Emilie Hofacker, PhD

Bio

Dr. Emilie Hofacker serves as Director of TRIO and Pre-College Programs within the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She provides strategic direction, oversight, and leadership for the staff, systems, and structures supporting a portfolio of 13 programs and initiatives, including numerous Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction funded programs and several federally funded TRIO programs. The portfolio serves more than 5,000 participants annually, spanning K-12 students and Veterans, and focuses on college preparation, academic enrichment, career and postsecondary exploration, advising, mentorship, and readiness experiences. The work is strengthened through partnerships with K-12 schools, community organizations, and campus partners.

The TRIO and Pre-College Programs portfolio includes:

• Early College Awareness, Enrichment, and Exploration (K-8): Campus Tours, Planning for the Future, Quest Project, Saturday Academy, and Summer Exploration Camp
• College Preparation, Readiness, and Access (Grades 9-12): ACT preparation and test-taking experiences, Future Success Program, GOALS, Panther Prep, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science, and Quest Project
• College Readiness and Transition for Veterans: Veterans Upward Bound
• Office of Youth Compliance: Institutional oversight of policies, practices, and regulatory requirements related to youth programming

Prior to joining UW-Milwaukee, Dr. Hofacker led and developed high-impact student access and success initiatives at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She served as Director of the Posse Program, a national full-tuition scholarship program that supports diverse student leaders through collegiate degree completion. She also founded and served as Director of the Office of STEM Initiatives, a student-serving unit expanding access to and engagement in STEM pathways. Following UW-Madison, she served as Director of College and Career Success at Code2College, a nonprofit advancing STEM-focused college and career pathways for high school and college students.

With more than 17 years in higher education, Dr. Hofacker has developed, directed, and led initiatives, programs, and teams that support students from early college awareness through degree completion and beyond. Her experience spans program design and leadership, academic advising and mentorship, teaching, training and development, and stewarding institutional and external resources and funding. She brings a student-centered approach to designing educational experiences and organizational structures that strengthen collegiate readiness, engagement, persistence, and long-term success.

Education

• PhD, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• MS, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• MS, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• BA, Communication Science and Rhetorical Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• BS, Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison