The Social Justice Hub provides purposeful out-of-classroom education through direct experience to further develop skills to engage in social justice work and to improve the quality of life for all. We accomplish this through Action Teams, events, and outreach and collaboration connections. You can sign up for our bimonthly newsletter here to get every-other week updates on what we have accomplished, what we are working on, and what we plan to do. You can view our most recent newsletter by clicking here.
Fill out our interest form here to get involved!
Please email the Hub with any questions or comments at SocialJusticeHub@studentlife.wisc.edu.
Ways to get involved
Choose what interests you
Through our action teams, there are many opportunities to get involved with a topic that interests you. You can also apply to be an Intern each Spring for the following school year. Open to students, staff and faculty.
Create Events
Create discussions (including WeChat) and educational events through the action teams of the Hub helping to inform campus on social justice issues.
Build your skills
The Social Justice Hub offers opportunities to meet other students and campus staff with similar interests, work together to solve problems in the community, and build skills that will help you achieve your career goals.
Current Programs and Teams
Criminal Justice Reform
The Criminal Justice Reform team works to promote awareness and change related to social justice issues in the criminal justice system. At 6 p.m. every Wednesday during the school year, criminal justice reform and research topics are discussed.
Housing Equity Action Team
Our goal is to unify UW-Madison’s campus to the greater Dane County community through education, community and organization partnerships, and initiatives geared towards increasing awareness about housing insecurities.
Food Justice Collective
We are a collective of student-led food justice organizations that seek to connect students and community members with information and access to resources. Through collaboration, we strive to improve food access for all in our communities.
Sustainability Collaborative
The Sustainability Collaborative intends to be a comprehensive resource for UW-Madison students and community members to engage in specific opportunities and ways to work towards environmental justice and sustainability.
Join or start up an Action Team
The Social Justice Hub invites UW-Madison students and campus members to form additional social justice Action Teams! Find friends, choose a social justice topic of interest, schedule discussions, and determine steps to create positive change.
gALPHA Social Impact
gALPHA Social Impact is a free four-week program designed to help UW-Madison students create innovative solutions to problems such as educational equity or criminal justice reform, provides idea and mentorship, and coach individuals.
Engage in Social Justice Events
- September
- September 27
- September 28Housing Equity Food/Hygiene Bag PackingHelp pack food & hygiene bags to be delivered to the homeless community in Madison8:00 AM, First United Methodist Church
- September 28
- September 28
Connect with our Staff
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Alyssa Bokotey - Operations & Intake Intern
Pronouns: She/her/hers
3rd Year; Community and Nonprofit Leadership and Environmental Studies with certificates in Global Health and Sustainability
I joined the Social Justice Hub because of my life-long passion for social justice reform — especially as it pertains to issues of housing and food insecurity, gender-based violence, sustainability, and nonhuman animal rights.
Outside of the Social Justice Hub, I am involved in PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment), Slow Food, and the Jewish Democratic Council of America. In my free time, I enjoy making art, cooking, and spending quality time with friends and family.
You can reach Alyssa at SJHoperations@studentlife.wisc.edu and learn more about her here.
Arushi Gupta - Outreach Intern
Pronouns: She, her, hers
2nd year; majoring in Neurobiology, Psychology, and Philosophy.
I joined the Social Justice Hub to challenge myself and be a strong advocate for issues I have watched unravel and reported on as a journalist. Outside of the Hub, I love finding the poetry in science, covering news for The Badger Herald, and taking down the patriarchy.
You can reach Arushi at sjhoutreach@studentlife.wisc.edu. Learn more about her here.
Ben Ross - Office Assistant
Pronouns: He/him/his
3rd Year; finance and risk management
I believe social justice is a core principle anywhere you go in today’s society. It’s also growing to be an even more prevalent issue on college campuses across the country.
Through the Hub I hope to gain a better insight on social justice issues and then to pass that knowledge on to others.
Alli Burgdorf and Clarence Harley - Criminal Justice Reform Co-Directors
Alli Burgdorf
Pronouns: She/her/hers
3rd year; Political Science and Sociology with certificates in Public Policy and Criminal Justice.
I joined the Social Justice Hub to learn more about the issues I am passionate about and use that knowledge to educate others. Working with the Criminal Justice Reform Team, I am able to collaborate with like-minded peers to spread knowledge of criminal justice across campus.
