Andy Quackenbush

(he/him/his)

As a Senior Study Abroad Advisor, I advise students and manage a portfolio of study abroad programs in Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. As a first generation college student from a small high school, I found UW-Madison overwhelming and it took time to adjust. Eventually I hit my stride and found ways to make it feel smaller, including getting involved in research. As an undergraduate, I majored in Psychology and assisted with research in Professor Yuri Miyamoto’s Culture and Cognition Lab, which encouraged me to explore the world. After graduation, I took an opportunity to help teach English in Japan’s Tohoku (northeast) region through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. I completed my M.S. in Counseling through UW-Madison’s School of Education, which places an emphasis on the importance of cultural and social identities in counseling. One of my study abroad interests is support for LGBT students, and I’ve contributed to national resources in our field on the topic. UW-Madison opened the world to me, and I love working for UW Study Abroad to help make that possible for others! Outside of work, I like to read (sci-fi, travelogues, international relations), play video games (adventure and RPGs), and explore Madison’s amazing food culture.