UW System honors Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award recipients for 2022

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin System has announced the 13 recipients of the 2022 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 27^th anniversary of the award through which more than 400 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 universities,” said UW System President Jay Rothman. “We are proud to honor these women of color whose achievements in advocacy and scholarship have transformed our campuses and communities to be more equitable and inclusive.”

Recipients will be formally recognized on November 10, 2022, in Madison at an awards ceremony and reception hosted by UW System. The ceremony and reception 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 2022 Outstanding Women of Color in Education honorees are:

• Stacey M. Jackson, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University Counseling Center Clinician, UW-Eau Claire
• Robyn Davis, President and CEO, Brown County United Way, Green Bay, Wis., selected by UW-Green Bay
• Jazzma Holland, Interim Assistant Director, Multicultural Student Services, UW-La Crosse
• Carolina S. Sarmiento, Assistant Professor, School of Human Ecology; Affiliate, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, UW-Madison
• Wilkistar Otieno, Associate Professor, Chair, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department, UW-Milwaukee
• Heidi J. Nicholls, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, UW Oshkosh
• Trina D. Patterson, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, UW-Parkside
• Brittany Sherman, Multicultural Advisor, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, UW-Platteville
• Dionna Berzat, Student, Elementary Education Major, Communication Studies Minor, UW-River Falls
• Guresi Mena, Assistant Coach, Women’s Volleyball, UW-Stevens Point
• Masako Onodera, Professor, Department of Art and Art History, UW-Stout
• Cherie Dakota, Assistant Professor, Social Work, UW-Superior
• Tanya Y. Kam, Professor, Department of Literature and Languages, UW-Whitewater

Each UW System university was invited to select one woman to receive the award, which highlights 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/.

2022 Recipients

Download high-resolution photos of the 2022 recipients by clicking on the thumbnail images below.

The University of Wisconsin System serves approximately 161,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 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. Nearly 90 percent of in-state UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree – with a median salary of more than $66,000. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System universities also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.