1950s
Rodger Nelson
BA 1950 — Education
Rodger now resides in Florida with his daughter, Kristen. Rodger will be 98 years old this coming July. He still enjoys sports and rides his bike. He has helped his daughter begin FitForLifeUSA.com and enjoys keeping up with the Badgers and the Packers. His wife, Barbara, passed away in October of 2022. She was a La Crosse Grad of 1949.
Donal Damon
BA 1953 — Education
Donald served during the Korean War, then was in the insurance business from 1955 to 1998. Now he is 94 and retired.
Carolyn Jahn
BS 1953 — Occupational Therapy
Carolyn spent six years as an OT at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee, then raised her family. She also taught first aid and CPR for 25 years at many different facilities.
Stanley Krippner
BA 1954 — Speech Therapy
Stanley received the Quetzalcoatl Award from the Society for the Investigation of Parapsychological Phenomena at its October 2024 conference in Merida, Mexico, citing his “distinguished studies in the expansion of consciousness.” He accepted the award in Spanish, noting that Quetzalcoatl was an ancient Mayan god known for his benevolence and his ability to predict future events.
Irene Bernstein Pechmeze
BA 1957 – French and Secondary Education
Irene is a retired New York City high school teacher.
John E Bruha
MS 1959 – Mathematics
John taught mathematics at the University of Northern Iowa–Cedar Falls for 39 years and retired in 1997.
Charles Gee
BS 1959 – Natural Science/Biology
Charles earned a master’s degree in biology in 1963 and a PhD in Science Education in 1967. Charles has been retired since 1998.
1960s
Sylvia Solochek Walters
BS 1960, MS 1961, MFA 1962 – Art/Printmaking-Painting
Sylvia retired in 2009 as emerita professor of art from San Francisco State University, where she taught and served as chair of the Art Department for 20 years and twice held the role of interim dean of what was then the College of Creative Arts. Most recently, one of her prints received awards in late 2024 at two separate exhibits: “Stand Out Prints” at the Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minnesota, and the online “Sheridan Prize for Art 2024,” the first regional art prize of its kind in the Bay Area.
Sandra Rosen Holubow
BS 1963 – Art Education
Sandra has never stopped creating and exhibiting her artwork. In November, she will present a solo show at Birch Road Cellar and participate in a three-person exhibition, TRIAD, at the Leslie Wolfe Gallery in Chicago. Earlier this spring, her work was juried into the Chicago Alliance of Visual Artists exhibit at the Evanston Art Center.
Karen N. Berg
BS 1964 – Elementary Education
Karen was an elementary education professional and taught for 33 years. Today, she is a volunteer member of the Friends of the Porkies at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park of Michigan.
Jerry Jackson
BS 1964 – Natural Science
Jerry taught science to students in grades 7–12 at Middleton Union High School and in the Beaver Dam Unified School District. Now retired, he lives in Stoughton.
William Johnston
BS 1964 – Secondary Education, history, economics, political sciences
William taught at North Senior High School in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, from 1964 to 1969. He earned his JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1969 and practiced law in Whitewater and Darlington. In 1985, he was elected Lafayette County Circuit Judge and served until 2015. He now serves as a Wisconsin emeritus judge.
Judy Amundsen
BS 1965 — Communicative Disorders
Judy has been retired as a speech pathologist since 2000, but continues to use her training received at UW by serving on the Board of the Mt. Meru Tumaini Health Clinic in Tanzania. She has made two trips to the clinic, the last time bringing with her a portable, battery operated audiometer (no reliable electricity where the Clinic is located) and tested a little over 200 students and adults who reside in the village of Ndoombo. Referrals are now made to a local hospital’s audiologist.
Gayle Mindes
MS 1965 – Counseling and Behavioral Disabilities
Gayle and Lee Ann Jung anticipate the publication of the fifth edition of “Assessment of Young Children” (Brookes Publishing) this autumn. Gayle continues to mentor young faculty, graduate students, and international students as professor emerita at DePaul University.
Margaret “Peggy” Ahlgren
BS 1966 – Occupational Therapy
Peggy is retired and living at Oakwood Village in Madison.
Susan Bitker Straub
BS 1966 – English
Susan’s first job was as an assistant for the newly created OEO Upward Bound program at UW–Milwaukee. During the 1970s, she lived in Dublin and London, working a variety of odd jobs while training in counseling, guidance, and child psychotherapy. After returning to the United States, she earned a clinical social work degree from NYU. She later created and directed the teen parent reading initiative Read to Me, which still exists in a reduced but meaningful way in New York City. Now, at age 80, Susan is a children’s book author. A book she co-wrote with her daughter — “Gaga Mistake Day!” — has been selected for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Natalie French
BS 1966 – Education
Natalie began her career in education in Madison in 1966. She then moved to Milwaukee, where she taught urban special education to at-risk students for 25 years. Afterward, she mentored new special education teachers within the Milwaukee Public Schools. Natalie later extended her mentorship to new special education teachers in low-income areas of Chicago for Chicago Public Schools. Currently, she works as a tutor/teacher at City Colleges of Chicago, specifically at Malcolm X College. With 59 years in education, she’s not done yet!
Marilyn Karim
BS 1966 – Occupational Therapy
In 1988, Marilyn earned an MS in special education from Northern Illinois University. After a fulfilling 40-year career as a pediatric occupational therapist, educator, and 30-year board member of the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association, she attained the status of FAOTA and “retired.” She then trained with John Barnes and became an expert-level myofascial release therapist, later earning Reiki Master certification at the age of 73. For the past 17 years, alongside her many volunteer activities, travel, bridge games, and gardening, she has maintained her private practice, Miracle Touch, from her home. At 81, life is good!
Sam Platts
MA 1966 – Education/Counseling and Behavioral Disabilities
Upon receiving his master of arts degree, Samuel was commissioned in the U.S. Navy and served on the staff of the commander of the Amphibious Force, Atlantic. He later went to Vietnam, where he became the executive officer on a ship along the Mekong River. Subsequently, he oversaw five base camps along the Vamco River system. Samuel wrote a book about these experiences, “Platts in Vietnam,” available on Amazon. After returning from the Navy, he taught at the Walworth County Special School.
Guy Ritchie
MS 1966 – Physical Education
Guy earned a bachelor’s degree from UW–La Crosse after serving two years in the U.S. Army, and went on to complete a master’s degree in physical education from UW–Madison in 1966. He taught physical education and coached basketball at Turner High School in Beloit, Wisconsin, for 22 years. He also worked as a civilian sports director at two military installations — Fort Bragg, North Carolina (now called Fort Liberty) and Fort Knox, Kentucky — where he provided sports programs for soldiers.
Edie Rabas – Raether
MS 1966 – Occupational Therapy
Edie began her career as an occupational therapist. After receiving a counseling degree, she became a psychotherapist in private practice in Green Bay and Milwaukee. She later launched her professional speaking career and, as an international keynote and TEDx speaker, has inspired thousands of organizations on five continents. A bestselling author of seven books, Edie is the founder of Wings for Wishes Academy (https://wingsforwishesacademy.org/), a nonprofit that “wires” kids for health, happiness, and success. She lives in North Carolina. For more information, visit EdieRaether.com.
Sue Schiller Atwell
BS 1968 – Secondary Education
Sue moved to Northern California with her new husband, only to find that none of the schools offered German. She substituted in numerous math and science classes, having studied those subjects in addition to German and English. After several years of substituting and with encouragement from two law school professors, Sue enrolled at Santa Clara University School of Law. She graduated four years later with honors.
William Stewart
BS 1965 – Sociology, MS 1966 – Education and History
After 34 years of teaching, advising students, and coaching at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, he retired in June 2000. William now volunteers, leading horses for special-needs therapy riders at Equestrian Connection in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Dale Bartel
MS 1967 – Business Education
After teaching 26 years at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Dale retired in May of 1998. He has traveled, worked on his family history, and volunteered at church and the Green Bay Botanical Garden.
Rebecca Hewitt
BA 1967 – Art
Becky began her career as a teacher in Key West, Florida, while her husband Tom was serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War. She then moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where she taught at St. Mary’s Catholic School. After relocating to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she became the HPER Director at the Downtown YWCA. Always wanting to have her own swim school, Becky and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she became the director of Becky’s Swim School. There, she developed a teaching method for instructing infants as young as 6 months old.
