News: Alumni

Teach for Nepal, co-founded by Shisir Khanal (MIPA ’05), celebrated its five-year anniversary in April 2018. Adapted from Teach for America’s model, Teach for Nepal is a movement of young leaders who seek to end education inequity in Nepal through direct service in classrooms and by working in areas that drive structural change.

Alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff will gather Tuesday, September 4 for the La Follette School’s annual Hill Fest welcome picnic. Hill Fest will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on the beautiful La Follette grounds overlooking Lake Mendota at 1225 Observatory Drive.

Dominic Habjan (MPA ’18) is seeking election as county clerk in Missouri’s Vernon County. The primary election is August 7, and the general election is November 6.

Daniel Speckhard (MA ’82), president and CEO of Lutheran World Relief, has joined the La Follette School’s Board of Visitors (BOV). Lutheran World Relief, an international development and relief organization, works in more than 30 countries.

Lisa Ellinger (MPA ’03) joined the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) as its new vice president of public policy.

Portland Business Journal selected Sarah Foster (MPA, MPH ’14) for its 40 under 40 class of 2018. Foster will receive the award June 22 for her work as executive director of the Oregon Healthiest State Initiative.

Nick Heckman (MPA ’12) is one of the presenters at the 2018 University of Wisconsin Obesity Management Summit in Madison on May 18 and 19.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson answered wide-ranging questions from faculty and students at UW–Madison’s Law School and La Follette School of Public Affairs on Friday, April 20. The Law School’s Compliance Initiative and the La Follette School hosted the 90-minute discussion.

Andy Richards (MA ’92) has been selected as director of UW–Madison’s Discovery to Product (D2P) office.

Katie Sanders (MIPA ’05), executive director of the Milwaukee nonprofit organization Safe & Sound, received a Driven to Achieve Award from the Donald Driver Foundation on March 24.