Member Bios

Carly Andrew

Academic Program Planner (Electrical & Computer Engineering)

Contact: candrew2@wisc.edu

Carly Andrew serves as the Academic Program Planner in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She works to bring a focus on inclusive, student-driven initiatives that foster belonging, collaboration, and strong partnerships across students, staff, and faculty across undergraduate and graduate programs.

She values CASI as a space that amplifies staff’s voices and contributions while fostering mutual respect and collaboration across roles throughout the university. She sees this kind of collaboration as essential to building systems and cultures that are sustainable, effective, and responsive.

Justin Kyle Bush

Graduate Programs Administrator, Interdisciplinary Professional Programs

Contact: justinkyle.bush@wisc.edu

Justin Kyle Bush is the Graduate Programs Administrator for the Online Engineering Graduate programs in the College of Engineering. In this role, he manages the administrative and operational needs for six master’s programs, including their associated capstone certificates. He provides leadership support in areas such as process improvement and policy, program governance, data management, event coordination, and budget and financial management. Additionally, he dedicates a portion of his time to fostering student and alumni engagement, ensuring a connected Badger community. Justin is eager to collaborate with academic and university staff to identify areas for enhancement and collectively solutions that will contribute to maintaining COE as an exemplary workplace.

Jackie Cooper

Lab Manager, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Contact: jackie.cooper@wisc.edu

I have been in this position for over 25 years, supporting students and faculty in both CEE and CBE, as well as others across campus who utilize the equipment in my lab. I feel my perspective as someone working in a laboratory, which is often times not reflected in other campus committees, will serve me well on CASI.

Jennifer Detlor

Assistant Teaching Professor

Contact: detlor@wisc.edu

Jennifer Detlor is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She earned a B.S in Mathematics, Chemistry, and English, a M.S. in Engineering Mechanics and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She teaches core, large-enrollment courses at the first- through fourth-year level in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, such as statics, mechanics of materials, fluids, and heat transfer. Her research includes engineering education focused on interactive tools for the classroom and recruitment and retention of underserved students.

Daniel Gaona, CASI Chair

Accountant, Electrical & Computer Engineering

Contact: daniel.gaona@wisc.edu

Daniel joined UW-Madison in January of 2013. He has been with the College of Engineering since August of 2021 and is the Accountant for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Daniel has served on a variety of committees during his time with the university as well as the school district where his children are enrolled.

Daniel looks forward to bringing his breadth of experience to CASI in hopes of being an advocate for staff members whose voices may not always be at the forefront.

Jason Jankoski, CASI ex officio member (non-voting)

Assistant Dean for Human Resources

Contact: jpjankoski@wisc.edu, (608) 890-0921

As assistant dean for human resources, payroll and benefits, Jason Jankoski provides leadership in human resource, payroll and benefits systems administration throughout the College of Engineering. He oversees, directs and collaborates with the college’s decentralized departmental human resource, payroll and administrative staff members, and provides leadership and guidance to achieve excellence in these areas. Additionally, he is the college liaison to human resources at the UW-Madison and UW System levels.

Jankoski joined the College of Engineering as assistant dean in 2014. Previously, he spent five years as assistant dean for human resources in the Wisconsin School of Business, and has held human resources positions elsewhere at UW-Madison and at the State of Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor of arts in human resources management from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Nate Jung

Teaching Faculty, Engineering Communications and Applied Ethics

Contact: najung@wisc.edu

I teach courses in Engineering Communications and Applied Ethics to students from all areas of the College of Engineering. In this role, I interact with a variety of faculty, administrators, and STEM writing professionals to ensure that our students integrate all aspects of their engineering education into a cohesive professional identity that reflects the values of the UW-Madison College of Engineering. I also currently serve on ASEC’s Nominating Committee.

Rob Kohlhepp

Director of Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)

Contact: rob.kohlhepp@wisc.edu

Rob has been an IT leader in the College of Engineering for over 20 years, stewarding the college-wide technology service particularly supporting instruction. He has been active in campus governance and committees throughout his career and most proud of his work developing and building the UW Women in IT community and his stewardship of the Big Ten community around Engineering technology support. Rob hopes to continue to influence college leadership around staff sense of inclusion and belonging. In a previous career, he was an internationally published writer and technology analyst.

Kelly Petersen

Main Office Manager, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Contact: kmpetersen2@wisc.edu

Kelly joined the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the summer of 2019. She acts as the Main Office Manager for Industrial and Systems Engineering, doing a little bit of everything to support the Faculty, Staff, and Instructors of her department. She also currently serves on a variety of committees throughout the college.

Kelly received her BS in Elementary Education from Iowa State University and worked in the education field for 5 years before moving into an administrative role in higher education.

Accountant (Department of Mechanical Engineering)

Kathryn Rasmussen is an Accountant for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, having joined the team in 2022. She focuses on purchasing capital equipment and other high dollar Purchase Orders, managing non-sponsored accounts, and being a Workday resource for her department. She works closely with faculty, staff, and students to monitor funds and to provide guidance on the various campus policy and procedures. She has been involved with her department’s admin staff social and professional development planning committee since it’s creation in 2022 and is an active member of the CoE finance community. She is excited to apply her experience to CASI and to help advocate for all CoE staff members.

Zach Smith

Research Administrator Supervisor, Mechanical Engineering

Contact: rsmith48@wisc.edu

Zach is an experienced Research Administrator Supervisor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He specializes in large, multi-faceted proposals and awards, complex cost-sharing and proactive commitment management. His primary interests involve systems thinking and refinement of processes and procedures via novel tool development. He enjoys detail-oriented work and maintaining holistic award perspectives. He is the previous Chair of the College of Engineering’s Committee Advocating for Staff Interests (CASI), the Co-Chair of UW’s Standing Budget Committee, District 513 Academic Staff Assembly representative, and a mentor with NCURA (National Council of University Research Administrators) and UW’s RED mentoring programs.

Communications Specialist (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Amanda Thuss has served as a Communications Specialist for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering since July 2019. In this role, she provides a mix of communications, event management, marketing, alumni relations, and faculty/student support. Before joining the Badger engineering community, she worked in marketing and communications for the Door County tourism industry and at a civil engineering consulting firm. As a CASI member, she looks forward to serving the College of Engineering in a new way and collaborating with leadership to elevate and enhance the campus experience for all community members.

Associate Director of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Christa Wille (she/her) is passionate about using research to advance teaching and learning in higher education, especially in engineering. Through her lived experiences as a learner across multiple disciplines, her leadership in instructional design of a flipped classroom in her biomechanics courses, and her extensive background in research, Christa is well suited to support scholarship of teaching and learning projects in the College of Engineering. As a member of CASI, she is in particular eager to help advocate for and support academic instructional staff in our College.