Graduation, alumni reunion, Elevating Equity series, much more

News & Notes | May 18, 2021

Copelovitch, Teodoro, Wang, Wolfe receive Kohl Research Awards

The 2021 recipients of the Herb Kohl Public Service Research Competition are La Follette School faculty members Yang Wang, Barbara Wolfe, Manuel P. Teodoro, and Mark Copelovitch. The Kohl Competition supports nonpartisan research that informs critical public policy and governance debates and advances evidence-based decision-making.

Lt. Gov. Barnes offers encouragement to graduates

Wisconsin Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes shared his personal story of struggle to inspire the Class of 2021 during the La Follette School’s first all-virtual Graduation Ceremony on May 9. Barnes, the country’s youngest lieutenant governor, spoke candidly about challenging and losing to an incumbent in a race for State Senate.

Alumni gather for 1st virtual reunion

Thirty-seven alumni, including several from the recently added Class of 2021, participated in the La Follette School’s first all-virtual alumni reunion May 13.

Participants visited with former classmates in breakout rooms based on their graduation year, with the Classes of 1992, 2008, and 2021 having separate rooms due to the high turnout.

Edwards studying corporate, cleantech start-up interactions

La Follette School Assistant Professor Morgan Edwards and Kavita Surana of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy received funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support their research on the interactions between corporations and cleantech start-ups.

Lei using Cotter award to study authoritarian legislators

Reed Lei, assistant professor of public affairs and political science, received the Jerry and Mary Cotter Faculty Fellow award this spring. He will use the funding to study the legislative functions of parliaments that are empowered by an authoritarian government to enact laws.

Alumni featured in Elevating Equity series

This past spring, the La Follette School launched Elevating Equity in Policymaking and hosted two outstanding alumni. Board of Visitors (BOV) member Theola Carter (MA ’91) and Frances Huntley-Cooper (MA ’94) shared brief information about their careers in public service and answered questions from students. Fellow BOV member Roger Ervin also spoke with students about his career.

Fletcher, Wang, Durrance receive funding for inequality research

La Follette School faculty members Jason Fletcher, Yang Wang, and Christine Durrance received funding to support their research from UW–Madison’s Understanding and Reducing Inequalities Initiative. Their projects were among only 15 selected from 73 proposals.

Pirsch honored for service to Wisconsin Women in Government

Wisconsin Sen. Mary Felzkowski and Rep. Shelia Stubbs, on behalf of members of the Wisconsin State Legislature, honored long-time La Follette School Outreach Specialist Bridget Carr Pirsch during the Wisconsin Women in Government (WWIG) Scholarship and Recognition Gala in April.

Chancellor receives prestigious economics award

UW–Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, a La Follette School faculty member, has been named a 2021 Distinguished Fellow by the American Economic Association, one of four economists to receive the honor this year.

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