The Distinguished Faculty & Staff Postdoc Mentoring Awards recognize faculty and staff at UW-Madison who contribute their time, knowledge, energy, and enthusiasm to mentoring and advancing postdocs in their research groups.
Each year numerous nominations are submitted from postdocs seeking to recognize the excellent mentoring they have received. Only a few of the outstanding nominations can be selected to receive the award. This high standard of mentoring makes UW-Madison such an excellent place to perform research and develop professionally.
2026 Award Nomination Details
Eligibility: Current/former UW-Madison postdocs may nominate any current/former UW-Madison faculty or staff member. Nominees can come from any discipline.
Evaluation criteria: It is important that you address the specific criteria listed in the rubric here, as it will be used to judge nominations for the awards.
How to Nominate: Submit a nomination letter (2 pages maximum) via the online portal here.
Nomination deadline: Nominations must be submitted by Friday, April 10, 2026.
Questions? Contact the Postdoc Awards Committee (uwpa@postdoc.wisc.edu)
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2025 Awardees
- Audrey L. Girard, PhD – Food Science
- Christopher J. Gisriel, PhD – Biochemistry
- Kristin Litzelman, PhD – Human Development and Family Studies
- Steven P. Loheide, PhD – Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Judith Simcox, PhD – Biochemistry
2024 Awardees
Holly K. Gibbs, PhD
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, the Department of Geography, and an Affiliate of the Energy and Analysis program
Beth Fields, PhD
Kinesiology
Mark J. Renz, PhD
Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences
2023 Awardees
Jayshree Samanta, PhD
Comparative Biosciences
Snežana Stanimirović, PhD
Astronomy
Susan Thibeault, Surgery, PhD CCC–SLP
Surgery
2022 Awardees
Richard Lindroth, PhD
Professor of Entomology
Nicole Rogus-Pulia, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Cynthia Kelm-Nelson, PhD
Associate Scientist, Department of Surgery
2021 Awardees
Samuel Pazicni, PhD
Professor of Chemistry
Stacey M. Schaefer, PhD
Associate Scientist, Center for Healthy Minds
Paul Stoy
Professor of Biological Systems Engineering
2020 Awardees
Jean-Michel Ané, PhD
Professor of Bacteriology and Agronomy
Hannah Carey, PhD
Professor of Comparative Biosciences
Rebecca Larson, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Danielle McCarthy, PhD
Professor of Medicine
2019 Awardees
Alessandro Senes, PhD
Department of Biochemistry
Mostafa Zamanian, PhD
Department of Pathobiological Sciences
Mitra Sharafi, PhD
Law School, Department of History
Darryl Thelen, PhD
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Claudio Gratton, PhD
Department of Entomology
2018 Awardees
Andrew Alexander, PhD
Departments of Medical Phsyics and Psychiatry
Dane Cook, PhD
Departments of Kinesiology and Exercise Psychology
Erica Hlverson, PhD
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
2017 Awardees
Bruce Barrette, MD, PhD
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Randall Kimple, MD, PhD
Department of Human Oncology
Michelle Ciucci, PhD
Departments of Surgery and Communication Sciences
Anthony Stretton, PhD
Department of Integrative Biology
Patricia McManus, PhD
Chair – Plant Pathology
2016 Awardees
Simon Gilroy, PhD
Department of Botany
Ive Hermans, PhD
Department of Chemistry, Wisconsin Energy Institute
Jan S. Greenberg, PhD
School of Social Work
2015 Awardees
Marsha Mailick, PhD
Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education
Troy Runge, PhD
Biological Systems Engineering
Paul Terry, PhD
Department of Physics
David Gamm, MD, PhD
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Waisman Center
Stephanie Robert, MSW, PhD
Director – School of Social Work
2026 Celebration of Postdoc Excellence
Friday, May 22, 2026 from 5-8 pm
The Distinguished Faculty & Staff Postdoc Mentoring Awards will be publicly announced at this event.
This event will be held in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union
Quotes about Previous Awardees
“Dr. Fields serves as a beacon of mentorship excellence, exemplifying the kind of mentor I aspire to become. I admire her not only as a researcher and woman but also as a compassionate individual dedicated to making a positive impact in her community. Her unwavering dedication to fostering growth and her consistent enthusiasm for providing opportunities are qualities that would not only enhance my abilities as a scientist but also contribute to my growth as an individual.”
Dr. Beth Fields, PhD, 2024 Distinguished Faculty & Staff Postdoc Mentoring Award.
“Dr. Renz provides me with a realistic vision for integrated research, teaching, and extension from day one to develop cutting-edge research programs, set plans and publishing goals, write grant proposals, and create a pragmatic ambition for scholarly achievement. His erudite guidelines, scholastic criticisms, and affectionate encouragement to think about things out of the box for science-based solutions will thus, enormously impact my future career.”
Dr. Mark Renz, PhD, 2024 Distinguished Faculty & Staff Postdoc Mentoring Award.