MADISON — Academic staff members from UW-Milwaukee and UW-Marathon County have each been named recipients of the 2001 Academic Staff Regents Award for Excellence. The awards were presented today during the regular meeting of the Board of Regents.
The two recipients are Julie Kline, outreach and academic program coordinator in the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at UW-Milwaukee, and Nolan “Whiz” Beck, associate dean and director of student services at UW-Marathon County, Wausau. Each received an award in the amount of $5,000, to be used for professional development or to enhance a university program or function.
Selection of the two recipients was made by a committee composed of Regents Gerard Randall, Gregory Gracz, Phyllis Krutsch and Lolita Schneiders. Randall served as chair of the committee and made the presentation.
“By presenting this award each year,” said Randall, “we demonstrate the Board’s strong appreciation for the UW System’s non-instructional academic staff. The strength of the System and its institutions can be attributed, in part, to the excellence of our academic staff. This award acknowledges the vital contributions they all make, as well as their institutional loyalty, their professionalism, and their devotion to serving students and the public.”
Julie Kline came to UW-Milwaukee in 1986, and has developed and administered a wide array of programs for the campus and for the general community. She coordinates the annual Latin American Film Festival, serves as the academic advisor for students in the Latin American Studies Certificate program, and organizes lectures, conferences and workshops for campus, community and K-12 audiences.
Kline helped develop the Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, and serves as coordinator and chairperson of that program. She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Her background includes a B.A. degree in international studies from Ohio State University and an M.A. degree in Ibero-American studies from UW-Madison.
Nolan “Whiz” Beck came to UW-Marathon County in 1997 as the Director of Student Services. Two years later, he also assumed the Associate Dean responsibilities. Beck and his staff handle the day-to-day operations of Student Services, which includes academic advising, financial aid, admissions, housing/food services, registration, records, student activities, the student union, and multicultural programs. During his tenure, enrollment has risen to 1,220 students, a 54 percent increase in four years.
Beck’s background includes a B.S. degree in science education from Ferris State (MI) University and M.A. and Ed.D. degrees in educational administration from the University of Wyoming. Prior to coming to UW-Marathon County, Beck spent 16 years at Wyoming as an administrator in student housing.
According to Regent Randall, “the selection committee looked for extraordinary contributions to the nominee’s unit, and an overall level of service that truly enhanced the mission of the university.” Selection criteria included excellence of performance, personal interaction, initiative and creativity, and outstanding achievement.
Each institution in the UW System was invited to nominate one individual for the annual recognition program. Eligibility was limited to non-instructional academic staff with administrative or scientific/research appointments. Other persons nominated this year were:
- Deborah Gough, director of advising and academic training, UW-Eau Claire;
- Sally Mancoske, registrar, UW-Green Bay;
- Jon Hageseth, executive director of the Counseling and Testing Center and the Student Health Center, UW-La Crosse;
- Esther Olson, assistant director, Physical Sciences Laboratory and Synchrotron Radiation Center, UW-Madison;
- Elizabeth Heuer, interim affirmative action director, UW-Oshkosh;
- Linda Draft, associate athletic director, UW-Parkside;
- Alicia Prill-Adams, assistant farm director, UW-Platteville;
- Mary Augustine, head of interlibrary loan/resource sharing, UW-River Falls;
- Robert Mosier, director of residential living, UW-Stevens Point;
- Mary Riordan, director of diversity, UW-Stout;
- Sheryl Homan, program manager, Center for Continuing Education/Extension, UW-Superior;
- Lorna Wong, coordinator, Learning Technology Center, UW-Whitewater; and
- Jamie Diana Poindexter, teleconferencing operations manager for Instructional Communications Systems, UW-Extension.