Faculty, staff recognized at Blugold Breakfast

The 2024 excellence awards were presented to:

• Dr. Stephen Drucker, professor in chemistry and biochemistry.
• Dr. Christa Garvey, professor of music-oboe in music and theatre arts.
• Dr. Joanne Jahnke-Wegner, assistant professor in history and a faculty advisor.
• Dr. Gerardo Licón, assistant professor in Latin American and Latinx studies.
• Scott Lien, lead groundskeeper in Facilities.
• Karen Morris, teaching professor in communication and journalism.
• Jennifer Steinhorst, human resources manager in Human Resources.

Each award recipient received a university medallion and $1,500. All of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation excellence awards for faculty and staff are funded by Markquart Motors and Markquart Toyota of Eau Claire. The award honoring the 2024 UW System Board of Regents Excellence in Teaching Award nominee is funded by Dr. Sally Webb, professor emerita of communication and journalism.

Dr. Stephen Drucker, professor in chemistry and biochemistry, received the Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award.

Drucker, who has been at UW-Eau Claire for 26 years, has secured over $1.5 million in grants from funding agencies to support his research program and scholarly activities. He has mentored 35 undergraduate students, with 25 students co-authoring research articles, and published nearly two dozen research papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Drucker says the talented, diligent student researchers he has worked with are now professional scientists. “Whatever this award is going to recognize, the students should be a big part of that community of recognition,” he says.

“I can name 10 other faculty who ought to be winning this award, maybe should have already won the award and who probably will win the award in the next 10 years,” Drucker says. “It tells me I’m part of a cohort that is doing something important in tandem with other people on campus.”

Dr. Sudeep Bhattacharyay, professor in chemistry and biochemistry, supported Drucker’s nomination, saying, “Steve is a role model in our department, contributing as a productive scholar, a dedicated mentor and an engaging teacher.”

Dr. Christa Garvey, professor of music in music and theatre arts, received the Faculty Excellence in Service Award.

Garvey, who has been at UW-Eau Claire for 20 years, is committed to opening her field to new voices. That commitment is reflected in her work with the International Double Reed Society Conferences, where she regularly performs pieces by historically marginalized composers in featured recital concerts. She also works with international colleagues to promote an expanded canon of repertoire so students and professionals have the resources to learn and perform music by underrepresented composers.”

“Christa Garvey is a positive force in the oboe world,” according to a nominator. “She generously and selflessly dispenses information and support to all who come in contact with her, not for her own importance, but for the greater good.”

Garvey says the recognition is rewarding because it comes from other faculty.

“It shows that people are aware of what we’re doing and someone says, ‘Thank you for this,’” Garvey says. “At the same time, I have to say thank you because almost all of the service that I do has groups of people involved. There’s no individual in music; we’re always together for projects and for performances.”

Dr. Joanne Jahnke-Wegner, assistant professor in history, received the Excellence in Advising Award.

Jahnke-Wegner, who has been a full-time faculty member since 2020, was nominated by former students who called her “a big inspiration to us as emerging professionals.” They say Jahnke-Wegner holds Blugolds to high standards while understanding her students have lives outside of the classroom. They called her a trailblazer in equity, diversity and inclusion history.

“She deeply cares about the humanity of everyone in this world and wants to highlight diversity across all periods of time,” the former students say. “She goes above and beyond for what we want to embody as historians.”

Jahnke-Wegner says the honor is meaningful because it is a student-nominated award.

“As a professor I have three things that I am supposed to do: teaching, service and scholarship,” Jahnke-Wegner says. “I work really hard at all of those, but my heart is in my teaching and interactions with students, so this means a lot.”

Dr. Gerardo Licón, assistant professor in Latin American and Latinx studies, received the Excellence in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award.

Licón, who has been at the university for 14 years, is often called upon to help recruit first-generation Latinx students to UW-Eau Claire and to help them navigate their journey through college once they arrive on campus. Licón takes the time to get to know the students and provides relevant information on program requirements and career paths, says Dr. Bibiana Fuentes, associate professor in languages.

“During the last 10 years I have witnessed his dedication to advising and student-faculty research,” Fuentes says. “He has mentored numerous capstones and independent studies that focus on in-depth analyses of the historical context behind social phenomena and politics to promote justice.”

Licón was pleasantly surprised and honored to receive the EDI award.

“I’ve been attending the Blugold Breakfast for over a decade hoping that one day I would get one of those awards,” Licón says. “This is very special to me, for sure.”

Scott Lien, lead groundskeeper in Facilities, received the University Staff Excellence in Performance Award.

Lien, who has been at UW-Eau Claire 26 years, is known around campus for his upbeat attitude, collaborative approach, forward thinking and attention to detail as he works to help showcase Wisconsin’s most beautiful campus while keeping it safe for students, faculty, staff and the community during inclement weather.

“He has a deep understanding of campus programming and organizes work around and in support of how students, faculty, staff and community members use the campus,” says Troy Terhark, chief facilities officer in Facilities Management. “Often this means adjusting his work shift to early morning, late in the evening, and on holidays and weekends.”

Many UW-Eau Claire employees have offices, Lien says, but his office is 330 acres with a great view in winter, spring, summer and fall. Lien says he is extremely grateful and humbled by the award, thanking those who honored him with the nomination.

“I feel very fortunate to work here; I take great pride in working here,” Lien says. “I have got a great crew — we are a team. We take great pride in keeping this place not only beautiful, but safe.”

Karen Morris, teaching professor in communication and journalism, was UW-Eau Claire’s nominee for the UW System Board of Regents Excellence in Teaching Award.

Morris has been at UW-Eau Claire for 27 years, teaching core courses within the communication studies sequence. She also directed the university’s nationally ranked forensics program for 23 years, winning 22 team state championships, and her students won eight individual event national championships.

“Students feel welcome in Karen’s classes because of the work she has done to create a student-centered, equity-mined and inclusive teaching practice,” says Dr. Kristine Knutson, associate professor and department chair in communication and journalism. “Karen creates a classroom environment where students feel comfortable interacting with her and each other.”

Morris, who was co-chair of the 2023 National Conference on Undergraduate Research that welcomed more than 3,500 undergraduates and their faculty mentors to campus, says it’s an honor to be recognized for your work.

“I love teaching,” Morris says. “I think I’m like many people who think of teaching not as a job, but more of a passion. I love being in the classroom with students. For individuals to say the work that I do in the classroom is important, what an incredible thing to be seen for that.”

Jennifer Steinhorst, human resources manager in human resources, received the Academic Staff Excellence in Performance Award.

Steinhorst, who has been at UW-Eau Claire for eight years, handles sensitive employee relations situations where she ensures that all parties involved are treated with respect and dignity.

“On occasion I have had difficult conversations with staff, and Ms. Steinhorst has helped to guide those conversations, showing immense feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for employees,” says Amanda Carrier, interim lieutenant in University Police. “Her understanding of the importance of work-life balance is evident in the guidance and decisions she has brought forward.”

Steinhorst says it’s the highest honor to be recognized by her colleagues at UW-Eau Claire because they are the people she works for on a daily basis.

“It’s an honor to come to work every day and work with these individuals,” Steinhorst says. " I feel privileged to help solve problems and identify solutions that benefit all of us here on campus.”