Nominated by their colleagues, a pair of University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Fox Cities campus employees who have made exceptional contributions to the campus recently were named as 2022-23 White Award recipients.
The Marilee White and Larry D. White Awards have recognized outstanding employees annually at the campus since 2000. Marilee White was a lecturer in English, and Larry White was a political science professor.
Senior chemistry lecturer Brian Rukamp received the Marilee White Instructional Academic Staff award. Trevor Tanner, of facilities maintenance, is the Larry White University Staff award winner.
A recommendation for Rukamp spoke of his knowledge and work with students:
Brian Rukamp has been a valuable and contributory member of the department and campus for the last 20 years. In that time, he has taught almost all the chemistry courses formerly offered by the UW Colleges. Currently, Brian anchors the general chemistry and organic chemistry curriculum, with CHEM 105 and 106 being our highest enrolled courses. As evidenced by classroom visitations and student evaluations, Brian is an effective and dedicated instructor and mentor. Furthermore, Brian has a good rapport with his students that helps with retention into second semester general chemistry, the organic chemistry sequence and the American Chemical Society-affiliated Chemistry Club for which he serves as the adviser.
Rukamp coordinates the laboratory instruction in general chemistry when other staff are needed to teach lab sections because of load issues. Rukamp now offers organic chemistry lecture point-to-point so that students at Fond du Lac have the opportunity to take the course.
Tanner’s nomination spoke of his dedication:
Tanner started with the local Thrive program on campus and worked at UWO Fox Cities as a grounds employee for two summers. He was hired when a full-time grounds position came available. Tanner is responsible for taking care of grounds in the summer and winter. In addition to grass cutting and weeding, the position includes snow removal, tree care and flower bed planting and maintenance. Tanner has received a number of positive comments over the past few years about the well-cared campus grounds—comments from the city arborist, mayor, citizens and county board members.
Tanner consistently makes sure that first impressions of the campus leave positive lasting impressions and he takes great pride in a job well done.
Tanner and Rukamp were presented with awards and a gift at the collegium May 5, courtesy of the UWO Fox Cities Foundation, Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region and the endowment left by Larry and Marilee White.
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