Award winners to be recognized Sept. 20-21

Award winners to be recognized Sept. 20-21

The UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation is awarding graduates from the '80s through 2015 its top alumni awards for 2024. They're being honored for distinguished service and successful careers.

The distinguished alumni will return to campus Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20 and 21, to speak with students, take part in a panel discussion and be formally recognized during a ceremony and brunch.

The panel discussionis set for 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, in Strzelczyk Great Hall in the Cleary Alumni & Friends Center. It is free and open to the public.

Learn more about this year's honorees:

Graff Distinguished Alumni Award

Ronald Sentwali Bakari, Ph.D. '82 & '90

• Vice President of Student Affairs at Adelphi University in New York
• Previous winner of the Parker Distinguished Multicultural Alumni Award (2010)
• Has held numerous leadership roles in higher education across the country, from New York to Colorado to Iowa
• Assistant director and director of UWL's Office of Multicultural Student Services (1990-96).

Read the full story.

Altman Teacher Education Award

Jeanne Halderson, '92 & '97

• Seventh grade English language arts and social studies teacher at Longfellow Middle School in La Crosse (1992-present)
• Highly accomplished teacher and educational leader dedicated to enhancing education for all children and striving to positively impact students, educators and the community through creativity, collaboration and innovation.

Read the full story.

Parker Distinguished Multicultural Alumni Award

Vickie Sanchez, '07

• Director of UWL's Office of Multicultural Student Services
• Nearly two decades of experience in student affairs with a focus on equity, diversity at two UW campuses, UWL (2005-2011, 2022-present) and UW-Stout (2011-2022)
• Dedicated to recruiting, retaining and developing intercultural programming for BIPOC (Black, indigenous and other people of color)

Read the full story.

Rada Distinguished Alumni Award

Amanda McAllister Novak, '12

• Associate Attorney at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, Data Privacy & Cybersecurity (2020-present)
• Avid volunteer for the Red Cross, Advocates for Human Rights, Native American Service Project and many more.

Read the full story.

Morgan Improving Lives Alumni Award

Shaundel Spivey, '12 & '15

• Executive director of Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge (2021-present)
• Director of UWL Upward Bound (2020-21)
• Member of the Board of Education for the School District of La Crosse (2019-22).

Read the full story.

Nominate deserving alumni

Nominate deserving UWL alumni for the university's Distinguished Alumni Awards. Simply fill out the nomination form,and the Alumni & Friends Foundation will contact nominees.

Nominations are accepted throughout the year but must be received by Oct. 1 to be considered for the award the following year.