The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing is delighted to acknowledge the achievements of eight students and four educators through the conferment of the 2024 School of Nursing Academic Awards. The School also recognizes one student who received a campus award. These esteemed awards are granted each year to honor outstanding students and educators who exhibit exceptional academic prowess, leadership skills, service to the community, and a deep devotion to the nursing profession.
Undergraduate Award Recipients
Eryk Brown, TBSN
Badger Future Nurse Leader Award
Eryk Brown exemplifies leadership through a steadfast commitment to positively influence his peers and the broader community. As the president of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Brown led initiatives to foster collaboration, mentorship, and professional growth among his fellow students and community members. From organizing workshops and networking events to spearheading community outreach projects, such as the nationally recognized Project Alpha that focused on sexual health for teenage African American men, he has endeavored to empower individuals and cultivate a culture of wellness and excellence within the Madison community.
Mentorship has been a passion for Brown throughout his college journey. Through facilitating informal peer support groups or participating in formal mentorship programs, such as those offered by the Multicultural Student Nurses Organization, he has been committed to providing guidance, encouragement, and resources to support the success of his peers. He particularly enjoys helping prospective nursing students refine their application essays.
Outside of school, Brown volunteers extensively, including at local elementary schools, high schools, and food pantries. These experiences have deepened his understanding of health disparities and further fueled his dedication to making a difference in the lives of others.
“Being announced as the recipient of the Badger Future Nurse Leader award holds a significance that transcends words,” says Brown. I am deeply grateful for the invaluable experiences and friendships fostered both here at UW and within the community. In moments of doubt, I often reflect upon the words, ‘I didn’t come this far, to only come this far,’ serving as a reminder of the resilience and determination that brought me to this point.”
About the Badger Future Nurse Leader Award
The Badger Future Nurse Leader Award recognizes a student who is an exemplary leader and embodies the ethics and values of nursing. Nominees must demonstrate leadership; prepare, motivate, and impact other students as leaders; participate in community activities and giving back to others; mentor fellow students; promote activity in nursing organizations; make a significant contribution to the overall excellence of their school; set a healthy example and promote a healthy lifestyle; and demonstrate a clear sense of direction for their future nursing career.
Natalie Halderson, TBSN
Ginsberg Family Award
Natalie Halderson is an exceptional student who advocates for her patients and strives to understand their challenges. While volunteering as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at a free clinic, she saw how language could be a barrier for Spanish-speaking patients. This experience inspired her to study Spanish and participate in a language immersion program in Spain to be a better advocate for patients.
Informed care is important to Halderson, and she applied what she learned in her Gender and Women’s Studies courses to provide more equitable and inclusive care for patients in her clinical rotation at the UnityPoint Health – Meriter birthing center. She also brings this awareness to her current role as a student nursing assistant at the chemotherapy clinic at UW Health. Halderson says, “This setting is rewarding for me because I can support patients going through some of their hardest times.” Next year, she’ll begin the Nurse Residency Program at the American Family Children’s Hospital.
Halderson is passionate about how research influences patient care. She’s served as a research assistant on a team focused on improving symptom management for head and neck cancer survivors, and she’s currently completing her senior honors thesis on a reproductive health care research project. Halderson also presented her research at the 15th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health in Washington, DC, and presented at the UW Health Nursing Poster Fair in spring 2024.
Outside of school, Halderson has a full slate of volunteer activities. She is the co-president of the Community Health Volunteers of Madison student organization. Her role includes supporting programs that supply weekly food distributions to the community, offer health lessons to kids, and provide student volunteers to the Wingra Clinic. She also volunteers at Longfellow Middle School, where she assists kids and teachers and helps maintain the school food pantry.
Halderson says, “Providing and coordinating service to my community has always been very important to me. I’m excited to see how my nursing career will allow me to serve my community in even more ways.”
About the Ginsberg Family Award
The Ginsberg Family Award is a UW–Madison campus award. It is awarded to junior or senior students who have made outstanding contributions to the university community while maintaining strong and consistent academic performance. The Ginsberg family distributes these awards in honor of the late Dean of Students Paul Ginsberg. Paul’s family recognizes his profound impact on the campus community and wants to continue his legacy of transforming the student experience.
Jennifer Halvorson, TBSN
Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award
At age 19, Jennifer Halvorson dropped out of college. Work, financial strain, and personal reasons kept her from returning. Realizing she had hit rock bottom and needed a chance to start again, she decided to pursue a surgical technology degree at Madison Area Technical College; she graduated in 2016 at 24.
