Panel 1: Transdisciplinary Initiatives
Many within our UW community espouse the value of transdisciplinary collaboration- in the discovery process and for solving global challenges yet struggle to effectively create the conditions for meaningful transdisciplinary work to occur. Join these dynamic campus leaders who, through their institutes and centers, have successfully created these conditions leading to important discoveries and impacts. Learn from them as they reflect on their challenges and triumphs, best practices, and insights.
Dr. Ankur Desai
Ankur Desai is Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His lab studies and has authored nearly 200 articles regarding ecosystems, weather, and climate. This work spans from Wisconsin to the globe and uses both long term observations in nature and advanced computer simulations. He received his Bachelor’s degree in computer science and environmental studies from Oberlin College, a Master’s in Geography from University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. in Meteorology from The Pennsylvania State University. Ankur is also an American Meteorological Society Certified Consulting Meteorologist and a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.
Dr. Jo Handelsman
Jo Handelsman is the director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and a Vilas Research Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. From 2014 to 2017, she served as a science advisor to President Barack Obama in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Handelsman’s lab studies how soil microorganisms cooperate with and antagonize each other and is known for pioneering the field of functional metagenomics. She has also researched evidence-based approaches to teaching, mentoring, and diversity in higher education. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Obama in 2011 and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Jorge Osorio
Jorge Osorio, DVM, Ph.D., M.S., is a professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine. Osorio has had a lengthy career in medical sciences, including virology, field epidemiological studies, vaccinology, antivirals and vector control programs. He is also the co-director of a Colombia-Wisconsin One Health Consortium, a joint effort between the University of Wisconsin and Universidad Nacional in Colombia that is studying emerging diseases and one-health issues.
Osorio recently founded VaxThera, a Colombian-based company that will produce vaccines and biologicals for Colombia and the region. He was also a co-founder and chief Scientific officer of Inviragen, a biotechnology company that developed a novel chimeric tetravalent dengue vaccine that recently completed successfully Phase 3 clinical trials. He also developed vaccines against chikungunya, influenza, rabies, plague and many other emerging infectious diseases.
Osorio also has served as vice president of Research and vice president of Government Affairs for the Vaccine Business Division of Takeda Pharmaceuticals. His industry career also included positions at Heska Corporation (Ft. Collins, Colorado), Merial LTD (Athens, Georgia), and Chiron-Powderject Vaccines (Madison, Wisconsin). He has more than 30 years of research and industry experience with more than 130 scientific publications in international journals and 32 patents.
Moderator: Dr. Kata Beilin
Kata Beilin, a Professor in the Department of Spanish, and Portuguese, specializes in the Environmental Humanities, with a particular interest in Mayan culture. Her work promotes transdisciplinary research, fostering collaborations across various academic disciplines. She has authored five books and over 40 articles, various in collaboration with scientists. She has recently co-directed a documentary film with Avi Weinstein titled Maya Land: Listening to the Bees, which has won awards at two international festivals. Her current book project, The Return of the Mayan Moment, delves into the unique insights derived from the Maya’s deep-rooted connections with nature in the context of Maya resistance to neoliberal forms of development.
Panel 2: Student International Opportunities
Study abroad, global field experiences, international research, internships, volunteer service, student organization activities… how to decide?! Hear from student leaders as they share about the international opportunities they pursued or are pursuing while at UW-Madison, and how they went about deciding what path to follow. Learn as they share their journeys and ways to grow from connecting their experience at UW with the world.
Brandon LaBeau
Brandon LaBeau is a sophomore majoring in Kinesiology and pursuing a Global Health certificate. During this past winter intersession, he had the opportunity to study abroad in Sri Lanka where he studied population health, their healthcare system, and why they have certain health outcomes in their country. He was able to create lifelong experiences and relationships while in Sri Lanka. Here at UW, he is an active member of the club golf team and pre-PT club.
Jill Goldwasser
Jill Goldwasser is a senior double majoring in Political Science and Sociology with certificates in Public Policy and Political Economy, Philosophy, and Politics (PEPP). She studied abroad with DIS Copenhagen during the Spring 2023 Semester where she primarily studied with European Urbanism among other coursework. On campus, she is a Peer Mentor for the Political Science Department where she supports students via personal experiences, including study abroad.
Keira Obert
Keira Obert is a senior majoring in wildlife ecology and pursuing certificates in environmental studies, photography, and leadership. She studied abroad with the School for Field Studies in Rhotia, Tanzania in the spring of 2023, where she studied wildlife management and completed a research project studying local indigenous adaptations to climate change. Now back in Wisconsin, Keira works as a CALS Study Abroad Marketing Intern, where she educates students on study abroad opportunities and resources.
