Susan Lochner Atkinson

Biography

As the Associate Director for Advising, I work on all of our advising practices and student services. I am also the lead for diversity and inclusion and academic department partnerships, which includes working with a variety of campus partners to figure out when study abroad will work best for each student. 

I grew up in a small rural town in Minnesota.  As an undergraduate, I left the United States for the first time when I studied abroad on a summer program in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  I was a Spanish education major and originally thought I’d be a teacher, and studied abroad again in Valladolid, Spain for a semester.  My work as a student assistant and peer advisor in the Center for International Education at UW-Eau Claire made me realize that study abroad is a field I could pursue and help others have similar experiences. 

After undergrad, I worked at the University of Minnesota’s study abroad office while completing my master’s degree in Comparative International Development Education. I then worked in the study abroad office at UW-Eau Claire for 8 years before coming to UW-Madison in 2009.

Outside of work, I enjoy reading, podcasts, traveling, exploring local spots and those further away, and spending time with family/friends.