This announcement first appeared on November 27, 2020.
A message from Guido Podesta, vice provost and dean, International Division
I am pleased to announce the creation of a new unit in the International Division—the Language Programs Office (LPO). LPO will provide a centralized home for many of the programs administered by the International Division, including the Wisconsin Summer Intensive Language Institutes (WISLI), Project GO (Global Officers), and several Regional Language Flagship Initiatives (FLI).
This unit will enhance language and cultural offerings available at UW–Madison and will create further opportunities for education and training. Laura Hammond will serve as director of this unit and brings ample experience in language and cultural instruction. Laura has demonstrated exemplary leadership and strong vision for language programming, with her background in the latter making her uniquely qualified for the role.
Laura was the first coordinator of SASLI in 2002, and was named the administrative director in 2011. Since 2011, she has served as U.S. director of the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS)—the leading national organization on Pakistan studies with 40 member institutions from across U.S. academia. Having AIPS housed at UW–Madison raises the profile of the Center for South Asia, the International Division, and the university. Additionally, Laura has been the administrative director for Project Global Officers since 2012 and the regional FLIs since 2016.
If you have questions about LPO or any of the language programs within the unit, contact Laura at laura.hammond@wisc.edu.
I hope you will look for more information on how to collaborate with this unit in the future. I am confident this will be one more way in which the university cultivates global citizens and creates links worldwide.