2013 Award Winners: (back row, from left) Julie Bauer, Executive Director, Alliant Energy Foundation; Susan Brantly; Amanda Trewin; Kirthi Premadasa; Jo Ann Healy, Senior Community Affairs Program Manager, Alliant Energy Foundation; and Thomas Hanson, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Alliant Energy Foundation.
(front row, from left) Ada Umuber, accepting the award on behalf of her sister Joseline Nyinawabera; Lawrence Muffuh; Robin Kraidich; and Marcus Jackson. Photo Credit: James Gill
MADISON – The Alliant Energy Foundation and the University of Wisconsin System recognized the outstanding achievements of four UW System students and three UW System teachers at an Oct. 25 awards presentation in Madison.
The Alliant Energy Foundation and the UW System presented four students with the 2013 Alliant Energy/Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Academic Achievement Award. This 7th annual award recognizes the outstanding scholarship and community-service efforts of students from traditionally underrepresented minority groups who are pursuing a degree in business or engineering at UW-Madison and UW-Platteville, institutions within Alliant Energy’s service area.
The 2013 recipients of Alliant Energy/Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Academic Achievement Awards are:
- Marcus A. Jackson, senior, UW-Platteville. He expects to receive his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in May 2014.
- Robin S. Kraidich, senior, UW-Madison. She expects to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Material Science and Engineering in May 2014.
- Lawrence Muffuh, senior, UW-Madison. He expects to receive his Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with a double major in Accounting, Risk Management and Insurance, in May 2014.
- Joseline Nyinawabera, graduate, UW-Madison. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with a double major in Marketing and Human Resources, in May 2013.
“These students set high standards for themselves, not only academically, but also by making their campus communities better places to live and learn,” said Mark Nook, UW System Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. “By contributing their time and energy to helping others, they shape a learning environment in which individuals from all backgrounds can succeed and thrive.”
Erroll B. Davis, Jr., the first Black leader of a “Business Week 1000” company, is a former chief executive of Alliant Energy and a former member of UW System’s Board of Regents. He is currently Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools. The Alliant Energy Foundation established an endowment in 2006 to honor Davis’s distinguished record of public service. The award program is administered by the UW System Office of Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Student Success.
Three members of the UW System’s teaching faculty earned the 2013 Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Awards, in recognition of their outstanding commitment to student success. The awards are presented annually to teachers from UW System campuses located within the Alliant Energy service area.
This year’s recipients of the Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Awards are:
- Susan C. Brantly, Professor, Department of Scandinavian Studies, UW-Madison
- Kirthi Premadasa, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, UW-Baraboo/Sauk County
- Amanda Trewin, Professor, Department of Biology, UW-Platteville
“It is a privilege to honor these exceptional professors,” Nook said. “Through their example of creativity, commitment to excellence, and contagious enthusiasm, they are enhancing our institutions and transforming the lives of our students.”
This year marks the 21st anniversary of the partnership between the UW System and the Alliant Energy Foundation. The awards are given as a tribute to the energy company’s long-time senior executive, James R. Underkofler, a staunch proponent of excellence in undergraduate teaching.
The award program is administered by the UW System Office of Academic, Faculty, and Global Programs. A committee of faculty and staff members selects the finalists from candidates who are nominated by eligible institutions.