Campus Connection

UWL’s 2020-21 outstanding graduates

Here are the graduates from 2020-21 who received UW-La Crosse’s top awards for graduating seniors.

The Murphy Award for Academic Excellence

recognizes the university’s top graduating scholar, as chosen by the Scholarship and Awards Committee. A Murphy Foundation grant created the award in 1980 to recognize outstanding and exceptional scholastic ability.

Kendra Kreienbrink graduates with a Bachelor of Science majoring in physics with a biomedical concentration. She has minors in mathematics and chemistry. Kreienbrink was on the Dean’s List every semester while maintaining a 3.98 GPA. She earned numerous awards and scholarships; among them: the Dean’s Distinguished Fellowship, the Eagle Apprenticeship Scholarship, the Charles and Lillian Gay Scholarship, the Scott Carnes Memorial Scholarship Fund, and the Physics and Astronomy Honors programs. Kreienbrink was named an outstanding presenter at the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium in October 2020. Her studies have included microtubule mechanics (biophysics) research with a two-week BioBootcamp at Syracuse University, along with a week collecting data at Lawrence University while interning for UWL Physics Department Chair Taviare Hawkins. Kreienbrink has served as a math and physics tutor, and has been involved in numerous clubs. She took part in the Vida Medical Mission Trip to Guatemala in 2019. Kreienbrink plans to attend graduate school for a doctorate in biomaterials for drug delivery or tissue regeneration. She is from Hopkins, Minnesota.

The Jake and Janet Hoeschler Award for Excellence

recognizes a College of Business Administration graduate for academic accomplishment and leadership on campus and in the community. Janet Hoeschler, a 1940 graduate, established the award in 1992 to signify a business-university partnership.

Troy De Bruin graduates with a Bachelor of Science in accountancy and finance. He has made the Dean’s List each semester and holds a 4.0 GPA. De Bruin received five business-related scholarships, along with the Jo Laux Family CBA Top Scholar Award. He was on the Eagles Track & Field teams, finishing as a national qualifier in the 4 x 100-meter relay in spring 2019. De Bruin has volunteered with numerous organizations and events, including Veteran’s Day Breakfast, Children’s Museum, Down Syndrome Awareness Walk, Live Generously and athletic activities. Following graduation, De Bruin plans to take the CPA Exam and in September will begin working full-time at Baker Tilly in Appleton, Wisconsin, as a part of its Construction and Real Estate Audit Team. His goal is to become a fraud investigator or CFO. De Bruin is from Little Chute, Wisconsin.

The Strzelczyk Award in Science and Health

recognizes an outstanding senior in the College of Science and Health for academic achievement, along with campus and community service. Robert, ’54, and Judy Strzelczyk, who funded many physical therapy projects and scholarships, endowed the award in 1996.

Colin Jackson graduates with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in mathematics and physics. He was on the Dean’s List each semester and earned at 4.0 GPA. Jackson received the Eagle Apprentice Scholarship, the Charles and Lillian Gay Scholarship, the Sentry Insurance Scholarship, and the JD and Marcia Wine Scholarship. He also earned a College of Science and Health grant and department endowment grant for research. Jackson participated in the Mathematics and Statistics Club, Chess Club, and Womxn and Minorities in Math. He also played on the Men’s Soccer Club team. Jackson plans to attend graduate school to pursue a doctorate in mathematics, eventually becoming a mathematics professor. He is from Madison, Wisconsin.

The John E. Magerus Award for the Outstanding Graduating Senior from the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities

recognizes an outstanding graduate for academic accomplishments, leadership, and campus and community involvement. The award is named for Magerus, who retired in 2004 after 28 years as a professor and administrator in the college.

Laura Zinnel graduates with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in psychology and mathematics. Zinnel has completed research on campus in psychology and mathematics, as well as with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She earned a Dean’s Distinguished Fellowship Research Grant and the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Recognition of Excellence Award. Zinnel received 15 scholarships and worked in numerous off-campus positions along with serving as a mathematics and statistics tutor on campus. Zinnel was vice president of the Womxn and Minorities in Mathematics Club, treasurer of the Mathematics and Statistics Club, and outreach leader of InterVarsity. She was also a member of Screaming Eagles Marching Band, Intramural Soccer and Psychology Club. Zinnel plans to attend graduate school for either computational neuroscience or mathematics. She is from Rockland, Wisconsin.

Read more about Laura

The Rosandich Graduate Thesis and Dissertation Award

recognizes the best graduate thesis, based on originality, impact and writing quality. The award is funded by Thomas P. Rosandich, ’54, founding president of the U.S. Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama.

Annie Schauster graduates with a Master of Science in biology. Schauster’s thesis was titled, “Genetic and Genomic Insights into the Successional Patterns and Reproduction Methods of Fire-Associated Morchella.” Graduate faculty nominated her noting her thesis is conceptually and methodologically excellent, and her results provide interesting insights on a topic of considerable interest in her field of fungal biology. Schauster’s mentors credit her for displaying motivation, perseverance, organization, discipline and maturity in her work. Her personal qualities, as well as the experience she gained in her graduate research, were instrumental to her being admitted into the doctorate program in integrative biology at the University of Colorado, Denver. She is currently a first-year doctoral student.

Heidi Lang earned a doctorate in Student Affairs Administration & Leadership in May 2020. Lang’s dissertation focused on the role of college unions as campus community builders. Her research concentrated on unions in which students oversee decisions and staff serve as consultants rather than directing students’ experiences. Lang also studied the impact student unions have on campus climate, distinguishing differences among students of color and those who are white. Faculty mentors called her dissertation research “outstanding.” Lang earned her master’s in higher education from North Carolina State University in 1997 and has since worked in the Wisconsin Union at UW-Madison. She is an assistant director of Program and Leadership Development.

See a list of all spring 2021 graduates.