The La Follette School of Public Affairs would like to highlight the incredible partnerships that allow it to provide a world-class education and prepare students for impactful careers in a variety of industries.
Eat & Greets
This semester alone, La Follette teamed up with campus partners from the Department of Political Science, UniverCity Alliance, and the School of Education, along with dozens of La Follette alumni and industry leaders, for three successful networking events. The events provided current La Follette students with unique opportunities to interact with leaders currently working in local government, higher education, and the state capitol.
Six La Follette alumni also shared their experiences and career advice during panels held at each event. La Follette alumni panelists included:
- Drake Daily (MPA ‘15), city manager of Lake Mills, Wisconsin
- Jess Lathrop (MPA ’98), chief of staff for the UW System’s Office of the President
- Michael Luckey (MPA ‘23), county administrator of Jefferson County, Wisconsin
- Christa Pugh (MPA ’14), team supervisor for the Legislative Fiscal Bureau
- Sylvia Ramirez (MPA ’11), executive vice president of finance & administration at Madison College
- Ryan Ring (MPA ’25), research assistant for the Office of Rep. Alex Dallman
In the classroom
Partnerships played a big role in the classroom this semester as well. In this year’s cost-benefit analysis graduate course taught by Morgan Edwards, students have partnered with organizations as diverse as Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the town of Irving, Wisconsin, to tackle policy problems with real-world implications. Case in point, three of last year’s cost-benefit analysis projects helped inform aspects of Gov. Evers’ 2025-27 state budget proposal.
Undergraduate students in La Follette’s workshops in health policy and public policy have also partnered with six organizations to address a host of policy questions in areas ranging from public health to emergency preparedness.
La Follette also collaborated with state lawmakers and policymakers to bring their unique lived experiences directly to our students. For example, Wisconsin State Reps. Shelia Stubbs and Robert Wittke visited PA 230: Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America to discuss the issues that are important to them and their views on bipartisan approaches to legislating. And Joint Finance Chair Mark Born spoke to students in Ross Milton’s graduate course on state and local government finance to discuss state budgeting. Other class speakers included Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Susan Crawford, Wisconsin State Auditor Joe Chrisman, La Follette Board of Visitors member Chuck Pruitt, and Reuters technology reporter Deepa Seetharaman.
A new year brings new partnerships
While this fall was a banner semester for enriching partnerships for students, 2026 will also be characterized by the school’s hallmark emphasis on partnerships and immersive career development opportunities.
Beginning January 6, students will be able to enjoy a week of virtual get-togethers with La Follette alumni during the inaugural Career Possibilities Week. Students will learn what it’s like to work for think tanks, NGOs, government agencies, and more. They will also get to ask questions that may help guide them in their professional journeys.
The following week, more than 30 La Follette graduate students will board a bus for La Follette in the Twin Cities, a professional development trip to visit the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to meet with alumni and explore internships and career opportunities in the Twin Cities area.
The spring semester will see three new Eat & Greets to connect students with professionals in fields related to environmental policy, community organizations and health policy.
La Follette is grateful to all the incredible partners who play significant roles in supporting La Follette students and preparing them for high-impact policy careers. These partnerships are integral to La Follette’s mission of living out the Wisconsin Idea.