Updated June 23, 2025: You can now watch the recording of the 2025 IT Recognition Awards ceremony on the IT Professionals Conference YouTube channel. You can also watch the video with audio descriptions.
UW–Madison IT professionals celebrated the exceptional achievements of their peers at the annual UW–Madison IT Recognition Awards on May 29 as part of the IT Professionals Conference. Now in their 6th year, the awards recognize the dedication, innovation and impact of the university’s information and technology employees.
A committee of volunteers selected the 2025 honorees from dozens of nominations submitted by their IT community colleagues across the university. The awards are part of UW IT Connects, an initiative created by and for UW IT professionals to bring people together from across the university’s distributed IT landscape.
Congratulations to the 2025 honorees!
Ellen La Luzerne Community Builder Award
Ella Tschopik, IT help desk supervisor
Media, Education Resources & Information Technology (MERIT) | School of Education
Ella has transformed the MERIT IT help desk by fostering a collaborative, supportive environment and building community. She founded and co-leads the Computer Lab Administrators Community, co-leads the IT Mentoring Program, and in 2024, she developed and chaired the first-ever IT Support Symposium, filling all 100 seats. Her community building extends well beyond campus: for the past 10 years, she has volunteered with Special Interest Group on University and College Computing Services (SIGUCCS), co-led their annual conference, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
“I’d like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to those who nominated me, the IT Awards committee and everyone who makes IT events on campus happen. I am humbled to be recognized for the work of community engagement, because we do this work together. To those who have served the campus IT community with me, before me and after me — thank you. We are the builders of the future and together we make our campus, and the world, a better place.”
Ella Tschopik
About the award
- Recognizes an IT community member for their role as a community builder and active volunteer in professional service to the broader community.
- Named in honor of Ellen La Luzerne, a former desktop support team member in the Division of Information Technology who passed away in 2023.
Janet E. Plato Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award
José Medina-González, departmental assistant
Internal Operations | Division of Information Technology
José is a champion for inclusion and equity at DoIT, leading by example and inspiring colleagues through his work on the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and related initiatives. He is known for his authenticity, courage, and ability to connect with others, making DoIT a more joyful and inclusive place to work. José has coordinated the EDIC Book Club, contributed new ideas for inclusive programming, and provided thoughtful feedback on hiring and engagement initiatives. His work has had a ripple effect, encouraging others to be their true selves and embodying the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in both word and action.
“UW–Madison’s Division of IT has been an evolving and transformative space since I joined the Internal Operations team. My 2 years have flown by, but what remains true through the continuous flux of change is the openness and resilience of the community. Although my support is of a few groups within DoIT, the collaboration and extension alongside everyone I’ve interacted with voiced to me the importance of being 100% you. Dr. Brene Brown said, ‘Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are.’ I am honored to receive the Janet E. Plato award and continue her legacy of leading life inclusively and open to myself and others.”
José Medina-González
About the award
- Recognizes exemplary leadership displayed by an IT staff member in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within the IT community.
- Named in honor of Janet Plato, a former network engineer and developer at UW who passed away in 2016.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Mary Evansen, communications director
DoIT Communications | Division of Information Technology
Mary has been a fixture of UW IT communications since 1988, beginning as a marketing specialist at the UW–Madison Academic Computing Center (MACC). Mary’s leadership led to the success of key initiatives like the launch of InfoLabs, student engagement at the DoIT Tech Store, and university-wide communications for multi-factor authentication. Her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic ensured clear, timely IT messaging during a critical time. Mary’s legacy is one of innovation, mentorship, and deep commitment to the university’s mission, leaving a lasting impact that will benefit the university for years to come.
This is just such an incredible honor. I want to thank the folks who nominated me. I also want to thank my team and colleagues in DoIT and in distributed IT. You have been supportive, you’ve offered guidance, you’ve offered feedback, and I really appreciated that. I want you to know that we took that feedback to heart, and I’d like to think that it helped us make IT communications better on this campus. We have really strived to do that, and I hope we’ve moved the needle forward. I know that it made me a better communicator. Thank you again all so very much. I really am truly honored and humbled.
