How UW-Superior alumni Andrew Laack arrived with grit and left with greatness   

How UW-Superior alumni Andrew Laack arrived with grit and left with greatness   

A young man with short brown hair sits outdoors near a shrub, wearing a dark t-shirt and jeans, smiling at the camera with his hands resting on his knee. A gray metal wall is visible in the background.
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Andrew Laack, a May 2025 graduate, is proof positive that hard work pays off.  

Born and raised in Waunakee, Wisconsin, Laack chose the University of Wisconsin-Superior for one specific reason: it was the only in-state college offering a fully online comprehensive computer science (CS) program.  

Online courses were non-negotiable for him. Laack worked full-time – as lead software developer for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections – the entire time he was a student.  

Astonishingly, he enrolled in a whopping 21 credits his final semester. “I realized it would take an extra year to finish my degree if I didn’t take 21 credits my last semester,” Laack explained.  

“That semester was a struggle, and I was consistently putting in 80 hours a week to stay afloat,” he added. “But in the end, it was worth it. I was able to learn a lot that semester, and it allowed me to get the job I have now, doing what I enjoy.” 

This determined young man is a clear example of one of the university’s deeply held beliefs: that if you arrive with grit, you can leave with greatness.  

A Computer Science Interest 

Laack shared what intrigues him about his field.

A group of people sit together at a long wooden table, working on laptops and smiling in a bright, modern, open office space with plants and shelves in the background.
At Imbue during a launch party of its product, Sculptor, which has become the core focus of the company.

“Computer science interests me because it is very concrete. I like the idea of defining instructions for a computer to perform, and the system performing them exactly as specified.” 

Since graduating just five short months ago, Laack has already made huge strides in his career path. “I currently live in San Francisco and work at Imbue, doing machine learning (ML) engineering and research,” he noted.  

“In my current role, I work on building systems that validate the completeness and quality of LLM generated code. The company, more generally, is working towards building a Free (as in freedom) interface for coordinating AI agents in an accessible way, and providing tooling to make coding more accessible to people without much coding experience.” 

Laack is also continuing his education. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in CS from the Georgia Institute of Technology. After that, he will likely pursue a Ph.D. 

UWS Experience 

Laack reflected on his UW-Superior experience. “I had a great experience at UWS. I appreciated the availability of professors, their knowledge, and the courses I took.  

“I am especially grateful to Professors Steve Rosenberg and Josh Stangle for their willingness to put up with me,” he noted with a chuckle. “I likely attended too many of Professor Rosenberg’s office hours, but never felt unwelcome. The things I learned in his courses have been very valuable to me.  

“I am also grateful for Professor Stangle’s willingness to oversee my capstone research project. The result of that project – the research paper itself – is likely one of the main reasons I was able to get my current ML engineering and research role.” 

Praise from a Professor  

Rosenberg – who taught Laack in two courses – shared his thoughts about Laack’s impressive work ethic. “Andrew really dug into the material in each course, attending many class sessions live on Zoom, as well as my office hours. He kept me on my toes with incisive questions and comments.  

“He explored his passionate interest in AI and machine learning both in coursework and at his job, leveraging AI and ML in innovative projects. Upon graduation, Andrew accepted a job offer from Imbue, a promising AI venture supported by the (former) CEOs of Google and NVIDIA.  

“Indeed, after conducting the first couple of interviews with Andrew’s references, Imbue decided they had better make him an offer immediately before someone else snatched him up – canceling the scheduled interview with me!” 

Impactful Visit to Campus

While Laack attended fully remotely, one of his most impactful UWS memories was the opportunity to finally meet his professors in person.  

“The one time I went to campus was part of my capstone,” Laack said. “I wrote an ML research paper and went to campus to present it.  

“The experience was great,” he added. “I got to meet my professors in person for the first time – after knowing them for years.” 

“Andrew wasn’t required to come to campus in person, but he chose to make the trip,” added Rosenberg. “I didn’t know he was coming. I did a double-take seeing him in person after knowing him only remotely.”