Tremelling honored with Woman of the Year Award

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will recognize Elizabeth Tremelling, academic advisor in Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation, as one of two recipients of the 2024 Dr. Carol Sue Butts Woman of the Year Award, which recognizes employees and students who identify as a woman and make a difference in the lives of others in the campus community.

"Beth has demonstrated dedication and uses her voice to promote, empower and support women at UW-Platteville as well as students, especially young women preparing for careers in a field well-known to be adversarial to women," said Dr. Will LeSuer, chair and associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation, who nominated Tremelling.

"The most rewarding part of my work is being able to work with students and feel like I am having a positive impact on their college experience and to be able to help them successfully navigate transitioning toward the first steps toward their career goals," said Tremelling.

Through her work at the university, Tremelling hopes to empower women and underrepresented people in criminal justice professions and provide them with experiences that enrich their education. She also hopes to instill confidence in them when they enter the field.

One of the ways she has worked to foster confidence in other women, in order to help them be successful, is through the creation of the UW-Women in Criminal Justice Mentoring Program. Tremelling said she often saw women in their department striving to join careers that, in many cases, are viewed as primarily male-dominated. It was Tremelling's desire to support and empower others that led to the inspiration for and creation of the program. Tremelling said she is most proud of and passionate about this project, because it allows her to facilitate a connection between women on campus and other successful women in various fields within the criminal justice system.

"Beth Tremelling goes above and beyond the requirements of her job to provide students with career planning, life coaching, academic advising, study skills and connections to campus resources," said LeSuer. "She has dedicated herself to serving students' needs, especially mental health and fostering a welcoming atmosphere for all."

Tremelling will be honored at the university faculty and staff convocation.

The Dr. Carol Sue Butts Woman of the Year Award is named for the provost emerita and first female interim chancellor in UW-Platteville's history, who served at the university from 1998 until 2010.