2024 nominations open
Nominations are now open for the 2024 IT Recognition Awards.
- Nominations are due by Sunday, May 5.
- Check out our guidelines for nominators for tips about writing a good nomination letter.
- Honorees will be announced at the IT Professionals Conference on May 30.
About the awards
We work with excellent people who do awesome things. It’s time we told their stories and recognized them for their amazingness.
Below are the award categories and descriptions for the annual IT Recognition Awards. You can review our awards rubric for more about how nominations are scored for each category.
Ellen La Luzerne Award for Community Engagement
This award recognizes a member of the IT community for their role as a community builder and active volunteer in professional service to the broader community.
Rising Star Award
This award recognizes a rising IT community member whose record reflects ongoing and exceptional growth in contribution to the profession.
Unsung Hero
This award recognizes a member of the IT community who is responsive and proactive, making a real difference to their co-workers by designing or implementing excellent technical solutions. Yet their contributions may be overlooked or receive little formal recognition.
Janet E. Plato Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award
This award recognizes and celebrates the exemplary leadership displayed by an IT staff member in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community.
Team Achievement Award
This award recognizes a single team of IT community members whose collective teamwork in creating or incorporating an information—or technical-based solution on one or more projects has significantly impacted the university.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award recognizes the continued contributions of a community member whose body of work throughout their career has significantly impacted the success of the university. Emeritus and retired staff are eligible for this award.
Transformational Achievement Award
This award recognizes an IT community member who made a significant impact in transforming the university through their efforts on a specific major IT project or initiative beyond community events. The Transformational Achievement Award differs from other awards in that it is to recognize a specific initiative, project, or service where creating or incorporating an information or technical solution was essential to success.
Past honorees
Meet the 2023 IT Recognition Awards winners
- Ellen La Luzerne Award for Community Engagement
- Sara Tate-Pederson
College of Engineering – Computer-Aided Engineering - Janet E. Plato Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
- Derrian Jones
Division of Information Technology – User Services - Lifetime Achievement Award
- Michael Pitterle
School of Pharmacy – Information Technology - Rising Star Award
- Laurel Belman
Division of Information Technology – Communications - Team Achievement Award
- Helen C. White IT User Support Team (led by Will Maybock, User Support Supervisor)
- Transformational Achievement Award
- Will Kraus
Division of Information Technology – Application Infrastructure Services - Unsung Hero
- Mark Abramson
College of Agriculture and Life Science – Life Sciences Communication - Unsung Hero
- Vladimir Brik
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research – Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center
Meet the 2022 IT Recognition Award winners
- Ellen La Luzerne Award for Community Engagement
- Leah Meicher
Office of the Registrar - Janet E. Plato Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
- Lauranne Bailey
College of Engineering - Lifetime Achievement Award
- Paul Oliphant
Wisconsin School of Business - Rising Star Award
- Ellie Kachel
University Health Services - Team Achievement Award
- Software Training for Students – Pete Valeo, STS Service Leader, and Natalia Aguirre Villalobos, Operations Coordinator
- Transformational Achievement Award
- Peter Doksus
School of Social Work - Transformational Achievement Award
- Michael Zenz
College of Letters & Science - Unsung Hero
- Brendan Day
UW Survey Center - Unsung Hero
- Dawn Duren
College of Letters & Science - Unsung Hero
- Erik Geiger
Division of Information Technology
Meet the 2021 IT Recognition Award winners
- Ellen La Luzerne Award for Community Engagement
- Susan Weier
College of Letters & Science – Learning Support Services - Janet E. Plato Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
- Jay Ray
General Library System - Lifetime Achievement Award
- Brenda Spychalla
School of Education – MERIT - Rising Star Award
- Naomi Bernstein
Division of Information Technology – Academic Technology - Team Achievement Award
- Learn@UW–Madison Team
Division of Information Technology – Academic Technology - Transformational Achievement Award
- Eric Gentz
Office of Student Financial Aid - Unsung Hero
- James Lloyd
Populations Health Institute
Meet the 2020 IT Recognition Award winners
- Ellen La Luzerne Award for Community Engagement
- Amanda Thornton
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research – Space Science and Engineering Center - Janet E. Plato Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
- Christopher Kilgour
Division of Information Technology – Information Technology Academy - Lifetime Achievement Award
- Bob Mayville
Division of Information Technology - Rising Star Award
- Nathan Fetter
School of Education – Office of Communications and Advancement - Team Achievement Award
- University Health Services
Megan Crass, Primary Care; Kelly Bauman, Administrative Information Management Services; and Ellie Kachel, University Health Services – Informatics - Transformational Achievement Award
- Greg Konop
Continuity of Instruction project