Sydney Bamdad
Sydney Bamdad is a senior at UW-Madison studying Operations and Technology Management, Human Resources, and Mathematics. Last year, she had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Sydney, Australia at UNSW through IES. While abroad, Sydney had incredible travels all throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Cecilia de Lamare Hunt
Cecilia de Lamare Hunt is a fourth-year student majoring in Global Health and Life Sciences Communication, with a certificate in Health Policy. She has been working as an intern for the CALS Global Office since July of 2022, apart from the time she spent studying abroad in Paris during the Spring of 2023. As someone who grew up in an international household, with her mom immigrating from Brazil, she has always been drawn to international relations, languages, and cultures. Through her academic career, she has developed a passion for integrating those themes into her interests in health, specifically, health access and equity.
Working and learning from CALS Global has broadened her horizons to understand how international collaborations function, and how many opportunities exist for global partnerships in so many disciplines. This exposure has encouraged her to take on as many diverse experiences as possible. In her time at UW, she has studied abroad twice, once for a semester-long program in Paris, and another through a Global Health Field Experience in Tanzania, focusing on culture, education, and health systems. She views language as a conduit to be able to gain deeper context into different cultures, lived experiences, and global perspectives. Already being fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, she has also been able to pursue this passion for languages and communications through beginning to study French at UW, which she hopes to continue past my graduation.
Panel 3: Global Career Opportunities
Whether you are ready to expand your horizons after graduation, thinking about using your time at UW to cultivate skills and experience, or dreaming of a long-range career involving the global engagement in Wisconsin, or your UW degree applied globally…. This panel is for you. Come learn how these panelists crafted exciting and important careers that connected Wisconsin with the World.
Andrea Poulos
Andrea Poulos, Teaching Faculty in the ESL Program in the English Department, has been involved in teaching and administration in ESL in the U.S., Argentina, China, and Turkey. She has worked with international students, immigrant/refugee populations, business people, and employees in medical and food service settings needing workforce English.
Dr. Dominic Ledesma
Dominic J. Ledesma, PhD (he, his, él) is the Assistant Vice Provost for Culture, Climate, and Engagement for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Information Technology. Prior to starting this role in January 2024, Dr. Ledesma served as the Division of Extension’s Chief Diversity Officer where he founded and directed Extension’s Office of Access, Inclusion, and Compliance (OAIC). His work and research focus on leading and guiding institutional efforts that promote and advance positive organizational culture and climate, and with specific attention to issues of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and belonging (EDIB).
Dr. Ledesma holds a PhD from UW-Madison’s Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis (School of Education) and is a recipient of the Michael W. Apple Fellowship. His career includes experience working in K-12 public education, student academic affairs, and higher education administration. His professional identity as a scholar-administrator includes research on language access policies and practices of public-serving institutions, language rights, applied civil rights law, English language ideologies, and the linguistic and cultural diversity that exists within the upper midwestern region of the United States. Ledesma holds a B.A. from UW-Madison and a master’s in translation and interpretation from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (Mexico). He was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Laura Scandurra
Laura Scandurra is a former diplomat with over 30 years of international trade policy and program management experience with the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is credited with catalyzing public-private partnerships, building networks and coalitions, and driving strategic initiatives at state, national, and global levels. Her global experience spans Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. In addition to FAS, Laura served as the Executive Director of the Potato Sustainability Alliance, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships with Lutheran World Relief, and Director of International Marketing, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Laura currently serves on several boards including The Tropics Foundation and 350 Wisconsin. Her personal mission is to build awareness and drive collective action toward a sustainable economy that protects people, wildlife, and nature. Laura has a Masters Degree in Agricultural Economics and and Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Marie Koko
After 10 years as the Career & Internship Specialist for Government/Policy/International Affairs & Law (GPIAL) at SuccessWorks, Marie brought her expertise to the La Follette School for Public Affairs where she has spent the last 4+ years working with over 500 graduate and undergraduate students on everything related to their career journey. She has expertise in applying to federal/state/local government agencies and has worked with students applying to virtually every area of public service including AmeriCorps/Peace Corps, Congressional/State Legislature positions, nonprofit organizations, consulting firms, and many more. Marie also serves on the Steering Committees of UW-Madison’s Wisconsin in Washington (WiW) program and the Government College Relations Council (GCRC) – a group that works to create strong connections between member universities and government agencies and hosts a Government Career Fair in Chicago every November. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Corporate Finance from Drake University, spent a year studying abroad in Vienna, Austria, and received her Master’s in Counseling from Concordia University, Chicago.
Dr. Kate McCleary
Kate S. McCleary, PhD, is the Associate Dean of High Impact Practices in the University of Wisconsin–Madison International Division. Previously, she was the Associate Director of the Global Engagement Office (GEO) in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education. McCleary is a practitioner-scholar who does work on internationalization of higher education, intercultural learning, gender and education, and evaluation. In her current role, she works on initiatives pertaining to, and with colleagues in, International Academic Programs, the King-Morgridge Scholars Program, the Wisconsin International Scholars Program, UW-Madison’s Fulbright Initiative, and with the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Kate is a member of the International Division’s Equity and Diversity Committee and is a member of CIES and NAFSA. She received her undergraduate degree in History and Spanish from Muhlenberg College, her MEd in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University, and PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Administration from the University of Minnesota with a concentration in comparative international development education.