Richard Markos
BBA 1964, MS 1967 – Business Education
Richard began his career as an instructor in the Wisconsin Technical College System at Kenosha Technical Institute. He then continued teaching at Madison College and Western Technical College. He also served as an assistant registrar at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Today, he is the chief merchant at Markos Apparel in La Crosse, Wisconsin. So, come in for a visit!
Janet Wicks
BA 1967 – Elementary Education
Janet retired after 36 years of teaching.
Lynda Asato
MS 1968 – Curriculum and Instruction
After retiring from public school education, public health, legislative work, and Catholic school administration, Lynda is currently dedicated to senior volunteer causes. She serves as a patient advocate for the Hawaii Cancer Center, volunteers for environmental recycling at Lanakila Senior Center, and participates in Club 100 to honor the loyalty legacy of her ancestors who fought for democracy in World War II. Lynda also serves the community through the Lions Club and Tenrikyo Honolulu Ko. She encourages young people to pursue their dreams, just as she did.
Judy Bisman
BS 1968 – Hebrew and Semitic Studies
Judy began her career as a classroom teacher of modern Hebrew. After earning a master’s degree in educational policy and administration from the University of Kansas in 1988, she served as a director of afternoon schools for 25 years. Following her work in four different communities, she retired and has since returned to the classroom on a part-time basis.
Sandra Oestreich
BS 1968 – Education/History
After 29 years in Europe, Sandy is enjoying her hometown of Waupun, Wisconsin. She completed a film script for her movie project and began writing her autobiography. She and her husband of five years enjoy traveling to be with his children, grandchildren, and now great grandchild. They are both active Christians involved in mentoring younger people and prayer groups.
Ronald Smith
PhD 1969 – Physical Education/Kinesiology
Ron, a professor of sport history at Penn State University from 1968 to 1996, is retired but continues to write about the history of intercollegiate athletics. His most recent book, “Walter Byers and the NCAA: Power, Amateurism, and Growing Controversy in Big-Time College Sport,” was published by the University of Tennessee Press in May 2025. At 89, he is currently working on a manuscript exploring the history of women’s and men’s athlete rights from 1852 to 2025.
Marylyn Stroup
BS 1969 – Education
Marylyn is now retired from teaching elementary school.
James Weingart
BA 1969 – History
James began as a high school history teacher.
1970s
Ann Dallman
BS 1970 – Journalism Education
The third book in Ann’s award-winning middle grade series, “Cady and the Search for Family,” was released by Modern History Press in March. The book addresses the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. In May, Ann presented a nonfiction writing workshop for teens at the Peter White Public Library in Marquette, Michigan, as part of the Young Storytellers Conference, hosted by the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association.
Michael Kaplan
BS 1970 – History
Michael originally planned to become a high school teacher, but after graduating from UW–Madison, he pursued an MS in educational psychology. He spent many decades working with clients experiencing persistent mental illness and/or addictions, where teaching remained a central part of his work. Now happily retired, he skis on Mt. Hood in Oregon throughout the winter and spring. He continues to support UW–Madison through modest contributions to two research grants administered by the Department of History and the Center for Jewish Studies.
Ellen Jo Ljung
BS 1970 – English/Education
Ellen is a semi-retired educator and a court-appointed special advocate and guardian ad litem for children in foster care. She maintains an education blog at blog.imwriter.com and is the author of two textbooks on teaching writing, a teaching memoir, and dozens of professional articles. Her first work of fiction, “Caught in the Crossfire,” will be released this spring. The novel follows a teacher who relocates to Texas for her family and faces challenges with her district’s micromanagement of her classroom.
Vilma Seeberg
BS 1970 – Secondary Education
Vilma’s journey in education began with a deep commitment to those often overlooked. After earning her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin in 1970, she co-founded a street academy in Madison for public school dropouts. Her doctoral work in educational policy led to a teaching position in China in 1980. Following a 30-year career as a faculty member in education at Kent State University in Ohio, she now focuses on expanding the Guanlan Scholarship Foundation (guanlanscholarshipfoundation.org), which provides scholarships for girls in remote Chinese villages.
Jay Selnick
MS 1970 – Curriculum and Instruction
Jay began his career as a high school social studies teacher in New York. He later served as a guidance counselor and swim coach, retiring after 33 years in education. After moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, he co-founded and served on the governing council of Tierra Encantada, a public charter school for grades 7–12. He now lives in Tucson, Arizona, where he coaches a master’s swim team.
John “Jack” Dezek
BS 1971 – English
Jack earned his Ed.D. from Western Michigan University in 1980 and was awarded emeritus status from Barry University in 2014 after serving 20 years as associate dean of the Adrian Dominican School of Education. He continued to teach online classes for 10 years after retiring. Now fully retired, Jack spends the summers with his husband in Chicago, near his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Mary Beth (Rysticken) Lucas
BS 1971 – Elementary Education/English
Mary Beth is happily retired after a long career in elementary and middle school teaching, as well as elementary school administration.
Katherine Schreiber
BS 1971 – Communication Disorders
Katherine retired after 38 years of serving children and their families in five different states. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Ronnie Jo Sokol
MS 1971 – Behavioral Disorders
Ronnie Jo is a docent at the Chicago Architecture Center, leading Chicago River cruises and Frank Lloyd Wright walking tours as a volunteer. She also chants short Torah portions at synagogue, volunteers as a greeter at the ARK, and serves meals at Uptown Cafe. In her free time, Ronnie Jo enjoys playing Mah Jongg.
Gay Alberts Ruby
BS 1972 – Secondary Education – Communication Arts
Gay began her role as a docent at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City in March 2025. She interprets artifacts and explains the events of the terrorist attacks to both domestic and international visitors. Following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Gay was deployed to New York City as a Public Affairs Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where she collaborated with City of New York public information officers to share crucial news of the disaster.
Duane Geiken
PhD 1972 – Educational Administration
Duane is happily retired in a Del Webb community in South Carolina and doing numerous volunteer activities. He and his wife just celebrated 60 years of marriage.
Cynthia Koshalek
BS 1972 – Art Education
After graduating in 1972, Cynthia taught art at Waterloo Community Schools for 38 years. She earned a BS and completed 38 credits toward a master’s degree. Cynthia retired from teaching in 2011 and became the owner of Artzy Studio Gallery in Ephraim, Wisconsin, in 2014. She exhibits both her own artwork and that of other Midwest artists. A professional artist, Cynthia works in painting, ceramics, jewelry, and fused glass, with her work held in numerous private and corporate collections.
Kimberly Young
BS 1972 – Communicative Disorders
Kimberly began her career as a speech pathologist, working in a public school system for 35 years. The last eight years were spent as a special education coordinator. After retiring at a relatively young age, Kimberly led several volunteer efforts at her children’s school. Her volunteer work continues as President of her high school’s alumni association and Alumni Contact Officer for the University of Wisconsin’s Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta (Psi).
Mark Stepner
BSE 1972 – Russian
Mark holds a master of arts in Jewish Education from Hebrew College (2010), a master of arts in teaching English as a second language from the University of Illinois, a master of arts in Russian from UW–Madison, and a bachelor of science in education, also from UW–Madison. He began his career as a full-time ESL teacher in the corporate world before transitioning into teaching and curriculum direction. After leaving the corporate sector, Mark taught at various universities and public schools, also serving as a part-time religious school teacher at several Jewish educational institutions. He continued to teach ESL (ESOL) at the university level and is now retired.
Deborah (Smith) Wortham
BS 1972 – Elementary Education
Deborah earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UW–Madison. She went on to earn a master’s degree in reading from Morgan State University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. A bestselling author and retired superintendent, she now empowers school leaders nationwide as CEO of Wortham Educational Enterprises. A founding member of AKA on campus, she met her husband Chester at UW–Madison, and they recently celebrated 53 years of marriage. She continues to coach, write, and lead with faith, purpose, and possibility.
