• Welcome
• Calendar
• For Prospective Students
• For Students
• Degree Programs
• Focus Fields
• Faculty and Staff
• Research
• Public Service and Outreach
• Career Development
• For Alumni and Friends
• News

• Contact Us
• Sitemap

---

Robert M. La Follette
School of Public Affairs
1225 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Telephone:  608.262.3581
Fax: 608.265.3233


Last updated:
November 20, 2009

© Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

La Follette School News

Class of 2009 looks forward to challenges

While they are entering a difficult job market, the La Follette School’s class of 2009 should not be discouraged. “Economic downturns have always led to upturns,” professor emeritus Robert Haveman told the class at its commencement celebration. “Over the long haul, with your abilities and the skills that you have gained at the La Follette School, you will do just fine, thank you. Just keep plugging.” Read more …

— posted May 28, 2009; updated May 29, June 1, 2009

Honor society inducts first members

The La Follette School’s chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha, the national honor society in public affairs and administration, inducted its first members this month. Read more …

— posted May 27, 2009; updated May 29, 2009

Cost-benefit analysis backs early Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease could save millions or even billions of dollars while simultaneously improving care, according to new work by La Follette School professor David Weimer and co-author Mark Sager, director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are heavy users of long-term care services, especially nursing homes, with estimated annual costs upward of tens of billions of dollars nationwide.

Much of the fiscal burden is borne by state and federal governments — and thus taxpayers — through the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Earlier diagnosis and treatment could reduce these costs, Weimer and Sager say.

The research, a cost-benefit analysis of the social and fiscal impacts of early identification and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, using Wisconsin as a model, appears in the May issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

The analysis considers two types of interventions following diagnosis, patient drug treatment and caregiver support programs.  Each would provide positive net savings, with the greatest benefits achieved using a combination of both. 
“Even just with currently available drug treatments, [early diagnosis] seems to offer positive social benefits,” Weimer says. “If we had a stronger caregiver support network, it could be even greater.”

He and Sager predict even larger benefits if more effective drug treatments are developed and if public policy supported caregiver benefits, like counseling and support groups.

Medicare does not support caregiver intervention programs.  Even accounting for implementation costs, the new analysis suggests that they would result in net savings to governments by reducing the care burden on medical systems. “It does take some investment early on, and of course this is a time when all state dollars are tight,” says Weimer.  “But from the long-run perspective, it looks like it’s a clear winner.”

Early Alzheimer's diagnosis reduces costs, May 25, 2009, UPI.com

Early Alzheimer's diagnosis offers large social, fiscal benefits, May 18, 2009, Science Daily

Early Alzheimer's diagnosis offers large social, fiscal benefits, May 18, 2009, University of Wisconsin–Madison News

— posted May 27, 2009

Manion shares expertise on China at D.C. roundtable

Professor Melanie Manion was one of four experts invited by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China to present testimony and answer questions during a May 22 roundtable discussion on “What ‘Democracy’ Means in China after 30 Years of Reform.” Drawing on her sabbatical research, she explained how, in recent years, without challenging the communist party monopoly, Chinese local people’s congresses have become significant political players. "Understanding what has (and has not) changed in these congresses is a window on the ‘officially acceptable’ meaning of representative democracy in mainland China today,” she says.

Congressional staffers, representatives from non-governmental organizations and other members of the public listened and asked questions. Congress created the commssion in 2000 to monitor human rights and the development of the rule of law in China. It submits an annual report to the president and to Congress.

Manion is the recipient of numerous research awards, most recently from the National Science Foundation, Fulbright Foundation, and University of Wisconsin–Madison Graduate School. her publications include Corruption by Design (Harvard University Press, 2004), Retirement of Revolutionaries in China (Princeton University Press, 1993), and articles in the American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, China Quarterly, and Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization.

— posted May 27, 2009; updated May 28, 2009

LSSA to host spelling bee fundraiser

The La Follette School Student Association will host its first annual Graduate Student Spelling Bee on Wednesday, May 13th, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at State Street Brats. Students and professors from all graduate departments at UW-Madison are invited to compete to win prizes for 1st and 2nd places. Participants will be limited to five per department. Tickets are $5 per person or $3 for participants. Proceeds will fund La Follette student activities such as graduation, policy round tables, and other initiatives. Registration to compete or questions may be sent to .

— posted May 7, 2009

1999 alum to lead Dane County's Department of Administration

Travis Myren, a 1999 graduate of the La Follette School, has been picked to run the powerful Dane County (Wisconsin) Department of Administration.

Myren, 35, has served as interim director since March. He was deputy director of the department since 2002, managing 130 full-time employees and overseeing a number of divisions and agencies within county government. 

"For many years, Dane County has benefited from Travis' bright ideas and the work ethic he learned growing up on his family's fourth-generation dairy farm in Buffalo County," Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said in a press release announcing Myren's appointment. "He has the right combination of skills and experience to help guide our county through these times."

The Department of Administration oversees all day-to-day operations of county government, including the Controller's Office and the Office of Management and Budget, and the Divisions of Employee Relations, Information Management, Administrative Services, Risk Management, Facilities Management and Consolidated Food Services.

Falk Names Travis Myren Director of Administration, April 28, 2009, Dane County press release

Travis Myren is new county director of administration, April 28, 2009, Capital Times

— posted April 29, 2009; updated May 22, 2009

Flood seminar gets high marks

Stronger leadership, more communication, better research, greater education and stiffer laws could help control flood damage and reduce loss of property and lives, according to more than a dozen experts who spoke at an all-day seminar in Madison.  These experts also identified a need to fundamentally reconsider how policymakers ask residents to share risk and responsibility, and the role of government in shaping those choices.

Carolyn Heinrich, the director of the La Follette School at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, welcomed more than 130 representatives from local government, state agencies, engineering firms, academia, non-profits, public health and the Wisconsin Legislature to “From Sandbags to Sanity: Policy Implications of the Floods of 2008” at the Monona Terrace on April 20.  “This is a perfect example of the Wisconsin Idea in action,” said Heinrich.  “Today we are drawing on the expertise of UW to deal with one of the most pressing policy problems our state faces.”

Donald Moynihan, faculty member at the La Follette School, organized the symposium which featured a range of experts from both the University of Wisconsin system and elsewhere.  Gerry Galloway, of the University of Maryland, and Ray Burby, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, joined University of Wisconsin-Madison experts such as Sandra McLellan and Ken Potter. 

Other speakers included from representatives from Gov. Jim Doyle’s Wisconsin Recovery Task Force and the Wisconsin Legislative Council’s Special Committee on Emergency Management & Continuity of Government, including Rep. Joan Ballweg.

Moynihan said he was particularly pleased with the blend of participants, noting a vigorous give-and-take in each of the sessions between attendees and presenters.  “This is the kind of interaction we hoped would happen,” said Moynihan. “Our goal was to put out the strongest research, ask the toughest questions and involve the hands-on people who work to solve these problems on a day-to-day basis. “

In a post-seminar survey participants were enthusiastic about the dialogue.  “This was a great example of the Wisconsin Idea,” said one.  Another participant said the seminar as “a great opportunity to look at different areas and aspects of a flood response and recovery. I hope it does not stop here and should continue to move forward with the topics that were discussed.”  Participants also learned more about flood policies in other countries from Gerry Galloway.  “It was great to hear from someone with such a global perspective. I really hope flooding issue stay at the forefront at the national level, and trickles down.” 

The positive assessment of the seminar was reflected in responses to close-ended evaluations of the survey. On a scale of 1-5, where 5 is agree and 1 is disagree, participants provided an average score of over 4.5 in response to the statement “overall, this symposium was worth attending.”

The La Follette School will produce a report that consolidates the best of the findings, ideas and concerns of the day.  “We need to think about the policy next steps,” said Moynihan. “It is easy for the threat of disasters to be forgotten about as the fade into the past. One goal of the seminar is to remind us all just how important these issues are. Our ability to deal with the next great flood depends on what we do now.”

Some of those next steps were summarized at the end of the day by Larry Larson, head of the national Association of State Floodplain Managers, who said resolving the lingering issues is like going to a 12-step self-help program for addicts.

“We’ve made the first step: admitting that we have a problem,” said Larson. “Now we have to go the rest of the way.” He cited particular concern over leadership, out-dated maps and information, short-term public attention, lack of coordination among governments and competing laws.  

— posted April 29, 2009; updated May 22, 2009

Paramedic applies management skills to flooding symposium

Erik Viel is no stranger to disaster. The public affairs student has more than five years of experience as a paramedic and ambulance dispatcher, aiding people in the midst of personal crisis.

Now he is taking on floods and adding a public management component to his background as he helps nationally recognized disaster management scholar Donald Moynihan organize a conference on flooding in Wisconsin.

Read the updated story

— posted April 17, 2009

Prospective students check out La Follette School

Thirty-eight prospective students admitted to the La Follette School for fall 2009 heard from faculty and current students about internships, curricular focus fields, and the link between education and the practice of public affairs at the La Follette School’s Visit Days and April 6-7.

Guests talked with La Follette faculty, current students, and student services and career development staff members about life at La Follette and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Visit Days shows the many ways that the La Follette School program works with local, state, federal and international agencies to bring practical experiences and projects into the domestic and international public affairs courses,” says Associate Director Menzie Chinn.

Prospective students learned how the domestic and international public affairs degree programs can help them make contacts, develop expertise and practice public policy with real-world clients. They came from New York, California, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Washington, D.C.

The guests heard from two panels, one of faculty members and one of current students. Faculty discussed core public affairs skills and their research interests. They included:

• Donald Moynihan, public management skills for public and nonprofit management
• Karen Holden, analytical skills for public affairs and social policy
• Andrew Reschovsky, microeconomic policy analysis and final capstone course
• Mark Copelovitch, international governance and trade policy

A number of students described opportunities they have had at the La Follette School. They represented the many degree programs available through La Follette and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, including the domestic and international master’s degrees, the dual degree in public affairs and law, and the double degree in public affairs and urban and regional planning.

For lunch on the first day, prospective students could choose to join faculty and students who represented specific academic interests, such as education and state funding policy, public management, international governance or environmental policy.“The lunch gave prospective students a great opportunity to ask questions specific to their academics and career goals, and to hear from faculty and students about how to focus their studies," Chinn says. “The faculty in return got a good feeling for the interests and concerns of the incoming students.”

After lunch, Career Development Coordinator Mary Russell highlighted alumni and their careers and how the La Follette School supports students as they seek internships and jobs. Prospective students also could attend classes, learn about finanical assitance and project assistantships, and meet indivdiually with faculty. The La Follette School Student Association hosted a social gathering at the Great Dane Pub near the State Capitol.

“Prospective students who visit us gain a good sense of what their two years at La Follette can be like,” says Student Services Coordinator Mary Treleven, who organized the event. “They see firsthand how accessible faculty and staff are at the La Follette School, plus they learn more about the resources at a world-class research university like the University of Wisconsin-Madison.”

— posted April 17, 2009

Student winding up service on university Board of Regents

Colleene Thomas has a lot of context for her classroom learning at the La Follette School. The first-year master of public affairs student is nearing the end of her two-year term on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

Thomas’ commitment to public service includes involvement with student government at the Madison campus and work with a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She is furthering her commitment through her course work at the La Follette School. “The degree will grant me a valuable set of tools that will enable me to pursue a career in public service,” Thomas says.

She finds that her public management course resonates with her service on the public body that governs the University of Wisconsin System’s 26 campuses. The course, taught by adjunct associate professor Paul Soglin, a former mayor of Madison, covers many of the issues she encounters at the Regents meetings, which occur around the state eight times a year for one or two days. “The course covers the theory and concepts needed manage large systems, from budgets to personnel management,” Thomas says. “Professor Soglin’s course has helped me to contextualize the management practices and planning I’ve been exposed to while serving on the Board.”

