Mary Michaud

Mary Davis Michaud joined the La Follette School in October 2020 to teach courses, advise undergraduate students, and develop new curricula in public policy.

Mary has worked for more than two decades in public health and social sector roles at the local, state, and national levels. Most recently, she worked with the Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin Law School, teaching courses in health policy, public health, and systems thinking for interdisciplinary groups of graduate and professional students.

Mary designs courses using a storehouse of applied experience. Her work has included roles in executive leadership with a local public health agency, qualitative research with the Veterans Administration, and product development for a health IT startup. She also worked as a senior analyst for a Washington, DC-based federal contractor. As a visual artist and experienced facilitator, she designs courses and experiences that help students learn important relational skills and build confidence as they wade into complex public policy problems.

Mary received her bachelor’s degree from UW–Madison, where she was the University’s first Henry Luce Scholar in Asia. She completed her Master of Public Policy Studies and Certificate in Health Administration at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Studies and now serves on its Alumni Council.

Affiliations: Earth Partnership; Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs.