The Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) recognized Clinical Associate Professor Laura Dresser as an Academic Fellow for “contributions of unusual distinction to the field” over her career. The award was announced at the General Membership Meeting and Awards Ceremony over the weekend in New York City.
Laura Dresser focuses her research and practice on low-wage work and workforce development systems. She joined the school in 2017 and is a longtime Associate Director of High Road Strategy Center, a UW-Madison think-and-do tank where she is the lead author of the annual report, The State of Working Wisconsin.
At the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, Dr. Dresser teaches courses focused on macro practice where she often engages students in immersive policy and practice experiences. She has also co-chaired the Social Workers Confronting Racial Injustice Conference for several years and is frequently sought after by popular media to discuss issues of labor and working conditions in Wisconsin.
“We are lucky to have Dr. Dresser teaching the next generation of social workers,” says Stephanie Robert, Director of the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work. “Her vast expertise in research on work, labor, and employment is only surpassed by her commitment to determining research-informed practice and policies to improve the wellbeing of workers. This award is a perfect recognition of her expertise and commitment.”
LERA is a national association of “professionals interested in all aspects of labor and employment relations network to share ideas and learn about new developments, issues, and practices in the field.”