Thomas also brings her regents experience into her coursework: For a project in the public management course, she interviewed the System’s associate vice president for capital planning and budget to learn more about the processes he oversees.

For five summers, she has worked for U.S. Representative Jim Oberstar, who represents the area around Duluth in northeastern Minnesota, just a few miles from Poplar, Wisconsin, where Thomas’ family now lives. (She grew up in Menomonie and represents rural Wisconsin on the Board of Regents.) For Oberstar, Thomas handles constituent relations and media analysis. She staffs meetings and accompanies the congressman to events. She often helps constituents resolve immigration and Social Security issues, which has given her a good grounding in the federal bureaucracy and how it functions. “This position has shown me that members of Congress can make a real difference to average people,” she says. “Looking forward, I’d like to learn more about how policy is established, and perhaps be part of creating policy that will improve the lives of those same people who I work with during the summer.”

While working on her bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Thomas served on the student government’s shared governance committee, through which the Associated Students of Madison appoints students to sit on university committees. Thomas herself served on four panels that covered issues related to curriculum and staff and student diversity.

As one of two student representatives on the Board of Regents, Thomas often finds she, the other student and outgoing state Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster are the regents who consistently vote against tuition increases.

“While tuition hikes are a reality and necessity in the current budget climate, we must acknowledge that they will cause some smart, dedicated Wisconsin students to be priced out of their dreams,” Thomas says. “Yet a simple tuition freeze is not a responsible option in the current budget situation. I’m convinced that we need to target our financial aid policies to help more students with unmet need. This would prevent cuts to teaching and services that could really harm the quality of UW degrees, and it would improve access for worthy students who need a little help to access the future they want.”

Thomas gave voice to these concerns in September 2007 when she drafted a letter signed by student leaders from across the University of Wisconsin System to encourage legislators to pass a budget favorable to the state universities. “That letter ended up sounding a clear, collective message and helped students across the state engage in the decision-making process,” Thomas says.

Thomas is not the first person affiliated with the La Follette School to bring public affairs expertise to bear on the Board of Regents. Tom Loftus, who graduated in 1972 from the school’s precursor, the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration, is a current regent. He served in the Wisconsin Legislature from 1977 to 1991 and was speaker of the Assembly for eight years. He was the U.S. ambassador to Norway from 1993 to 1997, then worked with the World Health Organization from 1998 to 2005

“I always try to sit next to Tom at the Regents meetings,” Thomas says. “I catch him up on what is going on at the La Follette School, and he gives me advice about which classes would be useful for a career in public service.”

— posted April 15, 2009

Bar association to honor alum for work on diversity issues

La Follette School alum Timothy F. Nixon will receive the 2009 Judge W. Reynolds Community Building Award by the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association. Nixon is being honored for his commitment to diversity and willingness to address issues of culture and diversity in the Green Bay community.  He will receive the award at the association’s annual meeting on Thursday, April 30.

Nixon received a master of public affairs degree and a law degree in 1990. He is a shareholder of the law firm of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. He is team leader for the firm’s Business Finance and Restructuring Practice Group and a member of the Corporate and Litigation Practice Groups. He represents clients in state and federal courts in all aspects of bankruptcy, including debtors, secured creditors, creditor committees, asset purchasers, receivers and trustees. Nixon is a frequent lecturer and expert commentator on bankruptcy issues and has addressed the American Bankruptcy Institute, State Bar of Wisconsin, the Turnaround Management Association and the Chicago Bar Association.

Nixon is a member of the Milwaukee County, Dane County and Brown County Bar Associations, the State Bar Associations of Wisconsin and New York, the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the American College of Bankruptcy, and the Commercial Law of League of America. He has served as the president and vice president of the Western District Bankruptcy Bar and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Bankruptcy Insolvency and Creditors Rights Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

While attending graduate school, Nixon was an intern with the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C. Prior to graduate school, Nixon served as a ship’s officer in the Merchant Marine for nine years.

Journal, lawyers recognize La Follette alum for leadership, Spring 2006, La Follette Notes

— posted April 14, 2009

Grad to publish memoir on weight-loss, yoga

For years, 2000 grad Jessica Berger Gross struggled with fluctuating weight and bouts of unhappiness. Like many, she found comfort in food and craved cigarettes and self-confidence. Then one day Berger Gross took her first yoga class in Katmandu. She lost 40 pounds and changed her life forever.

She tells her story in her new book, enLIGHTened: How I Lost 40 Pounds with a Yoga Mat, Fresh Pineapples, and a Beagle Pointer, to be published in May. "People who knew me when I was in Madison may be shocked to learn that the Jessica who enjoyed way too much cheap beer has now morphed into a healthy, happy, longtime yoga devotee who enjoys a two-hour walk in the forest with a 15-month-old strapped to her back and her dog and her husband, Neil, by her side," Berger Gross says.

She shares the core principles of yoga philosophy. "enLIGHTened chronicles my journey and shows how yoga—not simply the poses themselves but the philosophical principles behind them, drawn from an ancient but surprisingly timely text called the Yoga Sutras—made the transformation possible," she says. The book also includes recipes, tips for healthy eating and living, and a series of illustrated yoga poses to can practice at home.

Berger Gross is editor of the award-winning anthology About What Was Lost: 20 Writers on Miscarriage, Healing, and Hope. Originally from Long Island, New York, Jessica lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son and dog. She teaches creative writing at the University of British Columbia.

Alum to publish collection of essays on miscarriage, December 11, 2006, La Follette School News

— posted April 14, 2009

Studies find benefit from charter schools, little effect from voucher program

The use of vouchers to send students to private schools in Milwaukee does not have much of an impact on the students’ academic progress, while charter schools have higher rates of students graduating high school and attending college, two recent studies involving La Follette School professor John Witte find.

Witte is a co-author of a RAND Corporation study of charter schools in Chicago, San Diego, Philadelphia, Denver, Milwaukee, and the states of Ohio, Texas and Florida. Charter Schools in Eight States Effects on Achievement, Attainment, Integration, and Competition is the first to use longitudinal, student-level data to systematically examine charter schools and the arguments for and against them.

Milwaukee charter schools had a positive effect on math achievement in comparison to traditional schools.  These effects were in the first years in which schools switched to charter schools and leveled off after that.  There were no differences in standardized reading tests. 

Charter schools do appear to improve the rates for high-school graduation and college entry, Witte says. “For where we have the data — Chicago and Florida — charter high schools appear to increase the probability of graduating by 7 to 15 percentage points and the probability of enrolling in college by 8 to 10 percentage points.”

Another important finding is that charter schools generally do not draw the top students from other public schools, Witte says.

In Milwaukee, researchers found no statistically significant differences overall in achievement gains for students in Milwaukee’s school voucher program compared to similar students in public schools.

Witte’s portion of the national School Choice Demonstration Project examines the achievement growth over time of carefully matched panels of voucher and public school students. His report finds no statistically significant differences in achievement gains for students in the program compared to similar students in Milwaukee public schools.

“However, the data suggest that boys gained an extra 6.4 scale score points in reading if enrolled in the voucher program, whereas girls gained an extra 5.2 scale score points in reading if enrolled in Milwaukee public schools,” Witte says. “Both differences among the gender subgroups are statistically significant, but these early results need to be confirmed before they are considered conclusive.”

Study finds results of MPS and voucher school students are similar, March 26, 2009, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

School Choice in Milwaukee Benefits Some Students, March 26, 2009, Saves Money, University of Arkansas Daily Headlines

How Charter Schools Affect Student Outcomes, March 18, 2009, Rand Corporation news release

The Impact of Milwaukee Charter Schools on Student Achievement, March 2009, Issues in Governance Studies, Brookings Institution

— posted April 9, 2009

New book explores cost-benefit analysis of social programs

Especially when budgets are squeezed at every level of government, knowing the full range of costs and benefits is good public policy. A new book co-edited by La Follette School professor David Weimer addresses the application of cost-benefit analysis to social policy.

Georgetown University Press published Investing in the Disadvantaged: Assessing the Benefits and Costs of Social Policies in March.

The book is “an authoritative guide to evidence-based social policy by some of the leading scholars in the field,” says Philip Cook, associate director of the Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University. “For anyone who wants to know what works, what's worthwile, and what research would have the greatest payoff, this book has benefits far exceeding the cost.”

Experts, including Barbara Wolfe of the La Follette School, examine 10 of the most important policy domains: early childhood development, elementary and secondary schools, health care for disadvantaged people, mental illness, substance abuse and addiction, juvenile crime, prisoner reentry programs, housing assistance, work-incentive programs for the unemployed and employers, and welfare-to-work interventions. Each contributor discusses the applicability of cost-benefit analysis to actual programs, describing proven and promising examples.

“Good social policy helps people make better investments in their own human capital — their health, skills, knowledge, and experience — so they have economic opportunity and are less likely to impose costs on society,” Weimer says. “Interventions, the programs that assist people, can and should be assessed and structured so policymakers can make the best use of society’s resources.”

Wolfe’s article, co-authored with Nathan Tefft, identifies programs for children that are viewed as improving their human capital, reviews the research on these early childhood interventions and discusses how cost-benefit analysis could improve them. An article they wrote for the fall 2006 La Follette Policy Report touches on some of the same themes.

Weimer and fellow editor Aidan R. Vining of Simon Fraser University introduce cost-benefit analysis, assess the programs described in each chapter, and propose a research agenda for promoting wider application of cost-benefit analysis in social policy. Investing in the Disadvantaged considers how to face America’s most urgent social needs with shrinking resources, showing how cost-benefit analysis can inform policy choices that produce social value.

The book is the result of a grant Weimer and Vining received from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 2006. The editors are co-authors of Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice, now in its fourth edition.

— posted April 8, 2009

Alum, student to present on modeling routes to college

A student and an alum will explore the use of visual models to identify student pathways to college in a presentation Tuesday, April 7.

Public affairs student Beth Stransky and 2006 alum Justin Ronca will demonstrate how classification and regression tree methodology can help create visually interpretable models of relevant data to predict students’ educational routes. They will show a method for extracting information from the National Education Longitudinal Study and present guidelines for collecting data that help identify when, how and for whom education professionals should intervene to help students at risk of not continuing on to complete a college degree.

A decade’s worth of research shows that first-generation students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students and racial minorities are far less likely than wealthier, white peers from college-educated families to go on to higher education and complete a college degree, Stransky and Ronca say. In addition, many programs are effective at helping to keep at-risk students on the path toward earning college degrees.

“Policymakers are often not exposed to the big picture,” says Ronca, who is a lead mathematical statistician with the Social Security Administration’s Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics in Washington, D.C. “With these models, we are starting to develop all these findings into a larger framework that integrates access to kindergarten-12th grade and postsecondary education and what influences students to persist in their education.”

Illustrations of these connections will help policymakers allocate resources to the programs that promote student success, Stransky says. “Our goal is to create policy-relevant statistical models that require no statistical training on the part of the user.”

Stransky and Ronca present on Tuesday, April 7, at noon in the Harrison Parlor of Lathrop Hall. The session is a Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education brown bag.

— posted April 3, 2009

New officers take charge of student association

In an agency overhaul that would make the State of Wisconsin proud, the La Follette School Student Association held its elections a month early to effect its change in officers in early April rather than the end of the spring semester.

LSSA’s 2008-09 board handed over the official gavel to the next class at its meeting April 2. The new crew will hold its first meeting on Thursday, April 30, at 6:15 p.m. in a location to be determined.

