Lisa Ellinger (MPA ’03) joined the La Follette School of Public Affairs as outreach director on December 16. In this new role funded by the Kohl Initiative, Ellinger is leading the School’s far-reaching efforts to expand its outreach mission.

The La Follette School welcomed Bonnie MacRitchie as a senior outreach specialist in late August. MacRitchie will help develop and implement the School’s outreach activities and events for policymakers, partners, and the public. Her projects include the Family Impact Seminars, Committee Connect, conferences, and symposia.

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents approved the promotion of UW–Madison faculty member J. Michael Collins to full professor at its June meeting.

The La Follette School of Public Affairs is seeking client proposals for its Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) course this fall. Graduate students in the course work in teams on a real-world issue for an actual client, providing excellent learning opportunities for both students and clients.

During the 2016 federal fiscal year, nearly half of the people experiencing homelessness in Wisconsin were members of a family with minor children. Most also lived outside of Milwaukee and Dane Counties.

My professors know my name and interests and are always willing to meet to discuss projects, classes, or careers. Staff go above and beyond to help students with, quite literally, anything. It’s a nice community feel at the La Follette School.

The Evidence-Based Health Policy Project (EBHPP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is sponsoring a public discussion about community health on Friday, September 8 at UW–Fox Valley. State Representatives Dave Murphy, Mike Rohrkaste, and Amanda Stuck are hosting the event, which features six local groups working to improve health in the region.

The La Follette School published its second annual Highlights report in November 2018. The document showcases the many achievements of the school’s students, faculty, alumni, and staff during the 2017-18 academic year.

What a difference a year has made – 10 exceptional faculty, 19 outstanding certificate program graduates, 350 dedicated health policy leaders, three enthusiastic staff, and so much more. Simply put, the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW–Madison is experiencing the most extensive growth in its 37-year history. 

Projects on public management reform, regulatory review and policy change, the effect of policy on solar-electricity cost, and the intersection of genetics, human behavior, and social policy have received funding from the Herb Kohl Public Service Research Competition at the La Follette School of Public Affairs.