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WISLI Professional Development Series

Connecting Your Language Study to What’s Next.

WISLI is committed not only to our students’ multilingual development, but their professional growth, as well. 

Less commonly taught languages are not synonymous with less commonly used. Indeed, these languages are widely spoken and are critically important to international relations and the local communities whose cultures derive from the languages they speak.  

Each summer, WISLI invites leaders and experts across sectors to share stories, advice, and opportunities for building multilingual-professional lives. Information and recordings from previous programs can be found below.

Get Involved

Contact wisli@lpo.wisc.edu to express interest in leading a session or to share an opportunity with WISLI students.

A classroom full of seated attendees applauds as a presenter speaks at the front beside a large projection screen showing a video call with multiple remote participants.

WISLI Alumni Show How Language Studies Open Global Doors

Learn more about WISLI’s professional development programming for language learners in this featured story from the UW–Madison International Division.

Recent Keynote Addresses

“Words That Work:
Transforming Your Life with Language”
[2023]

Lachlyn Soper, Diplomat, U.S. Department of State

“What can you do with a LCTL? Reflections from the Less Commonly Traveled Lane”
[2024]

Dean Frances Vavrus, UW–Madison International Division

“Humans Who Language: Restoring Humanity to Language Education in Dehumanizing Times” [2025]

Dr. L. J. Randolph Jr., Asst. Professor of World Language Education, UW–Madison

Previous Programming

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Major 2025 co-sponsors include the Language Institute, Center for South Asia, and Institute for Regional and International Studies National Resource Center. 

Lead With Languages Workshop: Communicating Transferable and Technical Skills – June 24

Government Hiring Info Session – July 8

Lead With Languages Workshop: Identifying and Expanding Your Network – July 15

American Councils Info Session: Studying Less Commonly Taught Languages Abroad – July 22

Keynote Address: “Humans Who Language: Restoring Humanity to Language Education in Dehumanizing Times” – July 25

Info Session – Discover the World Through Service: Peace Corps Info Session – July 29

Workshop – Sustaining Language Skills and Proficiency Beyond the Classroom – August 5

Click session links for speaker bios and event details. Read about the 2024 LCTL Career Fair.

Day 1: Opportunities in Human Services + Keynote Address – July 24

Human Services Panel

Matthew Geisler, Associate Director for New Programs and Enrollment, International Academic Programs, UW–Madison International Division

Parwat Regmi, Interpreter/Translator/Trainer, Cultural & Linguistic Services, UW–Madison

Madeline Ruid, Research Analyst, Global X ETFs

Brenda Yang, Assistant Director of Career Communities, SuccessWorks, UW–Madison; Dane County Board Supervisor-District 19; City of Madison’s Language Access Consultant

Keynote Address:  “What can you do with a LCTL? Reflections from the Less Commonly Traveled Lane”

Frances Vavrus, Vice Provost and Dean, UW–Madison International Division

Day 2: Opportunities in the Private Sector and Government – July 25

Private Sector Panel

Erin Blakenship, System Analyst Advisor, General Dynamics Information Technology

Emily Crnkovich, Linguist, Mango Languages

Aaron Schliem, AIML Product Manager, Welocalize

Christopher Stewart, Computational Linguist, Google; Research Associate, University of Memphis

Government Panel

Carrie F., Great Lakes Regional Recruiter, CIA

Susan Falatko, Diplomat in Residence, Midwest, Department of State

Marie Koko, Director of Career and Employer Services, La Follette School of Public Affairs, UW–Madison

Jenny W., Language Outreach Lead at the National Security Agency (NSA)

Additional Programming

Serving as an Analyst in the CIA: Interactive Stimulation for WISLI Students – July 29

Einstein as an Asset: Interactive Simulation for WISLI Students (CIA Workshop) – July 29

WISLI Professional Development Workshop facilitated by Lydia Odegard, Language Directions Specialist, UW–Madison Language Institute – July 27

Click session links for speaker bios and event details. Read about the 2023 LCTL Career Fair.

Panel Session 1: Opportunities in the Private Sector – July 26

View the recording

Lydia Greve, Resource Mobilization and Grant Manager at the World Organisation for Animal Health

Isabelle McRae, Impact Project Consultant and Language Specialist

Charlie Minard, US Manager at Merama

Katy Sinnott, Vice President of Global Trade & Investment at Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

Keynote Address: “Words That Work: Transforming Your Life with Language” – July 27

View the recording

Lachlyn Soper, Diplomat, U.S. Department of State

Introduction by Erlin Barnard,  Distinguished Teaching Faculty in Indonesian Language, UW–Madison Asian Languages and Cultures; Language Director for Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI)