The student organization tweaked its constitution in November so it could hold elections for officers a month earlier. The change makes sense, says outgoing president Lindsay Read. “First-year students can get involved sooner and have plans for fall in place before summer, and second-year board members now have more time to focus on finishing up their capstone projects and searching for jobs.”

In addition to Read, outgoing officers include Vice President Lauren Benditt, Treasurer Lilly Shields and Secretary Alison Patz. Dan Bush was program liaison to the faculty. The other coordinators were Jeramia Cibulka, fund-raising; Maggie Carden, community service and outreach coordinator; Catherine Hall, social coordinator; and Andy McGuire, alumni coordinator. Gail Krumenauer and Tom Robinson were the graduation co-coordinators, but with graduation six weeks away, they are still finalizing details for the graduation celebration at the State Capitol's Assembly Chambers on May 16. They have confirmed that Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson will be the graduation speaker.

Incoming president Emily Plagman says that many of the new officers were involved with LSSA activities this year, including the policy roundtables and the silent auction at the school’s reception for alumni and friends in February. "As a result of holding the elections earlier this year, we can better capture first-year student energy and interest in LSSA.”

LSSA’s priorities for 2009-2010 are likely to include “diversifying social, volunteer and fundraising activities, further formalizing LSSA, and increasing support for La Follette students,” Plagman says. “I am looking forward to an active and fun year for LSSA and the La Follette student body.”

Students organizing roundtables on environment, lobbying, food policy, nonprofits, March 19, 2009, La Follette School News

— posted April 2, 2009; updated April 3, April 8, April 14, 2009

Speed-networking session brings alumni, students together

Nine alumni and other public policy professionals will be sitting down with students and talking about careers in a La Follette School speed-networking session on Thursday, March 26.

The professionals from the public and private sectors will meet individually with two or three students for 5 minutes. When their time is up, the students will shift to the next professional. Career Development Coordinator Mary Russell will ring a bell to signal the move.

“This gathering is a valuable and fun way for students to learn about career opportunities,” Russell says. “Students may not initially appreciate a specific agency or career path, but after they talk with a variety of people and hear about different employers, they see more options to pursue.”

Networking — finding someone who knows someone who knows someone — is an important component of the job search, Russell says, as is practice at articulating one’s career goals and interests. “Our alumni are very well-connected with people in Wisconsin, the federal government and elsewhere, and they are interested in helping  our students succeed in their careers and job searches.”

Professional participants can learn more about what is going on at their alma mater, share their experiences and scope out potential employees. “Alumni and friends can talk with students in a relaxed setting before an actual job application process starts,” notes John Montgomery, a 1977 alum who is a deputy administrator with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin. He will participate in the speed-networking session for the second time. “We can let students know we’re interested in them and that we view the La Follette School as a good place to recruit,” he says.

The professionals represent an excellent cross-section of La Follette alumni and friends, Russell says, with some who just graduated in May to others who have been in involved with public affairs for 30 years. In addition to Montgomery, alumni who plan to participate include graduates from 1979, 1982, 1985, 1996 and 2008. Joining them are two graduates of the professional development seminar the La Follette School offers to mid-career women in public affairs in a partnership with the nonprofit organization Wisconsin Women in Government.

Several work for the State of Wisconsin. One, who just completed a dual degree in law and public affairs, is an attorney with a Madison law firm. Another handles marketing for an engineering firm. Two are based at the University of Wisconsin, working in community development and mental health.

“The range of backgrounds our alumni and friends are bringing to the speed-networking is impressive,” Russell says. “A La Follette School degree can take a person in many directions.”

The session is 5:30-8 p.m. in Grainger Hall. For information, contact Russell at .

— posted March 23, 2009

Flood symposium to help communities avoid devastation

Two national experts will join more than a dozen Wisconsin researchers and government officials in April in Madison at a symposium organized by the La Follette School to help Wisconsin communities avoid devastating floods like those that inundated the Midwest last year.

Gerry Galloway, of the University of Maryland, and Ray Burby, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will highlight the symposium From Sandbags to Sanity: The Policy Implications of the Midwest Floods of 2008 to be held Monday, April 20, at the Monona Terrace convention center, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Galloway led the White House report on the 1993 floods that broke the record for flood damages in the 20th century and awakened Wisconsin and the nation to the continuing threat floods pose. More than 50 people died in 1993 and $15 billion dollars of damage were suffered in that event, including along the Black River and Mississippi River in Wisconsin.

Galloway is to speak about lessons from that disaster, as well as his study of international flooding, to explain ways that local, state and federal governments can work closely to reduce flood damages and enhance the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains

Burby will present a set of principles for government programs to persuade homeowners to retrofit their dwellings to reduce the risk of flood damage. He is to present a case study from the “My Safe Florida Home” program as an example.

Conference organizer professor Donald Moynihan, a nationally recognized emergency management expert, says the symposium will help Wisconsin communities and the state improve policies and crisis response related to flooding emergencies like those experienced last year, causing millions in damage and turning more than 30 counties into designated disaster areas.

“During Wisconsin’s floods in 2008, local emergency responses and recovery practices varied widely,” Moynihan says. “By sharing what has and has not worked in similar occurrences around the country and by considering ways to standardize responses, Wisconsin communities can react more efficiently and take steps to prevent damage.”

The April 20 symposium will put current information in the hands of local and state policymakers. “With better information about hydrology to climate change and intergovernmental collaboration, practitioners can decide what is best for their communities,” Moynihan adds.

“By sharing the most recent research insights into crisis management and floodplains, we can help state policymakers and local government officials better prepare for and respond to the type of flooding and related catastrophes that Wisconsin experienced in 2008,” Moynihan says. “The symposium and the networks we develop will build a solid platform for launching useful and important interaction on multiple levels of government across the state when collaboration is necessary to address a crisis.”

The project is funded by the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment, which supports projects that advance the Wisconsin Idea through collaborations with communities and outside organizations. Additional support is being provided by the Water Resources Institute and the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The symposium will enhance a report by the Wisconsin Recovery Task Force and the work of a special legislative committee on emergency management headed by Sen. Robert Jauch (D-Poplar) and Rep. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan).

The daylong conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required and limited to 150. To register, call Bridget Pirsch at 608-265-2658 or e-mail her at . The deadline is Wednesday, April 15. For more information on the conference, contact Terry Shelton, 608-262-3038, .

Flood Threat Rises in Area, March 25, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal

Moynihan receives $50,000 research fellowship, February 25, 2009, La Follette School News

Moynihan wins grant for symposium on flood prevention in Wisconsin, February 3, 2009, La Follette School News

— posted March 20, 2009; updated April 7, 2009

Alum fills S. Korea’s finance post

Since becoming head of South Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance in February, Yoon Jeung-hyun has been busy. The 1986 graduate of the Center for Development oversees the direction and coordination of major economic policies, creation of fiscal policies, formulation of the budget and management of the treasury, in addition to playing a major role in international finance and international economic cooperation.

The global economic crisis creates problems for South Korea, and Yoon starts his job when South Korea’s economy is contracting. In his inaugural address, Yoon noted that governments around the world have taken swift action to counter the global economic downturn and strengthen international coordination. “Despite such global efforts, uncertainties in the global financial markets have continued to exist, and the global economic downturn is likely to persist for a long period of time,” Yoon said.

Yoon joined what was then the Ministry of Finance in 1971. During the 1990s, he led initiatives to improve the transparency of financial transactions, to formulate the government plan for capital market liberalization and to carry out tax reform efforts. He oversaw the major government policies on banking, insurance, securities and foreign currency regimes. From 1999 to 2004, he served as executive director at the Asian Development Bank, then became chair of the Financial Services Commission, South Korea’s leading financial regulator. He was senior advisor to South Korean law firm Kim & Chang and served on the president’s economic transition committee.

The Center for Development became part of the La Follette School of Public Affairs in summer 1999.

— posted March 20, 2009; updated March 23, 2009

Policy journal to publish student paper

A paper a La Follette School student wrote for the state and local government finance course is to be published in a journal this spring.

Public affairs student Lauren Benditt wrote the paper for professor Andrew Reschovsky and then submitted a revision to PolicyMatters Journal, a public policy research journal and blog published by students at the University of California at Berkeley. Now in the editing process, the article is to be published May 8.

Benditt’s paper looks at Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that amended California’s constitution to define marriage to apply only to opposite-sex couples and to eliminate same-sex couples’ right to marry. Benditt situates her discussion in the context of California’s structural budget deficit and why the Legislature has not addressed the problem. “I discuss the fiscal implications of legalizing same-sex marriage in California and explain how Proposition 8 eliminated a stable revenue source  primarily from increased sales tax revenues, funds the state could have used to help alleviate the deficit,” Benditt says.

She suggests that if opponents of Proposition 8 had framed the issue in terms of the economy instead of civil rights, voters might have defeated the measure. “The economy was the most important issue for voters in 2008,” she notes.

Benditt recommends Reschovsky’s state and local government finance course. “In general, I feel like I have a much better understanding of the tenuous position of state and local governments given the current state of the economy, why state budget deficits are such a big problem, and how to analyze tax policy to best address these issues,” she says.

Benditt is to graduate in May with a master of public affairs degree. Her long-term plans include pursuing a Ph.D. in history and teaching at a university, perhaps ending up in higher education administration.

— posted March 20, 2009

Students organizing roundtables on environment, lobbying, food policy, nonprofits

Four days in April will feature speakers addressing environmental policy, lobbying, food policy and nonprofit organizations in a series of morning roundtables organized by La Follette School students. Upcoming topics or speakers are:

• Thursday, April 2: Environmental policy. Paul Meier, associate scientist with the University of Wisconsin–Madison Energy Institute, will discuss biodiesel as an alternative energy source
• Thursday, April 9: Lobbying. Tommy Winkler, assistant administrator, Ethics and Accountability Division, Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, and 2007 alum, will explore lobbying in Wisconsin. Background reading:
  Comprehensive overhaul of ethics, lobbying laws considered in Wisconsin and
  Wisconsin firms hire lobbyists to navigate stimulus requests
  
• Wednesday, April 22, 4 p.m.: Food policy. Professor Sean Cash from the Department of Consumer Science will help to facilitate a student-centered discussion on the nexus between federal agricultural, food, and nutrition policies. Background reading: Vilsack says USDA Must Serve Eaters as well as Farmers, Washington Post, February 9, 2009.
  
• Thursday, April 30, 9 a.m.: Nonprofit organizations. Jeanan Yasiri, director of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Center for Nonprofits

The roundtables are usually 9-10 a.m. in the La Follette School conference room, though the April 22 session will be at 4 p.m. The sessions facilitate informal student conversation, over bagels and coffee, about a range of contemporary policy issues, regardless of a student’s curricular focus field.

“An invited faculty or staff member joins us for the hour to give some background on the issue and to answer questions,” says Lilly Shields, who handles overall roundtable organizing and is pursuing a dual degree in public affairs and law. “The specific format depends on the guest and the student participants; sometimes it is more of a Q&A, and sometimes the hour is spent as a conversation throwing around ideas about the future of policy in a specific field.”

In the fall, policy groups sponsored discussion and outings, but this spring individual students While last term each discussion was sponsored by a policy groups, this term individual students came forward to the sessions. Continuing students will evaluate the best way to coordinate and facilitate round table discussions next year.

A session on March 5 featured Scott Anderson from the Wisconsin Council of Churches and a discussion of religion and policy.

On February 26, La Follette School director Carolyn Heinrich and students explored conditional cash transfer programs, which are an important economic and policy tool to address poverty, inequality and human capital development in both developing and developed countries. “Along with learning more about the specifics of these types of programs, we talked about the implementation and evaluation challenges of trying to do policy work in developing countries like Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, etc.,” Shields says. “It was a great way to kick off our roundtable discussions for this term.”

