The La Follette School’s associate director, Steve Kulig (MPA ’14) recently received an Academic Staff Mid-Career Award from the UW–Madison College of Letters & Science in recognition of his outstanding leadership and service to the university.
A dedicated La Follette alum, Kulig joined the Wisconsin Department of Health Services as a budget and policy analyst after earning his MPA in 2014. He returned to the La Follette School as the administrator and career services coordinator in 2016 and was named associate director in 2018.
As associate director, Kulig serves as a member of the school’s management team and provides instructional and curricular program leadership for the school’s academic programs. He also oversees the school’s day-to-day operations and participates in strategic planning initiatives and policy development to support the school’s overall activities and mission. In addition, Kulig teaches PA 800: Professional Development Workshop, which all La Follette School graduate students are required to take.
Kulig was nominated for the award by current and former colleagues including graduate program manager Mo O’Connor, who coordinated his nomination. “Steve is a valued collaborator and supporter of my creative ideas in the service of our students, and I am grateful for his advice and encouragement,” says O’Connor.
Kulig has helped to lead La Follette School staff through unprecedented growth and many changes over the years. As a graduate student at La Follette, Kulig served as the La Follette School Student Association (LSSA) president in 2013-2014. He was passionate about improving professional opportunities for La Follette students and graduates, helping to organize the school’s first La Follette in D.C. trip which has since grown into a two-day career development and networking program that includes visits to public-sector, private-sector, and nonprofit organizations working on a variety of public policy issues. Kulig also spearheaded initiatives to improve professional development and career opportunities while serving as administrator and career services coordinator.
As associate director, Kulig has shown exceptional leadership through several initiatives including the implementation of the Kohl Initiative, a $10 million gift from former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl that has allowed the La Follette School to greatly expand policy education and outreach on campus, the creation of the school’s undergraduate certificates in public policy and health policy, and the continued development of the school’s proposed new Major in Public Policy. He has also helped to move the school closer to its goal of finding and securing a new home on campus. All these changes have resulted in impressive growth, with the school doubling its faculty, doubling its staff, and increasing the number of students taught sixfold over the course of the last decade. “Steve has been instrumental to each of these organizational innovations,” says La Follette School Director Susan Webb Yackee.
Kulig’s award nomination also recognized his dedication to making La Follette a great place for faculty, staff, and students and his focus on improving educational experiences and ensuring that students have the resources and support they need to thrive. Colleagues acknowledged Kulig’s commitment to student success through his involvement in student events throughout the year, mentorship of project assistants, and efforts to connect students with alumni and employers and to secure funding opportunities for students.
Colleagues also noted Kulig’s cool, calm demeanor and his solutions-based approach even in the face of difficult situations. “Steve has been a wonderful partner to me in leading the La Follette School for the better part of the last decade,” says Yackee.
Kulig was presented with the award during a College of Letters & Science awards ceremony on April 23.