Unparalleled.

The way that Valerie Barske, UW-Stevens Point Department of History and International Studies professor, has stepped up in various roles to serve has been characterized by her colleagues as both invaluable and unparalleled.

Whether she is deeply involved in strategic planning initiatives to benefit students at the university level or co-organizing an engaging night of "Women's Herstory Month" trivia, Professor Barske puts her all into the roles she takes on. For the way she succeeds in using her service to positively impact fellow faculty and students, Barske was honored with a 2024 University Service Award. She also previously won the University Excellence in Teaching Award.

Her service helped strengthen the university's General Education Program. She was committee chair in 2019 when committee members approved the campus-wide Curricular Redesign of the GE. Library Instruction program coordinator Dave Dettman served alongside Barske in the effort. He shared that she was an effective, respectful collaborator throughout the process.

"Despite tumultuous times, Valerie's persistence and vision helped push our committee forward and make significant changes that had a positive and lasting impact on the quality and strength of our overall GEP program," he said.

They also collaborated in a working group for the Universities of Wisconsin Faculty College and presented on commitments to social justice initiatives for recruitment and retention for the Chancellor's Leadership Team. Across the state, Barske has helped to facilitate the multi-day retreat for Faculty College representatives, with last year's theme as "Teaching and Learning with a Social Justice Lens."

She is now serving in her third year co-facilitating the signature Universities of Wisconsin Office of Professional and Instructional Development (OPID) program for professional development known as the Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars Program. The OPID assignment takes a year-long commitment beyond the scope of her teaching load. This summer, Barske once again moderated the WTFS Summer Institute sessions which she helped coordinate. Her co-director is Heather Pelzel, a biology professor from UW-Whitewater.

Writing in support of Barke's service award nomination Pelzel said, "She is a champion of both the UW and UW-Stevens Point wherever she is. She is an advocate for the strength of our institutions and our programs and promotes our uniqueness and contributions to those within our community and those in our international higher education networks."

Barske shared how much she is energized by these opportunities to exchange ideas with other exceptional teachers from across the Universities of Wisconsin. Barske attended last year's International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSoTL) in the Netherlands where she gave Wisconsin a voice abroad.

Professor Barske thrives in collaborating and taking the dedicated time to truly engage and reflect on impactful teaching strategies.

"These people care about teaching and what it means to be equity minded," she said. "I've found my community!"

For the group's 20th anniversary, Barske will provide an embodiment and mindfulness workshop in southern Indiana at the organization's upcoming fall conference. Her goal, she said, that connects both the professional development work and her teaching, is to continually work to keep the focus on student-centered outcomes.

She coordinates the International Studies program which means she regularly connects with students who desire to study abroad. Barske's research expertise is in East Asian Studies. She often incorporates cross cultural learning opportunities, for example, sharing her knowledge of Qigong, breath and body exercises in meetings or with classes. When she has served as co-adviser to student members of the Japan Club, she can draw on her own lived experiences, as she was living in Japan just before accepting her teaching position at UWSP.

"Inherent in making a life and making a living is that you're globally minded. My students will be best trained for that," said Barske.

In addition to a global lens, Barske prioritizes the value of relationships and of striving for social justice. She said her students are thoughtful collaborators. They use their curiosity through research studies. While they might have to study and understand the foundations of systems of oppression, she aims to strike a balance.

In the classroom, Barske said students deserve to feel empowered and hopeful as they pursue their passions in work they care about.

"Hope is a kind of activism," she said.