— posted March 19, 2009; updated March 23, March 24, April 6, April 14, 2009

La Follette School study shows family income does not dictate admission to the University of Wisconsin–Madison

New research shows that the University of Wisconsin–Madison is not letting a family’s income determine whether the campus admits a freshman.

“Our analysis demonstrates that the University of Wisconsin–Madison remains accessible to students from different socio-economic groups,” says economist and public affairs scholar Barbara (Bobbi) Wolfe. “Wisconsin policymakers can take heart that potential freshmen from low-income families are continuing to apply to the University of Wisconsin–Madison and are not being denied admission on the basis of their family income.”

Concern has been expressed around the United States that higher education is becoming less accessible. “Nationally, the percentage of college students from families in the top income bracket has been increasing faster than students from the bottom bracket,” says political scientist and public affairs scholar John Witte. “The good news is that the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s admissions process is not becoming more elite in terms of income, even as it has become more selective.”

Wolfe and Witte released their research in the La Follette Policy Report. The spring issue focuses on access to higher education and the importance of a college degree for a worker to command higher wages. A longer version is available as part of La Follette School Working Paper No. 2009-005.

Because family income is not recorded on student applications to the university, Witte and Wolfe worked with the campus Applied Population Laboratory to match census data to applications going back to 1972. They adjusted the census data from 1980, 1990 and 2000 to approximate family income for each application year (no names were attached to the information) and converted everything to 2006 dollars. Wolfe and Witte divided their sample into Wisconsin residents, Minnesota residents and residents from all other 48 states to account for the three tuition rates Badgers pay.

Wolfe and Witte look at median family income, relative family income and admission rates over time. “The families of Wisconsin applicants have incomes that are 1.2 to 1.3 percent higher than the state average, while the income for Minnesota applicants is 1.5 times greater than that state’s average,” Wolfe says. “In addition, people applying from outside Wisconsin and Minnesota tend to be from wealthier families, with family incomes of 1.8 to 2.5 times the average national income. The pattern in Wisconsin did not change over the entire period we studied; we find no evidence that applicants are now coming from higher up in Wisconsin’s income distribution.”

What’s more, Witte adds, is that while the relative family incomes of Wisconsin and Minnesota applicants have stayed flat, “the income of out-of-state applicants has increased considerably over time relative to median national income.”

But in the end, family income does not dictate admission, Witte says. “Comparisons of real and relative family incomes of admitted students versus rejected students show that a family’s income does not systematically influence whether the University of Wisconsin–Madison admits a student.”

On Campus: Study finds income doesn't influence who gets into University of Wisconsin–Madison, April 17, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal

Study: Family income does not dictate UW-Madison admission, April 16, 2009, University of Wisconsin–Madison news release

— posted March 18, 2009; updated April 16, April 17, 2009

Experts explore effects of stimulus bill in fight against poverty

Three La Follette School faculty members and two faculty affiliates discussed what the federal economic stimulus bill will do to fight poverty, educate people and improve public health in an Institute for Research on Poverty panel discussion.

Professor Timothy Smeeding, IRP director, introduced the participants in the March 5 session. Faculty affiliate Daniel R. Meyer, School of Social Work, commented on the bill’s cash and noncash transfer programs. He noted the stimulus bill continues policies that affect low-income families, such as providing work supports rather than aid to nonworkers. It also provide important increases in benefits, including unemployment, a one-time payment to Social Security recipients and higher food stamp benefits.

Faculty affiliate Sara Goldrick-Rab, departments of Education Policy Studies and Sociology, lauded President Obama's new emphasis on higher education as essential to escaping poverty. She noted that more than half of the $100 billion earmarked for new education funding will go to keeping schools open in communities where housing crisis has cut the property tax base.

As for health care, La Follette School professor Pamela Herd noted that about one-fifth of the stimulus package is for broadly construed health and health care, about half of which is to keep the public health insurance system going, mainly through increased Medicaid funding. Herd noted that the broader context of Obama’s health care plan is twofold: expand coverage and control costs.

La Follette School professor Andrew Reschovsky presented a synopsis of how the federal stimulus bill influenced the State of Wisconsin’s education budget, noting that federal stimulus funds will support poverty-related programs and special education, and that this budget has no increase in equalization aid, unlike in past years.

More details about the panel discussion are available in IRP's Fast Focus for March 2009

Panel studies stimulus' effect on poverty, March 6, 2009, Badger Herald

— posted March 16, 2009

Professors comment on economy, federal actions, effects on governments

The government's short-term involvement with the banking system had to happen, professor Menzie Chinn tells the Wausau (Wisconsin) Daily Herald: "'a short-term nationalization to clean up balance sheets and then reprivatize is essentially what has to happen,' Chinn said. 'Keeping those banks in government hands and directing lending over a long period is another matter, and something nobody is proposing.'" The newspaper interviewed him and several other economists about the economy and actions by the federal government. "According to Chinn, taking no significant federal action on the stimulating economy was 'not politically tenable — we'd be hurtling toward 25 percent unemployment.'"

Although the federal economic stimulus plan will provide substantial funds to local school districts, the fact that state aid will not grow might lead school boards to consider increasing property taxes to maintain education quality, Andrew Reschovsky tells the Wisconsin State Journal. "'School boards that are making these decisions will be, if anything, under a lot of pressure to lower property taxes,' Reschovsky said. 'Districts, particularly, property-poor districts, will get a lot of push back to lower property taxes.' "Districts would be under even more pressure without the federal stimulus money, he said."

As for the state budget, Reschovsky says, lack of raises for state employees coupled with increases in health insurance premiums and retirement costs could hurt Madison's economy, since workers will have to save or spend less. "'Cutting back on spending has a multiplier effect,'" he told the State Journal in February, adding that without the federal stimulus bill, state budget cuts would be much larger.

No crystal ball: What if there were no bailouts, big spending?, March 15, 2009, Wausau Daily Herald

Stimulus can't solve schools' shortfalls, March 8, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal

State workers feeling pain of budget shortfall, February 21, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal

— posted March 16, 2009; revised March 18, 2009

Economist outlines qualities of good entrepreneur

Levels of education and startup capital are the most important determinants of a successful entrepreneur, according to a California economist who gave a special briefing in March to more than a dozen Wisconsin local and state economic development officers and business representatives.

Rob Fairlie, a professor of economics at the University of California at Santa Cruz, says that the most successful business owners have a college education and usually graduate studies, plus they have $100,000 from informal sources, including loans from family, friends and themselves.  

Other major factors influencing success include whether a new business owner has worked in some sort of family business and whether he or she has any experience in the new business' field.

“If you’re going to open a restaurant, it’s good to have restaurant experience,” says Fairlie, whose visit was sponsored by the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy.

Among the briefing's attendees were representatives of regional economic groups such as New North from the Fox Valley and Thrive in Dane County, as well as representatives from universities, state agencies and entrepreneurship networks around the state.

Attending were Terry Whipple, 7 Rivers Region; Susan Gleason, Thrive; Sandra Beccue, Wisconsin Innovation Service Center; Russ Kashian, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater; Bill Dougan, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater; Ashwini Rao, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network; Gayle Kugler, Small Business Development Center; Greg Wise, University of Wisconsin–Extension; Barb Fleisner, Centergy; Shelly Harkins, Wisconsin Department of Commerce; Linda Clark, Xcel Energy; Bob O’Donnell, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh Small Business Development Center; and Doug Bradley, Office of Corporate Relations, University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Fairlie highlighted results of his studies, including his report called the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, 1996-2007, and agreed to stay in touch with the group.

Fairlie also gave two public lectures while he was visiting. He spoke at the La Follette School on March 10 about “Immigrant Entrepreneurs” and at the Institute for Research on Poverty on March 12 about “The Effects of Home Computers on Educational Outcomes: Evidence from a Field Experiment with Low-Income Community College Students.”

The La Follette School of Public Affairs Outreach Office coordinated the logistics for his visit, the third in a speakers series that brings an international perspective on public policies to Wisconsin. The last speaker is John Micklewright, professor of social statistics and policy analysis, University of Southampton, United Kingdom, speaks at noon on Tuesday, March 31, at the La Follette School's seminar series. His talk is titled “Does Charitable Giving for International Development Differ from Giving for Donkey Welfare?”

— posted March 13, 2009

La Follette students attend law and life sciences conference

Three neuroscience and public policy students learned more about emerging issues shaping law, health and biomedical research at the “What's Next in Law, Health & the Life Sciences? Debating Openness, Access & Accountability” conference in Minneapolis on March 6.

Patric Hernandez, Lindsay Pascal and Ismael Amarreh heard key national speakers address legal, social and ethical issues in environmental, genomic and neuroscience research. “We learned about current management and structural issues facing centers working on the societal implications of biomedicine,” Pascal says. “We also spoke with a range of researchers, policymakers and attorneys in a setting that maximized communication between the ethical, legal and science sectors.”

The conference was part of the University of Minnesota’s Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment and Life Sciences.

Started in 2005, the neuroscience and public policy dual-degree program is a joint initiative of the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Neuroscience Training Program. “In addition to mastering research skills, students gain necessary policy analysis and management skills as policymakers or as scientists who inform governmental agencies,” says La Follette School student services coordinator Mary Cate Treleven. They learn to collaborate with policymakers to apply neuroscience research in the design of public policy in health, education, welfare, security and the environment. The students also explore how to communicate research discoveries to the public.

The program consists of an integrated mix of coursework, laboratory rotations, seminars and Ph.D. research. Students complete a core curriculum in molecular / cellular and systems neuroscience, policy analysis and public management. Students earn a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience and a master of public affairs degree, typically in five years.

“It’s important for neuroscientists to be familiar with public policy in order to better approach and understand the United State’s growing challenges regarding science and biotechnology policy,” Pascal says. “By developing our management and policy analysis skills at La Follette, we will be able to effectively navigate the policy world and influence science policies and legislation.”

— posted March 13, 2009; updated March 16, 2009

Administrative law expert shares findings with Wisconsin policymakers

Representatives of four state agencies learned about the latest research on traditions and changes of administrative law from one of the world’s leading academics in February.

Francesca Bignami of George Washington University Law School led the informal discussion on privacy law, administrative law, and rights and accountability in global governance during the breakfast held in downtown Madison.

Bignami, who was at Duke University from 2000-2008, specializes in the law of the European Union and comparative public law. Her visit was sponsored by the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy.

Bignami was curious about the roles Wisconsin’s administrative lawyers and judges play and learned most are attorneys who do a variety of work, from making original rulings to handling appeals, hearings and legal interpretation. Some work for multiple departments, including Corrections, Workforce Development, Natural Resources. Others work with the Joint Legislative Council, a service agency that handles a variety of duties, including research and analysis, for the Assembly and Senate.

“The exchange was interesting for both sides,” says Terry Shelton, outreach director of the La Follette School.

Those attending were: Steve Wickland, Department Commerce; Richard Sweet and Ron Sklansky, Joint Legislative Council; Dan Graff and Joan Burns, Department of Natural Resources; and Cheryl Daniels, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Also attending was professor Susan Yackee of the La Follette School.

Bignami also spoke at a special La Follette School Seminar at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Law School, addressing on “Toward Adversarial Legalism in the European Union? Evidence from Data Privacy Regulation.”

Her visit was the second in a speakers series that brings an international perspective on public policies to Wisconsin. The last speaker is John Micklewright, professor of social statistics and policy analysis, University of Southampton, United Kingdom, speaks at noon on Tuesday, March 31, at the La Follette School's seminar series. His talk is titled "Does Charitable Giving for International Development Differ from Giving for Donkey Welfare?"