Halvorson worked as a surgical technologist for eight years and obtained her nursing assistant certification during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this, Halvorson discovered she enjoyed interacting with patients and was inspired by the nurses she worked with to further her career. She chose to pursue a nursing degree at UW–Madison, where her wealth of personal and professional experiences served her well with coursework and research.
An honors student, Halvorson has a passion for health equity and policy. The School of Nursing selected her to present at the Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference in February. Now 32, she is excited to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She hopes to be a positive example for other returning adult students and demonstrate that there’s always hope for a second chance at your dreams if you’re willing to work hard and reach for it.
“Receiving the Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award has been a humbling and amazing experience,” says Halvorson. “It is an absolute honor to have been nominated and granted such a prestigious award and to represent the School of Nursing and all other returning adult students with it. I would like to thank my nominator and advisor, Dr. Elliot Tebbe, and the entire UW–Madison system for believing in me and giving me so many opportunities to succeed during my time as an undergraduate.”
About the Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award
The Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award recognizes returning adult undergraduate students whose exceptional determination and perseverance have enabled them to pursue their academic work and contribute to the community, as demonstrated by their leadership and service.
Helen Maragos, TBSN
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students
Helen Maragos displays extraordinary compassion, understanding, and inclusion for those around her. During her time within the School of Nursing, she has stepped into the role of a leader and an advocate who consistently dedicates herself to fostering an environment that celebrates questions and promotes empathy. She overcame great personal challenges to get into nursing school, and she’s made the Dean’s List every semester.
Maragos is driven by her ability to enact positive change. She is always looking for ways to advocate for patients, whether that’s interrupting sexist behavior in an elementary school or empathizing with a patient who has just received a life-altering diagnosis. “To me, being a successful patient advocate means actively listening with empathy to what they are experiencing, encouraging autonomy, and learning to differentiate when to speak up and when to listen,” says Maragos.
Sometimes, it is the small things that matter most. Maragos describes caring for an intubated patient with long hair that got matted from the pillowcase. Maragos took the time to wash and braid her hair. “The way her husband lit up when he saw her has stuck in my head,” says Maragos. “Now, I look forward to taking the time to braid my patient’s hair. I have researched the best ways to take care of different hair textures to ensure I can offer the best personal care to a diverse group of patients.”
Maragos is also dedicated to supporting her peers; other students describe her as exemplifying the nurturing spirit of nursing care. She served on the student advisory board in hopes of benefitting future nursing students. She worked closely with her peer, Eduardo [Chuy] Pina, and the School of Nursing advancement manager, Jordan Langer, to design and produce a student t-shirt to celebrate the School’s centennial. Maragos values fostering comradery to bring people together and strengthen communities.
“The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students was created to remind us why we chose to pursue nursing,” says Maragos. “We do this because we care. We care about providing health care and support to those in need. We care about connecting with and advocating for our patients. We care enough to stay up late and study for our exams. We care enough to hold our friends’ hands as they cry or laugh. We care that the hardest, most trying days in school are important in preparing us to be the best we can be. As I’ve worked with patients, families, nurses, and other members of the health care team, I have realized it is a privilege and responsibility to be a nurse. I am honored and humbled to receive this award.”
About the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students
The DAISY in Training Student Award was created to remind nursing students, even on their hardest days in nursing school, why they want to be nurses. It recognizes nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion they show patients and their families as they are learning what it means to be a nurse. Nominees demonstrate commitment to compassionate care of patients and families, make a connection with patients, families, and peers by building trust and respect, advocate strongly for patients, and demonstrate exceptional skill.
David Van Den Brandt, ABSN
School of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award
David Van Den Brandt demonstrates patience, compassion, determination, academic excellence, and a commitment to underserved communities.
His exceptional clinical and course performance is visible through his oral and written communication. Van Den Brandt cares deeply about showing respect when speaking with patients, and his peers and instructors have complimented the presence, peace, and centeredness he brings to patient interactions.
Outside of school, Van Den Brandt has contributed to the community as a volunteer at the Madison Metropolitan School District, Centro Hispano, and Specialty Care Free Clinic. He has facilitated access to healthcare in the community by helping to address barriers such as limited English proficiency, or limited social, legal, or economic resources.
