Faculty Support
Sustaining Human Innovation Campaign Priority
A priority of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation’s Sustaining Human Innovation Campaign is investing in our faculty. They are at the center of the university’s mission to “foster in one another creativity, critical insight, empathy, and intellectual courage…” Vibrant faculty are central to the university’s strategic plan to achieve a national reputation for academic distinction. They foster collaborations across disciplines and colleges in support of health and wellbeing; expand national partnerships; develop new, nationally competitive academic and cocurricular programs; integrate EDI into classroom pedagogy, content, and curriculum; and integrate undergraduate research and creative activities across disciplines.
University Fellow Awards
Every measure of success and the backbone of our reputation rests with the faculty. The purpose of the University Fellows program is to recognize exceptional teaching, scholarship and service of faculty at critical junctures in their career paths at UW-Eau Claire. The program provides a direct benefit to selected faculty through either direct stipends or support to provide course release, in either $10,000/year or $12,500/year amounts. There are awards for early-, mid- and senior-career faculty across all colleges, and awards are given for either three or five years (depending on the award and level). Please contact Julia Diggins to learn more about investing in the early-, mid- or senior-career fellows.
Read about the 2022-23 Cohort of University Fellows:
The ten new University Fellow awards for 2023-2024 are listed below. Every member of the faculty is eligible for at least one award, and the Foundation's hope is to add to this list every year through contributions to the Sustaining Human Innovation Campaign so that these awards will provide a lasting benefit to one of the university's most precious asset: its faculty.
Learn more about qualifications for each award category and available awards:
Early-Career Fellow
This designation recognizes exceptional work by an assistant professor in a tenure track who is working toward promotion to associate professor and tenure.
The designation and funding are an investment in promising faculty with a productive future at UW-Eau Claire. Ideally the award will be presented to a faculty member who is within three years of applying for tenure/promotion. The intent is to assist recipients in their teaching and scholarship and in other areas as they build a professional portfolio that will be the basis of their application for tenure and promotion.
Bartelt Early Career Fellow
A three-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in any department or college.
Karlgaard Faculty Excellence Awards
Multiple $10,000 awards with special criteria for faculty members in the departments of Math, Computer Science and Physics & Astronomy.
Raymond and Tamara Skwierczynski University Fellow in Languages
A three-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the Languages department.
Shirley Paulson-Lee Education University Fellow
A five-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the College of Education & Human Sciences.
Suzanne Strowig University Faculty Award in Nursing
A five-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
Tyler Patterson College of Business Early Career Fellow
A three-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the College of Business.
Mid-Career Fellow
This designation recognizes exceptional work by associate professors who are working toward full professor.
This category recognizes faculty who have an established body of scholarly activity and are recognized by peers regionally and nationally for their teaching and scholarship. The intent is to recognize mid-career professors who have demonstrated a high level of professional excellence and who may be at risk of being recruited away from UW-Eau Claire. These are recognition and retention awards.
Bartelt Biology Mid-Career or Senior Fellow
A five-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the Biology department.
College of Business Faculty Excellence Fellow
A five-year award of $10,000 available for a faculty member in the College of Business.
Debra Maben University Mid-Career Fellow
A five-year award of $12,500 available to a faculty member in the humanities or arts.
Grace Lau Mid-Career University Fellowship
A five-year award of $10,000 available to a faculty member in any department or college
Karlgaard Faculty Excellence Awards
Multiple $10,000 awards with special criteria for faculty members in the departments of Math, Computer Science and Physics & Astronomy.
Raymond and Tamara Skwierczynski University Fellow in Languages
A three-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the Languages department.
Shirley Paulson-Lee Education University Fellow
A five-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the College of Education & Human Sciences
Suzanne Strowig University Faculty Award in Nursing
A five-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
Senior-Career Fellow
The third category is for professors who have contributed significantly to the university’s culture and academic excellence.
They have a well-established record of scholarly activity and engagement with students in collaborative undergraduate research at UW-Eau Claire and have demonstrated excellence in the classroom. The goal of the University Senior Fellows Award is to acknowledge contributions of faculty throughout their careers and recognize ongoing service to the university through exceptional teaching and mentorship of younger faculty. These are faculty we would consider “institutional treasures” with a distinguished record of contributions to UW-Eau Claire. They are expected to continue teaching and/or contributing to the university in some role during the period of their Fellowship.
Bartelt Biology Mid-Career or Senior Fellow
A five-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the Biology department.
College of Business Faculty Excellence Fellow
A five-year award of $10,000 available for a faculty member in the College of Business.
Karlgaard Faculty Excellence Awards
Multiple $10,000 awards with special criteria for faculty members in the departments of Math, Computer Science and Physics & Astronomy.
Raymond and Tamara Skwierczynski University Fellow in Languages
A three-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the Languages department.
Suzanne Strowig University Faculty Award in Nursing
A five-year award of $12,500 available for a faculty member in the College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
The UW-Eau Claire Foundation empowers people to dream big, providing opportunities that enrich our communities, inspire our citizens, and showcase the Blugold spirit beyond our campus. It's impossible to measure the number of lives positively impacted by their support.