James Harris
MS 1973 – Curriculum and Instruction
Founder of the nonprofit We Help War Victims, which provides aid to refugees and others affected by the Vietnam War, James has dedicated his career to humanitarian service. Through this organization, he has helped support communities impacted by conflict and displacement.
Maria Lucia Seidl de Moura
MS 1973 – Educational Psychology/School Psychology
Maria Lucia is now an emeritus professor at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Linda Newman
BS 1973 – Communication Arts/Theatre Education
After earning her degree in theatre education from UW–Madison, Linda pursued a master’s in dance movement therapy from NYU. She led expressive arts and movement groups, particularly with seniors, before earning an MSW in clinical social work. Linda studied gestalt therapy and psychodrama, both mind–body approaches, and built a career as a therapist. She also found joy in performing and singing in community musical theatre and in a chorus for over 25 years, often lending her voice to social justice causes.
Patricia Bergs Bowen
BS 1974 – Occupational Therapy
Patricia worked for five years as a rehabilitation occupational therapist at Wausau Hospital before spending 34 years as a school occupational therapist with the Wausau School District. Now retired, she enjoys volunteering, traveling, and staying active through the the YMCA.
Charles Schumacher
BS 1974 – Elementary Education
Charles has been retired since 2016.
James Rutledge
MS 1975 – Continuing and Vocational Education
After nearly 50 years of service as a 4-H youth development professional in Wisconsin, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Oregon, Jim is being inducted into the Wisconsin 4-H Hall of Fame in recognition of his dedicated contributions to the profession.
Richard Schafer
PhD 1975 – Education Administration
After a long and varied career — including roles as a high school principal, staff member at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education, director of e-learning at UW–Extension, vice president of e-learning for leadership online, and director of research and development at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin — Richard is now retired. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his wife, Heidi Schweizer, and is enjoying every minute of retirement.
Patricia Casey
BS 1976 – Occupational Therapy
Patricia retired in 2015 after a career helping others build “skills for the job of living” across a variety of settings and age groups.
Jan Norsetter
BS 1973, MA 1975, MFA 1976 – Art
Jan, a painter, recently collaborated with poet Donna Carnes on a book titled “All About the Light, Poems and Paintings.” A related exhibit is on display at the Dane County Regional Airport from April through November 2025, featuring original paintings and poems from the book in the lobby display cases. The book pairs visual art and poetry to enrich the reader’s experience of both forms.
Douglas Hacker
BS 1977 – Secondary Education
Douglas began his career in education as a high school earth science teacher. After earning his PhD from the University of Washington, he spent 23 years as a professor at the University of Utah before recently retiring. He currently volunteers his evaluation expertise at Madison City Schools and serves as an active evaluator of NSF projects at Montana State University and the University of Missouri. In addition, Douglas volunteers at Olbrich Gardens and is part-owner of Converus, a company he helped found that provides lie detection services.
Ann Lowry
BS 1977 – Secondary Education: Speech Communication/English
Ann began her professional journey as a dedicated high school teacher, where her passion for communication — both oral and written — took root. After earning both a master’s and a Ph.D., she enjoyed a fulfilling career as a professor and consultant. Upon retiring from academia, Ann embraced her lifelong love of writing. She is the author of the award-winning historical fiction novel “The Blue Trunk” and is currently working on her second novel.
Jean Schaefer
BS 1977 – Elementary Education
Jean was a kindergarten teacher in the Madison area for 32 years. She retired in 2011 and is now living in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Timothy Lonsdale
BSE 1978 — Theatre and English
Tim left Madison to get an MFA in acting from SMU. He was cast as a co-star in a few episodes of “Dallas,” then got into film and TV production in New York. He worked with Martin Scorsese, Night Shyamalan and Shawn Levy, and directed for the Aaron Spelling series “Charmed.” He was the Unit Production Manager on the first two seasons of “Stranger Things.” Now he’s making short films from his home in rural Wisconsin. His next film, a documentary, will screen this fall at the MKE Short Film Festival.
Cristina Mondragon
BA 1978 – Secondary Education
Cristina continues to work part-time as a criminal defense attorney.
Linda McIsaac
PhD 1978 – Educational Leadership
Linda launched a free relationship app on the UW–Madison campus that leverages cutting-edge cognitive science and predictive human behavior. The app helps users unlock deeper, more meaningful connections, tailored to each individual. It allows users to solve their connection puzzle, identify their innate capabilities, and gain a deeper understanding of their behaviors.
Victoria Petro Neely
PhD 1978 – Educational Psychology
Victoria began her career as a school psychologist in Connecticut. After completing her PhD and a clinical internship at an inpatient children’s psychiatric facility, she worked in a mental health center before establishing a private practice as a licensed psychologist. She later relocated to Pennsylvania, where she continues to practice privately.
Paul Glancy
MS 1979 – Curriculum and Instruction
Paul recently retired after a career in journalism (as a founding member of USA Today), business, and education. He continues to teach classes on the Holocaust and the Middle East conflict. He recently published his first novel, “The Last Taboo.” His next book, “Rt ‘68” — based on true events from a hitchhiking trip across the country during the nasty year of 1968 — will be published in May.
Rasma Haidri
BS 1979 – English/French
Rasma went on to earn two graduate degrees — an MS in reading from UW–Superior and an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. She worked in Hawaii as a reading specialist, college lecturer, and poet-in-the-schools before relocating to the Norwegian Arctic, where she served as head of the language department and English lecturer at a post-secondary college. Rasma is the author of four college textbooks and two poetry collections, and she served as an adjudicator for Norway’s national English exams.
Janet Morgan
MFA 1979 –Art
Janet recently published “What Art Can Do: A Conversation with Janet Morgan” (illustrated edition) by Heather Sanderson. Inspired by a podcast conversation between the two, the fully illustrated book explores the power of art — personally and collectively — while offering insights into Janet’s creative process and artistic journey.
https://majesticwisdompublishing.com/what-art-can-do-a-conversation-with-janet-morgan-illustrated-
Robert Stevens
MS 1979 – Education Administration
Rob earned his doctor of education degree from Nova Southeastern University in Florida, where he spent 24 years with the College of Education before retiring in 2022. He now enjoys researching, writing, and speaking about genealogy. Rob lives in Colorado, where he has an adorable granddaughter and grand-dog.
Scott Webber
BS 1979 – Elementary Education
Scott began his career in Northern Wisconsin teaching reading and language arts. The other 32 years, Scott taught in McFarland, Wisconsin, teaching first through fifth grades. Today, he is retired in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Lisbeth Weiss
BSE 1972 — Communication Arts
MA 1979 — Rhetoric/Public speaking
Lisbeth began her career as a secondary education speech teacher and debate/forensics coach. While completing her MA, she served as a graduate teaching assistant and supervised student teachers. She contributed to a curriculum writing project for the Department of Public Instruction and later taught at the UW–Baraboo/Sauk County campus. In 1982, Lisbeth moved to Minneapolis and began a long career in financial planning and asset management. She now lives in the Phoenix area.
1980s
Mark Gillen
BS 1980 — Elementary Education
Mark began his career as a grade 5 teacher and is now retiring after 20 years training school counselors. He also recently published a book on solution-focused therapy and its applications.
James Hanson
BS 1980 — Physical Education
James coached and taught for two years. He also spent 25 years selling medical devices and BIOparm at Johnson & Johnson and Amgen. He is now retired.
Angelina Paoli
BA 1980 — Art
Angelina graduated from Madison West High and attended UW–Madison for a BA in painting. She also earned an MFA in sculpture from Washington University in St. Louis. After working as a set designer, she is now retired.
David Allen
MS 1981 — Educational Administration
David worked for the Platteville Public Schools for 37 years. After retiring from the school system, he worked part-time for CESA 3 and the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators. He is now retired and lives in Madison where he enjoys spending time with family and serving in his church.
Scott Snyder
BS 1981 — Education
Scott began his career teaching elementary education in Hudson, Wisconsin. After five years, he moved into the public utility industry, working for 38 years in various roles, including operations, supply chain, safety and technical training, and leadership positions, until his retirement in 2023. He is now happily retired in Hudson, visiting Madison for Badger football and basketball games.
Todd Bavery
BS 1982 — Physical Education
Todd is retiring this year after a 42-year career in the insurance industry.