About the School of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award
The Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award is bestowed upon a nursing student who excels in academic performance, clinical competence, and professional and community service.
Hannah Walker, ABSN
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students
Hannah Walker embodies the values of servant leadership. She leads by example and cares deeply about supporting the needs of others. Witnessing the servant leadership of her parents and grandparents inspired Walker to pursue nursing. “At the cost of their time, money, and comfort, they fed people, helped them find jobs, went on walks, did yard work, assisted with paperwork, and invited anyone into their homes,” she says.
Walker comes from a long line of nurses: Her mother, grandmother, and grandfather are all in the profession, and she brings the compassion they modeled into her work with patients. Walker says, “When you physically care for people, they begin to trust you, and since they find that they can trust you to care for their body, they trust you with their mind and heart.”
The kindness Walker shows her patients has had a profound impact. One patient asked for her opinion about whether he should have the surgery a doctor recommended. When Walker told him she was just a student, he replied, “But you care.” Ultimately, she was able to help the patient understand his treatment options so he could make an informed decision on his own, and the surgery was successful.
Even when patients are challenging, Walker treats them with kindness. She has helped patients being investigated by Child Protective Services, assisted with end-of-life care in a hospice rotation, and supported grieving families. Walker says, “I provide the service they need with the joy they need so that they have the opportunity to develop the trust that we need to work together for their health.”
“I am thankful that the DAISY Award recognizes care and compassion,” says Walker. “Compassion is needed to build trust for our patients. There are so many of my colleagues who demonstrate this daily. I am honored to represent one of many in a profession devoted to physical care and compassion.”
About the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students
The DAISY in Training Student Award was created to remind nursing students, even on their hardest days in nursing school, why they want to be nurses. It recognizes nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion they show patients and their families as they are learning what it means to be a nurse. Nominees demonstrate commitment to compassionate care of patients and families, make a connection with patients, families, and peers by building trust and respect, advocate strongly for patients, and demonstrate exceptional skill.
Graduate Award Recipients
Rachel Hawn, PhD
Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award
Rachel Hawn, PhD, joined the doctoral program in Fall 2021. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and remote learning, she was quick to learn and highly focused on her goal to improve health and wellness for cancer survivors diagnosed as adolescents and young adults (AYA).
Hawn demonstrates a strong commitment to improving her dissemination skills and sharing her research. During her PhD, she conducted a systematic review of literature to identify physical activity interventions to reduce the risk of late and long-term effects of cancer in the AYA population. In early 2024, her paper was published in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. She also gave a poster presentation of the preliminary findings from her review at the 2nd Annual Cancer Center Survivorship Forum.
Continuing to improve her writing is important to Hawn. She honed her skills by submitting for conference presentations, writing for scholarships, attending training workshops on grant writing, and developing a dissertation proposal.
“Throughout my time in the nursing PhD program, I can confidently say that my writing skills have improved immensely,” says Hawn. “Through peer review, constructive feedback, and collaborative writing projects, I have been able to communicate my ideas more effectively. In doing so, I know that I can inspire others through my writing and ultimately contribute to the advancement of nursing science and practice in my area of research.”
About The Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award
The Signe Skott Cooper Writing Award encourages students to write for publication. All currently enrolled UW–Madison School of Nursing students who are the primary author of a paper or manuscript may submit it for this award. The paper or manuscript must be on a topic of interest to nursing, and it must be ready for submission or have been submitted to a nursing or health-related journal.
Ellen Hoffman, DNP
School of Nursing DNP Excellence Award
Ellen Hoffman, DNP, consistently goes above and beyond in everything she does. Whether it is academic excellence, caring for veterans at the Madison VA, participating in a service trip to Belize, or practicing with the UW polo club, she navigates her commitments with passion, balance, and dedication.
Hoffman’s journey into nursing began with caring for her grandmother, who had frontotemporal dementia. Witnessing her devastating health complications, including an inpatient fall resulting in multiple spinal fractures, ignited Hoffman’s passion for geriatrics, health care, and patient advocacy. Because of these experiences, she chose to specialize in adult-geriatric primary care.
Hoffman is also passionate about caring for veterans, which stems from her experience at the United States Naval Academy. Her first nursing role was at the Madison VA Hospital, and she continued to care for veterans and precept on two medical-surgical units throughout her DNP program. She also serves as a preceptor at the VA.
