Intelligence, academic curiosity, community engagement and global awareness — nominees for the prestigious Troxell-Glicksman Awards encompass all these characteristics and more.
The Louise Troxell Awards and Edna Kerngood Glicksman Award were created to honor women on the UW–Madison campus. Informally known as the Troxell-Glicksman Awards, they recognize outstanding junior or senior self-identified female students from across UW–Madison who are nominated by faculty or academic staff.
This year’s awardees demonstrated that they are of high academic caliber and are deeply engaged in campus and community activities through their submitted scholarship materials and interview. Many of these women aspire to continue their education in graduate or professional schools.
Troxell Award
Brelynn Bille ’24 (Waupun, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin)
College of Letters & Science Master of Public Affairs through the La Follette School of Public Affairs; School of Human Ecology Bachelor of Science, majoring in Community and Nonprofit Leadership; certificates in Public Policy and Disability Rights and Services
“During my time at UW–Madison, I have been deeply involved in disability advocacy. As my disability became more complex in my sophomore year, I found solace and inspiration within a community of fellow student disability advocates who shared my passion and desire for inclusivity and accessibility. Together, we joined forces to establish the nation’s 13th Disability Cultural Center on the UW–Madison campus. … Our advocacy and leadership efforts were not only aimed at improved accessibility but also at fostering a justice-focused community and cultural understanding of disability. Banding together, we pushed university administration to prioritize the needs of disabled students beyond legally required services and accommodations, recognizing that disability is a social identity with its own culture. With a year of diligent efforts, we received approval. The collective commitment brought tangible change, eventually creating the space we have today that offers disabled students the support, empowerment, and camaraderie that so many of us lacked before finding one another and building this intentional space.”
Carmen Raya ’24 (Wilmington, Los Angeles County, California)
School of Education Bachelor of Science, majoring in Educational Policy Studies; College of Letters & Science, majoring in Spanish, Chican@ & Latin@ Studies, and Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies
“Throughout grade school I had the privilege of having an exceptional support system who guided me and were pivotal in making my dream of going to college a reality. It was this collective support system that incited me to reciprocate this support to diverse students globally. Thus, I applied and got accepted for a virtual summer internship with EducationUSA Chile, via the International Internship Program here at UW–Madison. … During my role I devised a high school resource packet for Chilean counselors in Spanish, so that they could assist their graduating seniors in enrolling into a U.S. university. This packet consisted of detailed information pertaining to the holistic steps of applying to college and tips on writing letters of recommendation for counselors. Additionally, I proofread and translated letters of recommendation from Spanish to English, ensuring the essence of each recommendation was accurately transmitted as these documents were pivotal in college admission processes. I was also a panelist in several webinars where I shared my college experience and answered questions. I am appreciative of the experience as I was under the supervision of talented individuals that enhanced my drive and interest for international education.”
Chandra Chouhan ’24 (Brookfield, Waukesha County, Wisconsin)
College of Agricultural & Life Sciences Bachelor of Science, majoring in Global Health and International Studies; certificate in Middle East Studies
“[In 2022], I created Chup, Go Vote! (“just go vote”), a grassroots nonpartisan organization dedicated to educating and mobilizing voters in the South Asian community. Our efforts began with the 2022 Midterm, when we mobilized over 500 South Asian students in Madison and 1,000 nationwide. Since then, we formed a Civic Alliance with all the South Asian organizations on campus and partnered with faith groups across Wisconsin to collectively facilitate outreach events. I designed and distributed informational guides in South Asian languages at these events to alleviate educational barriers. On a national level, I moderated civic engagement discussion forums for over 600 South Asian college students through the Desi Dance Network, a national collegiate dance circuit. This year, I spearheaded a $10,000 Collegiate Civics Grant for South Asian student organizations across the nation. … Chup has enabled me to take my knowledge outside the classroom into the community, to unite people who wouldn’t ordinarily see eye to eye. Concepts from vastly different fields like Global Health and International Studies help me draw from necessary, but underutilized perspectives when engaging voters and understanding global issues. This allows me to bridge divides and foster intentional conversations.”
