Matt Hora

Professor Hora conducted a study of 141 Wisconsin employers (biotechnology and manufacturing sectors) and postsecondary educators to better understand the “skills gap” in the state. This study resulted in a 2016 book, Beyond the Skills Gap: Educating College Students for Life and Work, that gained national attention. He is the founding director of the new Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions at UW-Madison. The center will focus on critical aspects of the transition from college to the workforce, such as what makes internship programs successful and a review of how economists and researchers define middle skills jobs. Hora earned his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at UW-Madison.

Areas of expertise

“Hard” and “soft” skills in demand by Wisconsin employers, college internships, postsecondary STEM education and workforce alignment, active/experiential learning in the classroom to develop students’ skills, and helping teachers create active learning environments.