Panel Session 2: Opportunities in Government – July 27

Susan Falatko, Diplomat in Residence – Midwest, U.S. Department of State

Carrie F., Great Lakes Regional Recruiter, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Kathleen Phillips, Master Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive), United States Navy

Jenny W., Language Outreach Lead at the National Security Agency (NSA)

Panel Session 3: Opportunities in Human Services – July 28

View the recording

Irfan Kovankaya, Senior Account Executive, Spitfire Strategies

Vijay Limaye, Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); Adjunct Assistant Professor at the UW–Madison Department of Population Health Sciences

Jzong Thao, Hmong-English Interpreter, Translator, and Trainer, Cultural Linguistics Services, Office of Human Resources at UW–Madison

Daniel Wieber, Arabic to English Translator, Educator, and Project Coordinator

WISLI Professional Development Workshop – July 29

Facilitator: Lydia Odegard, Language Directions Specialist, UW–Madison Language Institute

Please click the hyperlinks to review recordings of the 2022 LCTL Career Fair.

Panel Sessions – July 29

Panel Session 1 – Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages in the Government

  • Session Moderator: Felecia Lucht, Director, Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes (WISLI), UW–Madison
  • Chat Moderator: Kylie Holland, Coordinator, Regional Flagship Languages Initiatives (RFLI), UW–Madison
  • Alfred Boll, Director, Office of American Spaces, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State
  • Alison Patz, Associate Director, Boren Awards, Defense Language and National Security Education Office
  • Michael Saffle, Boren Awards, Program Specialist, DoD, Institute of International Education
  • Mariah Stewart, Program Officer at the National Security Education Program
  • Panel 1 Q&A Discussion. Submit your questions via Zoom chat.

Panel Session 2 – Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages in the Private Sector and Academia

  • Session Moderator: Mathew Attipetty, Language Program Office, UW–Madison
  • Chat Moderators: Kerry Uniyal, Coordinator, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Language Institute (APTLI), UW–Madison; Elisebeth Doty, Administrative Specialist, Center for Southeast Asian Studies
  • Elise Ahn, Director, International Programs Office, UW–Madison
  • Hailey Dickson, Social & Community Content Producer, Khan Academy
  • Csanád Siklós, Associate Director, Institute for Regional and International Studies National Resource Center (IRIS-NRC), UW–Madison
  • Panel 2 Q&A Discussion. Submit your questions via Zoom chat.

Panel Session 3 – Professional Development Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages

  • Session Moderator: Paige Hendricks, Project Manager, American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS)
  • Chat Moderator: Marissa Beatty, Coordinator, South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI), UW–Madison
  • Brian Cooke, Program Officer, Project GO & Language Training Centers, Institute of International Education (IIE)
  • Rori Difiore, Communications Officer, Critical Language Scholarship Program
  • Katie Jost, Program Director, Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)
  • Mark Lilleleht, Assistant Director for Awards, Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) at UW–Madison
  • Panel 3 Q&A Discussion.  Submit your questions via Zoom chat.

LCTL 2022 Keynote Speaker

Alfred M. Boll, Director, Office of American Spaces, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Alfred (“Fred”) Boll is the Director of the Office of American Spaces in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.  He supervises a team of 25 staff members in Washington, and a corps of 26 Foreign Service Officer specialists around the world, providing strategic direction for the Department’s 600 American Spaces, the U.S. government’s primary public cultural and information centers abroad.  American Spaces provide free and open access for communities around the globe, offering programs and events that foster learning, discussion, and civic engagement around democratic principles.

Dr. Boll has been a United States Foreign Service Officer since 2003 and previously led the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ “EducationUSA” Branch from 2016-2019 to promote study in the United States.  He has served overseas in Amsterdam, Baghdad, Lisbon, Pristina, and Rio de Janeiro, and in Washington in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.  He is a lawyer by training, admitted in California, Wisconsin, and New South Wales in Australia.  He holds a BA (Honors) degree from the University of Chicago in Political Science; JD and MA (Latin American and Iberian Studies) degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison; and a doctorate (SJD) in International Law from the University of Sydney.  Prior to joining the Department Boll was a Delegate and Legal Adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from 1993-2003 based in Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Sydney.

A native speaker of English and heritage speaker of German, Boll is a life-long language learner who has test scores in nine languages from the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute, five of which are at levels between “Full professional proficiency” and “Native or bilingual proficiency.”  As a student he participated in study abroad programs in Switzerland, France, and Germany.

External Exhibitors

Browse this directory to find employment and career development opportunities. You may use the links and contact information provided to get in touch.

Please click the hyperlinks to review recordings of the 2021 LCTL Career Fair.