A UW–Madison Global Immersion trip to Belize solidified Hoffman’s desire to address health care disparities on a broader scale. Throughout 50 hours of clinical care, she played a pivotal role in screening local, underserved residents for cervical cancer and helping them manage multiple chronic conditions.
One of Hoffman’s most enjoyable and unique experiences during her DNP program was caring for incarcerated individuals at the Oregon Correctional Institute. This experience helped expand her approach to patient care with heightened adaptability and affirmed the importance of a comprehensive continuum of care for underserved patients.
Throughout her nursing journey, Hoffman’s preceptors have praised her excellent academic performance, teaching abilities, patient rapport, and communication with staff and patients. Outside of class, Hoffman participates in extracurriculars, including the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the UW Equestrian Polo Club, Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, and Badger Honor Flight.
“Receiving the UW School of Nursing DNP Excellence Award is not just an honor, but a reflection of the dedication and passion I hold for advancing nursing practice, particularly in caring for the adult and geriatric populations,” says Hoffman. “I am deeply grateful for this recognition and motivated to continue making meaningful contributions to the field, ensuring the highest quality of care for those I serve.”
About the School of Nursing DNP Excellence Award
This award honors students who demonstrate success in all areas of emphasis in the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) curriculum, including clinical scholarship, leadership, policy development, and advanced clinical practice. Students who win this award have also contributed meaningfully to the School of Nursing or our community through voluntary service activities that go beyond those required by the DNP program.
Sheryl Krause, PhD
Mary L. Keller Research Award
Sheryl Krause, PhD(c), has clearly and consistently demonstrated her passion, integrity, and productivity in nursing research. She actively collaborated on multiple interdisciplinary research studies on improving the quality of care in the emergency department. Even though they were not part of her program requirements, Krause sought out these studies to learn more about research.
After working in emergency departments as a direct care provider and clinical nurse specialist for the past thirty years, Krause is very motivated to address the detrimental health outcomes patients experience when they lack the information or resources needed to be successful post-discharge.
Krause’s vision is to improve the education and support provided to patients in these settings. For her dissertation research, she conducted a study focused on conversations that occur during the emergency department discharge process and patient perceptions of the discharge process. After her dissertation, Krause plans to continue her research to identify and develop interventions to improve the discharge process.
Krause has also been active in the dissemination of findings. She is a co-author of three peer-reviewed journal papers and two refereed conference proceedings papers (including one as first author), with three more papers in preparation. She has presented her research at two international human factors conferences and the Midwest Nursing Research Society. Krause is also engaged in research-related service as a member of the local Sigma chapter scholarship committee and reviewer for conference submissions.
About the Mary L. Keller Research Award
The Mary L. Keller Memorial Research Award is named after Professor Mary Keller, who taught at the School of Nursing for nearly two decades. She is remembered as an outstanding scholar and mentor to students. In memory of Professor Keller, who died of cancer in 2006, an award was established to recognize a student who embodies Professor Keller’s passion and integrity.
Educator Awards
Jessica Hinton, BSN
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Preceptor – Undergraduate
Jessica Hinton, BSN, is an outstanding leader, educator, and mentor. Her knowledge is extensive, and she brings kindness, empathy, and a sense of humor to her interactions with students, colleagues, and patients.
Hinton’s passion for nursing is clear. “The title is just not what I am, but who I am,” she says. She sees nursing as a lifelong journey, where there is always room for growth — an attitude she imparts to her students.
One of Hinton’s preceptees shared a powerful moment from her first day of clinical practice when a patient shared her heartbreaking health concerns. “Immediately I witnessed Jessica stop what she was doing to offer the patient comfort, through both words and a hug — both of which the patient shared gratitude for,” Hinton’s preceptee says. “Jessica’s empathy and eager attitude towards being an educator to students, other staff, patients, and families is one that I hope to carry on with me as a future nurse.”
About the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators in a Clinical Setting
Exceptionally skilled and compassionate nursing educators play a pivotal role in shaping the nursing workforce and setting an example for future nurses. Society relies on these educators to impart the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for nurses to provide compassionate and complex care. In health care organizations, preceptors ensure that students are competent and confident in their skills, playing a crucial part in ensuring that the public receives care from educated, competent, and proficient nurses. With gratitude for the continuum of educators in practice settings, The DAISY Foundation and the UW-Madison School of Nursing are honored to present The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators in a Clinical Setting to preceptors who have committed themselves to educating the future of nursing and advancing patient care.
