Advising Staff
Molly Donnellan, Academic Advisor. Pronouns: She/Her/Hers: Molly advises for the International Studies Major. During the semesters, students should attend an Intro to the IS Major Workshop (schedule forthcoming for Fall 2021) before scheduling their first appointment with Molly. Outside of Fall/Spring semesters, students can schedule an appointment directly. Students can also email molly.donnellan@wisc.edu with questions. Students can schedule an appointment via Starfish.
Csanád Siklós, PhD., Academic Advisor: Pronounced Csanád Siklós. Csanád advises for the International Studies Major. Students can also email Csanád at siklos@wisc.edu with questions. Schedule an appointment with Csanád via email or via Starfish.
Lindsey Bliefernicht, M.S. : Pronounced Lindsey Bliefernicht. (she/her/hers) Lindsey advises for the International Studies Major, as well as certificate programs within the Institute for Regional and International Studies, though her first position in IRIS started in 2019 as a Project Assistant for the Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute. As a first generation student, Lindsey is passionate about promoting campus resources and international learning opportunities for all students. Students can schedule an appointment via Starfish.
Ben Vargas, Peer Advisor: Ben is a fourth year student advisor for the International Studies Major. He pursues a double major in Political Science and International Studies with certificates in Public Policy and Environmental Sustainability while pursing an Accelerated MIPA at La Follette. Ben has worked in a variety of grassroot, state and bureaucratic government positions and is passionate about anything Star Wars related. Students can email Ben at bvargas@wisc.edu with questions regarding advising, academic coursework, networking, career opportunities, and more. His office hours can be found here.
Katherine Ackley, Peer Advisor: Katherine is a senior majoring in International Studies and Environmental Studies and is earning certificates in French and Textiles and Fashion Design. Pronouns are She/Her/Hers. Students can email Katherine at kgackley@wisc.edu. Her office hours can be found here.
Please note that for Summer 2021, advising will be held remotely via email, phone, or videoconferencing.
Advising is essential to a successful undergraduate experience. For this reason, the International Studies Major has an academic advisor, a peer advisor, and a career advisor. We recommend that you meet with your advisor at least once per semester to track progress towards your degree, explore study abroad options, and begin the career exploration process.
Just have a quick question? Feel free to email the IS Major advisor or one of the peer advisors. The email should come from your wisc.edu email account (why?) and include your Campus ID number. If it is an ongoing email conversation, please include the history.
Prior to sending your email, please check our website for answers to frequently asked questions. If it is determined that your question cannot be answered via email you may be asked to make an appointment.
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How to Meet with an Advisor
For Summer 2021:
1. Schedule an appointment with an IS Major Advisor via Starfish or email.
*Please note that during busy times in the semester, the IS Major advisors’ schedule will fill up quickly, so it is best to plan ahead.
2. Attend drop in office hours with an IS Peer Advisor below or via email (Unavailable until Fall 2021)
How to use Starfish
All currently declared students and current UW-Madison undergraduate students interested in the International Studies major are welcome to schedule an appointment. Advising appointments can be made through Starfish. You can access Starfish from your MyUW dashboard.
To add the Starfish app:
- Login to MyUW
- Search for Starfish
- Click Add to home for easy access
- Launch the app
Please click this link for instructions on how to use Starfish.
Advising Hours
Schedule an appointment with Molly via the Starfish widget on your MyUW page.
Walk-in Advising:
*Walk-in advising hours will not be held during Spring 2021. Please schedule an appointment directly with one of our advisors.
Peer Advising: Peer Advising remote walk in hours links are in description above. Peer Advising in-person hours will resume by Fall 2021
Peace Corps Advising (252 Bascom Hall): Check the Peace Corps website for current advising schedules.
Advising while Abroad
Students who are currently studying abroad and need to meet with the IS Major advisor can schedule Skype advising appointments. Schedule via the Starfish widget on your MyUW page.