Alumni
After graduation, most of our alumni live and work in Wisconsin. Whether you graduated recently or long ago, you’re an important member of the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare community.
Stay Connected
Keep in touch! Follow us on social media to learn about news and upcoming events.
There are many opportunities to continue your involvement with the school. Each fall, the school raises money for student scholarships at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Prowl. We invite you to join our school’s Panther Prowl team the Asphalt Kickers and enjoy time back on campus while networking with alumni.
As an alum, we encourage you to join us at informal gatherings throughout the year, including the alumni basketball game and social justice events. Professional development classes and graduate certificate programs also present opportunities for you to keep learning.
Noble Wray Receives Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare Degree
Originally from Milwaukee, Noble Wray graduated from UWM in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He went on to serve on the Madison Police Department for nearly 30 years, rising in the ranks from patrol officer to chief. A nationally recognized consultant for law enforcement organizations, he has lent his expertise to cities like Ferguson, Baltimore and New York. He presents around the country on topics like implicit bias, Blue Courage and procedural justice.
Wray has served in leadership roles at the national, state and local levels. In 2015, Wray was asked by the U.S. Department of Justice to help lead an initiative to implement President Obama’s 21st Century Policing recommendations. In 2019, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers appointed Wray to serve on the Governor’s Pardon Advisory Board, and in 2007, Wisconsin Gov. James Doyle invited him to co-chair the State Commission on Reducing Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System. He also served as president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison in 2014. Wray has received numerous awards, including the UWM Helen Bader School of Social Welfare’s Alumnus of the Year in 2011. – UWM Report