MADISON – Four University of Wisconsin System professors have been awarded the 2002 Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Awards. The annual awards go to four outstanding teachers from UW System campuses located within the Alliant service area.
This year’s recipients are:
- James Ferris, Associate Faculty Associate, Communication Arts, UW-Madison
- Ronald Wallace, Professor, English, UW-Madison
- Wayne Weber, Assistant Professor, Biology, UW-Platteville
- Mark Zidon, Professor, Agricultural Education, UW-Platteville
The awards program represents a partnership that began in 1991 between the UW System and the Wisconsin Power and Light (WPL) Foundation (now part of Alliant Energy). That year, Erroll Davis, CEO of WPL Holdings and a UW System regent at the time, created the awards as a way to recognize and reward outstanding teachers in the UW System.
The awards are given in honor of James R. Underkofler, a long-time senior executive with the company, who retired in 1990. The awards pay tribute to Underkofler’s enduring interest in encouraging and promoting undergraduate teaching excellence.
The awards program is administered by the UW System Office of Professional and Instructional Development. A UW System committee composed of faculty and teaching academic staff selects the finalists from candidates nominated by eligible institutions.
UW System Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Cora Marrett presented this year’s awards at a ceremony in Madison on Thursday, October 17.