Three seniors, graduating from the College of Letters & Science, have been selected by Dean Eric M. Wilcots for the Dean’s Prize, one of the College's highest academic honors. Candidates for this award completed a minimum of 24 Honors Program credits, made significant contributions to UW–Madison and the local community, completed an undergraduate thesis or major research project, and excelled in their classes.
Alejandro Oñate, from Waunakee, Wis., will continue researching immune therapies to combat cancer in the lab of Dr. Zachary Morris in the Carbone Cancer Center, while making plans for earning an MD-PhD degree and becoming a physician scientist. Oñate has been praised for his development as both a team member and leader, combining thoughtful communication skills, scientific curiosity, and critical thinking on his path through both the Biochemistry and Music (violin performance) majors, with a certificate in biology core curriculum (Biocore). Oñate is also a Mercile J. Lee Scholar. “He embodies empathy and humility in our weekly violin studio class where he is always eager to give positive and insightful comments to his colleagues and then in turn, to receive others’ suggestions humbly and with gratitude,” says Eugene Purdue, adjunct professor of strings. Among many community service activities, Oñate brought his music and science passions together when, as a Biocore Outreach Ambassador, he developed an elementary-school program exploring the physics of stringed instruments. He has also played violin and coordinated other Mead Witter School of Music students to perform for patients and staff of the UW Hospital and Clinics.
Regan Hawkins, from Kenosha, Wis., is headed to Harvard Law School with the goal of advancing social justice through community legal practice and litigation. S.E. Frank, Hawkins’s thesis advisor, observed that on a project related to menstrual health and reproduction policies in prisons, Hawkins “engaged in purposeful action to make real change in the criminal justice system while others merely speculated at how the system might change.” Hawkins has completed the requirements not only for a major in Legal Studies with Honors and a certificate in Criminal Justice, but also a Psychology major, a certificate in Chican@/Latin@ Studies, and Honors in the Liberal Arts. She took on a larger-than-usual teaching assistant assignment in a psychology class taught by professor Tina Winston, who said “her grasp of and ability to convey complex principles in a variety of ways instilled confidence in her students.…In her career, she will represent UW–Madison with pride and continue to embrace its core values throughout her life.”
Valerie Buroker, from Viroqua, Wis., is also looking ahead to a medical career, expanding on her experiences as a certified nursing assistant and her coursework in Psychology and Neurobiology majors, with certificates in Disability Rights and Services, and Health and the Humanities. Buroker is also a Center for Academic Excellence Scholar and Peer Mentor. In the summer after graduation, Buroker will continue her research in the Mathematics Education and Learning Development Lab, which she first joined as a freshman in the Undergraduate Research Scholars program. Her mentor in that lab has been Dr. Percival Matthews, Interim Associate Dean of the School of Education, who says, “She is very dedicated to both her academics and to addressing social issues. She has the initiative, the intellect, the social skills, and the heart that set her apart as an outstanding representative of UW–Madison.” Buroker participated in the Badger Volunteers program, eventually moving into a leadership position on its Executive Board. Anya Piotrowski of the Morgridge Center for Public Service describes Buroker’s contributions as “demonstrating her ongoing commitment to community, an awareness of how we are all interconnected and interdependent, and a desire to be part of caring for those around her while centering everyone’s humanity but especially those who have been marginalized.”