Liberal Arts & Applied Studies
Liberal Arts and Applied Studies (LAAS) is an academic department whose research focus serves and informs the teaching of adult learners. We provide education to adult learners, undertake scholarship on teaching and learning related to professional development and lifelong learning, and conduct outreach on issues of societal importance.
Selected Research, Teaching, and Programs
- Beyond the Skills Gap: Preparing College Students for Life and Work
- Teaching 21st-Century Skills in College Courses Certificate
- The Odyssey Project
- Odyssey Beyond Bars
- Odyssey Junior
- Onward Odyssey
- The College Internship Study
- Tuesday Morning Booktalks
- University of the Air
- “Finding Fulfillment Through Language Learning”
- “New $3 Million Endowment Will Enable UW Odyssey Project to Continue to Combat Iniquities”
- “Specialized French Course Helps Epic Employees Thrive”
Our Team
Emily Auerbach
Professor of English; Executive Director of the UW Odyssey Project
Emily Azad
Program Manager, UW Odyssey Project
Nidia Bañuelos
Assistant Professor
Brian Benford
Success Coach, UW Odyssey Project
Christine Cina
Odyssey Navigator; Academic Advising Manager
Missy Clemens
Research Program Associate Director
Gwendolyn Coale
Odyssey Assistant Coordinator
Karen Dreyfuss
Director, Odyssey Junior
Jennifer Fandel
Odyssey Beyond Bars Instructor & Tutor Coordinator
Ben Garrison
Budget Planning Manager
Sage Goellner
Associate professor of French and continuing education
Jamie Henke
Distinguished Teaching Professor
Matthew T. Hora
Professor
Baron Kelly
Professor, Theatre and Drama; Affiliate Faculty, LAAS
Taylor Kirby
Assistant Program Manager for Odyssey Beyond Bars
Sarah Lensmire
Odyssey Assistant Program & Development Manager
Adam MacKay
PEI Site Coordinator
Bryn Martyna
PEI Operations Director
Peter Moreno
Director, Prison Education Initiative
Kevin Mullen
Assistant Professor, DCS; Director of Adult Education, UW Odyssey Project
Jenny Pressman
Director of Development & Community Partnerships
Megan Reading
Program Director HIV Outreach Project
Rachel Ritacco
Odyssey Beyond Bars Program Coordinator
Ben Shannon
Teaching Faculty, UW Odyssey Project
Tina Smith
HIV Outreach Project Program Coordinator
Read LAAS Stories
Tips for first-generation adult college students
When my twin sister and I left our rural Wisconsin town to start college at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, we faced a new world. As…
Reception celebrates 45 years of outstanding adult students
In 1981, the first Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award (OURASA) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison was presented to just one recipient, Sally Peterson, a…
3 tips for securing scholarships as a returning adult student
It might surprise some to learn that scholarships aren’t just for recent high school graduates. In fact, state and local institutions are increasingly investing in educational…
45th annual winners of returning adult student awards epitomize Badger spirit
This year’s Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award winners, Chikara Crooks and Ivanna Ceballos, share a powerful common thread: each is working to become the…
How adult learners can enhance their education with AI
You may be tired of hearing about the transformational nature of AI in all aspects of our lives, but let’s talk about how it can…
Navigating adult education in the new year
If one of your resolutions for the new year is to learn a new skill, earn a degree or something in between, congratulations! Continuing education…
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