Mary Evansen
Lisa Jansen, IT director & MERIT co-director
School of Education
Lisa has devoted 38 years to the Universities of Wisconsin and UW–Madison, leaving an impact that is both broad and deep. She co-led a critical IT titling and compensation gap analysis, served as an expert in reviewing IT titles, and was a leader in shared governance and community development. As a manager, mentor and colleague, Lisa is known for her commitment to staff development, her open-ended questions, and her ability to lead, manage and do. Her career is marked by a dedication to service, innovation and building a strong IT community.
“Thank you to everyone who nominated me for this award. It’s truly an honor. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have worked my entire career on this campus and to have stumbled into IT at a time when anyone with an interest in technology and a willingness to learn on the job could create such an interesting and rewarding career. As I look back on my career, I’m grateful to all of the students, faculty, and staff that I’ve worked with in Extension, L&S, and especially the School of Education. I’m grateful for the MOR IT Leaders Program. I’m grateful to be part of a larger IT community of really smart, interesting, hardworking, creative colleagues. I’ve enjoyed working with so many of you on projects and solving problems together over the years.”
Lisa Jansen
About the award
- Recognizes the contributions of a UW community member whose body of work in their entire career has had a significant impact on the university’s success.
- Acknowledges individuals who have demonstrated evidence of sustained service, made an impact beyond their role, and have been involved in multiple campus groups, projects, and initiatives.
Rising Star Award
Jackson Kestner, Information Security Officer
Media, Education Resources & Information Technology (MERIT), School of Education
In just 5 years at the university, Jackson Kestner has become a cybersecurity leader, implementing innovative solutions and earning university-wide respect for his collaborative approach. He strengthened the School of Education’s cybersecurity posture, led risk assessments, handled incidents and established key policies. Jackson has led critical projects, including a data center migration and an active directory migration, and is supervising staff and co-chairing the UW–Madison Information Security Team (MIST). His impact on university IT policies and his rapid professional growth make him a standout early-career IT professional.
“My deepest gratitude to those who nominated me and shared such generous, humbling words. Any contributions I’ve made are a direct result of the incredible colleagues I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past 5 years at UW–Madison. The overwhelming support from across this vibrant campus community has provided countless opportunities for me to grow and meaningfully serve our organization. During my interview years ago, I was struck by the fact that 3 of the 4 search committee members had dedicated decades to this institution. It was clear then that UW–Madison must be a truly special place. Now, 5 years later, I’ve experienced firsthand the reasons why so many are proud to be part of this community, and I’m excited for the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Jackson Kestner
About the award
- Recognizes an IT professional who has been with the university for 5 or fewer years and whose record reflects exceptional growth in contribution to the profession.
- Given to individuals who have demonstrated significant growth in their role or engagement in the larger university IT community and who show strong evidence of potential for future success and leadership.
Team Achievement Award
Active Directory Migrations Project Team:
Abrianna Barca, Tony Brzoskowski, Alison Caffrey, Crague Cook, Tomomi Imamura, Richie Markiewicz, Ben Pommerening, Joe Tarter, Tiffany Thayer & Max Yang
The Active Directory Migrations Project Team manages one of the most complex technical migrations in the university’s history: seamlessly transitioning thousands of users to a new Active Directory infrastructure while maintaining continuous service and support. Their work strengthens identity and access management capabilities and lays a foundation for future innovation across the university. The team’s dedication, professionalism and collaborative approach have made a significant impact on the university’s IT landscape.
“We are truly humbled and honored to receive the Team Achievement Award. It means a great deal to be acknowledged for our efforts, especially among so many talented and dedicated colleagues. This recognition reinforces our commitment to collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement. We’re grateful for the support we’ve received and proud to be part of such an inspiring community.”
Richie Markiewicz, on behalf of the team
About the award
- Recognizes a team whose collective work to create or incorporate a solution for one or more projects has made a significant impact on the university.
- Celebrates the power of collaboration and the ability of a team to selflessly work for the betterment of their unit, college or institution while addressing specific pain points and serving as a role model for how an ideal team should function.