— posted March 13, 2009; updated March 16, 2009

Student suggests improvements to program to make college more affordable

Increasing college enrollment of low-income students requires more state funding, a La Follette School student and her co-author argue in a brief prepared for the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education.

La Follette School student Beth Stransky and Annalee Good wrote the initial analysis for the public affairs course Introduction to Policy Analysis taught by Pamela Herd in fall 2008. Stransky completed a master’s degree in educational policy studies in the School of Education in 2006 and plans to complete her master of public affairs in 2009. Stransky is a project assistant with Wiscape, while Good is a doctoral student with the university’s Department of Educational Policy Studies.

They analyzed the Wisconsin Covenant program, which guarantees a seat at one of the state’s colleges or universities to students who promise in eighth grade to maintain a B average and take classes to prepare them for college prep. “In return, the state gives students a framework for what they must do to remain eligible for college admission,” Stransky says. “Students and their families can attend workshops on college preparation, visit campuses and receive assistance with applying for financial aid. This can go a long way in filling the information gap for families and students not familiar with the college application process.”

Yet the state of Wisconsin can do more by using state dollars to provide scholarships to qualified, low-income Wisconsin Covenant participants, Stransky says. Significant private funds have been set aside to provide scholarships to low-income students, though not enough to make aid available to all eligible students, and the public has no input as to how the funds will be allocated.

Wisconsin should use state funds to create scholarships for low-income students beyond what Wisconsin and the federal government currently offer, Stransky and Good say, similar to a program in Indiana. “That kind of funding will provide students, families, the higher education system and the state with the highest levels of efficiency and equity,” Stransky says, “and improve the chances of encouraging students who otherwise wouldn’t be college-bound.”

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle started the Wisconsin Covenant program in 2006, and, as the Wisconsin State Journal reports, his budget identified $25 million for it, creating a placeholder for future budget cycles without spending or allocating any money for the current budget that ends in June 2011. “This placeholder is a good first step and will hopefully translate into real funding in the next budget cycle” Stransky says.

Money for Wisconsin Covenant promised but not yet delivered, February 28, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal

State urged to fund Covenant, January 23, 2009, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Study Wisconsin Covenant should include state aid, January 21, 2009, Chicago Tribune

— posted March 12, 2009

Political journalist to be public affairs writer in residence

Jeanne Cummings, the chief lobbying and influence reporter for Politico.com, will be the spring public affairs writer in residence March 22-26.

"Cummings is a frequent panelist on Washington Week," says outreach director Terry Shelton, who coordinates the program, "and a very incisive and perceptive writer and reporter. She has covered politics at every level, from state and local governments to five presidential campaigns."

In recent years, Cummings has focused on tracking money and politics. Her coverage has ranged from documenting the rise of well-financed independent political organizations to dissecting presidential candidate fundraising to tracking a wave of new companies opening lobbying shops in Washington. Politico.com recruited her from The Wall Street Journal’s Washington bureau, which she joined in 1997 as a political reporter. She moved to the White House beat a year later and won the 2000 Aldo Beckman Memorial Award, the highest honor for daily White House correspondents, for her coverage of the Clinton administration. She also earned a journalism award at the Journal for her part in covering the Enron scandal and its connections to the Bush administration.

— posted March 10, 2009

La Follette School officials share advice for legislators

Legislators around the Midwest and Canada are taking in advice given by Dennis Dresang and Terry Shelton in an article on New Year’s resolutions they penned for the Council of State Governments–Midwest newsletter this winter.

As part of the La Follette School’s outreach mission, Dresang and Shelton teach and coordinate the council’s annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development that brings about 30 legislators from 11 states and three Canadian provinces to Madison for intensive leadership and professional development training.

The two had this advice for legislators seeking to make good public policy:

• Avoid AIDS: Arrogance, Ignorance and Denial Syndrome.
• Remember one of your core competencies as a legislator is the power to convene.
• Establish a safe or neutral place where decisions can be made for the future without fear of the present.
• Prepare a way to parse resources.
• Learn to tell stories about the issues.
• Do your homework.
• Organize to achieve your agenda.
• Avoid seat-of-the-pants decisions.
• Partner with public and private universities, nonprofits, tech colleges and other quiet voices.
• Get a routine.
• Be curious and bold.
• Practice humility, including admitting mistakes.

Dresang is professor emeritus at the La Follette School, and Shelton is outreach director.

A legislator's guide to New Year's resolutions, Winter 2009 Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development Alumni Newsletter

— posted March 10, 2009

Moynihan journal article wins award

A 2008 paper professor Donald Moynihan published in Public Administration Review has won the 2009 Joseph Wholey Scholarship Performance Award from the American Society for Public Administration. The article,  "Measuring How Administration Shapes Citizenship: A Policy Feedback Perspective on Performance Management," argues that performance management systems should focus on citizenship outcomes and provide suggestions for measuring such outcomes.

ASPA gives the Wholey award for outstanding scholarship on performance in public and nonprofit organizations. The authors must provide a significant contribution to advancing knowledge in a scholarly journal about the development, implementation, use and impact of performance measurement. Preference is given to work that is relevant to the broad public administration community and of interest to practitioners and academicians.

Moynihan wrote the article with political science Ph.D. student Amber Wichowsky. A copy is available through the La Follette School Working Paper Series. 

— posted March 6, 2009

Professor, alum, affiliates to speak at April bioethics forum

La Follette School professor Gregory Nemet and faculty affiliate Tracey Holloway will address international governance and sustainable energy with colleague Paul Wilson at the International Bioethics Forum: Sustainability April 23-24. Their panel discussion will focus on the global energy system and explore prospects for a more meaningful approach to improving its sustainability.

1995 alum Tom Eggert, an environmental policy specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and a University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Business lecturer, will address the role of the business community in creating infrastructure and markets for the world 4 billion people who live on less than $2 a day. Faculty affiliate Jonathan Patz and fellow panelists will share perspectives from their faith communities.

— posted February 26, 2009

Herd shares ideas for protection of Social Security

Social Security has proven to be good public policy in light of the current economic woes in the United States, professor Pamela Herd says, yet some women fare better than others in terms of benefits they receive. In some cases, policy hurts the most vulnerable of Social Security recipients. Herd shares the story of her 67-year-old mother and her research findings with the University of Wisconsin–Madison news service in "Social Security expert: Modest changes may offer more protection."

— posted February 26, 2009

Wiley anticipates breakthroughs from collaborative research center

Professor John Wiley expects a new University of Wisconsin–Madison research center to produce exciting advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology, he said at a Wisconsin Innovation Network luncheon. In addition to teaching a La Follette School course on science and public policy, the former chancellor is interim director of the public half of the new center, Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. The collaborative and interdisciplinary research facility is to open in about 20 months.

Backers see Institutes for Discovery as 'cauldron' for research, February 24, 2009, WisBusiness.com

— posted February 26, 2009

Moynihan receives $50,000 research fellowship

Associate professor Donald Moynihan is one of nine University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty who have received a $50,000 Romnes Faculty Fellowship. Moynihan plans to use the funding to support ongoing research on the organizational aspects of crisis response and the use of performance information in government.

The awards are given by the Graduate School and funded by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation to recognize excellence among faculty members who have attained tenure within the prior four years.

In addition, Moynihan received an honorable mention and a $1,000 prize for a collaboration teaching case and simulation competition that was part of the Maxwell School of Syracuse University's Collaborative Governance Initiative. His case was called "Collaboration Amid Crisis: The Department of Defense During Hurricane Katrina."

Earlier this year, Moynihan won a Baldwin grant and is in the process of organizing a symposium to explore ways to improve Wisconsin policies related to flooding emergencies like those experienced in 2008, when local crisis response and recovery practices varied widely.

Moynihan studies the application of organization theory to public management issues, such as crisis management, performance, homeland security, election administration and employee behavior. Georgetown University Press published his book, "The Dynamics of Performance Management," in 2008. He earned his Ph.D. from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in 2002.

Nine professors receive 2009 Romnes Faculty Fellowships, February 25, 2009, University of Wisconsin–Madison News

Moynihan wins grant for symposium on flood prevention in Wisconsin, February 3, 2009, La Follette School News

— posted February 26, 2009

Rotary trip to India gives student insight on U.S. public affairs

Second-year student Gail Kiles Krumenauer got a new perspective on her career interests in the intersection of local economic development and domestic social policy.

She spent about four weeks traveling the region around the cities of Mumbai and Pune in India as part of a Rotary International Group Study Exchange in January and February. The Rotary program puts together a small group of young professionals to visit another country and learn how their vocations are practiced there. They tour cultural and historical sites, live with host families, give presentations about their district in the United States and attend social events.

After going to school full time for three semesters and working 30 hours a week, Krumenauer welcomed the opportunity to travel and sample different cultures. “I wanted to have a different experience that wasn’t work- or school-related,” she says. “Every day in India I could experience public policy issues relevant to my degree, but with a new twist. We saw so much and met so many people during those four weeks. We were busy 16 hours every day, but it was exhilarating.”

Krumenauer says she has a new appreciation for how programs do and do not work in the United States. One comparative experience came when Krumenauer and her teammates participated in a campaign to prevent polio. “One mother pulled up on her scooter, child in lap, and just let us, perfect strangers, administer a vaccine to her child on the roadside of a slum.” One member of Krumenauer’s group teammate took the vaccines onto a train during the 10-minute layover at the station to dispense the vaccine. “That could never happen in the United States,” says Krumenauer, who will graduate in May with a master of public affairs. The endeavor to eradicate polio, financed in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a core mission of Rotary International.

With Krumenauer’s interests in social policy and economic development, visits to a health clinic, water sanitation facility and an orphanage “fell right in step with my interests,” Krumenauer says. The clinic illustrated what the private sector can do to aid the poor. “On the one hand, this clinic provides lasik surgery to correct vision, a optional procedure that people pay for,” Krumenauer says. “Then the same clinic offers free cataract surgeries on weekends. The hospital underwrites all expenses to transport people from villages as far as 100 kilometers away, including their meals and recovery stay.”

“Overall, the sense of corporate social responsibility in India really stood out to me,” Krumenauer says. “Granted, the poverty rates there far exceed ours, but with that the Indian culture seems to carry a strong sense that ‘we’re all in this together,’ and that drives an obligation to pull up the economically disadvantaged, through health, employment and education initiatives. In addition, the business community does not and cannot wait for or depend upon government action; both business and social entrepreneurs take the lead in creating positive change for their communities.

Krumenauer found her La Follette School training came in handy during many of the study group’s meetings, helping her talk shop, for example, with Pune University’s chancellor, who used to work for the World Bank. They discussed the world recession and economic recovery. They also met with Pune’s chief information officer. “He has the most difficult job in the world; trying to make an organized system of accounting for people and infrastructure development in a generally bustling and chaotic place.”

“Throughout the trip, I could see how my time at La Follette enhanced the entire experience, Krumenauer says. “Every day our team was put on the spot to answer pointed questions about our society, ranging from the economy to our education system. My coursework absolutely helped me to give more insightful and informed answers about the foundations and mechanics underlying our policies and governance practices.”

“Another incredible perspective came from staying in India during our presidential inauguration. To see the excitement and admiration for President Obama was inspiring. It was a unique patriotic experience.”

— posted February 23, 2009

School offers students prize for top science, public policy paper

Thanks to a generous donation to the La Follette School, students can compete for a $250 prize for the best paper in the area of science and public policy. Professors teaching La Follette School courses in 2008-09 can nominate a paper (which can be co-authored), and a selection committee will make the award at the end of the academic year.

The award, the Piore Prize for Best Paper in Science and Public Policy, is named for Emanuel R. Piore and Nora Kahn Piore, who left a bequest to the La Follette School of Public Affairs.