Leah Kechele, DNP
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty – Undergraduate
As an educator, Leah Kechele, DNP, demonstrates tremendous dedication and passion. She cares about her students having what they need to learn and takes the time to ensure the entire class understands the curriculum. Students say Kechele is always willing to listen to concerns and identify individual needs for clinical skills or requirements.
“It has not gone unnoticed how hard she works to facilitate and organize a smooth educational format and process for us,” says one of Kechele’s students. “Her passion is evident through class structure and organization and is greatly appreciated by the undergraduate class.”
About the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty – Undergraduate Faculty
The DAISY Foundation recognizes that the pressures on nursing faculty are numerous, yet their impact is powerful. Many students talk about hearing a professor’s or instructor’s voice in their ears even years after they have graduated. These dedicated nursing faculty members often do not receive appropriate recognition for the effect they have on their students, on patient care, and on the professionalism of nursing. The DAISY Faculty Award was created to recognize and celebrate the contributions faculty make to the future of nursing.
Roberta Pawlak, PhD, RN, NEA-BC
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty – Graduate
Roberta Pawlak, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, models exemplary nursing leadership, innovation, advocacy, and practice. She demonstrates a passion for helping her students, whether by making time to connect one-on-one, helping them break down barriers, or taking advantage of opportunities. “Dr. Pawlak changes the lives of her students,” says one of her nominators for the DAISY award.
“I truly am BEYOND grateful for what she has taught me,” another of Dr. Pawlak’s nominators says. “From organizational involvement and leadership theory to executive finance and business concepts understanding, she made sure that each course proved beneficial and impactful.”
One student says meeting Dr. Pawlak was the reason they applied to the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program at UW–Madison. “Working full-time, having a family, and being in the DNP program full-time is difficult,” they say. “Dr. Pawlak helped me find inspiration when I needed it and has encouraged me to take care of myself when I needed to hear it. She has lined up so many opportunities and connections throughout the last three years, and I am walking away from this program knowing the sky’s the limit for me.”
About the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty – Graduate Faculty
The DAISY Foundation recognizes that the pressures on nursing faculty are numerous, yet their impact is powerful. Many students talk about hearing a professor’s or instructor’s voice in their ears even years after they have graduated. These dedicated nursing faculty members often do not receive appropriate recognition for the effect they have on their students, on patient care, and on the professionalism of nursing. The DAISY Faculty Award was created to recognize and celebrate the contributions faculty make to the future of nursing.
Anne Putzer, MS, RN, ACNS-BC, CCRN
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Preceptor – Graduate
Anne Putzer, MS, RN, ACNS-BC, CCRN, provides exceptional mentorship for her preceptees. Whether she is helping her preceptees build relationships with the bedside nurses and other members of the health care team, encouraging them to attend advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) lobby day to meet their legislators, or lending a compassionate ear, she excels in her role as a clinical nurse specialist.
“Anne serves as a role model not only in her wisdom and guidance but through her actions. She truly models a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development,” says one of Putzer’s preceptees.
Putzer is passionate about her role and loves working with students. She sees supporting their education as one of the highest priorities in ensuring the nursing profession continues to grow and develop. But learning is a two-way street for Putzer, and she’s inspired and energized by what she learns from her students.
Putzer’s leadership extends beyond the clinical setting as well. She’s worked on the leadership team for the Wisconsin Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (WIACNS), acted as a representative for the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) at the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) National Teaching Institute (NTI) in Philadelphia in May of 2023, and she was selected to present at NTI in May 2024.
On learning that she had been chosen for the DAISY award, Putzer said, “This an incredible honor. It is even more special to me because I received my BSN from the UW–Madison School of Nursing 41 years ago!”
About the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators in a Clinical Setting
Exceptionally skilled and compassionate nursing educators play a pivotal role in shaping the nursing workforce and setting an example for future nurses. Society relies on these educators to impart the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for nurses to provide compassionate and complex care. In health care organizations, preceptors ensure that students are competent and confident in their skills, playing a crucial part in ensuring that the public receives care from educated, competent, and proficient nurses. With gratitude for the continuum of educators in practice settings, The DAISY Foundation and the UW-Madison School of Nursing are honored to present The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators in a Clinical Setting to preceptors who have committed themselves to educating the future of nursing and advancing patient care.