Campus Connection

Awards banquet slated Nov. 14

Four women with UW-La Crosse connections have been recognized for their achievements and contributions in the greater Coulee Region. The women received the 2013 YWCA Tribute to Outstanding Women award. The winners are: Elise Denlinger, senior instructor in UW-L’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department; Susan Fabian, a December 2012 UW-L graduate; Deb Hoskins, chair of UW-L’s Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department and Karla Stanek, retired director of Career Services and the Academic Advising Center at UW-L. Tribute to Outstanding Women awards are presented annually by YWCA La Crosse. The award banquet will be at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the La Crosse Center. The evening starts with a 5:30 p.m. social time followed by dinner and awards from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $55 and are available by contacting Lisa Mathson with the YWCA at 608.781.2783 ext. 226. [caption id="attachment_27403" align="alignleft" width="350"] Elise Denlinger, senior instructor in UW-L’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department, received the YWCA Tribute to Outstanding Women Award for Education[/caption]

Elise Denlinger

Elise Denlinger’s leadership isn’t measured in published books or presentations at influential conferences. Her influence has happened more organically — in the way she has connected with thousands of students through teaching. Denlinger has taught numerous courses at UW-L, but says the most rewarding and challenging has been an introductory course for the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies that focuses on issues of race, sexuality, gender justice, class and ableism. Through this one course, Denlinger has touched 1,500 students over 12 semesters. Many students leave reviews that she changed their life, whether through her lectures or in her attention to their personal issues related to the intense content covered in the course. “You didn’t just change my life; I think you have started it….I can honestly say that having you as a teacher has caused things to shift, set something in motion…” wrote one student of Denlinger in Dec. 2012. In more than two decades teaching in a variety of departments, Denlinger has been evaluated by her students as one of the top teachers repeatedly and consistently. She was selected as the first winner of the College of Liberal Studies Excellence Award in Teaching for Instructional Academic Staff in 2008. She was more recently nominated for the first university-wide Provost’s Teaching Excellence Award in Spring 2013. [caption id="attachment_27406" align="alignleft" width="350"] Susan Fabian, a December 2012 UW-L graduate, received the YWCA Tribute to Outstanding Women Award in the category: Young Women of Tomorrow – College[/caption]

Susan Fabian

UW-La Crosse graduate Susan Fabian, ’12, has been dedicated to the empowerment of women and single parents throughout her educational journey and in her professional role today as adult program coordinator for Bluff Country Family Resources Inc. While attending UW-L, Fabian had her own struggles as a single mother working multiple part-time jobs. Yet she dedicated herself to serving others through many mentoring and leadership roles. Fabian graduated from UW-L’s Self Sufficiency Program — a program that prepares low income parents to be successful in college — and went on to become a program mentor and board member. She launched the first Student Parent Community in 2010, for student parents attending college. Through the group, she organized social events and support efforts such as a Back to School Clothing Swap. Fabian also organized other efforts while an undergraduate including Equal Pay Day Flash Mob for women's pay parity and Cash Mob Lax, which provided an economic stimulus to two women-owned businesses downtown during the holiday season. She has organized ReThinking Thanksgiving through the Native American Student Association and contributed to the organizational efforts of the Widening the Circle Conference, which seeks to address Wisconsin and Minnesota Native and Hmong experiences, culture, spirituality and community as Indigenous Peoples within education. Fabian has spread her message of empowering people. She has been a keynote speaker at events such as CouleeCap's People Helping People Event, SSP's Locally Grown Scholarship Breakfast, United Way's Leadership Event, and UW-L's Candlelight Vigil. She was a workshop presenter at the 36th Annual Wisconsin Women's Studies Conference and 7th Annual UW System LGBTQ Conference. Her story has been published by numerous media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune. In her professional role, she is an advocate for people who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault. Outside of her professional life, Fabian lives with her daughters, Jane and Grace, and their cat, Swizzles. In spring 2013, Fabian won an award from the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association for her personal efforts to overcome poverty. She also earned the UW-L’s College of Liberal Studies Student Excellence Award. [caption id="attachment_27408" align="alignleft" width="350"] Deb Hoskins, chair of UW-L’s Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department, received the YWCA Tribute to Outstanding Women Award for activism.[/caption]

Deb Hoskins

Deb Hoskins’ work in empowering women starts with her role as a teacher. Hoskins has taught in what is now UW-La Crosse’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department since 1994, becoming department chair in 2008. One of her greatest joys is watching students find themselves and learn how to use their voices. She strives to create learning experiences that lend insight into diversity and engage students in real-life problems, sometimes through experiences at community organizations. Hoskins has volunteered to serve on university committees and numerous campus diversity initiatives. Such work often focuses on educating the campus and community about diversity, inclusivity, sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2001, Hoskins organized a seminar for faculty and staff “Teaching For Diversity,” which met every other week for about 10 years. Her attention to diversity issues resulted in her assuming a new position as inclusive excellence coordinator in UW-L’s Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning in 2010. In this role, she has helped faculty from across campus think about infusing issues of diversity into their courses in new ways. Hoskins’ efforts extend off campus. Prominent community roles include regional co-chair for the national professional organization National Women’s Studies Association and past president of the People’s Food Co-op board. She has helped organize Take Back the Night marches, community celebrations of the 19th Amendment that ensured women’s right to vote, programs to address eating disorders, community discussions of welfare reform proposals and issues of poverty. [caption id="attachment_27410" align="alignleft" width="350"] Karla Stanek, retired director of Career Services and the Academic Advising Center at UW-L, received the YWCA Tribute to Outstanding Women Award for volunteerism.[/caption]

Karla Stanek

For more than 35 years, Karla Stanek has committed personal time to volunteer activities that have benefited the La Crosse community, starting with her decision to become a big sister for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region at age 22. She still has a relationship with her little sis today. Stanek has since branched out to serve on numerous clubs, boards and committees at the university and in the community. It makes sense that Stanek chose the theme of “Take time to give back” as 2010 Mrs. Oktoberfest. That’s something she has lived by in her professional and personal life. Some of her most visible community roles include: past president of her Rotary club, past president of the UW-L Alumni Association Board, UW-L Foundation board member, Women’s Fund of Greater La Crosse board member, Rotary Lights Foundation board member and Academic Staff Council. She has been a volunteer at Riverfest, Rotary Lights, UW-La Crosse L-Club, Logan High School LaCrosseroads, Meals on Wheels, Organization for Campus Women and more. She has also served as a guest “celebrity” for numerous community events. For her exceptional performance and service at UW-L, Stanek received the 2011 Academic Staff Excellence Award.