A professor and an administrator from University of Wisconsin-Stout have been named special award recipients by the UW System and will be honored Thursday, Nov. 7, in Madison.
Professor Markie L.C. Twist is one of 13 honorees for the Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People. Twist teaches in the human development and family studies department and is coordinator of the graduate certificate in sex therapy program.
Glendali Rodriguez, interim provost, is one of 13 recipients of the Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award.
They will be honored at a ceremony and reception hosted by UW System President Ray Cross while the Board of Regents meets in Madison, although Twist won’t be able to attend.
UW System institutions submit nominations for the awards.
Dr. P.B. Poorman Award
The Poorman award, in its 11th year, is given annually to LGBTQ+ people who have helped to create a safer and more inclusive climate. It celebrates the memory and legacy of Paula B. Poorman, a faculty member at UW-Whitewater who dedicated her life to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people.
Twist has received seven grants and given 17 international, 21 national and 10 invited on-campus presentations since beginning work at UW-Stout in 2013. Twist also has published 18 journal articles, two book chapters and two journal editorials all in the area of sexual and gender diversity.
Twist has taught courses that focus on sexual and gender diversity; has organized the Sex Speak Sessions on campus; and is coordinating the Trans and Nonbinary Student Panel from 11:15 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, in room 208 of Heritage Hall.
“Each time the UW-Stout community has affirmed my efforts with awards my head and heart have been touched. Thus, the reception of a UW System award, the Dr. P. B. Poorman Award, feels like an extension of the affirmation I have experienced on our campus but at the larger systemic level,” Twist said.
“As a visible gender and sexual orientation minority — androgynous and bisexual — faculty member, there is always a risk to being visible and also having the LGBTQIAP+ communities be one of the primary focal points of one’s work. So, it is really affirming to be a part of not only a university that respects and demonstrates its appreciation for my work but also a larger system that does so as well,” Twist said.
“The only time I have felt more pride in our university is when my child, Leif, 11, was awarded the Community Ally Award Qubie last year. Indeed, to know that the university not only sees my efforts towards greater social justice equity and inclusivity for sexual and gender orientation minorities but also sees the efforts of a young activist like Leif means that it is a community that is invested in such equity and inclusivity now and in the future,” Twist said.
Twist has a doctorate in human development and family studies from Iowa State University; a master’s in marriage and family therapy from University of Louisiana at Monroe; and a master’s in education and bachelor’s in psychology from Northern Arizona University.
"This year’s award recipients are serving as invaluable role models, advisers and mentors to positively transform the experiences of students, faculty, and staff," Cross said. "The UW System is honored to recognize their significant achievements and dedication, which are making UW System campuses and surrounding communities more equitable and welcoming places to learn, work and live."
Outstanding Women of Color Award
This year is the 24th anniversary of the Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award, through which 388 faculty, staff, students and residents have been recognized for improving the status and climate for women and people of color and advancing the work of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Rodriguez also won the award in 2008, when she was a faculty member, active in the Minority and Faculty Staff Network and adviser for the student organization Latinos Unidos.
“Today, as interim provost and in my most recent administrative roles, as associate provost and department chair prior to that, I focus my efforts on modeling inclusivity across the larger campus, with faculty, staff and students,” Rodriguez said.
“Fostering inclusion is hard work, and it takes all of us. There are many diversity champions on our campus that I admire greatly. I’m honored to be recognized for my contributions and humbled,” she said.
Rodriguez is a licensed architect in the state of Wisconsin. She received a Master of Architecture degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University. She joined UW-Stout in 2005 and taught courses in the areas of construction management, interior design, and technology education prior to becoming a full-time administrator in January 2014.
“The UW System is proud to recognize the outstanding work of this year’s award recipients," Cross said. "Their leadership, scholarship, and outreach activities across a diverse range of academic programs and educational services are inspiring our students and enriching our campus communities.”
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Photos
Markie L.C. Twist
Glendali Rodriguez