Clarence Harley
Pronouns: He/him/his
2nd Year – Economics and Political Science
Social Justice to me is more than a hobby or a commitment, it’s a civic duty. As a man of color, I feel as if it’s my responsibility to stand up against the pertinent inequities in our society. I joined the Social Justice Hub and, more specifically, the Criminal Justice Reform team, to help foster my beliefs and grow connections with others who feel so passionately about social justice as I do.
Contact them at criminaljustice@studentlife.wisc.edu.
Connor Raboine and Raven Hall - Food Justice Collective Co-Directors
Connor Raboine 
Pronouns: He/Him/His
4th year; majoring in Human Development and Family Studies & Communication Arts
I was drawn to the Social Justice Hub to create connections with students across disciplines, while also taking full advantage of its supportive & collaborative framework. In my eyes, this is the most effective way to find sustainable solutions to the food justice issues I am so passionate about. In my free time, I spend time testing out natural dyes and sprouting plants in my apartment!
Raven Hall
Pronouns: She/her/hers
4th Year; Nutritional Sciences with certificates in Global Health and Food Systems
I was initially introduced to the Social Justice Hub through the gALPHA Social Impact Program where I worked on developing and launching a sustainable fashion company with a fellow student. Through my experiences in the program, I found that my true passions lie within the interconnections between food insecurity, sustainable agriculture, and food waste. This then inspired the formation of the Food Justice Collective, which aims to address food justice on campus.
Outside of the Social Justice Hub, I am involved in Campus Food Shed, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), TEDx Madison, and ALT Magazine. In my free time, I enjoy painting, photography, reading, cooking, and hiking!
You can reach the Food Justice Collective at foodjustice@studentlife.wisc.edu.
Diego Flores - Housing Equity Action Team Co-Director
Pronouns: He/him/his
3rd Year; International Relations – Global Security with a Certificate in Criminal Justice in America
I joined the Social Justice Hub to shine a light on social justice issues around campus and find ways to get our campus community involved. Within the Hub, I co-lead the Housing Equity Action Team with Nicole Meyer to raise awareness and get students involved with the issue of homelessness in Madison.
Beyond the Social Justice Hub, I am a member of the UW Club Water Polo Team and Camp Kesem. My hobbies include surfing, hiking, and cooking.
Diego can be reached at SJHhousing@studentlife.wisc.edu.
Kalli Anderson - Marketing & Media Intern
Pronouns: She/her/hers
3rd year; Journalism with certificates in Criminal Justice and Middle Eastern Studies
Social Justice is important to me because I think it is our societal duty to speak up for those who cannot or do not have the platform to speak up for themselves. I believe that we must use our skills and talents to speak up for communities that are usually ignored and/or pushed to the side. As a journalist, I strive to amplify these voices and make them heard.
I am also involved with the Daily Cardinal, the UW-Madison Club Field Hockey team, Feed the Change, and St. Paul’s Catholic Church. My other interests besides journalism and social justice include prison reform, food insecurity, and domestic violence advocacy.
You can reach Kalli at sjhmedia@studentlife.wisc.edu. Learn more about Kalli here.
Nicole Meyer - Housing Equity/ Porchlight Intern
Pronouns: She/her/hers
3rd Year; Neurobiology, Psychology, and English, with a certificate in Public Policy
Social justice is important to me because I believe every person in the United States deserves the best quality of life possible, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, or creed. I hope as the Porchlight intern I am able to bring greater awareness to UW-Madison students of our surrounding community, especially in regards to homelessness. I want there to be an understanding and respect for the complexity that the housing situation in Madison has, as well as the risk factors that cause different groups of people to be disenfranchised and more susceptible to homelessness at disproportionate rates.
I am also involved in SALT company, on the committee for advocacy and awareness for AED, work at St. James Elementary School, and intern at the Capital for Representative LaKeisha Myers. I volunteer at the Rape Crisis Center of Dane County, The Literacy Network, The Beacon Homeless Shelter, Big Brother Big Sister of Dane County, and The Boy’s and Girl’s Club. In my free time I love being outdoors, especially when I’m hiking or running, preferably at a National Park.
You can reach Nicole at sjhhousing@studentlife.wisc.edu.
Jim Rogers- Program Director
Pronouns: He/him/his
Jim has initiated, developed and led the Social Justice Hub since 2018 having worked with staff putting together the mission and structure, setting up the facilities and equipment, opening the office, hiring the Social Justice Hub staff, and facilitating the Social Justice Hub supporting students and campus members working towards social justice, while developing student skills, as these future leaders continue to improve the quality of life for all.
Biking, traveling and gaining new perspectives in life all excite Jim.
You can contact us anytime at SocialJusticeHub@studentlife.wisc.edu.