Karen Frank Barney
BS 1967 — Occupational Therapy
MS 1982 — Adult Education
After practicing in Wisconsin for more than a decade, Karen began teaching in Madison and later moved to Kentucky and then Missouri. This year, the second edition of her co-edited textbook, Occupational Therapy with Aging Adults: Promoting Quality of Life Through Collaborative Practice (2025, Elsevier), was published. The textbook was co-edited with M.A. Perkinson and D. Laliberte Rudman, with contributions from 82 interprofessional global authors.
Paula Dail
PhD 1983 — Continuing Adult and Vocational Education
Paula Dail’s 10th book and recent novel, “Red Anemones: A Story of Resilience, Hope and Renewal,” was released by Historium Press in June 2025. The story details the struggles of a German-Jewish immigrant family as they encounter an America that wasn’t what they believed it to be when they embarked on their journey to a new life. An emerita research professor of social welfare and public policy, she is an award-winning author of both fiction and non-fiction. Her website is: www.paula-dail.com
Lisa Heisel
BA 1983 — Elementary Education
Lisa began her career in the Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, school district in fall of 1986. She continued there as a short-term substitute teacher, kindergarten aide, and long-term substitute teacher before committing to a full-time first grade position at Eisenhower Elementary School in January 2001. After a few years, Lisa looped with her class to second grade and finished her teaching career there. In all, Lisa was employed by the Wauwatosa School District for over 35 years. She retired in 2021.
Roy Swift
PhD 1983 — Continuing and Vocational Education
Roy was appointed to the Credential Lab Leadership Committee of the Higher Learning Commission. He also has grants focused on analyzing the impact of industry certifications on outcomes when incorporated into degree or certificate pathways.
Jeanine Brereton
BS 1984 — Elementary Education
Jeanine spent 23 years teaching in a Title I school.
Barbara Gruener
BS 1984 — English Major, Spanish Minor
Barbara began her career as a high school English and Spanish teacher before earning two master’s degrees and becoming a school counselor. When the chance to teach Spanish again presented itself, she transitioned to the local junior high school. This past June, after a 40-year career, Barbara retired and is currently coaching, mentoring, and writing. Her third picture book titled “Knit (Back) Together,” will debut in the summer of 2025.
Lissa Myhre
MS 1984 — Education: Counseling Education and Psychology
Lissa retired in April 2024 after 40 years in psychotherapy. She is now enjoying retirement and working part-time with LifeStance.
Julie Eichstaedt
BS 1985 — Art
Julie earned a bachelor of science in art from UW and began her career in graphic design. She soon moved into the field of user experience, a discipline not yet defined at the time, after attending early meetups in Silicon Valley. Julie’s titles have evolved, from interactive media designer and information architect to user experience designer and digital product designer. She now leads strategic research and discovery for KBNA Digital Experiences at the Kohler Company.
Gene Hogoboom
BS 1985 — Exercise Physiology
Gene spent over 35 years in the health club industry. He is now retired and enjoying home remodeling, family, and travel.
Sharon Robinson
BS 1985 — Health Education
Sharon has been a certified diabetes nurse educator for over 28 years (RN, CDCES). She later earned a master’s in health administration. Sharon has also participated in medical missions to Peru and Honduras.
Kirstin Anglea
BS 1986 — Education
Kirstin began her career as an elementary teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Cardinal Stritch University, serves as administrator in Camp Sherman, Oregon, and is a facilitator and mentor coordinator for the Center for Courage and Renewal, an organization co-founded by Parker J. Palmer, “to help renew one’s courageous spirit, amplify their inner teacher, and cultivate the stamina to keep showing up for the causes one cares about.”
Jon Dickinson
BS 1986 — Fine Art
Jon moved from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to Boston immediately after graduation. He worked in an art gallery, then took a sales position with a pioneer in software for graphic arts. He later joined CNI Corporation, a supplier of systems to the publishing industry. Jon became president of CNI in 1998 and acquired the company in 1999. CNI spun off a division called Enliven Data Solutions, which provides data insights solutions and consulting to media companies, brands, and publishers.
James Herbert
PhD 1986 — Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education
After nearly 40 years as an academic at Pennsylvania State University, Dr. James Herbert will retire in June as professor emeritus. He has received national awards for his research, teaching, and professional service, including the George N. Wright Varsity Award from UW–Madison. He is the only professor in the U.S. to receive the Mary E. Switzer Distinguished Fellow Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of Rehabilitation Research on three occasions.
Kimberly Hill Phelps
MS 1986 — Educational Administration
Kim worked for six years as a first grade teacher and then served for 29 years as an elementary principal. She currently works at CESA 10 coaching principals and providing support in schools.
Suzanne Montesi
BS 1986 — Communicative Disorders
Suzanne is currently a NICU RN at a Boston-area hospital where she has worked for the last 30 years.
Jeffrey Morin
MFA 1986 — Art
Jeff is currently in his 10th year as the president of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, a private nonprofit college. In 2025, his work was included in Power of the Presses, curated from the Cynthia Sears Artist’s Books Collection at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bainbridge Island, Washington. He was also a juror for the inaugural Janice and Stephen Marcus Public Art Award at the Milwaukee County Historical Society in Milwaukee.
Louise Weinberg
MFA 1986 — Art
Louise is a seasoned museum professional and award-winning multidisciplinary artist, currently serving as co-director at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College, City University of New York. Since 2019, she has organized 17 exhibitions, showcasing her commitment to curatorial excellence and inclusive cultural engagement while building a 21st-century museum. Louise is an accomplished artist whose practice spans collage, sewing, photography, and text. Her roles as both a curator and creator inform her life’s work.
Beth Eiseman
BS 1987 — Education
Beth has been a school teacher, science curriculum coordinator, and director/naturalist of a nature center. Today, she is beginning a career as a nutritional therapist and personal chef specializing in healthy cuisine.
Ted Hirschfeld
BS 1987 — Athletic Training
Ted is finishing up his fourth year at Duke Orthopaedics in North Carolina. He has been an athletic trainer for over 36 years.
Becky Stoddard (Meier)
BS 1987 — Elementary Education
Becky always dreamed of being a teacher. After graduating from UW–Madison in 1987 she spent 35 years teaching in Madison Public Schools, where she fulfilled her lifelong passion to help inspire children to learn. During her last month of teaching, she was surprised by a visit from WMTV news, which awarded her the prestigious Crystal Apple Award. She retired in 2022 and is eternally grateful for all the students, families, and incredible colleagues she worked with over the years.
Lorraine Best
BS 1988 — Education / English / Comparative Literature
Lorraine Best is sole proprietor of LB Literary Services, offering English language support for successful professionals, and virtual English language arts tutoring for public school students. She also supports businesses with an array of MS office suite services, while providing editing, proofing, copywriting, and ghost writing. Her first book, a collection of poetry titled “Ethereal Souls Abide,” published by Balboa Press, was released this spring.
Janet Hagen
PhD 1988 — Rehabilitation Psychology
Janet served as a professor and department chair of human services leadership at UW–Oshkosh, retiring in 2021. She is the owner of Pegasus Leadership Consultants LLC and serves as the mental health director for Equine Assisted Learning at Beaming Inc. in Neenah, Wisconsin.
Jeffrey Jacobson
PhD 1988 — Educational Administration
Jeff served 28 years as a high school principal and six years as a district administrator in Wisconsin, retiring in 2020. He is currently the liaison for school programs for the nonprofit organization We Are Many — United Against Hate.
Dave Moyer
BS 1988 — Secondary English Education
Early in his career, Dave led Sheboygan North High School to a state championship in baseball. He coached collegiately for nine years before returning to K-12 education. He earned his doctorate from Northern Illinois University and has received many accolades over the years, including being named an Illinois Superintendent of Distinction. He has presented at dozens of conferences across the country and currently serves as superintendent for the Northport-East Northport UFSD on Long Island.
Sharon Sanderson
MA 1988 — Educational Psychology
Sharon began her career as a school psychologist for the Fennimore Community Schools in July of 1988. After 17 years, Sharon became the student services and special education director for the Sturgeon Bay School District. She served in that position for 15 years. She retired in June of 2020.
