Sam Austin (MIPA ’08) joined the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) as a senior policy advisor in December 2019.

The best thing the La Follette School has done for me is strengthened my quantitative skills. When I first started grad school, I was a bit worried about being enrolled in classes such as statistics, but I am very grateful for it now. These skills helped me secure an internship and make me a much more well-rounded student and job candidate.

My career goal is to fight for policies and candidates that help people and strengthen our democracy.

La Follette School staff member David Wright-Racette will serve on search and screen committee for the next dean and director for UW–Madison’s Division of Extension. Wright-Racette is the La Follette School’s student status examiner senior.

The Wisconsin Ideas Conference is back for its third year, bringing students interested in government and public policy a unique opportunity to publish and refine their ideas, participate in lively discussions with academics and professionals, and earn scholarships.

The Wisconsin Ideas Conference is back for its second year, bringing students interested in government and public policy a unique opportunity to publish and refine their ideas, participate in lively discussions, and earn scholarships. Applications for the conference, April 12–14 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, are due Saturday, January 26 at 11:59 p.m. (CST).

The La Follette School of Public Affairs and Department of Political Science at UW–Madison along with the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) are hosting a series of Real Town Hall events in preparation for the 2018 midterm elections.  

A diverse group of more than 30 state lawmakers, legislative staff members, legislative service agency analysts, and staff from the Governor’s office attended the second Office Hours at the Capitol – presented by the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars and the La Follette School – on Wednesday, May 16.

La Follette School Professor Susan Yackee and Associate Director Hilary Shager will lead two of the five panel discussions at the opening conference of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

La Follette School Professor Pam Herd presented her winning proposal in AARP’s Policy Innovation Challenge during a forum convened by the National Academy of Social Insurance and AARP on October 19. The day-long event in Washington, D.C., explored new ideas in Social Security policy.