“We are very pleased that our graduate students have this opportunity to be recognized for the quality of their work,” says director Carolyn Heinrich. “The Piore Prize highlights the growing importance of the field of science and public policy.”

Dr. Emanuel R. Piore was a research physicist who marshaled federal dollars for scientific research and helped IBM develop a new generation of digital computers. With bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in physics from the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Piore joined IBM in 1956 as director of research. He was a vice president and chief scientist at the company from 1965 to 1972. Just after World War II, Dr. Piore became the first civilian to head the Office of Naval Research, and eventually became the office's chief scientist and helped establish the National Science Foundation. When he retired, the Navy gave him the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, its highest civilian award.

After his retirement from IBM, the Lithuanian-born Dr. Piore was an adjunct professor at Rockefeller University, a member of the New York City Board of Higher Education and the chairman of the New York City Hall of Science, of which he was the founding president. Dr. Piore served on the Science Advisory Committees of presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. He served as a board member of the American Institute of Physics and the National Research Council.

Nora Kahn Piore was a New York economist and health policy expert. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa in economics in 1933 from the University of Wisconsin, where she received an M.A. in economics a year later. During her long career, Mrs. Piore was a union organizer and supervisor of education for union members; a research economist for a Senate subcommittee dealing with health legislation; a special economic assistant in the New York City Health Department; and head of a joint project with Hunter College that analyzed the economics of health initiatives in President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society program.

Dr. and Mrs. Piore passed away in 2000.

For more on the prize's criteria and other information, contact director Carolyn Heinrich, .

— posted February 19, 2009; updated February 25, 2009

Heinrich shares thoughts on economic stimulus package

An extension of unemployment benefits and funding for worker training should be one of the immediate benefits of the federal economic stimulus package, La Follette School of Public Affairs director Carolyn Heinrich said on the Madison television show For the Record on Channel 3 on February 16.

The package includes clear directives in the stimulus bill, Heinrich says, such as the focus on infrastructure, which will benefit men who are encountering higher rates of unemployment than women. USA Today reported in January that the jobless rate for men reached 7.2 percent for men, compared to 5.9 percent for women, who tend to hold jobs that are more stable (and pay less). The federal funds for infrastructure projects should help younger men in particular, Heinrich says.

The emphasis on infrastructure will contribute to private-sector job creation, Heinrich adds, as a mechanism for investing in ways that move the country and the economy forward, rather than creating make-work jobs. The stimulus package includes funding for worker training. "The latest numbers showed a doubling of the investment we have made. Now that is because in part we have been deinvesting in the past," Heinrich says. Private-sector employers provide most worker training, Heinrich says, but publicly provided training for low-skilled workers is essential, as they are least likely to have employers that offer job-training opportunities to workers.

"We've underinvested for quite a while in job-skills training, and we underinvest compared to other industrialized economies," Heinrich says. "Our emphasis has been to quickly push people into jobs, but we realize that is short-sighted, because the payoffs are longer term and stronger for more substantial investments in individuals."

"The United States has been doing better in anticipating needs of employers as well as matching workers to jobs in growing employment sectors," Heinrich says. Long-term investments in training will improve U.S. productivity.

Heinrich notes that Americans have lost confidence in the private sector and now are looking to the government in a different way. She is encouraged by the administration's pledge to be open so that people know where the money is going, which will help to restore confidence. This is a good opportunity to study public policy and its effects to learn where resources can best be used. "Because states are going to have a big role in this, it gives us opportunity to look across the variation in states in how they respond. Circumstances are very different across the way in Michigan and other places, but that gives us a great amount of information to learn from this experience and hopefully form better policy moving forward."

Laura Dresser, associate director of the university's Center on Wisconsin Strategy, also appeared on the show, which is hosted by Neil Heinen.

For the Record: Stimulating Wisconsin, February 16, 2009, News 3 WISC-TV

— posted February 17, 2009; updated February 18, February 26, 2009

Students lining up to take polar plunge

For the third year in a row, La Follette School students, plus a couple of alumni and friends, will be taking jumping into Lake Monona on Saturday, February 21, to raise money for Special Olympics Wisconsin. As of Thursday afternoon, the team had exceeded its $1,100 fund-raising goal by $500. The team would appreciate people turning out to cheer them on — their plunge is scheduled for 12:18 p.m. "Thanks to all those who have supported us!!" says team captain Rebecca McAtee.

The team includes Holly Bedwell, Joshua Limbaugh, Jennie Mauer, Rebecca McAtee, Sean Moran, Emily Plagman, Holden Weisman, Scott Williams and Brian Zweifel. In addition, La Follette School student Mike Schultz and his roommate are taking the plunge. The event is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Olin Turville Park. Pledges can be made online.

Students raise $3,441 for Special Olympics, February 25, 2008, La Follette School News

— posted February 17, 2009; updated February 19, 2009

Alumni, students gathering for happy hour

Madison-area alumni and students are meeting for happy hour on Tuesday, February 17, the first of what is hoped to become a regular gathering.

“Some of us alumni were talking about how we should get together more often,” says 2008 grad Jennie Mauer. “Especially after the reception for alumni and friends, when we had a chance to talk with current students and other alumni, we really wanted to get a regular gathering started.”

“The monthly happy hours organized by the La Follette School Student Association were so enjoyable, and we’re pleased to be able to coordinate with alumni,” says LSSA Social Coordinator Catherine Hall.

Students and alumni will meet Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Genna’s Lounge, 105 West Main Street, though some participants may arrive as early as 4:30 to take full advantage of the happy hour special that runs  until 6:30.

For information on subsequent happy hours, contact Mauer, .

— posted February 16, 2009

Women in Government graduates ninth leadership class

An encouraging address “to make the world better” by Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton capped an intense six-week class on leadership for two dozen women from around the state.

Lawton urged the women, the ninth class of the Wisconsin Women in Government Leadership Seminar, to read widely and critically, seek mentors, set up networks, consider public office and continue their work in shaping policy that promotes good public and private service for citizens of the state.

Lawton made her comments February 10 at the final session, along with remarks from Professor Carolyn Heinrich, director of the La Follette School, which is the academic co-sponsor of the yearly event. Also present — and handing out graduation certificates —were three primary instructors for the class: La Follette Professor Dennis Dresang, former La Follette publications director Alice Honeywell, and Beloit College Professor Georgia Duerst-Lahti.

The women heard from other luminaries during the course, which included discussions on Wisconsin’s political history, organizational culture, gender research, state policy making, presentation skills, writing and leadership.

Offering advice and insights were: Christy Brown, vice chancellor of finance and administrative affairs for the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee; Celia Jackson, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing; Darcy Luoma, director of Senator Herb Kohl’s office; Representative Kitty Rhoades, 30th Assembly District; Mark O’Connell, executive director, Wisconsin Counties Association; Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser; JoAnna Richard, deputy secretary, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Angela Russell, executive assistant, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families; and Jessica Tormey, Government Relations and Communications, University of Wisconsin System.

Participants gave the seminar an overwhelming “thumbs up” in anonymous evaluations.

“I feel more inspired, confident, empowered and full of new ideas in order to succeed in my job and my personal life,” wrote one participant. Another added: “I look forward to utilizing many of the new skills/strategies I’ve learned to enhance my professional and personal life. Thanks again!”

Wisconsin Women in Government funds the graduate seminar through an annual banquet that more than 1,500 state and local elected officials, business leaders, public servants and political enthusiasts attend. WWIG has raised money to support and encourage women to choose a career in government service since 1987, and each year awards scholarships to women pursuing undergraduate and post-graduate study in public service and administration and government affairs.

"The women in this seminar were, like those in previous years, especially able and dedicated,” Dresang says. “It was fun as well as inspirational to work with them."

— posted February 16, 2009

120 turn out for reception, anniversary celebration

More than 60 alumni and friends of the school joined about 60 students, faculty and staff in celebrating the La Follette School of Public Affairs 25th anniversary on February 5. Alumni caught up with classmates and colleagues. Students chatted with alumni and learned more about the directions a La Follette School degree can lead them. Faculty heard from former students. Recent grads reported that they had recently found jobs or had settled into the positions they started last summer.

"We are so pleased that so many alumni and friends of the school were able to join us and help celebrate our 25th anniversary," says director Carolyn Heinrich. "The enthusiasm and camaraderie shared by classmates and other alumni warmed up all at the gathering."

First-year student Erika Cheng says she enjoyed talking with alumni. "Not only was I able to meet and network with alums, but I also had the opportunity to interact with faculty outside of the classroom, which is always a valuable experience," she says.

While about half of the alumni were from classes that had graduated in 2005 and later, grads from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s also turned out, as did former La Follette School staff members Bonnie Cleary and Mary Woodward. Some alumni are now thinking about holding monthly happy hours.

Several who work in the budget office said they were unexpectedly able to attend because the governor delayed his budget address by a week in hopes that more would be known about the federal stimulus package that Congress is considering.

Career Development Coordinator Mary Russell reports she made some good contacts with alumni regarding leads on jobs and internships for students. "Our alumni value the skills our students bring to the table," Russell says, "and one alum came expressly to ask me about getting in touch with students for positions he knows about."

Opportunities exist in all divisions of the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing for students to perform a wide array of duties, says Tom Ryan, a 1993 graduate who is director of the department's Bureau of Health Professions.

Ryan also appreciates the anniversary celebration. "With the La Follette School turning 25 and La Follette's Weekly [now the Progressive magazine] celebrating its 100th birthday this year, the reception was a great opportunity to reinvigorate the Wisconsin Idea," Ryan says.

Academic year 1983-84 was the first for which the Wisconsin Legislature designated funding for the La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, building on the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration founded in the late 1960s by Clara Penniman, who passed away January 30. The institute became a school in 1999 under the directorship of John Witte. Dennis Dresang was the founding director of the institute.

Directors and Associate Directors

— posted February 5, 2009; updated February 16, 2009

100 people expected at Feb. 5 reception; students plan silent auction

Alumni spanning more than 35 years plan to attend the La Follette School's 25th anniversary celebration on Thursday, February 5. As part of the school's annual reception for alumni and friends, the school is marking 25 years since the Wisconsin Legislature first allocated money to establish what is now the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s school of public affairs.

About 100 people are expected to attend the reception, which is 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Inn on the Park’s Top of the Park, 22 South Carroll Street, on Madison’s Capitol Square. Fifty alumni and friends are expected to take advantage of this chance to network, catch up with classmates, former coworkers and faculty, and talk with students.

Alumni from as far back as 1970s have said they will attend, as well as a number from the 1980s and 1990s. About 25 people who have graduated since 2001 plan to stop by for the cash bar, free hors d'oeuvres and a little birthday cake. Former student services coordinator Bonnie Cleary and former career development coordinator Mary Woodward plan to attend, as do more than 15 current faculty and staff.

“We are looking forward to seeing our alumni and friends of the school, many of whom continue to work with us in a variety of ways,” says school director Carolyn Heinrich. “Faculty and staff appreciate learning more about what our former students are doing.”

The reception is also a great opportunity for alumni to talk with current students and reminisce about classroom challenges, says Andy McGuire, the alumni coordinator for the La Follette School Student Association, which is sponsoring the reception. “The students can learn more from alumni about their career tracks, and of course we like to find out about job and internship possibilities.”

Donations from alumni and friends to the La Follette School fund the reception, and RSVPs help with planning but are not required. To RSVP or to find out more, contact La Follette staff member Karen Faster, (608) 263-7657, .

More than 90 expected at Feb. 5 reception, January 27, 2009, La Follette School News

Alumni, friends enjoy reception, March 5, 2008, La Follette School News

— posted February 4, 2009

Services for Dr. Clara Penniman on Saturday

Professor emeritus Clara Penniman, founder of the La Follette School's precursor, the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration, passed away Friday, January 30, at age 94.

