The UW–Madison School of Education would like to congratulate the recipients of our 2025 Distinguished Achievement Awards. The School’s highly regarded national reputation is due, in large part, to the dedication and talent of our faculty, staff, and students. Thank you to our award winners for your outstanding efforts.
Ann Wallace Academic Staff Distinguished Achievement Awards
University Staff Distinguished Achievement Award
Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship
Faculty Distinguished Achievement Awards
Excellence in Diversity Award
Dick & Julie Daly Award for Education Student Staff Achievement
Ann Wallace Academic Staff Distinguished Achievement Awards
The Ann Wallace Academic Staff Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes a staff member’s impact on the mission of the unit and their outstanding performance in that unit.
Barb Sramek
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Barb Sramek, a clinical professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA), is being honored for her outstanding teaching, mentorship, and exemplary leadership and service, both within her department and across the broader field of education.
For years Sramek has been instrumental in shaping future educational leaders in Wisconsin. As an educator and advisor, she delivers “top-notch instruction that inspires and challenges students,” writes her nominator Anjalé Welton, ELPA department chair. As the director of multiple programs, including the Wisconsin Executive PhD program, the MS in Educational Leadership program, and the grant-funded District Level Principal Pipeline partnership with three area school districts, she has created an environment where students can thrive.
Sramek’s students praise her for her skilled teaching and ability to create meaningful learning experiences. “Barb is the strength of this course!” one student writes, highlighting how Sramek’s knowledge and teaching style make course content relevant and timely. “Barb is an exceptional leader,” another student adds. “The opportunity to learn from her expertise is enough to make any course she teaches successful.”
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Sramek has been a trusted mentor and advisor for many students, and she is often asked to serve on dissertation committees. She adeptly guides students through their field experiences and continues to be a valuable mentor even post-graduation as they are building their careers as principals, school administrators, and superintendents across the state. Sramek has also served as a sought-after member of various state committees and advisory boards, lending her voice to important issues and serving as an effective champion for public education.
For her remarkable dedication, service, and impact as an educator and leader — efforts that truly exemplify the Wisconsin Idea — we are proud to present Barb Sramek with the Ann Wallace Academic Staff Distinguished Achievement Award.
University Staff Distinguished Achievement Award
The University Staff Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes a staff member’s outstanding performance on the job, initiation or recommendation of innovative ideas that are implemented and result in better service or efficiency, and exhibition of grace under pressure.
Adam Chase
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
Adam Chase is being recognized for his outstanding service within the Wisconsin Center for Education Research’s (WCER) Business Office, where he has served for over 10 years as a post-award accountant.
Chase’s impact extends far beyond his remarkable technical expertise and accuracy as an accountant. Through all of his work he exemplifies what it means to “work as a team member,” writes his nominator, Gwen Goplin, a senior accountant at WCER. Goplin adds that Chase “consistently promotes excellence in himself and his colleagues. Every day, Adam consciously commits to availability, clarity, accuracy, and patience.”
Chase is deeply committed to serving partners both inside and outside of WCER with their accounting needs, and he is known for his care when addressing misunderstandings and resolving complex issues. His ability to offer thoughtful and accurate guidance helps ensure the success of various research projects.
Beyond his role as a trusted accountant, Chase is pivotal in promoting excellence within WCER. He continuously shares his extensive knowledge with colleagues through training and coaching, helping to build the skills of other financial specialists. He also works consistently to advance his own expertise by attending campus training sessions to learn about the new policies and software. Moreover, he serves on the National Council of Research Administration’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, demonstrating his commitment to professional growth and inclusive practices.
Chase’s work to build community also stands out. He is known for his genuine care for others and for going the extra mile to foster a welcoming work environment, initiating social gatherings and taking time to connect with coworkers.
For his dedication to excellence, service to the university community, and his unwavering commitment to teamwork, we are thrilled to honor Adam Chase with the University Staff Distinguished Achievement Award.
Faculty Distinguished Achievement Awards
The Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes faculty members who have made contributions and demonstrated continued excellence in each of the three areas of teaching, research, and service.
James Wollack
Department of Educational Psychology
For more than two decades, Professor James Wollack has demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact in the field of educational measurement, test security, and assessment. Recognized as a global authority in test security, his pioneering research has shaped the way high-stakes testing programs detect and mitigate fraud, ensuring fairness and validity in educational and professional assessments. His groundbreaking contributions, including the development of statistical models for identifying test fraud, have influenced best practices worldwide and strengthened the integrity of standardized testing.
Beyond his research, Professor Wollack has been a dedicated mentor and educator. Despite holding full-time administrative responsibilities as director of Testing and Evaluation Services, he has remained deeply committed to graduate student training, advising numerous doctoral students who have gone on to earn prestigious awards and fellowships. His seminar on educational measurement has been widely praised for developing students’ analytical and professional communication skills. Professor Daniel Bolt describes Professor Wollack as “a true servant leader who has strengthened our department through his wisdom, conscientiousness, and modesty.”
Professor Wollack’s leadership within the School of Education has been nothing short of transformative. As chair of the Department of Educational Psychology from 2019 to 2024, he guided the department through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering stability and cohesion. He has served on critical committees at the university, UW System, and national levels, contributing to educational policy, assessment practices, and the advancement of academic integrity. His leadership in Testing and Evaluation Services has directly influenced nearly one million Wisconsin students through placement testing and accommodations for students with disabilities.
For his remarkable scholarship, steadfast commitment to students, and distinguished service to the university and beyond, we are honored to present Professor James Wollack with the Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award.