Mary Beaumont Wishne
BSE 1989 — Elementary Education
Mary worked for over 25 years at all academic levels. She began in elementary education upon graduation and went to teach at colleges, including the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the Savannah College of Art and Design, where her husband, Brian, served as dean of architecture, urban planning and historic preservation. Because of her husband’s work, her family traveled extensively abroad. Mary taught at Ecole Jeannine Manuel in Paris and the International School of London. She is currently retired and works as an artist.
Carl Clingman
BA 1989 — Art
Carl began his career designing and art directing anatomical charts that he still sees in movie and television scenes depicting doctor’s offices. He went on to specialize in illustrating cardio-thoracic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston. He’s finishing his 35-year career at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota as a senior medical illustrator describing anatomy, surgeries, and medical research using a variety of 2D and 3D software. He’s been working happily from home the last 10 years.
Lisa Esser
MA 1989 — Education
After 34 years of teaching grades 2–3 in Oregon, Wisconsin, Lisa retired in June 2024. She’s now pursuing a new passion: helping people in a different way. Alongside her sister, Lisa co-founded Concierge On-Call, a personal assistant service based in Madison, Wisconsin, offering support with errands, organization, and more. Still rooted in service, Lisa is excited to continue making a difference in her community.
1990s
Cynthia Chin
BS 1990 — Curriculum and Instruction
Cynthia Chin retired from classroom teaching in June. She taught mathematics at her alma mater, Madison East High School, from 1991 to 2025. In addition to sharing the basics of algebra, geometry, finance, and calculus, she enjoyed various collaborations with students in the engineering club, math modeling team, peer tutoring, arts magazine, and three STEM theater productions.
Sherry Hlavachek
MS 1990 — Educational Psychology
Sherry retired from Brodhead Public Schools in 2003. She has enjoyed traveling, scuba diving, and her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Amy Kendziorskiamy
BA 1990 — Special Education
Amy is celebrating retirement after 35 years in public education. Amy was a teacher, building principal, and district office administrator in Hawaii, Wyoming, California, and Colorado and was always working to support people with disabilities.
Frances Wills
PhD 1990 — Educational Administration
After retiring as Maine and New York District Superintendent, Frances was elected New York State regent for Judicial District 9 (Hudson Valley) by the New York Legislature. She was reelected to a second, five-year term in March. Grateful to serve as regent during these challenging times, Frances focuses on access and opportunity for all students as co-chair of the State Aid committee and a number of other committees. Seventeen regents serve as elected volunteers.
Thomas Parker
BS 1991 — Spanish Education
Tom began teaching immediately after graduating and continues to teach high school Spanish full time. He later earned a master’s of education at Viterbo University. Tom always loved exploring and took advantage of his Spanish to travel extensively in Latin America almost every summer, making lengthy trips to Mexico more than 25 times, Colombia 15 times, Peru two times, Brazil two times, Costa Rica three times, Ecuador once, French Guiana once, Suriname once, and Panama once.
Suzy Scudder
BS 1991 — Elementary Education
Suzy taught in Middleton, Wisconsin, for 29 years as a classroom teacher and then as a math interventionist. She retired in fall of 2020 and published her first book in spring titled “Count upon your Friends.” This picture book for preschoolers through second graders involves counting forward and backward. Suzy has three grown children, and lives in Middleton with her husband, Mark, and their dogs.
Helen Dale
PhD 1992 — Curriculum and Instruction, and English
After she received her PhD, she taught English and English education at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire until her retirement. Then, she was a partner in a nonprofit health literacy organization.
Aimee Knaus
BS 1993 — Elementary Education
Aimee is a middle school computer science teacher, a 5K through fourth grade computer science integration coach, and an online high school cybersecurity instructor. Recently, she was named a 2025 Herb Kohl Fellowship Award recipient.
Barbara Musser
MA 1993 — Education
Barbara began her career as a kindergarten teacher for two years and then moved to a new school where she spent the rest of her career teaching second graders at Lindbergh Elementary School. Today, she is happily retired and loves to spend time with her family.
Nancy Quick
BS 1993 — Communication Science and Disorders
Nancy began her career as a speech-language pathologist working with children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Today, she is a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, focusing on improving literacy and communication outcomes of children with significant cognitive disabilities.
Sage Lewis
BS 1989 — Graphic Design
BS 1994 — Art Education
Sage Lewis graduated from UW–Madison with a bachelor of science in art with an emphasis in graphic design in 1989. She went back to earn an art education degree while on a tuba scholarship in 1994. Since then, she has taught elementary art, at-risk high school students, written four books, created a shamanic journeying album, started a podcast, and has a chocolate business. After 22 years away from her hometown of Madison, she and her husband, James, have moved back to the area. DancingPorcupine.com
Dr. Christina Miller
MS 1994 — Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Christina Miller is nearing the end of her second year as a high school mathematics teacher, marking her teaching experience complete from elementary to junior high to college to high school.
Amie Pittman
MA 1994 — Counseling Psychology
Amie Pittman has worked as a middle school counselor for over 25 years. She advocates for student and staff wellness to bring joy and gratitude into daily living.
Jill Pfeiffer
BS 1995 — Art
Jill studied art with a graphic design concentration. These skills supported her work in the nonprofit sector, where art and design intersected with youth work. Today, Jill is the executive director of Briarpatch Youth Services in Dane County, which provides a multitude of services to youth experiencing homelessness and other hardships. Jill attributes her problem solving skills to her art background and still sculpts in her spare time.
Susan Apps-Bodilly
BA 1984 — Curriculum and Instruction
MA 1996 — Curriculum and Instruction
Susan retired after teaching for many years in elementary and middle schools. Today, she writes books for children and adults. Her website is: susanappsbodilly.com
Beth Lewis Samuelson
MS 1996 — Curriculum and Instruction
Beth directs the African Studies program at Indiana University–Bloomington.
Kevin Boatright
MS 1997 — Higher Education Administration
Kevin serves as chair of the academic affairs committee and secretary of the governing board of his undergraduate college, Nebraska Wesleyan.
Aaron Sadoff
BA 1997 — Social Studies and History Education
Aaron is now serving as the 18th president of Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He also has published his first book, “MindCraft, The Art of Positive Thinking RIGHT NOW!”
Yoonmi Lee
PhD 1997 — Educational Policy Studies
Yoonmi has served as dean of education at Hongik University, Seoul, Korea, since March 2023. Since graduating she has pursued a career as an educational researcher, specializing in comparative history of education.
Angela Jimenez (Zoellner)
BS 1998 — Secondary Spanish Education
After teaching secondary Spanish in the Madison area for 26 years, Angie began a new role as lead educator for National Youth Advocate Program – La Jornada in Madison.
Jennifer Mullin
BS 1998 — Art Education
Jennifer is an artist and educator who is about to publish her first book titled “Me & My Ballpoint Pen” (published by David and Charles, Ltd). This full-color instructional drawing book teaches distinct ballpoint pen techniques. Jennifer also writes about her experiences as a creative with a day job on her blog and on Substack under the moniker Occasional Creative. Jennifer recently moved to Madison, fulfilling her dream to return since graduating in 1998.
Maria Andres
BS 1999 — Kinesiology
After graduating with her kinesiology degree, Maria worked in a nursing home for two years until going back to school to earn her physician assistant degree. She has been a PA-C working in primary care at Prairie Clinic in Sauk City since 2004.
Daniel Krhin
MS 1999 — Educational Administration
Dan has been the executive director of TRIO–Student Support Services program at Ripon College for over 35 years. For the past five years, Dan has developed and facilitated a unique and highly successful financial, educational, and investing program model that has led 92 undergraduate students to open and fund a retirement account from grant funds. Dan would like to expand this opportunity to offer this program to other schools.
2000s
Jennifer Barczak
BS 2000 — Elementary Education
Jen began her career implementing full-day kindergarten in the Oshkosh School District. She went on to teach elementary grades in Arizona and Florida, and is now back in Wisconsin as an instructional support specialist, leading teachers and teams through new curricular implementation, data analysis, and professional development.
Kevin Kumashiro
PhD 2000 — Educational Policy Studies
Kevin is organizing the 15th International Conference on Education and Justice.
