The Universities of Wisconsin has announced the recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award according to a press release. The university system also announced the winners of the Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People, the press release said.
The ceremony for both awards was held Wednesday, Dec. 4 in Madison, according to the press release.
Established in 2008, the Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People is an annual honor awarded to LGBTQ+ people or allies who have helped foster a safe and inclusive environment for the queer community. The award highlights the memory of Dr. Paula B. Poorman, a faculty member at UW–Whitewater devoted to improving the experience of LGBTQ+ students on campus.
Since 1994, the Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award has been given to students, staff, faculty or community members from across the Universities of Wisconsin to honor their commitment to equity and inclusion, according to the press release. Each university in the system selects one woman to receive the honor.
This year, UW–Madison honored the Department of Civil Society and Community Studies Chair Dr. Carolee Dodge Francis. A citizen of the Oneida Nation, Dodge Francis is the first Native American woman to hold a chair position at the university.
Dodge Francis said her identity allows her to connect with other Native Americans not just at UW–Madison, but across Wisconsin.
“Oftentimes people ask, ‘What’s your superpower?’” Dodge Francis said. “Mentorship is my superpower. I truly enjoy mentoring students through their educational journey, especially underrepresented first-generation students.”
UW–Green Bay psychology professor and associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Dr. Sawa Senzaki described her reaction to receiving the award and her desire to honor her female colleagues.
“I appreciate the opportunity to represent diversity in education and I want to be a part of the celebration for diversity, not just tolerance,” Senzaki said in an email statement.
Campus videographer and immersion program co-leader at UW–Eau Claire Jesse Yang said in an email statement that she is honored to receive the award and to hold her position at the university.
A first-generation college graduate, Yang is the daughter of Hmong refugees who were recruited by the American military during the Vietnam War and were later forced to flee their homes, Yang said in the statement.
“I have a deep desire for facilitating and co-leading domestic and international immersion programs that provide global, intercultural experiential learning for undergraduate students,” Yang said.
These programs have included trips to Hawaii and Thailand, as well as a research project through UW–Eau Claire’s International Fellows Program on the Hmong diaspora in France, Yang said in the statement.
The honoree from UW–Milwaukee, Director of the Military and Veterans Resource Center and Marine Corps veteran Yolanda Medina spoke about her background and contributions to the university.
“I want people to see that we [veterans at the university] belong,” Medina said. “We are an older demographic, but we are the most diverse group of people on campus. I am most proud of the fact that I’ve gotten UW–Milwaukee to a top 10 military status.”
Medina said she has been at UW–Milwaukee since 2018 and has worked in higher education for close to 20 years. A few weeks ago, Medina also received the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Woman Veteran of the Year Award.
“There’s a lot of times when as a woman you’re minimized, as a person of color you’re minimized,” Medina said. “But that the Universities of Wisconsin have an award that acknowledges this group of people, it touches my heart. It makes me feel seen.”
