(from left) Laura Khoury, UW-Parkside; Kayoung Kim, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Fond du Lac campus; Manu Sharma, UW-River Falls; Mai Khou Xiong, UW-Oshkosh; Jan Larson, UW-Eau Claire; Graciela Engen, UW-La Crosse; Lorena Rios Mendoza, UW-Superior; María Yolanda Peña, UW-Madison Cooperative Extension; Brigitte Benitez-Vargas, UW-Stevens Point; Brenda Cárdenas, UW-Milwaukee; Otaasia Barfield, UW-Stout; Jacqueline Hunter, UW-Platteville; and Alana Dallas, UW-Green Bay Not pictured: Christy Clark-Pujara, UW-Madison; Ozalle Toms, UW-Whitewater (Photo by Ethan Schuh, UW System)
MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin System has announced the 15 recipients of the 2018 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award, an annual honor given to faculty, staff, students, or community members to recognize their achievements in advancing equity and inclusion for people of color within the UW System as well as communities across the state.
This year is the 23rd anniversary of the award through which 375 women of color have been recognized for their transformational work.
“The UW System has a longstanding commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion at our institutions. This award honors women of color whose advocacy, activism and scholarship has resulted in the positive transformation of our UW System campuses and surrounding communities,” said UW System President Ray Cross. “Through the efforts of this year’s award recipients, our campuses and communities have become more welcoming and equitable places to learn, work and live.”
Recipients will be formally recognized on November 8, 2018, in Madison at an awards ceremony and reception which will be held in conjunction with UW System’s presentation of the Dr. P.B. Poorman Awards for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People.
The 2018 Outstanding Women of Color in Education honorees are:
- Jan Larson, Professor and Department Chair, Communication and Journalism, UW-Eau Claire
- María Yolanda Peña, FoodWIse Program Coordinator, Walworth County, UW-Extension
- Alana Dallas, First Nations Studies and Social Work majors, UW-Green Bay
- Graciela Engen, Institutional Research Analyst, Provost Office, UW-La Crosse
- Christy Clark-Pujara, Associate Professor, Afro-American Studies, UW-Madison
- Brenda Cárdenas, Associate Professor, English, UW-Milwaukee
- Kayoung Kim, Assistant Professor, Psychology, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Fond du Lac campus
- Mai Khou Xiong, Assistant Director of Multicultural Retention Programs, Academic Support of Inclusive Excellence, UW-Oshkosh
- Laura Khoury, Professor and Chair, Sociology Department, UW-Parkside
- Jacqueline Hunter, Pre-College Coordinator, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, UW-Platteville
- Manu Sharma, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education, UW-River Falls
- Brigitte Benitez-Vargas, Social Justice Intern, Diversity and College Access, UW-Stevens Point
- Otaasia Barfield, Criminal Justice major, UW-Stout
- Lorena Rios Mendoza, Associate Professor, Chemistry, UW-Superior
- Ozalle Toms, Associate Professor, Special Education, UW-Whitewater
UW institutions submit nominations for the award, which highlight each recipient’s contributions to improving the status and climate for women and people of color and to advancing the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
For more information about the award and past recipients, see wisconsin.edu/grants-awards/women-of-color/
The University of Wisconsin System serves more than 170,000 students. Awarding 36,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. More than 80 percent of UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System institutions also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.