Ruth Avra Kleinman
BS 2001 — Art
KX2 is a collaboration between Ruth and Dana Kleinman, sisters and artists whose practice revolves around the fusion of metalwork and painting. Employing a blend of repurposed and sometimes salvaged industrial materials with more traditional artistic mediums such as paint on canvas, KX2’s work yields a distinctive visual encounter. Notably in 2024 an expansive 91 panel installation was commissioned as part of the Intuit Dome Public Art Program in Los Angeles. See more at www.KX2art.com
Amanda Purcell
BS 2001 — Occupational Therapy
Amanda has worked at UW Hospital for 20 years, with a focus on adult acute neurology and neurosurgery. She is part of a new early mobility in the ICU program, helping intubated patients participate in occupations. Two years ago, she began splitting her time between patient care and a new role as site coordinator of clinical education, coordinating acute care OT and PT students across three hospitals: UW Hospital, East Madison Hospital, and American Family Children’s Hospital.
Tara Gershuny
BA 2002 — Education
Tara became a school counselor after getting her undergraduate teaching degree. She was a high school counselor for several years. In 2011, she changed career paths and became a veterinarian.
Dean Pribbenow
PhD 2002 — Higher Education
Dean was named the 17th president of Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, effective July 1, 2025.
Roscoe Wilson
MFA 2002 — Art
Roscoe recently finished his 22nd year teaching studio art at Miami University in Ohio. Roscoe also is celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary with his wife, and planned on heading to Banff for a vacation.
Jamie Lugo
BS 2003 — Special Education
Jamie accepted her first official teaching job at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI). She taught at TSBVI for four years. She and her husband moved to Colorado Springs in 2008. Jamie worked as a teacher at the Colorado School for the Blind for six years, and for the past 10 years has been the principal of the Colorado School for the Blind. Jamie won the 2023 Principal of Schools for the Blind award and the 2024 Colorado Association for Education & Rehabilitation Presidents award.
Peter Youngs
PhD 2003 — Educational Policy Studies
Peter Youngs served as co-editor (with Lora Cohen-Vogel and Janelle Scott) for a second edition of the “Handbook of Education Policy Research,” published in 2025. The handbook includes 80 chapters across nine sections.
Christopher P. Brown
PhD 2004 — Curriculum and Instruction
Beginning in fall 2025, Christopherwill be the new associate dean for teacher education at the University at Buffalo-the State University of New York. He was previously a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas–Austin.
Sarah LaMaster
BA 2004 — Elementary Education
After teaching in Beloit for 17 years, Sarah has returned to Madison and is in her 20th year of teaching — her third at Lowell Elementary. She enjoys working with UW students as a cooperating teacher.
Megan Lotts
MFA 2004 — Art and Design
Megan is the art librarian and tenured faculty at Rutgers University in New Jersey. In September of 2024, the American Library Association published her second book, “The Playful Library: Building Environments for Learning and Creativity.”
Lana Shklyar Nenide
BS 1998 — Psychology
MS 2004 — Educational Psychology
Since 2014, Lana has been leading WI-AIMH, a state-wide nonprofit focused on promoting infant mental health. Lana has been interested and committed to integrating diverse and evidence-based frameworks (behavioral and psychodynamic). In April of 2025, her book, “Uniting Infant Mental Health and the Pyramid Mod,” was published by Brookes.
Mary Siebert
BS 2004 — Elementary Education
Mary began her career as a middle school teacher in Wauwatosa. After moving to the Fox Cities, she is now the director of child care services at the Neenah-Menasha YMCA. She is also a board member of Celebrate Diversity Fox Cities.
Ellie Squire
BS 2004 — Elementary Education
Ellie became the director of Eagle’s Wing Child Care and education programs at UW–Madison in 2024. This nationally accredited program serves graduate student and university-affiliated families, and supports research and undergraduate teaching programs on campus. Ellie is passionate about the importance of early childhood education and hopes to develop more on-campus partnerships.
Jim Cohen
MFA 2005 — Art
Jim continues his silversmithing practice at Liberty Arts (libertyartsnc.org), a multimedia artist collective in Durham, North Carolina. Jim’s article, “Telling the Story,” was published in the spring 2024 issue of American Craft.
Kristine Pierick
BS 2005 — Secondary History Education
Kristine is currently an instructional designer with the Universities of Wisconsin.
Kristen Buras
PhD 2006 — Curriculum and Instruction
Kristen has written a new book, “What We Stand to Lose: Black Teachers, the Culture They Created, and the Closure of a New Orleans High School.” Through archival research and oral histories, she chronicles the rich 50-year legacy of a historic school ultimately closing due to takeover and privatization. Her book sheds light on a school closing crisis in cities nationwide and reveals why the assault on urban public schools is the civil rights issue of our era.
Arthur Mohagen III
MFA 2006 — Art
Arthur has moved into a new role at the Milwaukee Art Museum as director of art preparation and installation.
Fernando Sanchez
MS 2006 — Counseling Psychology
In Fall 2025, Fernando will join the Writing Studies Department at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities as an associate professor of technical and professional communication.
Dan Uttech
BS 2006 — Elementary Education
Uttech recently became an adjunct faculty member at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix. He is also a K-8 STEM teacher in Laveen, Arizona and a coach developer for USA Hockey.
Bradley Eder
BSE 2007 — History and Social Studies
Bradley started his teaching career in Milwaukee teaching fifth grade before specializing in math. After moving to Honolulu, he continued teaching middle school math, algebra, and geometry — and started the school’s first math team. Now, Bradley is a physician trainer at Epic.
Julie Wood
BS 1982 — Elementary Education
MS 2007 — Curriculum and Instruction
In 2010, Juie started E-seedling, a business specializing in youth entrepreneur camps and curriculum. The curriculum is being used by organizations and teachers throughout the U.S. and internationally. Wood also authored the book “More Than A Lemonade Stand,” which helps teachers implement youth entrepreneurship, and the Kindle book “You’re Never Too Young To Start a Business.” In 2018, she retired from the UW-Madison Small Business Development Center and now runs Barnwood Events with her husband.
Erin Battaglia
BA 2006 — Rehabilitation Psychology
Erin pursued graduate school after UW and obtained her doctorate degree in physical therapy. She currently practices in Chicago, specializing in orthopedics and pelvic health. She manages two city clinics.
Mary F. Coats
MFA 2008 — Painting
Today, Mary continues to paint and exhibit, and works as a technical specialist for Trek Bicycle.
Sarah A. Robert
PhD 2008 — Educational Policy Studies
Sarah was promoted to the rank of professor spring 2025 at the University at Buffalo’s Graduate School of Education. She continues to celebrate, disseminate, and expand on her most recent book, “Transforming School Food Politics Around the World” (MIT Press, 2024) co-edited with UW–Madison’s Jen Gaddis, with collaborations for the Rockefeller Foundation, UN-Women, blogs, podcasts, op-eds, and talks.
Elizabeth Hochtritt
MS 2009 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
After 18 years as a teacher and administrator in Milwaukee schools, Elizabeth has taken on the role of senior director of enrollment for Britestar Christian Virtual Education.
2010s
Tyanna Buie
MFA 2010 — Printmaking
Tyanna is an artist and educator. She is a Joan Mitchell, Kresge, and Grant Wood Fellow, has held residencies nationwide, and has exhibited in institutions like the Detroit Institute of Arts, Turner Museum, and Print Center New York. Her work is in major collections and publications. Tyanna is an associate professor and graduate director of printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Chia-Chee Chiu
MS 2010 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Chia-Chee is excited to share that she will join the Park Tudor School in Indianapolis as the assistant head of school for academics starting July 1, 2025. She is excited to return to the Midwest and join the vibrant school community.
Liza Guequierre
PhD 2010 — Counseling Psychology
Liza began her career as a psychologist in University Medical Centers, eventually establishing a group clinical psychology practice in Chicago. Drawing upon the robust research and clinical training she acquired during her doctoral program, Liza provides assistance to individuals with anxiety spectrum and obsessive-compulsive disorders. She derives satisfaction from her work and is pleased to have transitioned to a hybrid/in-person and telehealth practice.