Elaine Pajanustan ’24 (Greendale, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin)
School of Education Bachelor of Science, majoring in Health Promotion and Health Equity; certificates in Health Policy, Global Health, Japanese Professional Communication, and Asian American Studies
“One of my proudest achievements during my time with the APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) Heritage Month Planning Committee is the organization of a collaborative nutrition and cooking event between UW–Madison’s All of Us branch and the APIDA Heritage Month Planning Committee. As a member of both organizations, I saw how they could benefit from working together and providing support to each other. At this event titled “Cooking, Colonization, and Conversation,” APIDA Heritage Month and All of Us will be discussing how the social determinants of health can affect nutrition and food insecurity for Asian Americans, especially in regard to historical discrimination. This event is a unique opportunity to raise awareness about the impact of historical discrimination on the APIDA community’s health. Through discussions with students and APIDA-identifying researchers, we will promote healthy eating habits and encourage participants to make informed food choices. This event also serves as a platform for APIDA identifying students to come together, share experiences, and foster dialogue around health equity and the social determinants of health. Anticipating the future, I am eager to continue exploring these themes, contributing positively to my community, and extending my impact beyond.”
Kamika Patel ’24 (Arlington Heights, Cook County, Illinois)
College of Letters & Science Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Studies specializing in Global Security and Communication Arts; certificate in Educational Policy
“I realized the need for a space where IS (International Studies) majors could connect. The relative size of the program and the extensive course selection left me longing for a more cohesive community within my discipline. This was especially important to me because I felt like I had so many takeaways from my international experiences, specifically relating to what I had gained and applied from my IS and global affairs classes but found these reflections challenging to discuss within my immediate social circles. Motivated by this gap, I initiated the revival of WISMA (Wisconsin International Studies Major Association) to provide IS students with opportunities for connection and exploration in the field of international studies. Drawing from my experiences at UW–Madison, I honed skills in community engagement and outreach, marketing, and event planning during the fall semester. The technical process of relaunching the organization culminated in general interest meetings, where I gathered input to shape an inclusive and empowering space for students. As I write this in my final semester, the success of WISMA’s official kickoff event on Feb. 23, orchestrated by the new leadership team, fills me with pride and gratitude for the overwhelming student engagement.”
Glicksman Award
Sophia Schoenfeld ’24 (Waterford, Racine County, Wisconsin)
College of Agricultural & Life Sciences Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biology with Honors in Research; certificate in Health Policy
“[As a health policy intern for Waterford Union High School], I updated many school policies according to new state statutes, but our main project included updating the human growth and development curriculum for the health classes to include facts about contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and the sex offender registry. This new curriculum was about empowering students to make choices based on their values and risk level. … Although the school board had differing opinions on some of our changes, such as sex and gender distinctions, we reached an overall consensus on nearly all points and developed an evidence-based curriculum, enabling students to navigate the complexities of relationships, consent and sexual health. I learned the importance of applying learned content from my health policy courses at UW and taking the initiative to lead grassroots change that can hopefully radiate to larger systemic transformation, such as nationwide sexual secondary education curriculum reshaping.”
The Troxell-Glicksman Awards were inspired by two truly amazing women in Wisconsin history.
Louise Troxell was Dean of Women at UW–Madison from 1931 until 1956. Her award was established to honor her years of outstanding leadership and devotion to women’s rights on UW–Madison’s campus.
Edna Kerngood Glicksman was an early twentieth-century leader in the state’s League of Women Voters and the State Federation of Women’s Clubs. The award was created by her husband, Harry Glicksman, an assistant dean in the College of Letters & Science, to recognize students with “intellectual attainments, high womanhood and service in the college community.”
The competitive selection process for these highly respected awards is completed by a selection committee. The committee consists of Susan Brantly, professor in the Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic+; Frieda Zuckerberg, director of climate and community engagement in the Office of Academic & Career Success; Bret Larget, professor in the Department of Statistics; Melissa Bublitz, professor of Civil Society & Community Studies and Consumer Science; and Claudia Guzmán, director of the Multicultural Student Center.