Matthew Bialo (MIPA student) was offered the Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship for 2024-25 for Korean studies. The fellowship is offered through the Center for East Asian Studies and includes tuition remission, insurance, and a stipend.
Brelynn Bille (MPA student) was named one of two winners of a 2024 Theodore Herfurth and Teddy Kubly Award for Comprehensive Undergraduate Excellence. Among the oldest and most prestigious honors on campus, the awards are given annually to two seniors who have made the most effective use of their time at UW–Madison. She was also named a finalist for the Tommy G. Thompson Leadership Scholarship, which is awarded to undergraduates who have shown public leadership in their lives in a way that reflects the legacy of Governor Tommy G. Thompson, who focused on common sense solutions to tackle big problems through teamwork and a passion for making Wisconsin a better place. She also recently won the Rosalie Amlie Morton Award, which recognizes graduating seniors in the community and nonprofit leadership program for their excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Bille was featured in a UW story that highlighted her disability rights advocacy. She is an accelerated MPA student who is also completing a bachelor’s degree in community and non-profit leadership with certificates in public policy and disability rights and services.
Katie Gabrick (MIPA student) was offered the Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship for summer 2024 for Russian studies. The fellowship is offered through the Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia and includes tuition remission, insurance, and a stipend.
Sadie Goettl (certificate in public policy student) was selected as the 2024 Wisconsin Honey Queen by the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association. In addition to pursuing a certificate in public policy, Goettl is studying agricultural business management and communications with another certificate in integrated liberal studies. She will spend the rest of the year promoting the beekeeping industry in Wisconsin, speaking with civic groups, festivals, and classrooms.
Alivia Lindorfer (MPA student) finished in the top eight for the 1650 meter freestyle at the 2024 Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships. She also finished 15th in the 1650 meter freestyle at the 2024 NCAA DI Women’s Swimming & Diving competition, earning points for UW and qualifying for Olympic Trials, which begin June 15 in Indianapolis. Since fall 2019, Lindorfer has been a member of UW–Madison’s varsity swim and dive team. This year is her fifth (and final) year of NCAA eligibility. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science in 2023. Lindorfer’s policy interests center around a passion towards helping those who are disadvantaged and marginalized in society.
Awa Maïga (MIPA student) presented on “Breaking the Wall of Education Inequality” during the Falling Walls Lab science/innovation pitch slam, a UW–Madison event that showcases breakthroughs that positively impact science and society. Maïga’s research is aimed at understanding the role of African women in politics focusing on women in Mali, and West Africa as a whole.
TJ McGurran-Meinen (MIPA student) was offered the Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship for the 2024-25 academic year for Rukiga studies. The fellowship is offered through the African Studies Program and includes tuition remission, insurance, and a stipend.
Haoyan (Ken) Wang (MIPA student) had a paper on misinformation and democratic transition accepted for the 2024 Communication Crossroads Conference hosted by the UW–Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The study explores how misinformation networks are formed and demonstrates the destabilizing effects of misinformation on democratic regimes. In 2023, Wang received bachelor’s degrees in journalism, political science, and international studies with certificates in public policy, German, and European studies from UW–Madison.