Panel Sessions – July 23

Panel Session 1 – Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages in the Government

  • Jeff Cary, Outreach & Recruitment Manager, Boren Awards & Caitlin Wiley, Program Officer National Security Education Program (NSEP), Defense Language and National Security Education Office | View the Recording
  • Abigail Barnes, Recruitment Analyst, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs & Bureau of Global Talent Management & Ron Packowitz, Diplomat in Residence (DIR) – Midwest | View the Recording
  • Joemer A. Ta-ala, Assistant Provost, ETD, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) | View the Recording
  • Panel 1 Q&A Discussion. | View the Recording

Panel Session 2 – Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages in the Private Sector

Panel Session 3 – Professional Development Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages

  • Kaveri Advani, Program Manager, The Language Flagship, Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO) | View the Recording
  • Brian Cooke, Program Officer, Project GO & Language Training Centers, Institute of International Education (IIE) | View the Recording
  • Katie Jost, Program Director, Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) | View the Recording
  • Mark Lilleleht, Assistant Director for Awards, Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) at UW–Madison | View the Recording
  • Panel 3 Q&A Discussion | View the Recording

LCTL 2021 Keynote Speaker

Sachin Tuli, Director of International Business Major; Faculty Associate for International Business and Marketing

Mr. Tuli teaches courses in international business and global marketing, including Introduction to International Business and Global Marketing Strategy. He has developed, taught and led international business seminars to China, India, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as for other faculty. Mr. Tuli serves on the University International Travel Committee and is affiliated with the Center for South Asia.

From 2007-2012, he served as director of International Programs, working to expand study abroad and exchange offerings for the School and advising faculty, staff and students on effective management of short-term international academic programs. From 2002-2006, he served as assistant director of the UW–Madison Center of International Business Education and Research (CIBER).

Previously, he worked as a business analyst responsible for churn management, pricing and new products at Verizon Wireless, and as a marketing associate at the Consulate General of India in Chicago.

Mr. Tuli has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Central America and Asia, and spent a summer abroad as an undergraduate in Grenoble, France. Mr. Tuli holds a BBA in Marketing and an MS in Higher Education Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. As service, he is involved in the Institute for International and Regional Studies (IRIS) Advisory Board, Center for South Asia Steering Committee, University International Travel Committee (UITC), Program Committee of Madison Committee on Foreign Relations (MCFR), and Madison International Trade Association (MITA).

Explore Sachin Tuli’s WSB profile | Explore Sachin Tuli’s LinkedIn

External Exhibitors

Panel Sessions – July 27

This event was live-streamed, and the link to the recording is available.

Panel Session 1 – Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages in the Government

  • Hilary Robertson Collado, Assistant Director, Boren Awards, Institute of International Education (IIE) & Aleia Maculam, Program Officer, National Security Education Program (NSEP), Department of Defense
  • Joemer A. Ta-ala, Assistant Provost, ETD, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC)
  • Abigail Barnes, Recruitment Analyst, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs & Bureau of Global Talent Management & Ron Packowitz Diplomat in Residence (DIR) – Midwest

Panel Session 2 – Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages in the Private Sector

  • Anne O. Fisher, Senior Lecturer, Translation and Interpreting Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Anja Green, Content Development Manager, Mango Languages
  • Janelle Hawk, Translation Team, Epic

Panel Session 3 – Professional Development Opportunities for Speakers of Less Commonly Taught Languages

  • Kaveri Advani, Program Manager, The Language Flagship, National Security Education Program (NSEP) & Brian Cooke, Program Officer, Project GO & Language Training Centers, Institute of International Education (IIE)
  • Katie Jost, Program Director, Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)
  • Mark Lilleleht, Assistant Director for Awards, Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) at UW–Madison
  • Julie E. Taylor, Director of Academic Relations for Fulbright Institute of International Education (IIE)
  • Addisu Hodes, Project Manager, Government Contracts and Rula Malky, Training and Certification Specialist, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

Keynote Speaker

Cheryl Gibbs, Senior Director, International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE), U.S. Department of Education

Cheryl E. Gibbs is the Senior Director of the office of International and Foreign Language Education. She directs IFLE’s grant administration and policy development activities and oversees the administration of all Title VI and Fulbright-Hays institutional grant and fellowship programs. In addition to her role as Senior Director, Cheryl also serves as the Director of IFLE’s Advanced Training and Research Division (ATRD) team, and works as a Program Officer for the South Asia portfolio of the National Resource Centers and Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowships programs.

Cheryl received a Bachelor of Science in English from Clarion University and a Master of Education in Curriculum Development and School Supervision from Westminster College. Cheryl began her Federal career in the Office of Postsecondary Education in 1984 after relocating to DC when her former career as a high school English teacher in her hometown of Sharon, Pennsylvania ended. She holds the distinction of being the first African-American secondary school teacher hired by the Sharon School District.

External Exhibitors