Transformational Achievement Award
Weizhong Wang, Software Engineer/Developer
Web Platforms & Services, Division of Information Technology
Weizhong Wang is the driving force behind the UW KnowledgeBase, which he created more than 25 years ago. What began as a tool for the DoIT Help Desk has grown to serve over 350 spaces across the university, 21+ partners across the state and country, and more than 75,000 published documents. Weizhong is known for his tireless dedication, innovative thinking and commitment to quality, benefiting thousands of users daily and shaping how the university shares technical information.
“I’m truly honored to receive this award. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support and trust of the many managers and directors I’ve had the privilege to work with. I’m especially grateful to the dedicated KB Team, our incredible service coordinator and our supportive supervisors. Most of all, my heartfelt thanks go to our KB authors, whose time, expertise and commitment to quality content make a real difference for all of us.”
Weizhong Wang
About the award
- Recognizes an IT community member who has significantly transformed the university through their efforts on a major IT project or initiative.
- Acknowledges individuals who have gone above and beyond to create or incorporate innovative information or technical solutions that were essential to the success of their projects.
Unsung Hero Award
Garrett Smith, Software Developer
Teaching & Research Application Development (TRAD), Division of Information Technology
Garrett Smith is an exemplary model of how an academic staff member’s work can critically address the success of the Wisconsin Idea. Over 8 years, he has developed the Farm2Facts toolkit through the Kaufman Lab for the Study and Design of Food Systems and Marketplaces, supporting over 100 farmers markets in 14 states, and has promoted community and economic development, food security and health. Garrett is also an incredible mentor, supporting students and colleagues, and is recognized for his dedication, technical skill and positive impact on the university and beyond.
“This was such a lovely surprise. I’m touched that my collaborators in the Kaufman Lab thought to nominate me, and it was really meaningful to hear from current and former students about how working with me has impacted them. I’m so grateful that I get to work with such wonderful people in this group and across the university. This really means a lot to me. Thank you.”
Garrett Smith
Jim Porter, Technical Integration Engineer III
Institute on Aging | School of Medicine and Public Health, and Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
For over 30 years, Jim Porter has been the technical backbone of the Institute on Aging, supporting research, managing complex systems and mentoring IT professionals. He is known for his goodwill, problem-solving and willingness to help, making a difference for researchers, students and colleagues across campus and beyond. Jim’s work enables the institute’s research, outreach and public data sharing, impacting thousands of researchers worldwide.
“I’m truly honored and, honestly, I was surprised when I received the email stating I’m an award recipient. I would like to thank my amazing colleagues for nominating me for this award. I’ve been lucky to spend over 30 years doing work I enjoy, alongside people I respect, all in support of the important research and mission of the Institute on Aging and the university. It’s been incredibly rewarding to help keep things running—whether that’s behind the scenes with networks and systems, or out front supporting our teams and users. We all know it takes a team to keep things moving, and for that I’m grateful for the opportunities to collaborate with so many dedicated and talented folks across campus. Thank you.”
Jim Porter
About the award
- Recognizes members of the UW IT community who are always present, performing great deeds and making significant contributions behind the scenes, yet their efforts often receive little or no outward recognition.
- Unsung heroes are responsive and proactive and make a real difference to their co-workers by designing or implementing excellent technical solutions. They are critical to the functions of their department or unit, and their contributions are essential to the university’s success.
Organizational Impact Award
Todd Shechter, Chief Technology Officer
Division of Information Technology
Todd Shechter’s visionary leadership as CTO has driven major technology transformation at UW, advancing university-wide cloud, cybersecurity and digital initiatives. He is recognized for building positive, credible and trusting relationships across UW and nationally, and for his thoughtful facilitation style that puts people at ease and makes them feel seen. Todd’s commitment to collaboration and community building has deepened UW’s culture of IT and strengthened the university’s technology ecosystem.
“This award reflects the incredible work of everyone in DoIT and our partners across campus. Together, we’re building a technology ecosystem that empowers our students, faculty and staff to achieve amazing things. I’m honored to be part of this journey and excited about what we’ll accomplish together in the years ahead.”
Todd Shechter
About the award
- The Organizational Impact Award recognizes an individual whose leadership and vision have created significant, positive change across the university’s technology landscape.
- This special recognition celebrates transformative contributions that enhance how technology serves the university’s teaching, research and outreach missions.