The Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award was created in 1994 to honor women of color from around the state for their leadership in making significant and lasting contributions to their campuses, their communities, or both.
Successful candidates are women of color whose contributions have advanced the work of diversity, equity, and Inclusive Excellence in the following ways:
- Whose advocacy, activism, or scholarship has fostered social justice and organizational change;
- Who have created positive transformation within their institutions and/or the community to achieve the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and
- Whose efforts are improving the climate for, or status of, people of color.
The selection guidelines for the Outstanding Women of Color in Education Awards are:
- The selection of honorees is entirely campus-based. Chancellors, in consultation with the Multicultural / Disadvantaged Coordinator, Chief Diversity Officer, Women’s Studies Administrator, Ethnic Studies Administrator, Affirmative Action Administrator, LGBTQ+ Coordinator, or campus contact for Inclusive Excellence will select one honoree.
- Honorees may be drawn from the following groups: UW System faculty, staff, student, or community member.
Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award Recipients
2023
2023 HONOREES
- Nga-Wing Anjela Wong, Professor, Department of Education for Equity and Justice, UW-Eau Claire
- Crystal Lepscier (Wāqsepāēhketūkiw), Associate Lecturer and former First Nations Student Success Coordinator, UW-Green Bay
- Michelle Satram Sylvester, Senior Equity Advisor and Recruiter, School of Education, UW-La Crosse
- Maichou Lor, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, UW-Madison
- Crystal D. Carter, Clinical Associate Professor/Field Liaison, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, UW‑Milwaukee
- Reneé Simpson, Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Advising Resource Center, UW Oshkosh
- Madhumita (Mita) Banerjee, Associate Professor, Sociology Department, UW-Parkside
- Carla Lee-Wages, Multicultural Student Advisor, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, UW-Platteville
- Youngmi Kim, Associate Professor, Agricultural Engineering and Engineering Technology, UW-River Falls
- Pratima Gandhi, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs and Chief Business Officer, UW-Stevens Point
- Mai Khou Xiong, Executive Director of Student Inclusion and Belonging, Multicultural Student Services, UW‑Stout
- Heaven Waasiikwe Fleming, Teacher education major, UW-Superior
- Prajukti (juk) Bhattacharyya, Professor, Department of Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science, UW‑Whitewater
2022
2022 awards ceremony (Photo by Hedi Rudd)
2022 HONOREES
- 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
2021
2021 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award Recipients with UW System Staff: (from left) Anny Morrobel-Sosa, UW System; Angela Yang, UW-Platteville; Warren Anderson, UW System; Jamila Lee-Johnson, UW System; Brittany Ochoa-Nordstrum, UW-Milwaukee; Renita Robinson, Prevea Health (selected by UW-Green Bay); Elisabeth Arguello, UW Oshkosh; Winnifred Bryant, UW-Eau Claire; Salisa Hochstetler, UW-Superior; Doris Johnson Browne, UW-Milwaukee; Wei Zheng, UW-Stout; Ana Caballero Mengibar, UW-Whitewater; Monica Yang, UW-La Crosse; Giovanna Gutierrez, UW-Parkside; Natasha Rayne, UW-River Falls. Not pictured: Sami Schalk, UW-Madison; Kaia Fitzgerald, UW-Stevens Point. (Photo by Hedi Rudd)
2021 honorees
- Winnifred Bryant, Professor of Biology, Department Chair, UW-Eau Claire
- Renita Robinson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, Prevea Health, selected by UW-Green Bay
- Monica Yang, Outreach Program Manager I, Multicultural Student Services, UW-La Crosse
- Sami Schalk, Associate Professor, Department of Gender & Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