Services will be Saturday, February 7, at 2 p.m. at the Resurrection Chapel in Oakwood Village West, 6209 Mineral Point Road in Madison.

A nationally prominent scholar of taxation and public finance, Penniman started the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration in the late 1960s, serving as its first director. The center grew into today’s Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs.

“Clara was a longtime and generous supporter of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, from its very beginning as the center,” says public affairs professor Karen Holden.

Penniman established the Clara Penniman Fund at the La Follette School in 1998 to support students financially. She also set up the Penniman Prize, which is given at graduation to the graduate student in public affairs who writes the most outstanding paper. The school first gave the prize in 1986, two years after Penniman retired.

What Penniman taught 37 years ago still rings true for 1972 center graduate Peter Detwiler. "Professor Penniman contributed to my professional preparation by taking a chance on a young graduate from a small, West Coast, Catholic, liberal arts college and exposing me to the wonderful diversity, excitement, and opportunity that the Madison campus offered in the early 1970s," Detwiler says. "She also provided a sympathetic ear when I was searching for my professional direction."

Detwiler, now staff director for the California Senate's Local Government Committee, adds that he appreciates Penniman's generosity, including a picnic on her farm property. "Her patient attention helped me cope with the university’s academic expectations and the Midwestern culture shock," he says. "When helping my own students in Sacramento State's master's program in public policy and administration, where I teach part time, I remember how important her time and attention were to me."

After working for the State of Wisconsin for 10 years, Penniman completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Wisconsin–Madison when in her 30s. She returned to UW in 1954 after earning her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota. She became the first woman to serve as chair of the Department of Political Science from 1963-66.

Penniman served on the governor’s Tax Impact Study Committee in 1959 and participated in many policy discussions about the university in the subsequent two decades. She served on the committee that recommended a virtual end to en loco parentis policies in 1968; the governor’s panel that oversaw the 1972 merger of the University of Wisconsin System; and the University Committee with a stint as its first woman chair in 1974, the same year she was named the Oscar Rennebohm Professor of Public Administration.

Clara Penniman played a crucial role in the university merger discussions, say professors Dennis Dresang and John Witte, who hold joint appointments in the La Follette School and Department of Political Science. "Clara Penniman was a very tough negotiator when she was Madison’s representative on the committee that merged the university and state college systems," Witte says. "She had as one of her goals keeping the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation as a Madison entity. In that she was successful."

The alumni associations of the universities of Wisconsin–Madison and Minnesota recognized Penniman for her achievements. She was elected president of the Midwest Political Science Association in 1965; she served as vice president of the American Political Science Association in 1971-1972; and she was elected as fellow of the American Academy of Public Administration in 1974. Penniman was active with the North Central Association of Universities and Colleges, where she reviewed accreditation of colleges and universities. She participated in the League of Women Voters, serving as the Madison chapter’s president from 1956-1958 and on its state board.

Penniman published several books and articles, primarily in the fields of tax administration and public administration, including the 1999 book Madison, An Administration History of Wisconsin’s Capital City 1929-79, co-authored with Paula White.

She is survived by her sister-in-law; three nieces; two nephews; 21 grandnieces and grandnephews; and 12 great-grandnieces and nephews.

Penniman remained interested in the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the university as a whole, Holden says.

“Professor Clara Penniman provided wise and valuable leadership in the founding years of the precursor to the La Follette School of Public Affairs,” says Dresang, who served as associate director and then director of the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration in the late 1970s and early 1980s. “Her commitment to excellence left a legacy that benefits all of us.”

Former University of Wisconsin-Madison scholar Clara Penniman, 94, dies, February 2, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal

— posted February 3, 2009; updated February 4, March 3, 2009

Moynihan wins grant for symposium on flood prevention in Wisconsin

Professor Donald Moynihan has won a prestigious Baldwin grant to organize a symposium to explore ways to improve Wisconsin policies related to flooding emergencies like those experienced in 2008, when local crisis response and recovery practices varied widely. One goal of the symposium will be to provide policymakers with better information on everything from hydrology to climate change and intergovernmental collaboration.

Called “From Sandbags to Sanity: Lessons from the Midwest Floods of 2008,” the symposium will be held Monday, April 20, in Madison and feature national experts, University of Wisconsin–Madison experts and top leaders from state agencies. They will discuss topics ranging from floodplain management to crisis management.

“By sharing the most recent research insights into crisis management and floodplains we can help state policymakers and local government to better prepare for and respond to the type of flooding and related catastrophes that Wisconsin experienced in 2008,” Moynihan says. “The symposium and the networks we develop will build a solid platform for launching useful and important interaction on multiple levels of government across the state.”

The project, also partly funded through the University of Wisconsin–Madison Water Resources Institute and the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy, will match the needs of key policymakers within local and state agencies with a broad range of campus expertise. The seminar, organized by the La Follette School’s Outreach Office, is timed to enhance legislative and executive branch policy originating from the Wisconsin Recovery Task Force and a special legislative committee.

The Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment, now it its seventh year,  funds projects at University of Wisconsin–Madison that directly advance the Wisconsin Idea through collaborations with communities and outside organizations. An eight-member campus committee judge projects on the strength of their ability to address the needs and priorities of external partners.

Moynihan’s flood symposium is one of 14 projects totaling more than $800,000 this year. Other projects include initiatives aimed at getting Wisconsin youth involved in the National Science Olympiad; bringing the restorative power of creating art to UW Hospital patients; making piano instruction affordable for lower-income families; establishing a program to help Wisconsin businesses tap global markets; and helping farm families get involved in small-scale food processing.

Peyton Smith, assistant vice chancellor and chair of the Baldwin endowment, says out of the nearly 100 initial applications submitted in 2008, the final proposals were the strongest yet and featured greater input from community partnerships. "The quality of the proposals continues to get better every year," Smith says. "The projects are more fully developed and there is a greater focus on outcomes. I also think there is more recognition campuswide that the Wisconsin Idea is one of our core values and people are highly motivated to participate."

This is the La Follette School's second Baldwin grant since the program's inception. The 2004-06 project "Wisconsin Style: New Approaches to Regulatory Innovation" brought together legislators, state agencies, environmental groups, business organizations, academics and others to reinvent and create approaches to regulatory reform that draw upon best practices from nations around the world. It featured an international conference in 2005.

Wisconsin Idea Endowment going strong in its seventh year, January 28, 2009, University of Wisconsin–Madison News

— posted February 3, 2009; updated February 25, March 24, 2009

Student’s dinner shares Wisconsin bounty with New Yorkers

A New York City slow-food dinner organized in part by a La Follette School student has garnered press attention from the New York Times, Gourmet and Slow Food USA. Read more …

Students' cost-benefit analysis helps county rethink policy

A proposal for Dane County, Wisconsin, to stop suspending driver licenses for unpaid traffic fines got a boost from a cost-benefit analysis students performed in a La Follette School course.

Students Daniel Bush and Joe Davison and recent Urban and Regional Planning graduate Damon Clark analyzed the results of an experiment the Dane County Clerk of Courts office conducted in fall 2007. They studied the effect of policies involving license suspension, use of a collections agency, or some combination of the two as part of the course PA881 Cost-Benefit Analysis.

"Current policy is to suspend a license, wait 30 days and then send a case to collections," Bush says. "Suspension is an effective way to collect fines, but our analysis suggests that the social cost of suspension may outweigh its benefits."

Ending the suspensions would reduce court caseloads and use fewer police and state resources, the Wisconsin State Journal reported in late January. Division of Motor Vehicles data for 1997-2007 show that nearly half of all Wisconsin license suspension and revocations were for non-payment of fines.

Using research from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Employment and Training Institute, the students estimated that individuals whose licenses were suspended during the experiment lost up to $300 in earnings.

Dane County Clerk of Courts Carlo Esqueda, who commissioned the experiment and referred it to PA881 professor David Weimer, presented the students' analysis to a committee of the Dane County Board on January 27.

Dane County considers not suspending license if fine not paid, January 28, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal

Board seeks improved fine collection approach, January 29, 2009, Badger Herald

— posted January 30, 2009

Public service commissioner to talk with students about career opportunities

La Follette School students can talk with a member of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission about career opportunities in a session on Thursday, February 12.

Lauren Azar, one of three commissioners, will be in the La Follette School conference room at 4 p.m. to talk with students, especially those interested in careers in energy analysis.

"She is especially interested in meeting students in the Energy Analysis Program with public affairs or engineering backgrounds," says professor Greg Nemet, who teaches courses in international environmental policy and energy systems analysis. "The PSC has some looming staffing needs, as well as some interesting cases, coming up over the next year. Students who have taken the course PA809 Energy Analysis and Policy would likely be well prepared for these positions."

The PSC is an independent agency that serves the public interest by regulating Wisconsin public utilities, including those that are municipally owned. Governor Jim Doyle appointed Azar to the PSC in 2007. Prior to her appointment, she worked extensively in the area of electric and water utilities.  As a representative for ratepayers, Azar negotiated power purchase agreements and resolved disputes with utilities. In the utility realm, she worked with the creation of public utilities, and the extension of electric and water services.

— posted January 29, 2009

More than 90 expected at Feb. 5 reception

Nearly 50 alumni and friends of the La Follette School have said they will join students and 15 faculty and staff members on Thursday, February 5, for the school's annual reception and celebration of the 25th anniversary since the Wisconsin Legislature first allocated money to establish what is now the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s school of public affairs.

The reception is 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Inn on the Park’s Top of the Park, 22 South Carroll Street, on Madison’s Capitol Square. More than 50 alumni and friends are expected to take advantage of this chance to network, catch up with classmates, former coworkers and faculty, and talk with students.

Thus far, alumni from as far back as the 1970s have said they will attend, as well as several from the 1990s and more recent classes. Former student services coordinator Bonnie Cleary and former career development coordinator Mary Woodward plan to attend.

“We are looking forward to seeing our alumni and friends of the school, many of whom continue to work with us in a variety of ways,” says school director Carolyn Heinrich. “Faculty and staff appreciate learning more about what our former students are doing.”

The reception is also a great opportunity for alumni to talk with current students and reminisce about classroom challenges, says Andy McGuire, the alumni coordinator for the La Follette School Student Association, which is sponsoring the reception. “The students can learn more from alumni about their career tracks, and of course we like to find out about job and internship possibilities.”

Donations from alumni and friends to the La Follette School fund the reception, and RSVPs help with planning but are not required. To RSVP or to find out more, contact La Follette staff member Karen Faster, (608) 263-7657, .

Alumni, friends enjoy reception, March 5, 2008, La Follette School News

— posted January 27, 2009; last updated February 5, 2009

Student leads high school students through inauguration conference

For Lindsay Read the inauguration was about facilitating discussion. The second-year La Follette School student spent January 17-21 in Washington, D.C., with participants in the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference.

Read and her 25 high school students from around the country heard from former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Vice President Al Gore and South African cleric and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, who gave keynote addresses to the more than 7,000 people at the conference, which is held every four years. Read led the students through the curriculum’s focus on the inauguration, presidential history, elections and voting.

“Those speakers set the stage for the inauguration,” says Read, who plans to head back to Washington this summer to start a job with the Government Accountability Office, where she interned in summer 2008. “Powell, Gore and Tutu talked about the next generation of leaders and how important it is for people to be informed about public policy issues. They spoke to the high school students and their generation, but what they said really resonated with me and my generation as well.”

Participants were drawn from the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, which offers educational leadership conferences for a high-achieving group of young people from around the world.

