Laura Hankes

Laura Hankes joined UW–Madison in November 2020. As an HR generalist, she is responsible for the onboarding and offboarding of academic and university staff, partners with hiring staff for recruitments, serves as an expert resource for benefits and leave reporting, and manages payroll. Laura also has experience working with student appointments.

Laura is originally from Owatonna, Minnesota, but grew up in southeast Iowa. She received her Bachelors of Business Administration degree from the University of Dubuque, where she worked for the City of Dubuque Health Services Department and then a government contracting company. In 2020, Laura relocated to the Madison area to be closer to family. She earned her Society for Human Resource Management – Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification in December 2022.

On the weekends, you can usually find Laura outside hiking, camping, kayaking/paddleboarding, reading, or enjoying a local Farmers Market. Laura loves spending time with friends and family, her dog Maggie, and cat Jasper.