- Brittany Ochoa-Nordstrum, Graduate Teaching Assistant, UW-Milwaukee
- Doris Johnson Browne, Counselor/Therapist, UW-Milwaukee
- Elisabeth Arguello, PreCollege Programs Coordinator, UW Oshkosh
- Giovanna Gutierrez, Outreach Program Manager and Assistant to the Dean, UW-Parkside
- Angela Yang, Interim Assistant Director, TRIO Student Support Services, UW-Platteville
- Natasha Rayne, Assistant Professor, Plant and Earth Science, UW-River Falls
- Kaia Fitzgerald, Student, UW-Stevens Point
- Wei Zheng, Professor and Program Director, Plastics Engineering Program, UW-Stout
- Salisa Hochstetler, Assistant Director for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, UW-Superior
- Ana Caballero Mengibar, Associate Director, Undergraduate Research Program, UW-Whitewater
2019
(from left to right) Sheronda Glass, UW-Parkside; Heather Ann Moody, UW-Eau Claire; Joan Prince, UW-Milwaukee; Veronica Warren, UW-Oshkosh; Catherine Nasara, UW-River Falls; Glendalí Rodriguez, UW-Stout; Katrina Werchouski, UW-Superior; Dong Isbister, UW-Platteville; Artanya Wesley, UW-Whitewater; Taviare Hawkins, UW-La Crosse; Courtney Taylor, UW-Stevens Point. Not pictured: Cristina Ortiz, UW-Green Bay; Mariela Quesada Centeno, UW-Madison. (Photo by Brian Ebner, Optic Nerve LLC)
2019 honorees
- Heather Ann Moody, Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies, UW-Eau Claire
- Cristina Ortiz, Professor of Spanish, UW-Green Bay
- Taviare L. Hawkins, Professor, Department of Physics, UW-La Crosse
- Mariela Victoria Quesada Centeno, Graduate Student, Human Development and Family Studies, School of Human Ecology, UW-Madison
- Joan M. Prince, Vice Chancellor for Global Inclusion and Engagement, UW-Milwaukee
- Veronica Warren, Associate Director, Counseling Center, UW-Oshkosh
- Sheronda Glass, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Employee Engagement, UW-Parkside
- Dong Isbister, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for Women’s and Gender Studies Program, UW-Platteville
- Catherine Nasara, Professor of English, UW-River Falls
- Courtney Taylor, Former Multicultural Resource Center Coordinator, UW-Stevens Point
- Glendalí Rodríguez, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, UW-Stout
- Katrina M. Werchouski, Assistant Director for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, UW-Superior
- Artanya Wesley, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UW-Whitewater
2018
(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)
2018 HONOREES
- Jan Larson, UW-Eau Claire
- María Yolanda Peña, UW-Extension
- Alana Dallas, UW-Green Bay
- Graciela Engen, UW-La Crosse
- Christy Clark-Pujara, UW-Madison
- Brenda Cárdenas, UW-Milwaukee
- Kayoung Kim, UW-Oshkosh
- Mai Khou Xiong, UW-Oshkosh
- Laura Khoury, UW-Parkside
- Jacqueline Hunter, UW-Platteville
- Manu Sharma, UW-River Falls
- Brigitte Benitez-Vargas, UW-Stevens Point
- Otaasia Barfeld, UW-Stout
- Lorena Rios Mendoza, UW-Superior
- Ozalle Toms, UW-Whitewater
2015
(from left) Back row: Dandrielle Lewis, UW-Eau Claire; Michelle Lopez-Rios, UW-Milwaukee; Heather Johnson, UW-Madison; Yunmei Reeder, UW-Platteville; Sylvia Carey-Butler, UW-Oshkosh; Idella Yamben, UW-Extension; Renée Gralewicz, UW-Fox Valley; Doris Strehlau, UW-Stout; Crystal Chevalier, UW-Extension Front row: Adrienne Viramontes, UW-Parkside; Mai Lo Lee, 2009 UW-Green Bay recipient; Ozalle Toms, UW-Whitewater; Hli Vang, UW-River Falls; Xia Vang, UW-La Crosse; Caitlin Lee, 2010 UW-Eau Claire recipient; Ka Lia Smith, UW-Stevens Point; Simonita Perales Simkins, UW-Superior Not pictured: Juliet Cole, UW-Green Bay; Earlise Ward, UW-Madison (Photo by Joe Koshollek)
2024 Awards Ceremony & Reception
December 4, 2024
The 2024 Outstanding Women of Color & P.B. Poorman Awards Ceremony & Reception were hosted on Wednesday, December 4 2024.
Previous Award Recipients
Biographies of each recipient are in the awards ceremony programs.