Read and the students went to the inauguration itself, witnessing the swearing-in and viewing the parade as the president, vice president and their families made their way from the Capitol to the White House. Afterward, Read and her students attended an inaugural ball.

Read worked for the Global Young Leaders Conference in the summers of 2006 and 2007, prior to enrolling at La Follette in the master of public affairs program. In 2007 she was associate director for the Global Young Leaders Conference, then worked on a national security forum. “We brought in high school students from around the world,” Read says. “They did simulations of real-world issues and events, including a United Nations simulation in New York,” she says. “The exercises and discussions helped to prepare and encourage them to become national and international leaders.”

During the inauguration session, Read shared her experiences as a graduate student in public affairs and how what she is learning at La Follette fits in with the students’ experiences in Washington. “I emphasized the importance of using evidence-based data in the formation of public policy,” Read says. “For example, in his speech, Al Gore used statistics to convey his message about climate change. I encouraged the students to think about how would they find out more about the details behind the discussion, and how a graduate degree can facilitate that in the public policy world.”

— posted January 26, 2009

Professors brief legislators about property taxes, alcoholism treatment, crisis management

Sixteen newly elected Wisconsin legislators heard about property tax burdens, treatment for alcoholism, and crisis management from La Follette School faculty members at an orientation organized by the Wisconsin Joint Legislative Council in January.

The biennial policy briefing for the new legislators by the La Follette School's Outreach Office has been a tradition at the State Capitol since 1990.

La Follette School director Carolyn Heinrich outlined her research on the use of naltrexone, a drug used in addiction treatment, as a way to help reduce Wisconsin’s top-ranked drinking problem.

Professor Donald Moynihan discussed his research on crisis management and the need for better training and understanding of the incident command system that is used in large and complex crises such as the Midwest floods of 2008.

Professor Andrew Reschovsky outlined an ongoing collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue to understand homeowner property tax changes from 2000-2005, with particular attention to what drives the issue.

The 16 new legislators included two senators and 14 representatives:

— posted January 26, 2009

Students plan formal gala

Students, faculty and staff, along with significant others, are encouraged to come to the Brocach Irish Pub on the Capitol Square to enjoy an evening of conversation and fun.

Festivities are scheduled for Saturday, February 7th at 6 p.m. The La Follette School Student Association has reserved the upstairs of Brocach from 6-9, after which the party opens to the general public. The night will feature a spread of appetizers, cheesecake for dessert and a cash bar, says social coordinator Catherine Hall.

To cover the cost of the food, LSSA is charging $10 per person. Members of the social committee members will be in the LSSA lounge to sell tickets at these times:

• Tuesday, January 27: 12:30-2:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 28: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Thursday, January 29: 10 a.m.-noon
• Friday, January 30: noon-2 p.m.

"As it may not be possible for everyone to make it to La Follette, committee members can arrange to collect money at other times," Hall says. "This will be an excellent opportunity for all of La Follette to rub elbows and socialize outside of an academic setting. Formal attire is encouraged, but certainly not mandatory."

For information, contact Hall, .

— posted January 26, 2009

Scholar to explore health reform

Lessons the United States can learn related to health-care reform are the topic of a talk on Wednesday, January 28. Claus Wendt of Mannheim University's Centre for European Social Research in Germany will speak at 1 p.m. in the Health Sciences Learning Center.

A Kennedy memorial fellow at Harvard University’s Center for European Studies until August, Wendt is investigating changing ideas and institutions in health care. His research interests include institutional theory, international comparisons of welfare states and healthcare systems, and the sociology of health. He is co-editor of Sociology of Health (2006) and, with T.R. Marmor, is editing a book entitled Reforming Healthcare Systems. He has published in International Journal of Health Services, European Review, Social Policy & Administration, and other journals.

Wendt's presentation, “Challenges and Reform Options in Health Care Systems: What Can America Learn from Health Reform Processes?” is sponsored by the La Follette School with the Madison Eric M. Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany, the Center for German and European Studies the European Union Center of Excellence, and the Evidence-Based Health Policy Project.

— posted January 23, 2009

Experts discuss nursing, faculty shortage

Wisconsin’s aging workforce and a shortage of nursing faculty are two components of a growing nursing shortage that could limit access to medical services, experts said in a legislative briefing organized in part by the La Follette School's Outreach Office as part of the Evidence-Based Health Policy Project.

The project is a partnership of the University of Wisconsin–Madison's La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Population Health Institute, and the Wisconsin Legislative Council to bridge medicine and health policy, research and practice, and to link academic research in a meaningful way in service to government and the Wisconsin Legislature.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association’s Judy Warmuth, vice president of workforce, joined Janet Allan, dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, in presenting information on state and national nursing workforce issues at a January 8 Capitol briefing, "Rx for RNs: Addressing the Nursing Shortage," to more than 100 legislators, state agency officials, academics and members of the public.

In her introduction of the two speakers, Katharyn May, dean of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing, advocated for more resources for nursing education and said she is concerned about having an adequate number of nurse faculty members to meet demand, a concern both presenters echoed. "The time for talk is over. It is time for action in Wisconsin,” May said.

Nursing Workforce Expert: "If there is a nurse in everyone’s future….will there be enough?," January 9, 2009, The Valued Voice, Wisconsin Hospital Association

— posted January 14, 2009

Reception for alumni, friends celebrates 25th anniversary

The annual gathering for alumni and friends of the La Follette School will be a little sweeter this year. In addition to the usual fare of hors d’oeuvres and cash bar, the school will serve cake to celebrate the 25 years since the Wisconsin Legislature first allocated money to establish what is now the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s school of public affairs.

The reception is 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, at Inn on the Park’s Top of the Park, 22 South Carroll Street, on Madison’s Capitol Square. More than 50 alumni and friends are expected to take advantage of this chance to network and catch up with classmates, former coworkers and faculty.

Thus far, alumni from as far back as the 1970s have said they will attend, as well as several from the 1990s and more recent classes.

“We are looking forward to seeing our alumni and friends of the school, many of whom continue to work with us in a variety of ways,” says school director Carolyn Heinrich. “Faculty and staff appreciate learning more about what our former students are doing.”

The reception is also a great opportunity for alumni to talk with current students and reminisce about classroom challenges, says Andy McGuire, the alumni coordinator for the La Follette School Student Association, which is sponsoring the reception. “The students can learn more from alumni about their career tracks, and of course we like to find out about job and internship possibilities.”

Donations from alumni and friends to the La Follette School fund the reception, and RSVPs help with planning but are not required. To RSVP or to find out more, contact La Follette staff member Karen Faster, (608) 263-7657, .

Alumni, friends enjoy reception, March 5, 2008, La Follette School News

— posted January 12, 2009; updated January 26, January 27, 2009

Professors see window of opportunity for energy policy

Two La Follette School professors argue in an op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that President-elect Barack Obama should consider charging an oil import fee to fund his energy program. The drop from $140 to $45 for a barrel of oil since the summer would ease adoption of a $10-per-barrel import fee, which would add about 20 cents to the price of each gallon of gas. A quickly imposed fee would only slow the price decline for consumers, argue Gregory Nemet and David Weimer. The recent high prices “would help the new president make the case to consumers that the fee would help prevent future run-ups in gasoline prices.”

The fee would help internalize and stabilize costs tied to oil imports, thus reducing price volatility “resulting from decisions by the OPEC oil cartel and macroeconomic adjustment costs associated with matching wages and investment to rapidly changing input costs.”

“The current price decline does not follow a period of counterproductive government interference but, rather, an extended period during which the international and domestic oil markets were left unfettered. The longer term societal problems associated with petroleum consumption will not disappear simply as a result of a recession-induced decline in prices. The public is likely to be responsive to a clear argument about the need to look ahead and also to pay as we go.”

Now's the moment to levy an import tax for energy research, January 2, 2009, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

— posted January 12, 2009

Alum connects students, agency in creation of assistantships

A labor shortage at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development created the opportunity for two La Follette School students to analyze employment patterns and opportunities.

The opportunity came along late last summer when 2008 alum Brad Campbell recognized that La Follette School students could be engaged temporarily to carry out specialized projects that DWD staff did not have time to complete. The department’s Division of Employment and Training needed to collect and analyze employment information and get it into the hands of policymakers, high school students, job seekers and others.

“We needed skilled people to figure out some problems, so I thought of La Follette, and we were able to work out two project assistantships,” says Campbell, a research analyst DWD, who initially worked for 1995 La Follette alum Kim Reniero, who is now at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. She handles performance measurement and process improvement and is the budget analyst for her region.

When she shifted to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Campbell took over the Current Employment Statistics program, which collects data each month on employment, hours and earnings for every Wisconsin county from a sample of nonfarm establishments (including government). The data are considered one of the earliest indicators of the state’s economic health in terms of employment.

“The whole CES program is based on a stratified random sample, so professor Carolyn Heinrich’s 819 course on advanced quantitative methods has been very useful for me,” Campbell says. “I use what I learned in that course every day to look for bias in the numbers we collect from business and government agencies.”

The two student project assistants, Katharine Lang and John Moore, are also putting their course work to good use as they analyze employment and demographic data.

Lang is examining the labor shortage in Wisconsin’s health-care industry. “The end product will consist of a range of publications targeting different audiences including employers, job seekers, and students,” she says. “These documents will provide information that promotes workforce development and addresses the challenges facing the health-care industry.”

Moore is looking at the potential for creating jobs in alternative energy and other emerging "green" industries. One product of his labor will be a tool to estimate the number and types of jobs created by certain environmental policies or strategies, especially those relating to alternative energy development and global warming mitigation. “This tool should be helpful for policymakers to consider the labor market impact of legislation like portfolio standards, greenhouse gas emission limits and carbon taxes,” Moore says.

They agree with Campbell that the positions are a good introduction to the nitty-gritty of working in a section of a bureau of a division of a state agency. Campbell, Lang and Moore are with the Labor Market Information Section of the Bureau of Workforce Solutions of the Division of Employment and Training. The arrangement is giving the La Follette School as a whole good visibility at the bureau and division levels, Campbell adds, and the students can get a sense of the opportunities around the department.

Lang says the experience has increased her interest in data analysis and she intends to enroll in additional statistics-based courses to further enhance her understanding of utilizing and processing data.

For Campbell, helping to arrange the assistantships is one way of thanking the La Follette School for his experiences there. “I had a fellowship with a tuition waiver and stipend my first year,” he says, “and being a La Follette student helped me win an internship at the state Commerce Department doing program evaluation for Fresh Start, Wisconsin’s program for the federal Youth Build. While I was there, I saw the posting for the DWD job. The classes in economics and statistics I took at La Follette made me a good candidate.”

— posted January 9, 2009; updated March 6, 2009

Alum enters mayoral primary

2006 grad and Manitowoc County clerk Jamie Aulik is running for mayor of Manitowoc.

"'In these harsh economic times, the people and businesses of Manitowoc are being asked to make extraordinary sacrifices,'" Aulik said in a news release the Herald Times Reporter used in a December 26 story. "'I am committed to serving the citizens of Manitowoc and have developed a multi-faceted plan to improve and reform our city government. If elected mayor, I will lead by example and will not accept a pay raise during the entire term of office. I have kept a similar promise as your county clerk.'"

Aulik was elected county clerk in April 2007. He lives in Manitowoc with his wife, Sara, and newborn daughter, Bea. For the last 11 years, he has served in the U.S. Army Reserve and was in Iraq from February 2003 to April 2004. He serves on the Wisconsin Retirement Board that advises the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds and the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs Legislative and Program Review Committee. He is president, Veterans of Modern Warfare, Chapter 11, and serves on Manitowoc County United Way's board of directors.

Aulik for Mayor web site

— posted January 7, 2009

---