Each spring, the Office of Academic & Career Success presents awards to those in the advising, career services, and learning support communities who demonstrate a commitment to improving the undergraduate advising, career services, and learning support experiences on campus. Award recipients will receive up to $2,000 in professional development funding!
The 2025 award nomination form is now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination!
Selected nominees will be honored at the Spring Celebration & Awards Ceremony.
Advising, Career Services & Learning Support Awards
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Keystone Award
Honoring individuals whose work provides crucial support to advising, career services, and/or learning support and who positively influence students’ and/or other stakeholders’ experiences with campus. These individuals deliver outstanding service and support, often behind-the-scenes, and ensure that operations run smoothly. Examples could include administrative, communications, event planning, programming, or operational support.
Up to $2000 in professional development funding awarded to recipient.
Early Career Excellence Award
Honoring individuals who have been in their current field at UW–Madison for fewer than 5 years, but in that time have made distinctive contributions to undergraduate advising, learning support, and/or career services on our campus. This award can go to someone who has just begun their career or someone who has been working for a longer time, but has been in their current field less than 5 years.
Up to $2000 in professional development funding awarded to recipient.
Outstanding Achievement Award
Honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to UW-Madison undergraduate advising, career services, and/or learning support, with emphasis on direct student, employer, and/or alumni impact. Eligible candidates must have been employed at UW–Madison for a minimum of 5 years.
Up to $2000 in professional development funding awarded to recipient.
Community Leadership Award
Honoring individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the advising, career services, and/or learning support communities, regardless of role. Leadership, management, coordination of people, projects, committees, and initiatives will all be considered.
Up to $2000 in professional development funding awarded to recipient.
Collaborative Impact Award
Honoring partnerships (of two or more people) who made a significant and impactful contribution to their unit(s), department(s), school(s) or college(s), and/or campus through their collaborative work. This award recognizes the importance of cooperative effort in creating and executing meaningful programs and events, process improvements, and/or marketing and promotion. The collaboration between these individuals or teams results in a better experience for students, colleagues, and/or external stakeholder(s).
Up to $2000 in professional development funding awarded to the recipient, group, or unit.
Outstanding Student Employee Award
Honoring student employees who have a record of excellence in their work within academic, career services, and/or learning support units at UW-Madison. Winner(s) will receive $250.
Past Award Recipients
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2024
Amanda Waller (Administrative Manager with SuccessWorks)
Nathaniel Liedl (Academic & Career Advisor with International Academic & Internships Programs)
Brian Bischel (Assistant Director & Academic Advisor with Cross-College Advising Service)
Agnes Lee (Instructor with the Chemistry Learning Center)
Erin Polnaszek Boyd (Academic Advising Manager with the English Department)
Amy Zwaska (Senior Student Services Coordinator in the School of Pharmacy), Denise Pigarelli (Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy), Mike Pitterle (Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy)
Hyewon Park (Advisor with the Center for Educational Opportunity)
Student awards:
Bao Hoang (SuccessWorks)
McKenna Laurent (Greater University Tutoring Service)
Graduate School awards:
Sara Hladilek (Senior Student Services Coordinator in Mech. Engr/NEEP/MD+I)
Ana Garić (Graduate Program Manager, Neuroscience Training Program)
2023
Dr. Shawn Peters (Writing & Study Skills Specialist & Instructor, Center for Educational Opportunity)
Brandon Spoon (Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, SuccessWorks)
Albert Muñiz (Advisor, POSSE Program)
Kim Vue (College Advisor, PEOPLE Program)
Sarah Schaefer (Associate Director for Career Education and Advising, School of Education)
Lupe Kettleson-Ahedo (Assistant Dean, Center for Academic Excellence)
India Viola (Academic Advisor, Department of Integrative Biology)
Jordan Berken (Academic Advisor, Letter & Science Academic Advising Services)
Alyssa Pon-Franklin (Academic Advisor, formerly Cross-College Advising Service and now with the School of Education)
Carmen Pitz (Assistant Director of Study Abroad Advising, International Academic Program)
Madison Hartup (Academic Advisor with the Department of Economics)
Student awards:
Hope Ngirwe (Center for Academic Excellence)
Akshay Kalra (Center for Educational Opportunity)
Shreyam Taneja (DoIT Student Tech Trainer)
Aishwarya Gouthaman (DoIT Software Training for Students)
Caitlyn Se (DoIT Software Training for Students)
Graduate School awards:
Caroline Hensley, PhD student in English with an emphasis in Literary Studies, and Undergraduate Career Advisor in the English Department
Emma Hinker, graduate student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program and student services project assistant in the Department of Life Sciences Communication
Kristin Cooper, Graduate Program Manager in the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Program
Catherine Ryan, Graduate Program Manager in the Integrated Program in Biochemistry
2022
Kelsey Hughes (Department Administrator with the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture)
Hannah Hatlan Atwell (Career Advisor at the School of Human Ecology)
Goodson Vue (Associate Director of the Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) College Scholars Program)
Stephanie Salazar Kann (Engineering Career Services Associate Director)
Kelli Richards (Career Development & Learning Support Manager with the School of Nursing)
Barb Pinekenstein (Clinical Professor, Richard E. Sinaiko Professor in Health Care Leadership with the School of Nursing)
Emmeline Prattke (Assistant Director of Career Communities at SuccessWorks)
Kathleen Rause (Associate Director of Internship Programs at SuccessWorks)
Student awards:
Ky Collins-Krueger (SOAR Peer Advisor, Residence Hall Advisor, and Main Office Assistant with Cross-College Advising Service)
Keoinia Dobson (Graduate Alumni Relations Intern with SuccessWorks at the College of Letters and Science)
Graduate School awards:
Caitlin Collies (Graduate Program Manager for the Agronomy, Agroecology and Plant Breeding/Plant Genetics programs)
Terra Theim (Graduate Program Coordinator in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program)
2020
Janine Yeh, L&S SuccessWorks
Amy Betzelberger, College of Agricultural and Life Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology
Maria Hartwig, College of Letters & Science, Department of Psychology
Chou Yee Her, College of Letters and Science, Center for Academic Excellence
Jamie Macias, Wisconsin School of Business Career and Employer Engagement
Alicia Hazen, School of Human Ecology
Alexis Steinbach, Center for Pre-Health Advising
Kendra Gurnee, Pharmacology and Toxicology Major
Alondra Avitia, International Studies Major student
Carmela Diosana, L&S Department of Botany
Julie Rae, College of Engineering, Career Services
2019
Cindy Johnson, BBA Program Office
Michael Kruse, L&S SuccessWorks
Andrea Lowe, Nate Doolin & Wisconsin Student Alumni Board L&S SuccessWorks
Valerie Johnson, Psychology
Liane Kosaki, L&S Advising Services
Anthony Wright, BBA Program Office
Molly Donnellan, International Studies
David Duszynski, L&S Academic Advising Services
Gylf Forsberg, College of Engineering