Academic staff lauded for service to campus and community
For their outstanding work in leadership, public service, research and teaching, seven university professionals have been honored with the 2002 Academic Staff Excellence Awards.
The seven winners will be honored at a chancellor’s reception Tuesday, April 16. The winners were nominated by colleagues and chosen by committee. Six awards carry $2,500 stipends; the Award for Excellence in Teaching carries a $5,000 stipend. For their outstanding work in leadership, public service, research and teaching, seven campus professionals have been honored with 1999 Academic Staff Excellence Awards. The seven recipients will be recognized by the Academic Staff Assembly Monday, May 10.
Mark E. Johnson
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research
Mark Johnson, a senior scientist in the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, is a world-renowned expert in the chemistry and microbiology of cheese.
Since joining the university in 1980, Johnson has made his mark as an extremely effective communicator of his knowledge of the field. He has authored three dozen journal articles and several book chapters, and presented invited talks from Denmark, Wis. to Denmark, Europe.
Johnson is well-known for his frequent collaborations with the Department of Food Science to produce courses on food safety, cheese technology, processed cheese and membrane processing. He holds three patents, including processes for the manufacture of Wisconsin style havarti and reduced-fat cheddar.
“Mark is one of our most popular and effective speakers,” says J. Russell Bishop, professor of food science and director of the Center for Dairy Research. “Personally I think it is because he has a unique ability to translate complex topics into simple language.”
Sandra Bertics
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research
Sandy Bertics has been manager of the nutrition laboratory of the Department of Dairy Science since 1986.
Besides overseeing the everyday operation of the laboratory and its five investigators, Bertics provides long-distance advice and support to another nutrition investigator based in Marshfield, Wis. She is a dedicated expert on numerous fields related to the laboratory: training, equipment maintenance, record keeping and new technology.
Outside of her responsibilities, Bertics is known as being selfless with her time, always willing to help out a colleague. She is a resource for other department specialists and the department financial coordinator for issues related to the dairy herd research support.
“I often feel guilty asking her to do more because I know she will find a way to get it done ? no matter what that might do to her weekend or evening plans,” says Lou Armentano, chair of the Department of Dairy Science. “She is truly an unselfish and dedicated servant of our department.”
Ann Gordon-Walker
Wisconsin Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Leadership
As scientific administrator in the Institute for Molecular Virology during the past 21 years, Ann Gordon-Walker has a command of facility management, budgets, grants and just about everything else that isn’t research-specific.
“Although technically, her academic staff title is that of “researcher,’ Ann’s real title should be something along the lines of “director/in charge of everything,'” says Ann Palmenberg, chair of the institute.
Located in the Robert M. Bock Laboratories, the institute is focused on virology research and training, and is known as one of the top research institutes on campus.
In addition to her management duties, Gordon administers the National Institutes of Health molecular biosciences graduate training program, one of the largest grants on campus. She has been extremely active in academic staff administration over the years. “If the IMV is a Cadillac among UW research institutes, it’s because Ann is the chauffeur,” adds Palmenberg.
Esther Olson
Wisconsin Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Leadership
Esther Olson has served as assistant director of the Physical Sciences Laboratory and Synchrotron Radiation Center since 1974.
Her contributions have centered on her leadership at these two university research facilities. SRC is a national research center that provides researchers from across the world with an intense source of light that makes it possible for them to study the properties of materials such as superconductors and magnetic materials. PSL is a design and fabrication facility that provides cutting-edge scientific instrumentation to research facilities around the world.
In addition, Olson has worked for the advancement of all academic staff in leadership roles with the Academic Staff Executive Committee, the Academic Staff Public Representation Organization and the Madison Academic Staff Association.
Olson was recently appointed to the State Group Insurance Board, where she represents the education sector.
“She has the ability to marshal the people, capital and intellectual resources of the university to move it toward its mission of disseminating information, research and outreach,” says Henry Cuthbert, senior university legal counsel. “She does this with civility, passion and energy.”
Patricia Mitchell
Robert Heideman Award for Excellence in Public Service
As a senior university relations specialist for the Waisman Center, Pat Mitchell may know most everything there is to know about the facility’s work on human development and developmental disabilities.
“Pat’s efforts on behalf of the Waisman Center have exemplified the Wisconsin Idea, requiring a sharing of knowledge and partnership with the community and the state that is not easily achieved or sustained over time without devoted effort,” says Marsha Mailick Seltzer, acting director.
A member of the staff since 1980, Mitchell helps promote new research discoveries and other information about programs and service opportunities of interest to people with disabilities and their families. The job is complex because the center encompasses a broad range of activities and faculty from many departments.
“She has a special talent for communication, an ability to translate the complex into the comprehensible, and a talent for working cooperatively with volunteers and the community,” Seltzer says.
Wilton Sanders
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Service to the University
By training, Wilton Sanders is a scientist engaged in learning about the mysteries of space and physics.
But another side of his career has been spent a little more down-to-earth, as he has worked tirelessly for numerous committees, both campus and professional, as well as serving as a governance voice for the academic staff at UW–Madison.
Sanders served as chair of the Academic Staff Executive Committee during 2000-01 and took on the delicate issue of a new title series for instructional and research academic staff. Although the effort was ultimately unsuccessful, Sanders worked to build consensus and encouraged participation in the governance process.
He has worked in the Physics Department in the college of Letters and Science since 1976, and also in the Space Science and Engineering Center of the Graduate School.
“As a campus governance leader, Wilt has the respect of his peers and of the administration,” says Colleen McCabe, secretary of the Academic Staff. “He is direct and outspoken, but always diplomatic. He exemplifies leadership on this campus.”
Janet Fishbain
Chancellor’s Hilldale Award for Excellence in Teaching
Janet Fishbain loves to teach students how to write. As a faculty associate in the University Writing Center, she couldn’t have a better job from which to pursue her love.
Every day, Fishbain holds one-on-one meetings with students from all fields of study to help them improve their writing. Some have gone on to win prestigious writing prizes and awards while others have achieved the no less important triumphs of earning a “B” or completing papers they once thought to be impossible.
Students who have been lucky enough to have the benefit of Fishbain’s writing instruction will testify that she has helped them learn to think more deeply about complex subject matters, organize and express their thoughts more clearly, and gain confidence in asserting their arguments, says Bradley Hughes, center director.
In her 21 years with the center, Fishbain has developed materials to help teach others about how to best teach writing.
“Janet has proven to be the most dedicated, creative, energetic, wise and successful writing teacher imaginable,” says Susan Friedman, chair of the English Department.