Chelsea McNerney (Roessler)
BA 2010 — Elementary Education
Chelsea began her career as an elementary education teacher in Milwaukee. She is now the marketing manager of wellness for Kohler Co. in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Lauren Morrison
BFA 2010 — Art
Lauren went on to earn an MFA in animation at CalArts and spent time working in stop motion animation for film and television in Los Angeles. She moved to the Bay Area in 2015 and taught 3D art at a digital arts college for a few years and is now a senior art director at Google.
Kate Keefer
BS 2011 — Education
After graduating, Kate taught for years in New Zealand before joining The Climate Initiative (TCI). Drawing on her classroom experience, she now helps TCI provide free, non-partisan climate education resources to teachers nationwide. Their learning lab modules reach over 400,000 annually, empowering youth in all 50 states to implement local climate solutions. Learn more: www.theclimateinitiative.org
Rebecca Screnock
BS 2011 — Art
Becca began her career as a bilingual federal government employee assisting the public with obtaining need-based benefits. After almost a decade of serving, she ventured out into her own business as a freelance photographer, capturing the stories of the people and places around her, as well as working on personal projects. Her work has been exhibited in Boston, New York, and Denver. Becca lives and works out of Salt Lake City.
David Simkins
PhD 2011 — Curriculum and Instruction
David has accepted a position as professor of communications for the Media, Arts and Game Development (MAGD) program at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.
Allison Wojnar
MS 2011 — Rehabilitation Psychology
Allison began as Wisconsin chapter board secretary for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in September 2024. AFSP promotes suicide prevention research, advocacy, and public education, as well as supportive programming for survivors of suicide loss. Allison lives in Greenfield, Wisconsin, and is also a board certified behavior analyst and substance abuse counselor, in training. To get involved with AFSP, visit afsp.org or email Allison at Afspwi5@gmail.com.
John Mirasola
MS 2012 — Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education
After some volunteer years, John began working at the Epilepsy Foundation of Wisconsin on various assignments, while also meeting with clients who either had or were connected to someone with epilepsy. Today, he is the client services coordinator for the foundation and is able to use the skills he gained from his master’s program to guide people with epilepsy/seizures in figuring out how to move forward with their lives.
Spencer Striker
PhD 2012 — Curriculum and Instruction
Spencer was promoted to full professor at Northwestern University–Qatar. He launched Chaos Corp: Troll Farm Simulator, a game teaching digital literacy through experiential learning, at Web Summit Qatar 2025. The game builds on theories he studied under Kurt Squire and Dawnene Hassett at UW–Madison. His work includes the award-winning History Adventures series and Black Death Interactive (best in education, 2024 Horizon Interactive Awards). His projects have received funding from NEH and NSF.
Serafettin Gedik
MA 2013 Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
After earning his master’s, Serafettin has been working as an assistant professor at Amasya University in Turkey.
Joey Jonas
BS 2013 — Secondary Math Education
Joey began his career as a math teacher serving students at Monona Grove High School and Kettle Moraine High School. He also coached girl’s volleyball for 11 seasons at Waunakee High School and Kettle Moraine High School. In 2019, he was hired as an associate principal at Franklin High School — a role he still has. He enjoys working with students with an assets-based approach and helping students reach beyond what they believe to be their potential.
Sarah Murmann
BA 2013 — Secondary Math Education
In the fall of 2024, Sarah co-authored a research report on AI in education through Teach Plus Illinois, titled Rules and Tools for AI-Powered Learning: Why Educators Can’t Afford to Wait on AI Policies. The report surveyed educators throughout Illinois to elevate teacher voice as AI policies are introduced into the state legislature. Sarah also helped draft legislation to inform educators of state-level AI guidelines.
Delphine Vakunta
MS 2013 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Delphine has built a career as an international civil servant since graduating. She has worked with the United Nations, multilateral development banks, and non-governmental organizations across multiple humanitarian and development contexts, including South Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Haiti. Currently a senior fragility expert at the African Development Bank, her work combines her passion for reshaping Africa’s global narrative with her expertise in crisis communications.
Lindsey DeFlorian
MS 2014 — Rehabilitation Psychology
Lindsey started her career as a consultant for people with disabilities while working as a mental health specialist for an inpatient psychiatric unit. After seven years, Lindsey decided to go into real estate and now sells residential real estate in and around the Madison area.
Lindsey Kaiser
MS 2014 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Lindsey began her career as a special education teacher. Today, she is an assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Maine.
Nicole Bowman
PhD 2015 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Nicole Bowman is a traditional Ndulunaapeewi Kwe and evaluation innovator. She leads Bowman Performance Consulting and is an associate scientist at UW–Madison. In 2024, Bowman received a presidential award from the American Evaluation Association (AEA) for exemplifying the conference theme. In 2024–25, she was appointed associate editor for decolonization at JMDE, section editor at AJE, and co-created Roots & Relations in CJPE. Her work advances Indigenous, equity-focused evaluations and policies.
Cameron Lee Small
MS 2015 — Counseling Psychology
Cam founded his private practice, Therapy Redeemed, to provide mental health services to adoptees, families, and organizations. In 2024, he published “The Adoptee’s Journey,” addressing adoption-related loss, trauma, and pathways to healing. His recent TEDx Talk on adoption literacy provides a framework to cultivate adoptee-sensitive allyship locally and abroad. He serves as a curriculum facilitator for the Permanency and Adoption Competency Certificate at the University of Minnesota.
Samuel Loppnow
BS 2015 — Kinesiology
Sam began his career applying to physician assistant school. Today, he is an account executive selling software to enterprise clients.
Ramon Vasquez
PhD 2015 — Curriculum and Instruction
Ramon has been promoted to the rank of associate professor at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.
Peter Wilson
MS 2009 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
PhD 2015 — Educational Leadership
Peter began as a fifth grade classroom teacher. He then moved into various building and district level administrative roles in several Dane County school districts while completing his advanced degrees. Today, he is the superintendent for Lake Geneva (Wisconsin) Schools.
Luke Cimino
BA 2016 — Kinesiology and History
Luke has been working overseas for the past eight years. He started and ran the internationally recognized nonprofit, Amaru Esperanza, which works in the community across Colombia, Cambodia, and the United States. Amaru Esperanza has invested over $40,000 worth of materials and work into these countries building houses and creating futures.
Angela Johnson
MA 2008 — Art Education
MFA 2016 — Art
Angela began her career as an elementary art teacher in Texas. She moved back to Madison and shifted to the world of informal teaching and learning in nonprofit and museum spaces. Today, she is teaching faculty for the Art Department at UW–Madison, where she teaches community-based learning courses that take a deep dive into public art and community-based art practices.
Brett Kaether
BS 2016 – Kinesiology
After earning his degree in Kinesiology from UW–Madison in 2016, Brett began his career as a physical education teacher and athletic director at Colegio Karl C. Parrish (KCP), a bilingual private school in Barranquilla, Colombia. He is currently teaching and coaching at the American School Foundation in Mexico City, where he has built a high school boys basketball program that now ranks among the top four teams in the city. In his third year, his varsity team made school history by qualifying for Mexico’s national tournament for the first time. He has been named Most Valuable Varsity Head Coach two years in a row and recognized for Best Varsity Team Culture.
Mankah Mitchell
PhD 2016 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Mankah moved to Wisconsin in 2007 to attend law school after working as a preschool teacher for two years. While in law school, she took a school law class and decided to apply to ELPA’s doctoral program. She is the general counsel for the Madison Metropolitan School District. She remains connected to ELPA by teaching school law-related classes as an adjunct.
Dr. Patricia Venegas-Weber
PhD 2016 — Curriculum and Instruction
Patricia was recently selected to be an English language specialist with the U.S. Department of State to support and provide technical assistance for the revamping of Chile’s English language curriculum through a collaboration between the U.S. Embassy in Chile and the Chilean Ministry of Education.
Lisa Hennessey
BS 2011 — Secondary Math Education
MS 2017 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Lisa began her career as a high school math teacher in the Sun Prairie Area School District. From there, she became the 4K-12 mathematics coordinator and a summer school principal within the district. In 2023, Lisa took on a new role at UW—Madison as teaching faculty working with secondary math preservice teachers. This May, she ends her term as the past president of Wisconsin Math Council and was elected to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics board (October 2025-2028).