Dick & Julie Daly Award for Education Student Staff Achievement
The Dick & Julie Daly Award for Education Student Staff Achievement recognizes a recipient who presents a positive image of the School through exceptional work and demonstrates creativity, problem-solving, excellent customer service, or other activities that go beyond the ordinary expectations of their role as a student hourly worker.
Callah Dornfeld
Student Services
Callah Dornfeld has demonstrated unwavering commitment and leadership throughout her time at the School of Education, excelling in multiple roles, including as a SOAR peer advisor, student ambassador, and front desk support worker.
“Callah is someone who always takes initiative without needing to be asked,” writes Becky Smith, academic advising manager. “Her easy-going personality and genuine kindness make her an asset, and she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure every interaction is engaging and meaningful.”
During her two years as a SOAR peer advisor, Callah supported nearly 1,000 new students, providing individualized attention and fostering a warm, welcoming environment. As a peer leader in her second year, she took on additional responsibilities, training new peer advisors and further building her leadership skills.
“To watch Callah advise is to witness her genuine acceptance of others. She’s an excellent judge of what a student needs, offering a person-to-person connection that is essential to a student’s journey,” shares Alexis Baynard, a student status specialist.
Callah also served as a key member of the Fall Welcome planning team and led the event with professionalism, helping to make it one of the most successful in recent years. Her efforts in providing exceptional customer service at the Student Services front desk further highlight her dedication and work ethic.
For her remarkable contributions, we are proud to honor Callah Dornfeld with the Dick & Julie Daly Award for Education Student Staff Achievement.
Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship
The Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship honors an individual who advances the Wisconsin Idea to a new level of partnership and reciprocity.
Katie Eklund
Department of Educational Psychology
Professor Katie Eklund is a champion of students’ mental health.
A former school mental health professional, Professor Eklund’s research is grounded in the needs of schools and builds partnerships with educators, school mental health professionals, families, and children to support and promote equitable and just mental health services. An accomplished scholar and leader, Professor Eklund served as the co-director of the Madison Education Partnership from 2018-2024 and leads several other deeply impactful initiatives.
One of those is the Resilient Response to the Effects of Stress and Trauma (REST) program, which provides screening and mental health interventions for children in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) who are grappling with traumatic stress. During the 2022-23 school year, REST screened nearly 3,000 students and linked nearly 700 children with relevant interventions.
Beth Vaade, senior executive director of the Research, Assessment & Improvement Department for MMSD, says Professor Eklund’s research is “not just in schools but with schools.”
“She brings her whole self to this work, building the partnerships that will ensure the relevance of her work and the impact of her findings,” Vaade says.
Professor Eklund is also principal investigator on a project that investigates the number of children accessing mental health services in Dane County, the effect of those services on academic and behavioral outcomes, and barriers and facilitators to services. According to Nelsie Stern of Journey Mental Health Center in Madison, Eklund’s leadership fostered a partnership for this project between communities and systems that have historically not worked together.
As Jennifer Asmus, chair of the Department of Educational Psychology, says: “The scope and positive influence of Dr. Eklund’s community-engaged research is challenging to overstate.”
For these reasons, we are pleased to present the Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship to Katie Eklund.
Excellence in Diversity Award
The Excellence in Diversity Award recognizes faculty and staff who have made significant contributions to campus climate and to building a diverse and equitable School of Education.
Diego Román
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Professor Diego Román’s attention and commitment to diversity has enriched his students’ educational experiences, shaped life-changing research, and had an indelible impact on our campus community.
From his research focused on bilingual and multicultural education, to his commitment to under-served rural communities, to his thoughtful promotion of racial and linguistic justice, Professor Román’s work provides a road map for ways to inform, engage, and empower us to better understand and enact diversity.
His colleagues from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction say Professor Román’s commitment to diversity is evident in his preparation of future K-12 educators. As an instructor, Professor Román centers culturally and linguistically responsive approaches and pedagogies, as well as students’ racial and linguistic identities and critical pedagogies of place.
For example, Professor Román joined UW–Madison’s Enwejig Indigenous Language Advocates to deepen his understanding of Wisconsin’s Native Nations’ efforts to redress colonial linguicide. As a result of that involvement, he has incorporated videos and readings authored by Indigenous scholars and elders into his graduate seminar. This represents a conscientious effort at expanding who is positioned as an expert, while raising important questions of sovereignty and solidarity.
Professor Kathryn Kirchgasler says Professor Román’s ability to elicit a diversity of perspectives, while never demanding prerequisite understanding, and his offering of engaging presentations and discussions to foster shared fluency in critical theories is a model for others.
Professor Kirchgasler also noted Professor Román’s substantial investment in campus-wide and community-engaged efforts to promote racial and linguistic justice. Professor Román has contributed to multiple projects in the Chican@ & Latin@ Studies program, serves as a scholar in residency for the WIDA Consortium, is a board member for Dreamers of Wisconsin, and a mentor for the Summer Education Research Program at our School of Education.
For these reasons, the School of Education enthusiastically awards Professor Diego Román the Excellence in Diversity Award.
Special Thanks
The Ann Wallace Academic Staff Distinguished Achievement Awards are sponsored by Ann Wallace. The Faculty Achievement Awards and the University Staff Distinguished Achievement Award are supported by the Charles Read Recognition Fund. The Student Staff Achievement Awards are funded by a gift from Jo Ann Carr (Dick & Julie Daly Award for Education Student Staff Achievement) and gifts to the School of Education. The Excellence in Diversity Award and the Community-Engaged Scholarship Award are supported by gifts to the School of Education.