Glicksman awardees. The awards, which are given by the UW–Madison College of Letters and Science, recognize students who demonstrate excellent intellectual ability and curiosity, community engagement, and global awareness. Schoenfeld graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a certificate in health policy
Matthew Masonius (certificate in public policy ’24) received an honorable mention for the Iwanter Prize for Undergraduate Research for his thesis: “From ‘Great Society’ to ‘Good Government’: Watergate, the 1974 Elections, & the Ideological Evolution of the Democratic Party.” Masonius’ project focused on the midterm elections of 1974, a nationwide Democratic landslide in the wake of the Watergate scandal that had brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon earlier that year. The prize recognizes students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity. Masonius graduated in May 2024 with bachelor’s degrees in history and political science and certificates in public policy and environmental studies.