Megan Anderson
MS 2018 — Counseling Psychology
Megan started as a therapist helping people in crisis. Now, to her surprise, she’s two years into running her own private practice and occasionally pops up on WTMJ radio in Milwaukee, sharing mental health insights.
Jesús Galván
BS 2018 — Kinesiology
Jesús is the new assistant director of summer collegiate experience at the University of Wisconsin—Madison within the L&S Center for Academic Excellence. Coming from a brief career as a school counselor in northern Illinois, Jesús successfully completed his master’s of education in counseling at DePaul University in Chicago, with a concentration in school counseling.
Janelle Ramsel
PhD 2018 — Educational Leadership and Policy Development
Janelle recently won the National Association of College and University Attorneys First Decade Award for outstanding service and contributions to her professional network.
Clara Temlitz
BA 2018 — Elementary Education
Clara began her teaching career at Wingra School as a second and third grade teacher. She is now teaching fourth grade at Van Hise Elementary.
Sun Young Lee
PhD 2019 — Curriculum and Instruction
Sun Young is the recipient of the 2025 Early Career Award from the American Educational Research Association’s Critical Issues in Curriculum and Cultural Studies special interest group (SIG). Her article about transpacific curriculum history, published with the Harvard Educational Review, also received two awards: the East Asia SIG Best Paper Award from the Comparative and International Education Society and the Outstanding Research Paper Award from the Korean-American Educational Researchers Association.
Madison Soukup
BS 2019 — Kinesiology
After graduating, Madison went to complete a master’s of public health within the UW—Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She now lives in Colorado and works as a mental health promotion specialist at Adams County Health Department, where she is an instructor for Mental Health First Aid and works closely with community organizations to end the stigma surrounding mental health.
2020s
Emily Greenberg
BA 2020 — Elementary Education
Emily received her master’s from Columbia University, Teachers College, in autism and intellectual disabilities and has acquired both a general education and special education certification in New York. She has been working at the New York Center for Autism Charter School for three years and is a head teacher.
Bridget Hammett
BS 2020 — Special Education
Bridget has been out of the classroom for nearly two years now. She continues to work at Nate Berkus Associates in Chicago, where she serves as both an administrative assistant and social media manager.
Lizzie Jorgensen
BS 2020 — Rehabilitation Psychology
Lizzie is an account manager at Capture Sports and Entertainment. She works with professional athletes and entertainers on their philanthropic endeavors. One of the athletes she works with is Alec Ingold, a former Badger football star, and the Ingold Family Foundation.
Shayna Valianos
BS 2020 — Dance and Communication Arts
Shayna moved to New York City in 2021, explored arts administration through Pentacle’s internship program, and soon began working with Opus 3 Artists, a booking and management agency for world-renowned musicians, orchestras, and dance companies, including Yo-Yo Ma, Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and Twyla Tharp and Patti LuPone. She has been with them since 2022 and is now a booking associate.
Jamie Black
BSE 2021 — Secondary Math Education
Jamie Black began her career in higher education a decade ago. Today, Jamie serves as the senior regional manager (west coast) for the Office of Admission at UW—Madison, where she plays a pivotal role in guiding prospective students through the admissions process and fostering connections across California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii.
Ellen Brandt
BS 2021 — Health Promotion and Health Equity
Ellen has been working at UW—Madison since 2002 and recently transitioned to the Hartley Lab at the Waisman Center. She coordinates activities for the Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium Down Syndrome study and the Metabolic Health, Lifestyle, and Risk of Co-occurring Health Conditions in Down Syndrome study. Both focus on understanding metabolic health, lifestyle factors, and the risk of co-occurring health conditions in individuals with Down syndrome.
Sean Coyne
BS 2021 — Educational Policy Studies and Environmental Studies
After graduation, Sean moved to Vermont to develop curriculum at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. He focuses on preclinical curriculum and works with clinical and basic science faculty to create educational materials, session schedules, and more for medical students.
Eleni Egelseer
BS 2021 — Kinesiology
Eleni started her career as a physical therapist at University Hospital in Madison. She loves her colleagues and patients that she has the privilege to work with during hospitalization.
Madyson Forseth
BS 2021 — Elementary Education
Madyson is in her fourth year of teaching Pre-K and graduated with her master’s in education in May 2025. She is passionate about creating a nurturing and inclusive classroom where young children can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically. Throughout her graduate studies, Madyson has focused on culturally responsive teaching and early childhood development. She looks forward to applying her learning to support young children.
Kaitlyn Jackson
BS 2021 — Kinesiology
Kaitlyn is currently a medical student in Chicago and will be pursuing psychiatry.
Megan Girod
BS 2022 — Elementary Education
Megan spent the first few years after graduation teaching in Oshkosh before moving back to Madison to teach social studies and English language arts in Waunakee.
Samantha Rudi
MS 2022 — Educational Psychology
Samantha is a current high school English teacher and club adviser, while also serving as a teacher leader within her district. Additionally, she is a proud member of the National Education Association’s Global Learning Fellowship 2025 cohort.
Sam Coleman
PhD 2023 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Dr. Sam Coleman began his career as a paraprofessional in Milwaukee. He now serves as the assistant superintendent of instruction for the Oshkosh Area School District. Sam’s priorities include leading and advocating for improved literacy rates for students in Wisconsin. He was recognized by Madison365 as the 2024 Man of Excellence. He was also recognized by Oshkosh Northwestern as one of 2024’s People of the Year.
Jesus Cortez
MS 2023 — Special Education
Jesus continues to teach in Madison as a special education teacher. His favorite part of teaching is the community he is able to build with the students and staff. Jesus continues to explore the world during the summers and is excited for his next adventure.
Zubin DeVitre
PhD 2023 — Counseling Psychology
Since graduating, Dr. DeVitre has been working as an assistant professor in New Jersey. In his first year, his dedication and passion for scholarship and teaching was recognized when he received the American Psychological Association’s national teaching award from the Division of Counseling Psychology. Since then, Dr. DeVitre has accepted a new position and will be returning to UW—Madison as teaching faculty in the Department of Counseling Psychology.
Kate England
BS 2023 — Elementary Education
Kate has been working for the Office of Admissions at UW—Madison and pursuing her master’s degree in higher education. While she completes her program, she has been working as a K—12 substitute and summer school teacher. Once she graduates in the fall, she hopes to become an academic advisor in the School of Education!
Grace Rudek
BS 2023 — Kinesiology
Grace is a physical therapy student at University of Wisconsin—La Crosse.
Gurneet Toor
BS 2023 — Health Promotion and Health Equity
Gurneet started the Physician Assistant program at UW—Madison in May 2025 to obtain her master’s.
Rachel Pinifolo Banda
MS 2024 — Curriculum and Instruction
Rachel is enjoying her experience as a 4K teacher at Bernie’s Place Child Care in Madison.
Kyle Harrison-Woods
BS 2013 — Secondary Education
MS 2019 — Curriculum and Instruction
PhD 2024 — Curriculum and Instruction
Kyle, after earning all three of his degrees from UW—Madison, began his career as a high school English teacher and recently started a job as an assistant professor at Edgewood College (soon to be Edgewood University).
Pearl Mazaba Coto
BS 2024 — Elementary Education
Pearl began her career as an educator in the fall of 2024. She has been working as a social studies teacher at Carmen Southeast High School in Milwaukee.
Alexa Kromrey
BS 2024 — Elementary and Special Education
Alexa spent her first year post-grad as a special education teacher at a local middle school, co-teaching math to all three grades.
Zach Reynolds
BS 2024 — Kinesiology
Following graduation in the Spring of 2024, Zach became an orthotic technician in St. Paul with the company Orthotic Care Services. In his daily work, he assists a team in manufacturing cranial remodeling helmets for infants, as well as lower extremity orthoses for children. He plans to return to school to complete a master’s in prosthetics and orthotics, and become a certified prosthetist/orthotist.
Anthony Simonini
MS 2024 — Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Anthony began his career in the summer of 2024 as assistant principal at Madison East High School.