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 in a statement. “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 Thursday, Nov. 8 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
