Longtime academic advisor Chris Logterman, who joined the College of Letters & Science as an advisor in 2013 after working at the School of Nursing, died August 14 of natural causes. She was 43.
During her time on campus she served as a leader and mentor to students and colleagues, including chairing the SOAR Advising Committee, participating in the Council on Academic Advising, the Advisor Training and Development Team and the Academic Staff Mentoring Program.
“Chris was a steadfast member of our academic advising community for many years. She served as a mentor to many students and advisors during her tenure and was a source of support and stability to many in our community. Her expertise, her dry wit and her strong service ethic will be missed,” says Wren Singer, Associate Provost for Advising and Career Services.
Chris was particularly committed to transfer students, first generation students and underrepresented students. She participated in the Witnessing Whiteness, Art of Advising and Leadership Institute learning communities to further her understanding of and commitment to serve marginalized communities. “Chris’s identity as a first-generation college student fostered a strong sense of service to students who are often on the margins,” says Singer.
During her time with L&S, Logterman served as assistant and interim director of Academic Advising Services (AAS) before becoming a student services coordinator and the undergraduate academic advisor for the English department this past year.
In addition to providing mentorship and advice to hundreds of undergraduates, Logterman worked with other colleagues across campus to coordinate transfer student and SOAR processes.
“Advisors like Chris touch our students’ lives in ways many faculty and staff are not aware of,” says Anja Wanner, chair of the Department of English. “They are a cornerstone of the Wisconsin Experience, and Chris was particularly gifted at seeing each student’s potential for intellectual growth.”
Cal Bergman, Associate Dean of Student Academic Affairs and Director of Undergraduate Advising for the College of Letters & Science, describes Logterman as a caring and professional advocate for students and a mentor among advisors. He was struck by her ability to build bridges between Academic Advising Services and department advisors, an effort that strengthened the advising resources available to undergraduates.
“This summer, during SOAR, Chris helped advise our new students like she encouraged so many department advisors to do during her time in AAS,” says Bergman. “Now, it feels like a tribute to her that AAS is helping the English Department meet the advising needs of the undergraduates who were assigned to her. Whenever I see advisors helping other departments in the college, whether that's for SOAR, or to cover an open base, I will always think of Chris."
Logterman offered support and direction to countless students several of whom have written notes of tribute and appreciation in honor of her passing. Erika Nielson, a rising senior pursuing a creative writing degree along with pre-med courses, recalled the ways in which Logterman helped her during her time at UW.
“I remember last year I was a returning sophomore, full of anxiety and overwhelming loneliness,” Nielson says. “Chris sent me such a kind and loving email the day before classes, embracing me with open arms to share any anxiety, worry or frustration I might have been having before or during my semester. I was deeply grateful for her compassion and generous time she shared with me. I admire her strength and willingness to help and support me as a student.”
Chris’s hard work and commitment to UW-Madison’s students will long be remembered as a shining example by her colleagues. Her legacy of compassion, careful listening and thoughtful advising will live on, in the many students whose lives she touched.
Logterman is survived by her two children, Samuel and Ella.