The James R. Underkofler Teaching Excellence awards, funded by an endowment from the Alliant Energy Foundation, Inc., recognize and reward extraordinary undergraduate teachers at UW System universities within Alliant Energy’s service area. The award pays tribute to the dedication of faculty and staff as teachers and their ability to communicate their subject matter effectively and inspire in their students an enthusiasm for learning.
2026 Award Recipients
Nick J. Balster
Professor, Soil and Environmental Sciences, UW-Madison
Austin Polebitski
Professor & Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering,
UW-Platteville
Miyeon Kwon
Professor, Department of Mathematics, UW-Platteville
Scott Mobley
Teaching Faculty II, Department of Political Science, UW-Madison
Award Ceremony
October 29, 2026
By Invitation Only
