At the end of the spring 2024 semester, over 200 UW–Madison advising, career services, and learning support professionals gathered to celebrate the closing of another academic year and hand out some much deserved accolades.
Advising, career services, and learning support awards were presented to members of the three communities in recognition of their exceptional contributions to our campus and community.
Congratulations to our award winners and a continued thank you to every member of the advising, career services, and learning support communities for all you do!
Early Career Excellence Award
Nathaniel Liedl
Academic & Career Advisor, International Academic & Internships Programs
From the nominators:
“Nathaniel has a complicated advising role that incorporates both study abroad advising and career services. I am constantly impressed with the time he takes to build relationships with students and how knowledgeable he has become on the information that students need from him. Nathaniel is reliable and is fantastic at email and project follow-up. He is a thoughtful communicator and his easy-going nature allows for positive interactions with those who work with him.”
Collaborative Impact Award
Amy Zwaska
Senior Student Services Coordinator, School of Pharmacy
Denise Pigarelli
Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy
Mike Pitterle
Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy
From the nominators:
“One of the standout qualities of this FIG teaching team is their cooperative approach to instruction. Each member brings their distinctive strengths, expertise, and areas of interest to the table, fostering an environment of creativity and innovation. This collaborative spirit has been instrumental in the team’s ability to develop and implement engaging teaching methods that resonate with the students and contribute to the overall success of the Pharmacy & You FIG.”
Outstanding Achievement Award
Brian Bischel
Assistant Director & Academic Advisor, Cross-College Advising Service
From the nominators:
“Brian has dedicated his career to supporting undecided and exploring students, mentoring and developing professional and student staff, elevating the experiences and perspectives of individuals who hold marginalized identities, and building work practices and policies to accomplish goals tied in with diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Brian’s contributions to and accomplishments with CCAS and the campus have been significant.”
Outstanding Achievement Award
Agnes Lee
Instructor, Chemistry Learning Center
From the nominators:
“Agnes’ dedication to fostering social justice, her contributions to the academic and personal growth of underrepresented students, and her unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is truly outstanding. Her kindness, compassion, and empathy have created a safe community for students to feel comfortable learning has not gone unnoticed. As one student commented, ‘Agnes makes the CLC a safe place to learn!'”
Community Leadership Award
Erin Polnaszek Boyd
Academic Advising Manager, English Department
From the nominators:
“Erin embodies the essence of exemplary leadership and genuine care within the advising community. Her dedication to fostering wellness initiatives and her proactive approach to addressing the unique needs of advisors have left a mark on both the Wellness Subcommittee and the broader advising community.”
Commitment to Social Justice Award
Hyewon Park
STEM Advisor, Center for Educational Opportunity
From the nominators:
“Hyewon stands out in her ability to provide the tenacity, compassion, and grace to ensure students find the resources and support necessary to not just survive but to thrive. What makes Hyewon extraordinary is that she doesn’t just fight to support students “on her roster.” She has brought students in from across campus and has established a reputation as a fierce supporter for UW-Madison students.”
Keystone Award
Amanda Waller
Administrative Manager, SuccessWorks
From the nominators:
“Amanda is student-centered in everything she does. She approaches every situation and decision by asking, “What would be best for our students?” She is also great at communicating her decision-making process, and bringing people into the process to build buy-in and trust among staff.”
Outstanding Student Employee Award
Bao Hoang
SuccessWorks
From the nominators:
“Bao is an integral part of the important student staff team in our office. Her good humor, compassion and affinity for building community and relationships with the people around her have made our office a more vibrant and inclusive place for staff and students alike.”
Outstanding Student Employee Award
McKenna Laurent
Greater University Tutoring Service
From the nominators:
“McKenna’s mere presence in the GUTS office gives the space a warmer feel that enhances our office culture. It’s evident that her fellow student staff view Mckenna as a trusted leader, often turning to her for support and guidance during times of need, whether for work flexibility or when feeling overwhelmed. She embodies what it means to be a servant leader, fiercely advocating for her colleagues with empathy and leading by example.”
Campus Partner Award
Office of Equity, Inclusion & Employee Wellbeing
Each year, the Office of Academic & Career Success chooses a campus partner to recognize, honor and thank for their contributions to the UW Advising, Career Services, and Learning Support Communities.
The Office of Equity, Inclusion and Employee Well-Being is a relatively new office dedicated to providing support and consultation for schools, colleges and divisions to improve workplaces, work cultures and support for employees.
Their work strives to recognize and operationalize the inextricable link between equity and collective well-being through cultivating policies, systems and environments that are built and sustained for employees. They provide central-level and divisional-level support to ensure that the relationship between these elements are acknowledged and leveraged in meaningful ways.
Campus Partner Award
DoIT Academic Technology
Each year, the Office of Academic & Career Success chooses a campus partner to recognize, honor and thank for their contributions to the UW Advising, Career Services, and Learning Support Communities.
DoIT Academic Technology provides sustainable and innovative services to support teaching, research, learning, and inclusion across the university. Their fingerprints are on many of the tools and experiences you use every day, from the Advising Gateway and Advisor Notes, to SOAR, and the First Destination Survey.
The projects and work has varied over the years, but what has remained consistent is that the individuals at DoIT AT contribute beyond their defined roles – bringing leadership and new ideas, asking just the right question at the right time, facilitating collaboration across campus, and providing unquantifiable value to every space they are in.
Awards Sponsored by the Graduate School
Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Support
Sara Hladilek
Senior Student Services Coordinator in Mech. Engr/NEEP/MD+I
From the nominators:
“Sara is driven by a desire to help improve the experience of graduate students from the application process through graduation. She truly cares about their well-being and shows it: in her interactions with the students as well as her education of faculty (research advisors; instructors) on graduate student issues. The graduate school experience of our students is better because of Sara.”
Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Support
Ana Garić
Graduate Program Manager, Neuroscience Training Program
From the nominators:
“I find it hard to imagine anyone more deserving of the 2024 Graduate School Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Support than Ana Garić. She has succeeded through skillful organization, communication, and thoughtful prioritization of activities that most benefit the students, their training, and future careers.”
Award recipients were honored during the Spring Celebration & Awards Ceremony hosted by the Office of Academic & Career Success in May 2024.
These awards are a recognition of not only the hard work and dedication of each individual recipient, but also of the collective work of hundreds of advisors, learning support staff, and career services professionals who strive every day to make UW-Madison a more equitable, inclusive, and innovative place where students and staff can succeed.
