The LaFollette School of Public Affairs: The Exciting World of Public Policy Affairs and the LaFollette School (October 13, 2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 16:30:00 GMT

The LaFollette School of Public Affairs: The Exciting World of Public Policy Affairs and the LaFollette School

Speaker: Susan Webb Yackee, Professor of Public Policy,
Director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Tuesday, October 13 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | The Madison Club

Join Susan Yackee, Director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison, for an engaging discussion about the vital role public policy plays in shaping our communities, state, and nation. Learn how the La Follette School is preparing the next generation of leaders through nonpartisan, evidence-based education, innovative research, and a commitment to civil dialogue across political differences.

The presentation will highlight the school’s remarkable growth, plans for UW-Madison’s first undergraduate major in public policy, and recent initiatives designed to foster constructive conversations on some of today’s most pressing public issues. Gain insight into how public policy affects everyday life and how the Wisconsin Idea continues to guide the school’s work in service to the public good.

About Our Speaker: Susan Webb Yackee is Director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs and a Collins-Bascom Professor of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. Her research and teaching focus on the U.S. public policymaking process, public management, regulation, health policy, and interest group politics. She has published extensively in leading journals, including the American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, British Journal of Political Science, and Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. Her scholarship has earned numerous honors, including the 2019 Herbert A. Simon Career Contribution Mid-Career Award from the Midwest Public Administration Caucus, the UW-Madison Kellett Mid-Career Award, and the 2017 Beryl Radin Award for the best article published in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory.

Yackee is an elected member of the National Academy of Public Administration and was appointed in 2023 as a public member of the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS). She has served in leadership roles across the field, including as an elected Board member of the Public Management Research Association and as a member of the editorial boards of several leading public administration journals. Most recently, she completed a $500,000 Innovations in Regulatory Sciences Award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to study regulatory policymaking at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Earlier in her career, she was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar in Health Policy Research at the University of Michigan, a Smith Richardson Domestic Policy Fellow, and a Harry S. Truman Scholar. Before entering academia, she worked as a legislative research assistant in the U.S. Senate.

Luncheon Choices:

Short rib, mushroom + chevre risotto, crispy mushrooms, cognac – peppercorn sauce
Romesco charred veg, broccoli, bok choy, carrot, and turmeric risotto, honey – paprika glaze, chili crisp

Registration: Retirees $38.00 and Guests: $40

Online Registration closes on Wednesday, October 7

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The LaFollette School of Public Affairs: The Exciting World of Public Policy Affairs and the LaFollette School (October 13, 2026)

The LaFollette School of Public Affairs: The Exciting World of Public Policy Affairs and the LaFollette School