University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Alumni and Friends

Alumni Profile: Elizabeth Wahl, MSW ’05

Today we are profiling one of our alumni, Elizabeth Wahl, MSW ‘05.   Elizabeth Wahl, MSSW LSW IMH-E® is the Pregnancy Promise Program Manager at Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. Since Elizabeth founded the Indiana Pregnancy Promise Program in 2021, nearly 1,000 women have enrolled. The program aids expectant and new mothers with opioid …

Alumni Profile: Ben Schumaker

Today we are profiling one of our distinguished alumni award recipients, Ben Schumaker, MSW ‘06. Ben received the distinguished alumni award in 2018 after he founded The Memory Project, an incredibly successful non-profit dedicated to promoting intercultural understanding and kindness among children around the world through school-based art and writing programs. Since 2004, 320,000 youth …

Fostering Many Adolescent Boys, Kristi Wood, MSW ’13 Provided Much Needed Care and Support 

Kristi Wood’s journey working with adolescent boys evolved over her 30 years of experience in human services. After working at Tellurian’s adolescent emergency respite center in Madison, she and her partner Shannon felt they could make more of an impact working with a smaller number of teens in more of a home environment. Initially, they …

“Doing Together What We Can’t Do Alone” 

For Stefanie Primm, MSW ’08, a commitment to the field of developmental disabilities began early in life. Her brother’s autism required special attention in her early years, and she remains a central caregiver for him as he ages. Through her personal and professional experiences, she recognized that the isolation that individuals with developmental disabilities and …

Former School Advisor Celebrates 100th Birthday

Alumni who were at the School of Social Work in the mid 1970s to the late 1980s may remember Toby Cohen. Toby was the advisor to most MSW and undergraduate students. In those pre-computer days, Toby kept your coursework on a small file card which she updated each semester. She provided course suggestions, insight, and …

Alumni Profile: Sheng Lee Yang, MSW ’14

A Journey from Hmong Refugee to Behavioral Health Clinic Founder  Sheng Lee Yang’s journey is impressive. A first-generation Hmong refugee who was resettled in Wisconsin as a young person, she became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, social work faculty member, and clinic founder – a testament to her ability to overcome many challenges while working …

Alumni Profile: Charity Douglas, MSW ’98

Charity Douglas, MSW ’98, once a social welfare recipient, now leads a department of social services with 4,700 employees that serves one million community members As a young mother with a special needs child, Charity Douglas spent a short time receiving benefits from Wisconsin’s public welfare system. That experience, coupled with the need to engage …

Stephanie Lozano, MSW ’14 selected as One of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Native American Leaders

The Chair of our Board of Visitors and alumna, Stephanie Lozano, MSW ’14 was selected as one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Native American Leaders of 2024 by “Madison365.” Stephanie is the Tribal Liaison for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. As noted in the article, she spent 10 years working for the Ho-Chunk Nation …

Tucson, AZ Alums Receive “Badger of the Year” Awards

Each year the Tucson, AZ Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association holds an alumni event honoring the university’s “Founders Day.”  This year, more than 100 people attended the event at which Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work alums Craig LeCroy, PhD ’83 and Kerry Milligan, MSSW ’83 were named the Tucson area “Badgers of the …

Wisconsin’s First Black Mayor Continues to Serve the Madison Area

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